As Jesus Is (Series) - Today's Word with Rick Pina

As Jesus Is

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at the following passage for about a week. This weekend I was meditating on 1 John 4:17 over and over again. I feel led to teach on the phrase, “As Jesus is.” I am going to focus in on this statement all week and maybe into next week. It is critically important for us, as believers, to acknowledge the fact that we are NOTHING in and of ourselves, and that our sufficiency comes from Christ and Christ alone! Apart from Christ we can do nothing, but IN Him, we can do all things!

With that in mind, let’s look at the following passage from three different translations:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

(1 John 4:16, 17 ERV)

So we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. Everyone who lives in love, lives in God, and God lives in them. If God’s love is made perfect in us, we can be without fear on the day when God judges the world. We will be without fear, because in this world we are like Jesus.

(1 John 4:16, 17 AMP)

We have come to know [by personal observation and experience], and have believed [with deep, consistent faith] the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in him. In this [union and fellowship with Him], love is completed and perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him]; because as He is, so are we in this world.

So what does this mean to you today? Instead of giving you major thoughts, with supporting ‘nuggets’, today I will give you 10 quick nuggets. Here we go…

1. The Law was not given to make us right. Rules cannot make you right. Rules can only show you how wrong you are.

2. The Law was given to show mankind that we are imperfect and flawed. The goal of this reality was to bring man to the end of himself.

3. The Law was given to show a human that he/she needs a savior. That savior came, His name is Jesus, and He delivered us from the bondage of sin and the fear of death.

4. Jesus was the only sinless human to ever walk the planet. Jesus was humanity’s perfection personified.

5. You are not righteous because of what you do or what you fail to do. If you are in Christ, you are righteous, but ONLY because of what Jesus did.

6. You are not holy because of what you do or what you fail to do do. If you are in Christ, you are holy, but ONLY because of what Jesus did.

7. The only way you can stand boldly before God is because you are in Christ and Christ is in you.

8. Before I stand up to preach, my prayer is, “Father, may I be hidden in Christ and may Christ be revealed in me.” I don’t want the people to hear me, because there is no power in me. May the people hear Jesus in me! This is how they will be inspired, edified, healed, delivered and set free!”

9. Everything Jesus is, is what we are. Everything attributed to Jesus — righteousness, holiness, sanctification, power, truth, etc. — is attributed to us, because we are IN CHRIST!

10. When satan looks at us, he sees sin. When God looks at us, He sees His Son! As Jesus is, so are we, in this world!

I will stop here for today and discuss this further for the next few days.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I say this without reservation, because I am NOT basing it on my merit. I base my confidence on Jesus’ merit. All that Jesus is, is what I am, because I am IN Him and He is IN me. I am hidden in Christ. As I walk throughout each day, Christ is revealed IN me. It is Christ IN me, that brings me the hope of glory! It is Christ IN me, that has made me new. It is Christ IN me, that positions me for my purpose. I will change the world, because Christ is IN me and He lives through me! So I boldly declare, “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 2)

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” In yesterday’s message I told you that, “It is critically important for us, as believers, to acknowledge the fact that we are NOTHING in and of ourselves, and that all our sufficiency comes from Christ! Apart from Christ we can do nothing, but IN Him, we can do all things!” I also told you that we would be looking at 1 John 4:16 & 17 all week. So let’s get back to it.

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. We could not redeem ourselves. We could never be good enough. But Jesus was good enough for us. Jesus became our redemption. The Father then offered us this redemption freely, by grace, as a free gift. We receive the gift when we receive Christ. When we are IN CHRIST we are redeemed from sin, hell and the grave (Rom 3:24).

2. In Christ there is no condemnation. He was completely perfect. When we are Born-Again, we are IN CHRIST. Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are IN Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).

3. The expansive, unending, unyielding, unfailing love of God, which spans the height, depth, width and breadth of God Himself, is IN CHRIST. When we are IN Christ, we get to enjoy this amazing love. Not because we earned it, but because Jesus did (Rom 8:39).

4. Although we are many people, all over the world, we are all made to become ONE BODY in Christ Jesus (Rom 12:5). Outside of Christ we struggle to be unified. But IN CHRIST we can operate as ONE!

5. Jesus was made wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor 1:30). Once we are IN CHRIST we get to receive and enjoy ALL that He is!

6. In Adam ALL DIE. In Christ ALL have been MADE ALIVE (1 Cor 15:22). Because of Adam we were born one way, but because of Jesus we are able to be Born-Again!

7. The Bible tells us to give thanks unto God, who ALWAYS causes us to triumph IN CHRIST (2 Cor 2:14). Our victory is IN HIM! He already obtained the victory. We are not striving to achieve or obtain. Our role is to simply RECEIVE, by faith, that victory Jesus already obtained for us! In Christ we have the victory! We can enter every day with victory as our starting point, not our destination! This enables us to pray, not FOR the victory, but rather to pray FROM a position OF victory!

8. When you study all the Father did IN CHRIST JESUS and how He then placed you IN Jesus (and Jesus IN you), it changes everything. When you received Jesus as Lord, you received ALL that He is. So you can rest from your own works. Your are not striving for sufficiency, your sufficiency is IN HIM! You are not striving to become perfect, your perfection is IN HIM. You are not afraid of the Day of Judgment, you were already judged IN HIM. When you get this revelation, you can boldly declare, “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!”

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I say this without reservation, because I know I am IN CHRIST and CHRIST is IN ME! I get to enjoy all that Jesus is, because You freely offer me His best by your unearned grace. You hide me IN JESUS and You reveal Jesus IN ME. You don’t do this because I deserve it. You do this because You love me and because You love the world. So Father, as I enter this day, I do so knowing that Christ will be revealed IN ME and THROUGH ME. With this revelation firmly planted in my heart, I can boldly declare, “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” Everything Jesus is, is who I am! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 3)

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16 and 17 for days. The point I keep driving home is that all our sufficiency is IN CHRIST. Once we are IN CHRIST, we are all that He is. When God looks at us, He sees His son. Let’s continue to flow in this vein today, by looking at our passage, and by also looking at 2 Cor 5:14-17.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

The love of Christ controls us, because we know that one person died for everyone. So all have died. He died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him.

From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks. But we don’t think that way now. When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him.

(2 Cor 5:14-17 ERV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Jesus took your place on the cross, so you could take His place in this world!

a) Jesus was the only innocent man to ever walk the planet. He did not die for His sin, because He was sinless. He died for yours.

b) You are unquestionably guilty and Jesus was unquestionably innocent. Jesus chose to take your place. He paid your penalty. He offered His life as your substitutionary death.

c) Our text says that “one person died for everyone.” That one person was Jesus. Paul goes on to say, “so all have died.” If you are IN CHRIST, you are alive to Him and dead to self.

d) Paul explained that Jesus died for us, so we could live for Him. But we don’t just get to live FOR Him. We actually get to live IN HIM!

2. Jesus rose from the dead FOR you, so you could live in the newness of life He died to give you.

a) Our text says, “When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!”

b) Once you are IN CHRIST, you have a new life. Everything is new. Everything changes in an instant. Not because you change in an instant — that takes time. But because your position changes in an instant. The moment you gave your life to Christ, you were placed IN HIM. Once you are IN HIM, everything is new. The challenge then becomes, learning how to LIVE in the new life you already have!

3. We are all that He [Jesus] is.

a) Think of the resurrected Jesus for a minute. Picture Him in all of His glory. He has gone to the cross to pay for our sin. He has risen from the dead to provide us eternal life. He has taken back the authority over this planet Adam lost. He has the keys to the Kingdom. He has dominion and power. He then ascends into heaven and takes His seat at the right hand of the Father. He does not sit because He is tired. He sits because His earthly assignment is complete. He did all He was sent to the earth to do. Can you see Him? Are you picturing Him? Now think of our text. The Bible says that as Jesus is (right now, in all of His glory), so are we, in this world! We are everything He is. Not because we deserve it, but because of God’s amazing grace.

b) The Gospel (Good news) is so good, because God chooses to see imperfect people through the lens of perfection. When He sees us, He sees Jesus. And that’s the perspective He wants us to enter every day with. As Jesus is, so are we, in this world!

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I say this without reservation, because I know I am IN CHRIST and CHRIST is IN ME! When You look at me, You see Your Son. You see Jesus, in all of His glory. Jesus took my place on the cross. I now take His place in this world. To do this I must fully embrace the newness of the life He died to give me. I do. I see myself dead to the flesh and alive to the Spirit. I am IN CHRIST. Christ is IN ME! Everything is new. The old has gone. The new has come! As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 4)

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” Yesterday we looked at 1 John 4:16,17 and 2 Cor 5:14-17. Let’s go back to these passages today.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(2 Cor 5:14-17 ERV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. When we are IN CHRIST, Jesus’ death becomes our death.

a) Our text says, “One person died for everyone. So all have died.” That one person was Jesus. All of us who are IN HIM, get to participate in His death.

b) Paul said, “When we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and took part in his death” (Rom 6:4).

c) When we went down in the water, in baptism, it was an outward symbol of the inward change that took place when we were Born-Again. We died to self and we are alive for Christ.

d) Since Jesus died our death, and His death is a true substitution for our own, we are to now live without a fear of death.

e) When you fully embrace Jesus’ death as your own, you are delivered from the bondage of the fear of death (Heb 2:15).

2. When we are IN CHRIST, Jesus’ resurrection becomes our resurrection.

a) Our text says, “He died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him.”

b) Paul said, “In Adam all of us die. And in the same way, in Christ all of us are made alive again.” (1 Cor 15:22).

c) Jesus was raised from the dead into the newness of eternal life. Jesus will never die again. When we are IN CHRIST, we are raised with Jesus. We are raised from death to eternal life. We have passed from death to life (John 5:24). We have done all the dying we are going to do . We now get to live in the newness of the life Christ died to give us.

3. When we are IN CHRIST, Jesus’ life becomes our life.

a) Jesus was not just an example FOR us. He was an example OF us. If we are IN CHRIST, then His death was our death; His resurrection was our resurrection. This also means that His life now our life.

b) When you are IN CHRIST everything changes. You are just like Jesus. When God looks at you, He sees you the same as He sees His own Son. He loves you no less than He loves Jesus. He expects of you, NO LESS, than He expected of Jesus — and that is to complete your earthly assignment before you die. The only way to do this is to SEE yourself AS JESUS IS.

c) All that Jesus IS, is what you ARE, when you are IN HIM and He is IN YOU!

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I don’t say this based on my merit. I say this based on all that Jesus. I am in Jesus and Jesus is in me. His death was my death. So I have no fear of dying. His resurrection was my resurrection. So I walk in the newness of life. His life is my life. I live down here, as Jesus IS up there. Jesus took my place on the cross. I now take His place in the earth. As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 5) & Special Vacation Message

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Om4C0ZxiJ40.

I have two announcements to share with you this morning, before I get into the Word.

First, for the next two weeks I will be on vacation with my family. I have been doing Today’s Word for 19 and a half years. I never took a break, not even while on vacation, until 2015, when the Lord gave me the clearance to do so. That time has come again. I really need this break and I am looking forward to it. Rest is spiritual. Please pray for me while I take some very important down-time. There are plenty of messages on the website (http://todaysword.org), our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/rickpina) and our Mobile App (http://subsplash.com/pinaministries/app), please take advantage of those during the break.

Second, Isabella and I never go to the Dominican Republic without doing any ministry. I will preach at our Haitian church while we are there and we will purchase 350 backpacks, with 350 sets of school supplies, to give out during our annual Back to School Drive in August. We have not met our budget yet. We are about $2,000 short at this moment. We will get it done and if you want to be part of it, believe me, God will honor your seed. If you want to partner, please do so online at http://ripministries.org/missions/back-to-school-drives. All donations are tax-deductible in the United States.

Now let’s get to the Word.

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” For the past couple of days we have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 and 2 Cor 5:14-17. Let’s go back to these passages today.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks. But we don’t think that way now. When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him.

(2 Cor 5:14-17 ERV)

So what does this mean to you today? I will give you two final points before I go on vacation.

1. Honor Jesus.

a) Paul teaches us that there was a time when we thought of Jesus the same way the world thinks about Him. We had the wrong perspective of Jesus. But once we are in Christ, Paul says, “We don’t think that way now!” We are supposed to have a new perspective of Jesus and ALL that He is.

b) Once you are Born-Again and you have God’s Spirit living inside of you. The Holy Spirit will begin to help you understand ALL that Jesus is.

c) Jesus was and is perfect. Jesus was and is flawless. Jesus was and is holy. Jesus was and is blameless. Jesus IS redemption. Jesus is the personification of grace. Jesus has all power. Jesus took back all Adam lost. In Jesus, God the Father completed all He wanted to do in the earth, where kingdom dominion, power and authority are concerned. God’s best was and is IN JESUS. This is how we should see Him. And getting to the point where you can clearly see Him this way is critically important, because all that He is, is NOW made available to you, because you are IN HIM!

2. Honor the Jesus in you.

a) Getting the revelation of ALL that Jesus is, is one level. But then getting the revelation that you are IN CHRIST and CHRIST is IN YOU, takes you to an entirely different level.

b) Seeing Jesus in all of His glory is one thing. But that does not do much for you, because you are seeing Him detached from you. However, seeing Jesus in all of His glory and then seeing yourself IN HIM, is something else. The Father wants you to see yourself IN CHRIST. Once you are IN CHRIST, you get to partake of ALL THAT HE IS!

c) Picture Jesus in all of His glory, and then say, “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” You are, because He is.

d) When you are IN CHRIST, everything Jesus is, is what you are. When you get this revelation, it changes the way you look at God, yourself, others and your future. Not because of you, but because of HIM!

I will stop here for today and pick this up when I get back from vacation.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I don’t say this based on my merit. I say this based on ALL that Jesus. Jesus has all power. Jesus is completely perfect. Jesus is blameless. Jesus is sinless. Jesus was made sanctification, redemption and truth. Jesus is grace in person. Jesus is everything a human could ever dream of being and I get to partake of ALL Jesus is, because I am IN HIM and He is IN ME! So I boldly declare, “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I am, because He is! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

The Love of God

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Om4C0ZxiJ40.

I am just getting back from vacation. I am glad to be back in front of the computer this morning, doing what I love to do. Before I jump back into the series we are in, I feel led to share a few things with you about my vacation, under the theme, “The Love of God.”

So what does this mean to you today? I believe you will be able to glean a few golden nuggets.

1. The love of God is always focused on others.

a) Taking time off is important. Rest is spiritual. Spending time with my wife and children is paramount. My first ministry is to my family. God would not be pleased if I were a hero to strangers, but a zero at home. I truly enjoyed spending time with my family and resting. That said, even while on vacation, we focused on BEING a blessing to others.

b) Ministry is a family business for us. Even while on vacation, we were picking out backpacks and school supplies for underprivileged children. Our children know how important it is to give back and to focus on sharing the love of God with others.

c) While on vacation I preached twice. Both messages were about God’s love. So while I was taking time away from my vacation, per se, to do what I believe God wanted me to do, I did it knowing that He wanted me to share His love with others. The opposite of God’s love is selfishness. God’s love is always focused on someone else.

d) The Lord had me to preach in Jail last night. I preached about God’s love (not surprising). They could not come to us, so we went to them. We told them that God loves them. And God’s love changed them from the inside out.

e) When your heart is rooted and grounded in God’s love, you live your life focused on others. Your life becomes an offering to God. God then takes your life and pours it out into the lives of others. I believe this to be the will of God for us all.

2. It is important to establish altars in your life.

a) Taking time to reflect is critical to maximizing your purpose and potential. It’s important to look back over your life and meditate on God’s goodness along the way.

b) While on vacation the Lord had me to share a part of my life-testimony with a friend. As I shared story after story, of what God has done in my life, and of what He has said about my future, I did not realize it at the time, but God was setting me up to be blessed. I thought I was sharing these things with her, to be a blessing to her (which I believe I was). But in the days since we had the conversation, I have found myself thanking God continually for all He has already done in my life, and all He has promised that has yet to come to pass. One conversation of reflection has led to hours of thanksgiving and excitement concerning my future. Sometimes it’s important to look back, in order to look forward.

c) In Biblical times, the Lord led His people to establish altars. The altars served as a “remembrance” of what God had done. Whenever people needed encouragement, even generations later, they could look back in order to look forward. Establish some altars in your life. You never know when you may need to “trace yourself” (remembering God’s goodness), in order to “pace yourself” moving forward.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I say this without reservation. My confidence is not based in me or my performance. My confidence is based in You and Your tireless dedication to me. You love me with an everlasting love. I did nothing to cause You to start loving me and nothing I do will make You stop. I believe Your love. I receive Your love. I embrace Your love. And I become a conduit of Your love in this world. You bless me, SO THAT I can BE a blessing to others. I live my life focused on sharing Your love with the world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 6)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/rnRrewojiMw.

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” I was teaching on 1 John 4:16 and 17 before I went on vacation. Let’s go back to it today, as we continue to flow in this vein.

The Apostle John said:

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. When you accept God’s love, your life becomes all about Him!

a) John, the Apostle of love, in his 90s, after having meditated on God’s love for decades, reveals the true identity of God. John tells us that love is not something God has or something God does. Love is WHO God is!

b) God may be “like” many things, but there are only two things the Bible says God actually is. Both are revealed by the Apostle John. John tells us that God is light. In Him there is no darkness at all. John also tells us that God is love. In God there is no selfishness at all.

c) When you finally open your heart to the true nature of God’s love, and He begins to reveal all that He has called you to do — not because you deserve it, but only because He loves you — it is then and only then, that you are in position to walk in God’s best. God’s best has nothing to do with your performance. You are not performing for it. You are not earning it. You are not working to deserve it. You are simply receiving it all as a gift; a gift given to you by a God who loves you unconditionally. The day you get to this point will be the day your life becomes ALL ABOUT HIM!

2. Love frees you to embrace all that Jesus is.

a) Getting a revelation of God’s love is critical, because you will never fully embrace all that God made you to be, in Christ Jesus, until you are convinced He loves you!

b) John teaches us that we can stand boldly before God on the Day of Judgment. Our boldness does not come from our performance. Our boldness does not come from our merit. Our boldness does not come from anything we did. Our boldness comes solely from Jesus. We are IN Him and He is IN us. This is the only way we can stand before God on the Day of Judgment.

c) Fully embracing ALL that Jesus is, is not easy. It is counterintuitive. It is contrary to human logic. It is hard for our mind to accept the fact that everything Jesus is can simply be attributed to us. When we believe God, when we put our faith in Jesus, all that Jesus did is actually “imputed” to us as righteousness. It’s not that we are righteous in and of ourselves. But being IN Christ means that all that He is, is actually imputed (or credited/assigned) to us. The human heart has a hard time accepting this gift, because it is so good. This is where the love of God comes in. When you fully embrace God’s love, you open your heart to receive all that Jesus is. Not because you are so good, but because God is.

d) God is so good that when you stand before Him, He sees His Son. You don’t deserve it, but God treats you the same way He treats Jesus. He loves you with the same love He gave His only begotten Son. When Jesus walked the earth He was the only begotten of the Father. But once He died, He became a seed that was sown into the earth. This seed has produced a harvest. You and I are part of that harvest. Jesus is no longer the only Son. Now He is the firstborn of many, many brethren! He is now one of many and you are I are in that number. Why did God do this? Why is God so good to us? The answer is simply: because He loves us.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I can say this boldness and confidence, because my confidence is NOT in me. My confidence is in YOU. My faith is rooted and grounded in the unconditional and unending love You have for me. You love me without measure. You love me the same as You love Your own Son, Jesus. When You look at me, You see Jesus. When I stand before You, I am hidden in Christ. When I enter each day in this world, Christ is revealed in me. My life is all about You! I am convinced that You will complete what You started in my life. You will use me for Your glory. You will change the world through me. Not because I am so good, but because You are. So I enter this day as a world-changer, challenge-overcomer and a problem-solver; not in my strength, but only in Yours! As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 7)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/rnRrewojiMw.

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” I trust you have been enjoying this series. We have been looking at 1 John 4:16 and 17 for a while now. We have also looked at other scriptures with it. Today we will look at Galatians 5:6, with an emphasis on faith; faith which works by love.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

(Gal 5:6 KJV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. How faith works (brief overview).

a) Faith is not about you telling God what to do, because believe me, you can’t. Faith is not you grabbing a scripture and declaring it over and over, commanding God to perform it in your life, as if God is your servant and He is at your beck-and-call. No, faith is about agreement with and submission to God’s will.

b) Living by faith is about dying to self daily, submitting your will to God’s will, accepting what He wants to do in/with/through you by His grace, and then seeking to pursue it by faith. This cannot be done with your head. You don’t die to self in your head. You die to self in your heart.

c) Faith is about receiving the revelation of God’s will for your life, accepting it, believing it in your heart, and then pursuing it with your actions, even when it makes no human sense. Living by faith is choosing to live by the reality God reveals to you in His Word and in your heart, even when it flies in the face of the reality you see with your physical eyes. This is choosing to live by faith and not by sight.

2. The connection between God’s love and your faith.

a) We are called and commanded to walk and live by faith. Faith works by love (Gal 5:6). This does not mean that your faith will work when you perfect your love walk (which is what I used to think). Because this would make the power of your faith contingent upon the holiness of your performance. Believe me, that would get you nowhere. You can’t earn God’s goodness. What Paul was actually teaching is that your faith will work when you are convinced God loves you!

b) Faith comes down to confidence in God and His Word. Living by faith means you are living your life based on what you read in the Bible and what God reveals to you by His Spirit. This is where love comes in. When you are convinced God loves you unconditionally, you can have confidence that He is going to do what He said He would do in your life. Because at that point, your confidence is not in your performance. Your confidence is in God’s dedication to you and the plans He made for you before the world began.

c) If you really want to live a life of faith, you must fully embrace the love of God in your heart!

d) Faith works by love. Faith works when you are convinced God loves you and that He wants to use you based solely on His grace and not your performance.

e) Jesus was so convinced that the Father loved Him, that He trusted the Father enough to say, “Not my will, but thy will be done.” With those words, Jesus died to self in His heart to the point where He willingly accepted the cross for us, trusting the Father’s plan, even though it was going to cost Him much natural pain. This is how we are supposed to live.

f) Do you trust God enough to put His will above your own? Are you so convinced of God’s love for you that you willingly accept His will and pursue it by faith, even when it goes against what you wanted to do? That, my friend, is living by faith.

g) When you are convinced God loves you with an unconditional love, and that He sees you the same as he sees His own Son (Jesus), you then have the faith to believe the invisible, pursue the impossible and attempt the supernatural. Not because you deserve it. But only because God loves you.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. The revelation of Your love for me is changing me from the inside-out. You love me just like You loved Jesus. You love me because You are so good, not because I am. I accept Your Love. I believe Your love. I embrace Your love. I am changed by Your love. I live my life by faith. My faith is rooted and grounded in the fact that You love me. Your unconditional love fuels my faith. Because I know You love me, I am able to believe the invisible, pursue the impossible and attempt the supernatural. As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 8)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/rnRrewojiMw.

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” Yesterday we looked at 1 John 4:16,17 and Galatians 5:6, with an emphasis on faith that works by love. Today we will continue to flow in the same vein.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

(Gal 5:6 KJV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. For years I thought Galatians 5:6 (faith works by love) meant that my faith will work when I love God and other people. Meaning, that if I am not operating in love towards God or others, my faith will fail. However, the entire letter to the church in Galatia is about human effort (the Law) vs. God’s effort (grace). So, in context, Paul is not putting a requirement on you — to make sure your upward love towards God and outward love towards man is perfect — before your faith will work. No, Paul’s emphasis is on God and not us. Therefore, Paul must mean that faith works when we are convinced that God loves us!

2. God’s motivation to bless you is His love, NOT your faith. What caused God to make plans for you, to seek you out, to save you, and to then use you for His glory, is His LOVE and GRACE, not your faith or perfection.

3. When you are convinced God loves you, it puts you in a position to receive from Him. The revelation of God’s love is what opens your heart to His best.

4. When you are convinced God loves you, it is easier for you to believe. Because at that point you are believing God and what He wants to do in your life because He loves you, not because you are perfect.

5. If you attempt to live by faith without embracing God’s love in your heart, you will attempt to live by faith with your head. Many people attempt to live by faith mentally, without God’s love in their heart. These people spent lots of time praying for things, making confessions, declaring this-and-that, but to no avail, because faith does not work from your head, faith works from your heart.

6. Basing God’s goodness on His love for you and NOT your perfection towards Him is paramount, because If you don’t, you are putting yourself in a terrible position. As you live life, you will inevitably make mistakes. When you do, if your relationship with God is not rooted in His love towards you, you will think you have disqualified yourself from God’s best. God’s best will still be available to you by His unearned grace, because of His love and not your perfection, but you won’t pursue it (by faith), because of your flaws. Unfortunately, many believers live this way and it causes them to live beneath God’s best. This is why God wants you to see yourself JUST LIKE JESUS in this world — despite your flaws!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. The revelation of Your love for me is changing me from the inside-out. You loved me while I was yet a sinner. You made plans for me before the foundations of the world. You planned to blessed me, even though You already knew all the mistakes I was going to make. You looked at my life in advance — faults, failures, flaws and all — and You destined me for Your purpose anyway. Even when I am faithless, You have promised to be faithful to me. So I will not allow the devil to cause me to feel condemned anymore. The devil comes to condemn me because of my mistakes, but the Holy Spirit convicts me of the righteousness Christ Jesus died to give me. So I embrace Your grace, I receive Your love, and I boldly declare, “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 9)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/TymfiYnAsAQ.

Note: Before I get into Today’s Word, I want to share two quick things with you. First, it’s my wife’s birthday. So if you know Isabella personally or if you follow her on social media, please share your love with her today.

Second, I want to share with you how much I enjoy this. It has been said that if you discover what you love, and you live your life doing it, you will never work a day in your life. Well, since December 1997 I been sharing Today’s Word and I absolutely love it. I find true pleasure in doing what I was born to do. I was traveling home last night from the midwest and my flight was delayed, due to weather. I did not get home until about 2:30am. And after a brief nap, I am up doing what I love. When you discover God’s purpose for your life, the passion birthed from purpose becomes contagious. Everyone you meet will feel your passion. My prayer for you is that you find, follow and finish your purpose before you die. That you may discover, develop in and then deploy into your purpose. That said, now let’s get into the Word.

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” For the past couple of days we looked at 1 John 4:16,17 and Galatians 5:6, with an emphasis on faith that works by love. Today we will continue to flow in the same vein.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

(Gal 5:6 KJV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. You must be convinced God loves you.

a) Earlier this week I had the chance to speak to 30(+) Army Signal Corps Warrant Officers. If you know anything about me, this is one of the things I truly love. God blessed me to serve 25 years in the United States Army and I am thankful for every minute of it (even the unpleasant times). After our main session, I was afforded the opportunity to host a mentoring session for the Warrant Officers. I am big on leadership, modeling and mentoring. As I spoke to them about some the things God blessed me to do during my military career and now my post-military career, I could not help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards God. The more I walk with God, the more I know how much He loves me.

b) My life was not supposed to turn out the way it has. I am the son of an immigrant, born in one of the most impoverished and violent neighborhoods in the country (East New York, Brooklyn) in 1972. My parents divorced when I was 3 years old. I saw the crack (cocaine) epidemic begin and grow all around me. I had a gun placed to my head at the tender age of 11. And my childhood was riddled with many other challenges. Somehow I made it out of Brooklyn and eventually became the man God called me to be. When I think about what God did for me through the Brooklyn phase of my life, what He did in the military phase, what He has done through me in ministry and what He is now doing both in ministry and the marketplace, I am often overwhelmed. God is far better to me that I deserve.

c) I am ONLY OPEN to all God wants to do in my life because I am convinced He loves me. Honestly, if it were not for the love of God, my heart could not even attempt to believe God for the things He has called me to do.

d) My best days are ahead of me. The doors God is opening for Isabella and I are amazing. And the ONLY reason I am open to the magnitude of the assignment is because I know God loves me. If I questioned His love, my faith would fail. Because if I ever attempted to live by faith based on my performance, my world would come crumbling down. I am only able to release my faith for all the things God wants to do in my life because my faith is rooted and grounded in God’s love for me.

2. God’s plans are so big that we often feel unworthy of them.

a) God is limitless, but we (in our flesh) are limited. This is why it is sometimes difficult for us to receive what God wants to do in our lives.

b) If you come with it, it will be too small for God! When God comes up with it, it is always too big for you! This is why you must know that He loves you.

c) Many times, God’s plans exceed your bank account, education and socio-economic status. This is where the love of God comes in. If you are not convinced God loves you, and that He wants to do what He said He would do in your life because He loves you, you will feel unworthy of the task and disqualify yourself from it in your own mind. However, God did not give you the assignment because you are so good. He gave it to you because He is so good.

d) When you get convinced that God loves you and that He wants to bless you by grace, not because you are worthy, you will then be in position to do the only thing He requires you to do… BELIEVE!

e) God’s plans for your life are a gift. All you can do with a gift is receive it. But since His plans are SO big that they often seem too good to be true, you must believe them first. Your job is to believe and receive God’s plans. Once you do, you can in position to pursue them by faith. See, you believe and receive them in your heart, and you then pursue them with your lips and your legs. When the words of your mouth are birthed from a believing heart, you will believe enough (in God’s goodness) to actually provide the requisite action required to SEE (in your hands) what you have BELIEVED (in your heart). But once again, you don’t provide the action based in your power or strength. You provide the action solely based in God’s love.

A closing note: Before I close, I want to invite those who are in the Northern Virginia area to my church this Sunday. I will be preaching at Victory Christian Ministries International – Virginia Campus (at 14015 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, VA) on Sunday morning. Our service starts at 10am. If you are in the area, please join us. You will be glad you did.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. My heart is open to Your best. All bets are off. All limits are gone. The challenges don’t matter anymore. Come what may, I know I will overcome, because Jesus already overcame. As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I launch into this day, ready to be used of You to change the world, not because I am so good, but only because You love me! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 10)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/fbUWy-tFc7Q.

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” Yesterday I preached a message entitled, “Love is the Key.” In the message, I brought up two points from 1 John 4:17 that I will discuss today. The second point is something I will deal with for the entire week.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

So what does this mean to you today? Let’s get into the two points I said I would discuss.

1. The only way you can make it into heaven is IN Jesus.

a) I was raised in the Catholic church (Note: before I go any further, my experience is not an indictment against the Catholic church. My experience is simply an indictment against my ignorance). I participated in many church services and I was faithful to the routine/religious practices I was taught. But I did not truly know Jesus. When I joined the Army I remember someone asking me, “Are you saved?” To which I replied, “Well, if anyone is saved, I am! I lived in church growing up.” My concept was: I am a generally good person, I have attended many church services, I was baptized as a child, I completed first communion and confirmation, and I should therefore make it into heaven. The truth is, I was clueless and many people are equally clueless today. You don’t get into heaven because of church attendance or good works. You can only get into heaven because of JESUS!

b) When you stand before God on the Day of Judgment, the only correct answer to the question, “Why should I allow you into my heaven?”, is, “Because Your Son, Jesus, is my Lord!” There is no other reason.

c) The Bible teaches us that we can actually stand before God with a level of boldness on the Day of Judgment. How can we have boldness? The answer is simple. We don’t have boldness because of us. We can have boldness because of Him! As Jesus is, so are we, in this world!

d) Our confidence for eternal life is in Christ and Christ alone! I know I am going to heaven. Not because I am so good, but because Jesus is and I am IN Jesus. I am not perfect, but Jesus was perfect for me. I am not holy, but Jesus was holy for me. And since I am now IN CHRIST, all that Jesus is — perfection, holiness, sanctification, etc. — is who I am. I am, because He is!

e) I can have confidence to stand before God on the Day of Judgment, because I am in Christ and He has already been judged. My sin was judged in Jesus. Jesus paid my debt on the cross. Sin is no longer an issue for me. I am not free TO sin. I am free FROM sin.

2. Salvation is only half the story.

a) Please hear my heart. I am not devaluing salvation in any way. I will never cease to give God praise for sending His Son to die in my place. I thank God for Jesus every day! I never want to forget what it was like for me to give my life to Jesus. My salvation experience is dear to me. The point I am making here is that salvation is NOT the destination. Salvation is actually your starting point. The day I made Jesus my Lord was amazing. But the next day I was still here. God did not take me to heaven. Why not? Because He sent me to this earth for a purpose and me being IN CHRIST, was simply my positioning for that purpose. Once I was IN CHRIST and filled with the Holy Spirit, I was in position to begin an amazing journey towards God’s overall expected end for my life.

b) God wants you to make it to heaven. But He did not send you to this world only to save you from it. He sent you to this world to change the world through you. God wants you to be a conduit of His glory. God wants to reveal what heaven is like through you. This only happens post-salvation.

I will discuss this second point all week. I am looking forward to it.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I can say this with confidence, because I know You love me. You love me with an everlasting love. You made plans for me before the world began. You tirelessly pursued me until I accepted Your Son, Jesus, as my Lord. You filled me with Your Spirit. You reveal Your purpose to me. You invite me to experience Your best. You manifest Your glory through me. The reality of Your love and the presence of Jesus IN me, helps me to say, “I know I am going to heaven some day. But for now, I am going to enjoy the ride. Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 11)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/fxDdkYm_bjE.

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” In yesterday’s message I made two points. My first was,”The only way you can make it into heaven is IN Jesus.” And the second was, “Salvation is only half the story.” I told you that I would be discussing the latter all week. So let’s get to it.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. We are called to reflect heaven on earth.

a) The reason I am driving home the importance of you seeing yourself “As Jesus is, in this world”, is because we are called to reflect heaven’s reality in this world. When people look at us, God wants them to get a picture of what heaven is like.

b) If as a Born-Again believer you are only reflecting a human reality, then you are no different than the world. You can’t draw anyone if they don’t see anything different in you; anything worth being drawn to.

c) God wants us to spend time meditating/medicating on the realities of heaven, so that we can in turn reflect that reality in our daily lives. His desire is to manifest heaven on earth, through us. Which is why I have been teaching on supernatural manifestation all year. If your post-salvation life is no different than your pre-salvation life — if you never experience anything that exceeds human power, ability or strength — then you will make it to heaven some day having lived way beneath God’s best for your time in the earth.

2. The day you are Born-Again, your Spirit is new, but your mind is not, so you don’t know how to reflect heaven’s reality.

a) Many believers don’t understand what part of them changed the day they made Jesus their Lord. There are three parts of you: spirit, soul and body. The day you were Born-Again the only part of you that changed was your spirit.

b) The day I was Born-Again my spirit was made new. However, the next day, I was a new man, in an old body, and I needed a new mind!

c) Many believers never develop a heavenly mindset. They never get to the point where they see themselves “as Jesus is, in this world”. As a result, they spend all their lives focused on getting to heaven, as if God only sent them to the world to save them from it. God did not just send you to this world to pluck you out of it. NO! He wants to change the world with you IN IT! He wants to change the world through you!

d) There are three parts of you: spirit, soul and body. The day you were Born-Again, your spirit WAS changed INSTANTLY, your soul IS BEING changed PROGRESSIVELY, and your body WILL BE changed EVENTUALLY (meaning that some day you will receive a glorified body). If your spirit WAS changed and your body WILL BE changed, it is obvious that the remainder of your life should be focused on progressively changing your soul (your mind, emotions and will) to think, feel and make decisions like Jesus. This is why it is so important to see yourself AS JESUS IS in this world!

e) It takes time to get to the point where you see yourself like Jesus. It takes time because we all come to God after having been programmed by this world. So we must be de-programmed in order to be re-programmed to think and live like Jesus; to reflect heaven’s reality.

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I say this with confidence, because I am now at the point where I truly see myself AS JESUS IS, IN THIS WORLD! I am a walking/talking billboard for Jesus. I reflect heaven’s reality on a daily basis. I meditate on heaven and I then enter into each day determined to see Your will being done, ON EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, through me. My life is a reflection of heaven on earth. Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 12)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/fxDdkYm_bjE.

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” In yesterday’s message I explained that there are three parts of you: spirit, soul and body. The day you give your life to Christ and are Born-Again, your spirit is made new, but your soul (which houses your mind, emotions and will) is not, and your body (which will be changed some day) is also not. So the only part of you that was changed was your spirit. Your spirit WAS changed, your body WILL BE changed, and what that leaves you with is your soul. After you are Born-Again you spend the remainder of your days on the planet attempting to get your sould changed to line up with God’s opinion of you.

The message I have been teaching in this series, that we must see ourselves “As Jesus is, in this world”, is critical, because we will never operate like Him, until we see ourselves like Him. In the closing minutes of the video version of yesterday’s message, I said, “When you come to God and are Born-Again, you are a new man, living in an old body, and you need a new mind. You need a new mind, because we all come to God with a certain level of baggage.” I will start today, where I ended yesterday. But before I do, let’s get back to the scripture we have been meditating on for weeks:

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. We come to God with baggage.

a) If we came to God with zero baggage, meaning that we came to Him as a ‘blank slate’, then we would be free to quickly become whatever and whoever the Holy Spirit instructed us to be. We would quickly accept whatever God said about our future, we would open our heart to His plans and we would see ourselves according to His opinion of us. However, none of us come to God as a ‘blank slate’. We were already programmed by the world. So we had to get both deprogrammed and reprogrammed to like and act like Jesus.

b) The day I accepted Jesus as Lord I had recently turned 23 years old, I was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army, and I was programmed to think and act like a brash, bold and somewhat-arrogant self-proclaimed “Dominican kid from Brooklyn”. Almost 22 years later, my upbringing in Brooklyn still has a lot to do with who I am. I have gone on an amazing journey of transformation over these 22 years, but I am not going to tell you it was always easy. Humans don’t like to change. So the truth is, I fought God and the change He wanted to enact in my life.

2. Our mind must be renewed to the point where we can fully embrace all Jesus is.

a) When I first came to Jesus, I had a hard time accepting the amazing things the Holy Spirit was revealing to me about the plans He made for me before the world began. Why? Because I am the son of immigrant parents, raised on welfare, in a terrible neighborhood, and I was told as a child (in school — certainly NOT by my mother), that the chances of me becoming anything significant were between slim and none. So when God was speaking to me about His goodness, I had an internal struggle. My mind was programmed in such a way, that it was hard for me to accept what God called me to do. This is why the Bible teaches us that our minds must be renewed.

b) I could never see myself, “As Jesus is, in this world”, until my mind was renewed to embrace the fullness of ALL that Jesus was FOR ME! The goodness of God and His amazing unearned grace was foreign to me, because I had worked hard for everything I had ever achieved in life to that point. I was programmed to look at every opportunity through the lens of hard work and human effort. Whereas God was speaking to me about things He simply wanted to give me, because He loves me and He called me to do them. This is part of ‘the battle in the mind’ we all must win.

I will stop here for today and discuss this further tomorrow.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I say this with confidence, because I have learned to place all my confidence in You! You are the source of my strength. You are the strength of my life. I am who You say I am. I can do what You say I can do. I release the pain and the limits of my past. I fully embrace who You called me to be and what You called me to do. I enter into this day ready to be a conduit of Your glory. Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 13)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/fxDdkYm_bjE.

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” In yesterday’s message I dealt with the fact that when we come to God, our mind has to be renewed, because we all come to God with a certain level of baggage. It takes time and careful study of God’s Word to get to the point where we can see ourselves the way God sees us. Today’s message will flow in the same vein. Let’s get back to our scripture.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. It is hard for new converts, who are also hard workers, to stop relying on the “arm of the flesh”.

a) The day I made Jesus my Lord, I had just turned 23 years old and I had been working since I was 13. My mother taught me to work hard for everything I wanted in life. My willingness to work hard and to earn everything by the sweat of my brow, paid dividends for me in the world, but it also became a challenge I had to overcome in Christ. One of the key tenets to becoming the man/woman God called you to be, is to learn to trust in God and not your own abilities. I will be honest with you. I have been walking with God for just about 22 years, and one of the hardest things I have had to do, is to learn how to NOT pursue everything I want and to enter into God’s rest concerning the things God wants for my life.

b) When I came to Christ I was programmed to “go after” everything I wanted in life and to do so with all my might. Learning to life by faith has not been easy, because God requires you to: (1) NOT go after everything you want, (2) learn to only desire what He desires for your life, and (3) only pursue God’s best in accordance with His timing. This requires discernment, discipline and patience. The hardest of these, for me, has always been patience.

c) When God reveals “what” He has called you to do, the feeling is amazing. Once you get past the challenge of believing it and receiving it in your heart, the next challenge (which has always been the hardest for me), is to wait on God’s timing. The right thing, at the wrong time, becomes the wrong thing. God may have revealed to you the “what”, but knowing the “what” and knowing the “when” are NOT the same thing! If you are not careful, you will try to MAKE IT HAPPEN without God. Many Christians get impatient, and they wind up getting out ahead of God, attempting to do what God called them to with their own power, ability and strength. Honestly, this never works. You must learn to enter into God’s rest and rest from your own works. This is not a license for laziness. This is a requirement for patience. When the time comes to do it, God will release you, and at that time, YES, it will require work. But even then, it will be working BY God’s grace, and not working FOR God’s grace.

2. The goal is to believe what God believes about you.

a) Teaching believers to see themselves “As Jesus is, in this world”, is all about getting to the point where you believe what God believes about you.

b) God calls you to projects that you don’t have the money for, that exceed your level of education, that require relationships you don’t have, and that often require an opportunity you cannot give yourself. The challenge is then to: (1) align your heart with God’s vision — dying to your desire, if your desire is in conflict with His will, (2) see yourself doing what God revealed, and (3) remain in faith, trusting in God’s timing, until God opens the door of opportunity.

b) Because of my background, it was hard for me to believe what God believes about me. In the past 22 years God has taken me through different levels and stages, and those have come in different times and seasons. Every time God has been ready for me to enter a new level or stage, it has taken me a certain level of time to truly believe what He believes, and to receive it in my heart first. God requires you to BECOME IT on the INSIDE, well before you can BECOME IT on the OUTSIDE. This is why you must learn to see yourself, “As Jesus is, in this world”.

I will stop here for today and discuss this further tomorrow.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I thank You for calling me to my divine assignment from the foundations of the world. I thank You for revealing Your purpose to me and for giving me the vision I need to maximize each season and stage of my life. I have learned to open my heart to Your best. To believe what You believe about me. To become what You reveal on the INSIDE, so You can manifest it on the OUTSIDE. And to wait patiently on Your timing, entering into Your rest, trusting You every step of the way. I will arrive at Your overall expected end for my life and I will enjoy the ride along the way, because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 14)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/1aAilv-L5Uk.

Note: Before I get started today, I want to let you know that Isabella and a team from RIPMinistries will head to Haiti tomorrow on a Missions trip. I did not do a funding campaign, but I am now led of the Holy Spirit to make you aware of this. We dipped into our general fund to pay for this trip. If you would like to be a partaker of the blessing associated with this trip, by partnering with us on it, please visit this website to make your tax deductible donation: http://ripministries.org/missions/haiti. Thank you for helping us share the love of God.

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” In yesterday’s message I dealt with the challenge of believing what God believes about you. As I continue to teach about this, I want to use the scripture we have been looking at for weeks, and another scripture as well.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

King Solomon said:

God has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.

(Ecc 3:11 AMP)

The Bible is clear that God made plans for us before the world began. The challenge for us, when we are born and begin to walk through life is to: (1) accept Jesus as Lord, because our journey begins with Jesus (2) receive the revelation of God’s plans through the Holy Spirit, (3) fight the urge to feel unworthy and to disqualify ourselves before we ever get started, (4) renew our minds to believe what God believes about us, (5) wait on God’s timing for the things He revealed to come to pass, and (6) launch out to experience what God revealed when the timing is right. Now, what I just said in these six points is much easier said than done, but the pursuit of it becomes the joy of the journey with Jesus. I could teach on these six points for weeks. But I will attempt to summarize them in today’s message and the next.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Your journey down the path to your destiny begins the day you make Jesus your Lord. Some confuse salvation to be the destination. Salvation is actually your starting point. Once Jesus is your Lord and you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you are then, and only then, in position to start down the road to your purpose. Prior to salvation you lived your life without the Holy Spirit. So you were not truly in position to receive revelation from God and without this spiritual connection, you could never become the man/woman God called you to be. Yes, God wants you to make it to heaven. But He also wants you to enjoy the rise — making the impact in this world you were born to make.

2. Once you are Born-Again and God’s Spirit is living inside of you, He begins to reveal the plans He made for you before the world began. Our text (Ecc 3:11) tells us that God literally plants eternity in our hearts and minds. God does not reveal everything about our future, because we must be processed to be able to handle the revelation. So God reveals things to us in increments. He gives us enough revelation to be able to maximize the season we are in. As He does, the glimpse of eternity that has been planted in our hearts and minds (in time), creates a divinely implanted sense of purpose, which the Bible says, nothing under the sun, but God alone, will be able to satisfy. Once God’s purpose is planted in our hearts, we live our lives in pursuit of it and we will never be satisfied until we become what we saw. Once we do, God reveals the next glimpse and we start the process all over again, for the next season and stage of our life.

3. When God reveals His plans to us, they are SO good that we, as humans, most of the time feel unworthy. This is why you see example after example in scripture, where God tells someone to do something (which is what they are called to do), but the human responds with nothing but excuses, as to why they can’t do it. God’s plans for us are so good, that it is human nature to feel unworthy. Because this world teaches us that we must earn everything we get. People say, “Nothing in life is free”, “Everything in life must be earned”, “If you want something, you must go out there and work hard for it”, “No one is just going to GIVE YOU anything!” Now, I am NOT saying that you will not have to work hard to accomplish what God called you to do. But I am saying that, unlike the world, in God’s Kingdom you have to believe and receive it first. In the world people say, “I won’t believe it until I see it!” In God’s Kingdom, He says, “You won’t see it manifested until you believe it!” This is why you must believe what God believes about you. You must get to the point where you see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world!” Because at that point you will be convinced that God wants to do it, not because you are so good, but because He is!

I was only able to cover the first three today. I will cover the last three in the next message.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. You made plans for me before the world began. You reveal Your plans to me in increments. The incremental vision I receive is enough to maximize each season and stage of my life. I receive the vision and I walk it out in Your timing. Everything happens at just the right time for me. As I maximize one season, You give me revelation/vision for the next. Season by season, stage by stage, level by level, I walk out my purpose. Living this way I am convinced that I will arrive at Your overall expected end for my life, because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 15)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/1aAilv-L5Uk.

Missions Update: Isabella and the team made it to Haiti safely. They had a great worship service yesterday and the Vacation Bible School will start today.

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” In our last message we looked at the following two scriptures:

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

King Solomon said:

(Ecc 3:11 AMP)

I made the following statement about these two scriptures:

“The Bible is clear that God made plans for us before the world began. The challenge for us, when we are born and begin to walk through life is to: (1) accept Jesus as Lord, because our journey begins with Jesus (2) receive the revelation of God’s plans through the Holy Spirit, (3) fight the urge to feel unworthy and to disqualify ourselves before we ever get started, (4) renew our minds to believe what God believes about us, (5) wait on God’s timing for the things He revealed to come to pass, and (6) launch out to experience what God revealed when the timing is right. Now, what I just said in these six points is much easier said than done, but the pursuit of it becomes the joy of the journey with Jesus.”

I have discussed points 1-3. Today I will discuss #4.

So what does this mean to you today? Let’s see.

1. You must renew your mind to get to the point where you believe what God believes about you. Allow me to give you some examples:

a) Abram the idol worshipper did nothing to earn to deserve his divine call. God chose to call him, to make his name great, and to bless all the families of the earth through him. This did not happen because Abram (later Abraham) came up with the idea. No, it was God’s idea before the world began. All Abraham did was accept his assignment, die to his old identity, and pursue his God-given call by faith.

b) David was a shepherd boy, minding his own business, hanging out with his father’s sheep, when he was pulled out of the field to be anointed as the next king of Israel. David’s life did not turn out the way he planned. He could have never imagined ‘in a hundred years’, while he was tending sheep, that he was going to wind-up as king. But it was God’s plan. It was God’s idea. It was God’s best for David. Birthed in the heart of God before the world began.

c) Joseph was the 11th son of his father. During his day being the 11th of 12 boys was not a setup for success. But God had other plans. God placed His dream in Joseph’s heart. God chose Joseph to be the person He would use to lead the Israelites into Egypt. Joseph was destined to be Prime Minister. But along the way Joseph had to endure the pit, Potiphar and prison phases of his life before he could enjoy the palace. Looking back, there is no way Joseph could have written his own story. This was God’s story, penned in God’s journal before the world began.

d) Gideon was a scared farmer when God called him a Mighty Man of Valor. Gideon saw himself as the weakest man from the weakest clan in all of Israel. God saw him as a military General. Gideon could have never come up with God’s plan for his life, but since he was willing to die to self, God converted him from a coward to a champion. By God’s grace Gideon led one of the most lopsided military victories in history. Gideon did it because God planned to do it before the world began.

e) I could go on and on with more examples, but the point is that you must get to the point where you believe what God believes about you.

2. God made plans for you before the world began. He made those plans by His unearned grace. You did nothing to earn them and you can do nothing to disqualify yourself from them. But you must renew your mind to accept and experience them!

3. The best idea you can ever have is to live your life based on God’s idea for you. God’s idea for your life was birthed in His heart before the world began.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. You thought about me before I was born. You planned for me before I arrived. You mapped out my success before I ever took one breath. You then patiently pursued me until I came to You through Your Son Jesus. Now that I am IN Jesus and Jesus is IN me, You reveal Your plans to me. I accept Your plans for my life. I believe and receive them in my heart. I renew my mind in order to walk them about. I believe what You believe about me! As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 16)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/1aAilv-L5Uk.

Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at the following two passages and we will go back to them today:

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

King Solomon said:

(Ecc 3:11 AMP)

I made the following statement about these two scriptures:

I have discussed points 1-4. Today I will discuss #5.

So what does this mean to you today? Let’s see.

1. Knowing “what” and knowing “when” are not the same thing.

a) Once you believe you know what God has called you to do, in the particular season you are in, and you know this knowledge came by revelation from the Holy Spirit, the feeling is amazing. You have an internal peace, you can see yourself doing it, and the excitement builds. However, God may have revealed WHAT, but unless He reveals WHEN, you don’t know the particular timing. This puts you in a position to wait with expectation, knowing that it is simply a matter of time. The challenge is that no matter how much you love God, when days turn into weeks, and weeks into months, and months into years, ALL OF US feel the pressure to either: (1) attempt to MAKE IT HAPPEN on our own or (2) give up on the idea altogether. This is why walking with God requires both faith and patience (see Heb 6:12).

b) Our text (Ecc 3:11) says, “God has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time.” There is a time assigned to your harvest. It is a specific time for it to come to pass. This is why the Apostle Paul said, “Do not get tired of doing the right things. You will receive a harvest at the right time, if you do not give up.” (Gal 6:9). There is a season when your harvest is DUE! The challenge is HOLDING ON, in faith, until that season comes.

2. You will have to wait on God’s timing.

a) You can make plans, set deadlines, and develop schedules, but remember, divine fruit is only produced IN SEASON.

b) Your clock of expectation must be set to God’s time of manifestation.

c) When you are in sync God and His grace (which only flows in His timing), you get to truly enjoy life. At this point you are led of the Holy Spirit, doing the right things at the right times, experiencing divine results.

d) God’s ways are above our ways. There are reasons why He does NOT give us certain things in our timing. This is why we must graduate from learning to discerning, from intellect to instinct, and from information to revelation.

*** Personal testimony: I am no different than most people when it comes to waiting on God. I am a “go getter”, so I don’t’ like to wait. I would rather GO GET IT myself! But walking with God requires developing patience. You cannot graduate to spiritual maturity until you develop Godly patience. I will close with the words of James. He said, “If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be, lacking nothing!” (James 1:4).

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am growing IN You, by dying to me! The more I die, the more You are able to live in, with and through me. I am sensitive to Your Spirit. The Holy Spirit reveals to me what to do and what to say. I am growing from human learning to spiritual discerning, from human intellect to spiritual instinct. This means I learn to live in synch with Your will, in Your timing. I develop Godly patience. I wait on You with expectation. I set my watch to Your clock. And I know there will come a day when my harvest is due, because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 17)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/1aAilv-L5Uk.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

King Solomon said:

(Ecc 3:11 AMP)

I made the following statement about these two scriptures:

I have discussed points 1-5. Today I will discuss #6.

So what does this mean to you today? Let’s see.

1. Revelation is your invitation for participation.

a) Jesus only said what He heard the Father say and He only did what He saw the Father do. In John 5:19 He said, “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” Did you catch that? Jesus only did what the Father revealed to Him that He was supposed to do. When God reveals something to, it becomes your invitation to get involved in what He is doing in the earth. This is why I say, “Revelation is your invitation for participation.”

b) When God speaks to you and He reveals what He is doing, He is revealing it to you — NOT so that You can get excited simply off of what was revealed — but so you can actually get involved in it, in the earth. God is looking for you to experience life with Him. Not just read about it, not just pray about it, but actually LIVE IT!

c) God reveals it to you before He does it, so that you can OPEN YOUR HEART TO IT! Once you open your heart to it, you are in position to experience it!

2. The Kingdom of God values experience over education.

a) We are living in the most educated time in history. People today have more access to the Bible than ever before. In Biblical times, very few people had access to God’s Word. Just 100 years ago, most believers only had one Bible, in print, in their possession, if they were fortunate. Today, Christians have multiple Bibles, they have access to electronic versions, and Bible quotes are all over social media. But posting a Bible verse on Facebook or Instagram and actually LIVING what it teaches are NOT the same thing! Don’t get fooled into thinking that because you can quote a scripture that you are actually LIVING it!

b) We live in a world today where a person who has been working on something for, let’s say, 15 years — who has proven working-knowledge of a product or system — will be made to work for a young man/woman who went to school, but has never actually “done it”. The young person has read books, but they are not proven. Yet, in this world, we will give them the higher position, because this world values education over experience. Well, guess what? God’s Kingdom does NOT work that way! You can quote all the scriptures you want, but it does not mean anything. Demons can quote scripture. If your learning does not turn into LIVING, you have not done anything!

c) My Pastor, Tony Brazelton, said, “Every revelation puts us in a position to pursue and experience what God revealed.” God is not just looking for us to regurgitate scripture. He is looking for us to experience what it is like to walk with Him and for Him to walk with us. This is the only way you will get to the point where you are living “As Jesus is, in this world!”

I have a lot more to say about this. I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I hide Your Word in my heart. I meditate and medicate on Your Word day and night. But more importantly, my learning turns into living. I don’t just read Your Word, I LIVE IT! You reveal things to me, and Your revelation becomes my invitation for participation in what You are doing in the earth. My revelation also becomes the authorization for my faith. I know what to pray for. I know what to pursue. I know what I should experience and I live every day pursuing an experience in what You have revealed. Living this way, I can boldly declare that as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 18)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/1aAilv-L5Uk.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

King Solomon said:

(Ecc 3:11 AMP)

I made the following statement about these two scriptures:

I have discussed all six points already, but I am led to go back and further discuss the last one.

So what does this mean to you today? Let’s see.

1. When God reveals something to us about our future, we should consider the following about the revelation. God is in eternity and we are in time. Since God is eternal, He operates outside of time and is therefore not confined by it. When God looks at us, He sees the entirety of our lives, from beginning to end. So when He reveals something to us that has not happened yet in our lives (in time), He is revealing something that, in His mind, is already done. He knows what you will do before you do it. He knows what you will say before you say it. He knows what you will think before you think it. So, from God’s perspective it’s already done. It is PAST to Him, although it is clearly FUTURE to you. You can live your life in pursuit of it, because the revelation came from a completely credible source.

2. Ecc 3:11 teaches us that man cannot discover, comprehend or grasp what God has done — meaning, what He has already done, His overall plan, from beginning to the end. But what God does, is He reveals it to us. He literally plants eternity in our hearts, in time. This revelation then creates a divinely implanted sense of purpose that the Bible says, “nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God.” Once God gives you a glimpse of what He has called you to do, if you truly believe and receive it in your heart, you will NEVER be satisfied until you become what you saw!

3. Once you have divine revelation concerning your future, and what God has called you to do, your goal must be to experience what God revealed. Don’t get so satisfied with the glimpse of what God revealed to you, that you fail to pursue the experience of it. The glimpse was supposed to serve as a ‘teaser’, almost like a commercial of your future, but God never designed you to be satisfied with the glimpse. God wants you to pursue the actual experience. On a personal level, there are many things God has revealed to me, that are FUTURE to me and PAST to Him, that I will not be satisfied until I experience in the earth. I refuse to die with God’s best still inside of me. I refuse to die with untapped potential. I am determined to live my life in such a way that I will arrive at God’s overall expected END for me… dying empty!

4. Once God’s purpose is planted in our hearts, we are to live our lives in pursuit of it and we should never be satisfied until we become what we saw. Once we do, however, God reveals the next glimpse and we start the process all over again, for the next season and stage of our life. This is how we incrementally become the men/women we are called to be!

5. God is looking for you to live out your divine purpose through a series of experiences and encounters with Him. Going to church should not be the entire experience. While you can, and should, experience God in church, church is where you go to learn about the God who created you and called you to His purpose. Learning about God should not be the goal. Experiencing God on a daily basis should be the goal. What good is receiving revelation from God, if you are not going to pursue the experience of what is revealed?

I will stop here for today. I have more to say about this.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I say this with confidence, because I am determined to experience the life I was born to live. You made plans for me before the world began. You sent me into the earth at just the right time. You reveal things to me, that are FUTURE to me, but actually PAST to You! And I now live my life in pursuit of experiencing what I saw! I pursue every experience by faith, knowing that You want to bless me because You love and because You see me the same way You saw Jesus while He was in the earth. As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 19)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/1aAilv-L5Uk.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

King Solomon said:

(Ecc 3:11 AMP)

I made the following statement about these two scriptures:

I have discussed all six points already, but I am led to go back and further discuss the last one.

So what does this mean to you today? Let’s see.

1. The Apostle Paul’s confidence in God came from his experiences with God.

a) Most Christians are familiar with Paul’s famous declaration that he could DO ALL THINGS through Christ (Phil 4:13). Let’s read the verses leading up to this statement, in order to get the proper context. The Apostle Paul said, “I have learned to be content with what I have and with whatever happens. I know what it is like to not have much and to also I have plenty. I have learned the secret of how to live through any kind of situation—when I have enough to eat or when I am hungry, when I have everything I need or when I have nothing. I can do all things through Christ, for he is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” (Phil 4:11-13)

b) Paul’s famous “I can do all things”, statement, is not a statement of confidence in his own abilities. No. It is a declaration of faith in his confidence in God. Paul knew he could do all things, because he was not the one doing it. It was God, living in Him, providing the words and performing the work.

c) Paul had to learn what Jesus learned through experience as well. They both learned that any human who understands they are a carrier of God, and who will allow our infinite God to flow through them in the earth, is a human who can do all things. Jesus learned this just like Paul did, through experiences with the Holy Spirit in the earth. This is why Jesus said, “It is the Father, living in me, He gives me the words and He performs the work” (John 14:10).

d) The secret to Paul saying that he could do all things is found in the opening part of his statement. Here is the secret: Paul said, “I have learned to be content with what I have and with whatever happens.” Paul learned, through experiences, that God would see him through whatever challenge he faced. When Paul had more than enough or not enough, when Paul was struggling or striving, he kept his eyes ON Jesus and his confidence IN Jesus! But this did not happen overnight. Paul had to LEARN some things to get to this point. And how did he learn them? Through experiences!

2. If you only know God through His book (the Bible), then the truth is, you really don’t know God. God must be experienced.

3. Thank God for all you learn while reading His book (the Bible), but your learning turns into living through encounters!

I will talk more about this in the next message, but the final thing I will say is this: You will never be able to boldly declare that you can do all things through Christ, until you actually see yourself AS JESUS IS, in this world!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. My victory is not measured by what I have or don’t have. My victory is not contingent upon earthly conditions, situations or circumstances. My victory has already been secured. My victory is in Jesus. That’s why I can say — whether I am up or down, whether I have more than enough or not enough, whether the world sees me as struggling or striving — that I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST! Christ is the one who gives me the strength to do whatever I must do. So like Paul, I have learned to be content in whatever situation I find myself in. Because situations change, but Christ does not. Circumstances fluctuate, but Christ remains the same. That’s why I can boldly declare, that as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 20)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/1aAilv-L5Uk.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

King Solomon said:

(Ecc 3:11 AMP)

I made the following statement about these two scriptures:

We have looked at all six points. For the last few messages we have been focusing in on the last one. I will continue to do so today. Further, in our last message we looked at what the Apostle Paul learned. Let’s learn some more from what he learned.

So what does this mean to you today? Let’s see.

1. The goal should be to learn and grow as you walk with God.

a) Most Christians are familiar with Paul’s famous declaration that he could DO ALL THINGS through Christ (Phil 4:13). Let’s read the verses leading up to this statement, in order to get the proper context. The Apostle Paul said, “I have learned to be content with what I have and with whatever happens. I know what it is like to not have much and to also I have plenty. I have learned the secret of how to live through any kind of situation—when I have enough to eat or when I am hungry, when I have everything I need or when I have nothing. I can do all things through Christ, for he is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” (Phil 4:11-13)

2. Paul had to learn that his ability to accomplish what he was called to do actually had nothing to do with the amount of earthly resources he had; it had everything to do with God. Whether Paul had much or little, either way, he could not place any confidence in those things. His confidence had to be in God. This is the mindset Paul learned to live with: “Whether I have everything it looks like I need or I don’t, I can still do all things through Christ, because He is the one who is giving me the strength to do what I am called to do!”

3. Your ability to fulfill your purpose can never be contingent upon your access to “things”. Your ability to fulfill your purpose is only truly contingent upon your access to a person, and that person is JESUS!

4. Paul did not develop his confidence in Jesus by reading a book. He developed his confidence in Jesus through encounters with Him. This is the way we are supposed to live. Thank God for His book (the Bible), but the purpose of reading the Book is so you can LIVE what it teaches. Pursue divine encounters with God. This is the only way you can get to the point where you are convinced that you CAN do ALL THINGS through CHRIST, who gives you the strength.

5. Reading the Book puts the thought in your mind. But having the encounter emblazons the experience in your heart. Once your heart is changed, you are never the same.

6. Satan can convince you to question and eventually even dismiss a thought, but it is hard for satan to cause you to dismiss an encounter. Your experiences are YOUR experiences, and no one, not even satan, can take them from you. This is why you must pursue true encounters with God.

7. Enter every day seeing yourself AS JESUS IS, in this world. This is how you will encounter Him and He will encounter you!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. My victory is not contingent upon what I have or don’t have. My confidence is not in things. My confidence is in You! I am IN Jesus and Jesus is IN me! Jesus obtained my victory. My job now is to simply receive and maintain what Jesus already obtained for me. I do this by pursuing encounters with You Father. I encounter You daily and You encounter me. As I do, I build a set of experiences that no one can take from me. It is because of my experiences that I can boldly declare, that as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 21)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/1aAilv-L5Uk.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

King Solomon said:

(Ecc 3:11 AMP)

I made the following statement about these two scriptures:

We have looked at all six points and for the a while now we have been focused on the last one: pursuing true experiences with God. Flowing in this vein, we have also been looking at the context behind Paul’s famous declaration that he could DO ALL THINGS through Christ (Phil 4:13). This is what Paul said:

“I have learned to be content with what I have and with whatever happens. I know what it is like to not have much and to also I have plenty. I have learned the secret of how to live through any kind of situation—when I have enough to eat or when I am hungry, when I have everything I need or when I have nothing. I can do all things through Christ, for he is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” (Phil 4:11-13)

So what does this mean to you today? Let’s see.

1. You can’t place any confidence in things. This is why it is hard for rich people to make it to heaven. They rely too much on what they have. God is not opposed to you having things, but He is opposed to the things having you! If you place confidence in WHAT you have, and not WHO has you, you will quickly learn that things cannot sustain you. Paul’s confidence was in God, not in things.

2. Paul learned that his financial statement (what he had and/or what he did not have) was NOT the basis for his ability to accomplish what God called him to do. Whether his financial statement was up or down, it did not impact his ability to DO ALL THINGS. Because he was not doing ALL THINGS in his own strength. He was attempting to do ALL THINGS through Christ. Paul learned this valuable lesson through his encounters and experiences with God. This is a lesson we must all learn.

3. God does not just teach us through His book (the Bible), He teaches us through encounters. These encounters offer us the opportunity to truly experience the God we read about. Our experiences teach us things about God we can never learn in a book. And more importantly, it takes our learning from our head to our heart. Once a life-lesson is emblazoned in your heart, no one can take it from you.

4. When you know that you are IN Christ and Christ is IN you, and you know that You are just like Jesus in this world, you can have the confidence Paul had. You can say with boldness, “I can do all things through Christ, because, as Jesus is, so am I, in this world!”

5. Through his encounters with God, Paul learned what he could do, because he learned he was not the one doing it. It was God, living in him, giving him the words and performing the work. Have you learned the same thing? Have your encounters with God taught you this valuable lesson? When you learn (and I mean, truly learn) that God is IN you and He is the one performing the work, you learn how to live a life with NO LIMITS. You can’t be limited, because God is not limited, and He is the one living in you, giving you the words and performing the work. This is why it is SO important that you get to the point where you literally see yourself as Jesus is, in this world! The day you see yourself AS JESUS IS, and you launch out to perform what God called you to do, knowing that He is the one doing it, is the day you become unstoppable. You cannot be stopped, because God cannot be stopped and He is the one living in you!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. My victory is not based in me. My victory has is based in You! You are the one living in me. You give me the words. You perform the work. I thank You for all You bless me with, but my confidence in NOT in things. My confidence is in You! Whether I have or don’t have, I have learned, like Paul, that I can still DO ALL THINGS! Because I am not the one doing it. I am unstoppable! I cannot be stopped, because You cannot be stopped, and You are the one living IN me and THROUGH me! So I enter this day with unshakable confidence and I boldly declare: as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 22)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

King Solomon said:

(Ecc 3:11 AMP)

I made the following statement about these two scriptures:

So what does this mean to you today? Let’s see.

1. The Apostle Paul is my favorite Bible character. I truly enjoy teaching from his teachings. And I am thankful that he made it clear that he had to learn some things. He would not have been who he was and he would not have made the impact that he made, had he not learned to totally rely on Jesus. Why do I say this? Because, while his impact is great, his opposition was great as well. Paul was initially ostracized by Christians, because he used to persecute them. But after spending three years in isolation, he started his Christian journey. Along the way he was beaten with sticks, flogged five times with a cat of 9 tails, stoned, imprisoned frequently, shipwrecked multiple times and he was even bitten by a snake. Paul was the most influential person in the first century church and he wrote half the New Testament, but it did not come without great opposition. None of this would have happened, had Paul not learned how important it is to place all your confidence in God. He had to learn how to do all things through Christ. This did not come from book knowledge. This came from life-experience. Like Paul, you must learn the same lesson.

2. You must learn to place all your confidence in God, because your purpose will attract opposition. I would love to tell you that once you find your purpose in life, everything is going to be easy. If I told you that I would be lying. God never promised you a perpetual picnic. The truth is, the greater the assignment God has given you, the greater the attack the devil will bring against you. You can almost measure the size of your assignment by the size of the opposition you are facing. But take it as a good thing. The devil only attacks those worth attacking. If you are being attacked strongly, it is an indication that God wants to use you in a strong way!

3. To overcome the opposition you will experience on the road to your purpose, you will have to learn how to truly rely on God. You can read about it in the Bible, in the classroom, but the type of learning I am talking about only occurs during your “hands-on experience” time, with God, in the real world.

4. Anyone can quote the Bible. But you only really know what you have encountered. Get excited about your encounters with God!

5. You can learn in any situation, but you must choose to learn. Learning is a choice. Choose to open your heart to every life-lesson the Father wants to teach you along the way. The more you learn, the more you will live!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. My victory is not based in me. My victory has is based in You! Like Paul, I have learned what it is like to live in this world. I know what it is like to have plenty and not enough. I know what it is like to struggle and to soar. I know what it is like to be up and to be down. And this is what I have learned along the way: I can do all things through Christ, who gives me the strength! I have learned not to place my confidence in me. I have learned to place all my confidence in You. I can say this without question, because I see myself as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 23)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

We have been looking at the thought, “As Jesus Is”, for weeks now. I trust that this series has blessed you. Yesterday and this morning, I was praying about moving on to the next topic in our overall series of “Supernatural Manifestation.” However, the Father wants me to continue to flow in this vein. So, in the coming days, we will look at Philippians 2, John 14 and John 17. For today, we will go back to 1 John 14:16,17, with a message that will prepare us for what God is going to say next, in this series.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

So what does this mean to you today? Let’s see.

1. Religion vs. Grace.

a) Religion teaches you to strive to be good enough and that you will only be blessed if you are good. The gospel of grace teaches makes it clear that you could never be good enough and that God blesses you ONLY because He is good!

b) Religion puts the spotlight on you and it makes your life about what you can do for God. The gospel of grace puts the spotlight on God and it makes our lives about what God has already done, and what He is committed to do, in, with and through us!

c) Religion says, “You have to be worthy and live worthy of God!” Grace says, “Jesus was worthy for me and my heavenly Father sees me, just like Jesus, in this world.”

d) Religious people never tap into the supernatural power of God, because they attempt to do everything in their own power, ability and strength. The power of God does not flow through a human, when the human is the one attempting to perform the work. The power of God only flows through a human when the human dies to self and gets out of God’s way! Grace opens the door to the supernatural, because grace understands that we are merely the human conduits of the divine.

e) If you are religious, you will never see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world!” You must embrace God’s grace in order to see yourself equal with Jesus.

2. Grace keeps the emphasis on God and NOT on us.

a) The goal is to see yourself AS JESUS IS, in this world, and to then live your life with your emphasis on Him and NOT on you!

b) When you live your life with an emphasis on God, it releases you from the pressure to perform and you are then able to enter into God’s rest. This is the only way you will believe, receive, experience and enjoy His finished work in your life. When you live this way, you are not striving to obtain victory, you are living from the position of victory that Jesus already obtained for you. And you enter every day cognizant of the fact that you are IN Him, He is IN you, and the Father sees you just like He saw Jesus: ONE WITH HIM! (see John 17:20,21).

c) The gospel of grace takes the emphasis off of you, your performance and your ability. Your performance could never be flawless enough. Your ability could never be strong enough. But God’s grace is always enough.

d) God can use anyone because the power comes from God and not man. Paul said, “We have this treasure from God, but we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure. This is to show that the amazing power we have is from God, not from us” (2 Cor 4:7). We are the containers, but God is the content. We may house the glory, but we cannot take any credit for the glory God allows us to transport around. God put His “super” inside of our “natural”. This is the only way we can operate in the supernatural. It’s all about Him!

e) When you understand grace you enter into God’s rest. You know the assignment came from God, the giftings you will need come from God, the favor it will take to get it done will come from God, and the empowering presence to do what you can’t do on your own will also come from God. Even when you are facing extraordinary challenges, you can have peace, because you know it’s not about you!

f) Seeing yourself “As Jesus is, in this world”, reminds you that He can do, through you, what you could never do on your own!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me, because I know my life is all about You! I provide the container, You provide the content. I am a carrier of God in the earth. I am a conduit of Your glory. The power comes from You. I willingly die, and You willingly LIVE in, with, and through me. I keep my emphasis on You. It is Your power, Your ability, Your strength, and Your favor that has made me a success. You give me all things richly to enjoy, by Your unearned and amazing grace. And You also reassure me that You see me the same way You saw Jesus in this world. You love me the same way You loved Your own Son. Therefore, I boldly declare, as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 24)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 for a while now. I told you that we were also going to be looking at John 14, John 17 and Philippians 2. Let’s start with adding John 14 to 1 John 4:16,17.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

Jesus said the following, in response to a question from Philip:

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.”

Jesus answered, “Philip, I have been with you for a long time. So you should know me. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father too. So why do you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The things I have told you don’t come from me. The Father lives in me, and he is doing his own work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or believe because of the miracles I have done.

I can assure you that whoever believes in me will do the same things I have done. And they will do even greater things than I have done, because I am going to the Father. And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you. Then the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son.

(John 14:8-13 ERV)

So what does this mean to you today? There is too much to cover in John 14 in one day, so we will take my time with this passage. Here are a few things for today.

1. When Philip asked to “see” the Father, Jesus was disappointed. Jesus told Philip that he had seen Him and that should have been good enough. Jesus saw Himself as ONE with the Father. Although Jesus came as a human, He came to show us that a human can literally be IN God and have God IN him/her. Jesus said, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” This is the mindset we are supposed to live our lives with.

2. Jesus saw Himself as ONE with the Father. When we get to John 17 we will see that Jesus prayed for us to be ONE with both He and the Father. Jesus prayed that we would be ONE with God, just like He was ONE. He was a human conduit of the divine. This is how we are supposed to live.

3. Jesus saw Himself as ONE with the Father. When we get to Philippians 2, we will see that we are supposed to live our lives with the same MINDSET Jesus had. What was Jesus’ mindset? He and the Father were ONE! This is why we must see ourselves as ONE! This is why we keep looking at 1 John 4:16,17, and why I keep driving home this message: As Jesus is, so are you, in this world!

4. Jesus made it clear that He was not in the earth doing His own thing, living His own life, or pursuing His own agenda. He was a human in the earth, pursuing the agenda that was laid out for Him by the creator, before the world began. This is how we are supposed to live.

5. The greatest level of humility in Christ is getting to the point where you die to your limits, you see yourself as ONE with God, and you live your life pursuing His agenda. You literally have to humble yourself to be able to grasp the enormity of the image God sees when He looks at you, and also the enormity of the task He has called you to!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I say this without wavering, because I know I am IN You and You are IN me. If people have seen me, they have seen You. When people come in contact with me, they come in contact with You. You live in me. You give me the words to speak. You lead me in the actions to take. I see myself as You see me. When You look at me, You are looking to see yourself. So when I look at myself in the mirror, I am looking to see You! This is why I boldly declare, as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 25)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” In our last message I told you that we would spend the next few weeks looking at 1 John 4:16,17 (which we have been looking at for a while now), John 14, John 17 and Philippians 2. We started with 1 John 4:16,17 and John 14. Let’s go back to these two passages again this morning.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

Jesus said the following, in response to a question from Philip:

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.”

(John 14:8-13 ERV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Jesus lived His life in the earth with this mindset: “I am ONE with the Father.” This is the same mindset we are supposed to live with.

2. Jesus knew He was a human conduit of the divine. He was fully human. But that did not change the fact that He was possessed by a Spirit who is fully God. This made Him both human and divine. Guess what? If you are Born-Again, the same can be said of you. You are a human conduit of the divine.

3. Every Born-Again believer qualifies to emulate the life Jesus lived.

a) While Jesus was the only perfect human to ever walk the planet, Jesus did not minister to people from His humanity; and we should all be glad that He did not. If Jesus had ministered to people from His perfect humanity, then He would NOT be a model of someone we could emulate, because none of us are perfect.

b) Jesus was a perfect human, and His perfection was required to become a spotless sacrifice for our sin. But He did not minister out of His humanity. Jesus ministered to people from His divinity. He ministered to people through the same Holy Spirit we all (as Born-Again believers) have.

c) Jesus only said what He heard the Father, through the Holy Spirit living in Him, say. Jesus only did what He saw the Father, through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, do. This is great news for us. Because we can live the same way. We have the same Holy Spirit.

d) Jesus made it clear that it was the Father, living in Him, who gave Him the words to say and who performed the work He did that exceeded human ability. I run into believers all the time who say, “I know that is how Jesus lived. But I am not Jesus. I am not perfect. I am not sinless.” However, Jesus destroyed that argument when He said, “I can assure you that whoever believes in me will do the same things I have done. And they will do even greater things than I have done.”

e) It is true that you are not perfect. It is true that you, in your humanity, are flawed. However, God does not want you to minister from your humanity anyway. While you humanity is flawed and limited, God’s Spirit living IN you is perfect and limitless. So God actually uses you despite your faults, flaws and failures. He uses you because He is so good, not because you are!

f) You will never be used of God in the fulness of His divinity until you see yourself, “As Jesus is, in this world!”

I have more to say about this. I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. My victory is not based in me or my flawed humanity. My victory is based in You. You are perfect. Jesus was a perfect human. Because of it, He was able to pay for my sin. Thankfully, Jesus did not minister out of His humanity. He ministered out of His divinity. I have the same Holy Spirit Jesus had. Therefore, I live just like Jesus lived in this world. I say what You tell me to say. I do what You tell me to do. Through me burdens will be removed, yokes destroyed, lives changed, and souls saved, all for Your glory! Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 26)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have spent over a month looking at 1 John 4:16,17. A few messages ago, I told you that we would add to this passage: John 14, John 17 and Philippians 2. We have been looking at John 14 for a few days now. Let’s go back to it and 1 John this morning.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

Jesus said the following, in response to a question from Philip:

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.”

(John 14:8-13 ERV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Jesus made it clear that it was the Father doing the work through Him.

a) Jesus took no credit for the supernatural. He claimed it was the Father, living IN Him, who gave Him the words and who performed the work.

b) Jesus was the only perfect human to ever walk the planet, but He did not perform out of His perfection. He allowed the Father to perform through Him. He did this to serve as an example for us. If Jesus had operated out of His perfect humanity, then He could not be an example for us, because we are not perfect. But since He was simply a human conduit of the divine, He becomes our example, because every Born-Again believer is a human conduit of the divine.

2. Jesus used the supernatural as proof that what He was doing was not human.

a) Jesus said to Philip, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or believe because of the miracles I have done.” He was basically saying, “Philip, I am telling you that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. It is the Father living in me, giving me the words and performing the work. Now, if you don’t believe me when I speak these words, then at least believe me because of the miracles. You know the miracles cannot be performed by any human. This is proof that God lives in me!”

b) No human could do what Jesus did. The only way a human can usurp or supercede natural laws is if that human is possessed by God.

c) Jesus was saying, “No human can do what I have been doing. This should be proof enough that God Himself lives IN me!” Guess what? We are supposed to live with the same mindset.

3. Jesus expected us to do what He did — the supernatural should be proof that what we are doing is not human.

a) Jesus said that you would do what He did. Are you? Are you making a demand on the supernatural power you have been endued with?

b) Your life should be proof that there is a God. If it is not, then there is too much of YOU in the way. The more you die to self, the more God can live through you, for all the world to see!

c) You will never attempt to see the invisible or perform the impossible until you see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world!”

I have much more to say about this. I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I refuse to live my post-salvation life with a pre-salvation mindset. I am Born-Again. This means I am born from above! You live in me. The God of NO LIMITS is inside of me. Therefore I refuse to live my life as a mere human. I was born a man, but I was Born-Again a God-man! I am in God and God is in me! Father, my life is proof of Yours! My life is evidence that You exist. The supernatural is natural to me. By Your Spirit I am able to see the invisible and perform the impossible, because I see myself as ONE with You! As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 27)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

Jesus said the following, in response to a question from Philip:

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.”

(John 14:8-13 ERV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. The Father expects you to live as ONE with Him. The first step in making this a reality is SEEING yourself as ONE with God. If you can’t SEE it, you will never BE it.

2. Once you see yourself as ONE with the Father, you are in position to attempt things that exceed human power, ability and strength. At first you will feel uneasy, but faith requires you to attempt the impossible, the superhuman, the supernatural. If you never attempt it, you will never see God do it through you.

3. Wouldn’t it be a shame to live for decades with God inside of you, only to get to heaven and realize that you never let Him do anything through you that exceeded human ability? What good is having God inside of you, if you are never going to let Him out?

4. Jesus used miracles as evidence that God was living inside of Him. We are supposed to do the same.

5. Here are a few personal testimonies concerning the supernatural:

a) The first time I asked God to manifest His power in my life. When I was younger I suffered from nose-bleeds on a regular basis. When my nose started bleeding, I had a routine I went through to get it to stop and it normally took about 10-15 minutes or so. A few days after giving my life to Christ I had a nose-bleed. Since I was a new Christian, I figured I would give God a try and ask Him to get involved with the it. Before I started my normal routine, I prayed and God responded quickly. My nose stopped bleeding almost immediately and I was pumped! I knew it was God and this was the first of many, many experiences with the God of the supernatural. It is critically important that you experience God, and don’t just read about Him.

b) The first time I saw someone healed. I was at Faith Outreach, a church in Augusta, GA, and I was a member when the church was a startup. Our church was meeting in an elementary school and we purchased a few acres of land to build our first building. The real estate agent that helped us secure the land came to worship with us one Sunday morning. My Pastor, Richard Peoples, was led to pray for her. He asked her to stand and to raise her hands. She only raised one arm. He asked her to raise the other arm. She explained that she had been injured years earlier and she could not raise it. She had not been able to raise her arm for years. Pastor Peoples prayed for her, God touched her, and her arm was healed instantly. The woman was overwhelmed. She started running around the church, in tears, swinging her arm like crazy, telling everyone that she could not do that before. I have witnessed many healings since then, but I will never forget this one, because it was the first healing I witnessed with my own eyes. Once you have an experience with God like this, no one can convince you that God cannot heal.

c) God using me for healing. God has used me to heal many people of many things over the years. I will just pick one to talk about today. A couple of years ago I preached a message and when I gave the altar call a young lady came up for prayer for her ear. She had been in an accident years earlier and it resulted in a total loss of hearing out of one ear. When she told me what happened and she asked me to pray for her, I prayed like I have hundreds of times for people before her. I don’t have any healing, in my own strength, so I simply invoked God’s presence and power. She heard her ear “pop” and her hearing was restored, just like that, in an instant. I gave God praise for it and I moved on to pray for the next person. The young lady gave God praise and the people rejoiced. Honestly, I have seen God heal so much, that it was not a surprise for me. However, a friend of mine had come to hear me preach and he was blown away that God did what He did through me. He called me afterwards to discuss it, because, although he has been in church all his life, he has not seen the power of God manifested. This was uncommon to him. This is why I am teaching things like this. It is unfortunate that believers spend decades in church and they never experience God’s power. This is why you must see yourself AS JESUS IS. The supernatural is supposed to be natural to us.

*** I will close by saying this: you must attempt the supernatural. If you are ONE with God and God is ONE with you, He can do what you can’t do. But you will never experience it if you don’t have the faith to attempt it!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am ONE with You and You are ONE with me. Jesus was a human conduit of the divine. Jesus said that I would do what He did. I declare that I am just like Jesus, and that I will live the way He lived in the earth. I have God Himself on the inside of me and I am determined to let You out! By faith I attempt things that I cannot do on my own, at the risk of looking foolish, all for Your glory! Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 28)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” Today we will continue to look at 1 John 4:16,17 and John 14.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

Jesus said the following, in response to a question from Philip:

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.”

(John 14:8-13 ERV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. God requires us to ask.

a) In John 14 Jesus made it clear that He and the Father were ONE. In John 17, Jesus drove home the same message and then prayed that WE would be ONE with both Him and the Father. It is clear that Jesus expected us to live with the same mindset He had. When you see yourself sa ONE with the Father, you are in position to allow God to flow through you in ways that exceed human power, ability and strength.

b) After driving home the message of ONENESS with the Father, Jesus boldly declared that those who believed in Him (which means US), would actually DO what He did. We are supposed to think like Jesus thought and then live like Jesus lived. The works that He did, we are supposed to do, and this came straight from the lips of Jesus.

c) After driving home the message of ONENESS with God and then making it clear that we are supposed to do what He did, Jesus said the following: “And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you. Then the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son.” The point I will drive home today is that God requires us to ask! Many of us have not operated in the supernatural, because we have not had the boldness to ask for it. James said, “You have not, because you ask not” (James 4:2).

d) You will never experience what you do not attempt and you will never attempt what you don’t even have the courage for ask for.

e) Jesus told us that the Father knows what we need before we ask (Mat 6:8), but He still requires us to ask. When we ask, in faith, we are coming in alignment and agreement with God.

f) God made us free moral agents. He gives us the right to make our own decisions. This means God will not force Himself upon us. If we want to experience God’s best, we will have to align ourselves with it; and this includes asking for what He already planned to give us and to do through us, from the foundations of the world.

2. Having the courage to ask for and attempt the supernatural is all about bringing glory to God.

a) After driving home the message of ONENESS with God and then making it clear that we are supposed to do what He did, Jesus said the following: “And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you. Then the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son.” Jesus made it clear that we must ask, and He also pointed out that when we ask, it should be with the intent of bringing glory to His name!

b) In John 17 Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify me, that I may glorify thee!” Jesus did not ever attempt to draw attention to Himself. He lived His life with a singular focus on bringing glory to the Father. In John 14 Jesus explained that when we ask the Father for things, in His name, we should so with the intent of bringing Him glory and not ourselves.

c) When you enter every day with the mindset that you are in Christ and Christ is in you, that you are ONE with God, that you are just like Jesus in this world, and that you have been given the right to ask the Father in the name of the Son, you can have the boldness to ask for the impossible, because know you are asking to bring glory to His name; and not your own!

d) When you ask for the impossible to bring glory to God and not yourself, you are operating in boldness and humility at the same time. This is the way Jesus lived and it is the way we get to live, when we see ourselves as ONE with Him.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am ONE with You and You are ONE with me. I am supposed to do what Jesus did. I declare that I will. I boldly ask for the supernatural. I boldly petition You for the impossible. And I do so in the name of Your Son, for Your glory. Father, glorify me, that I may glorify thee. When the spotlight is on me, I am quick to deflect the glory up to You! This is the way Jesus lived and it is the way I live. As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 29)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

Jesus said the following, in response to a question from Philip:

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.”

(John 14:8-13 ERV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. You have to ASK for it!

a) I made the point yesterday that God requires us to ASK for what we are believing Him for. Believing something is God’s will is not enough. We must ASK for it!

b) Jesus explained that He was ONE with the Father, that we were ONE with the Father, that He prayed for the Father to do things, and that we must also PRAY. Jesus taught us to ASK the Father, in His name! If we don’t ask, we won’t receive, and it will not be God’s fault.

2. It’s in the contract, but you have to ask for it.

a) I was in a meeting this week where this point about “asking” came out and I would like to draw the parallel here. I was talking to a customer about an opportunity. In the conversation, a question came up about our current contract with this customer. One person asked, “Is this particular capability covered in our existing contract?” My answer was, “Yes.” To which the person responded, “Well, if it’s covered, then why are you not doing it?” Before I could respond, the person’s boss said, “It’s in the contract, but we have to ask for it! It can be in the contract, but most people don’t read the contract to know what’s in there. And then, even those who do, don’t always ASK for everything that is in there.” Yesterday afternoon the Holy Spirit reminded me of this conversation and began to speak to me about the parallels of this conversation and prayer.

b) Many people are walking around wondering what God’s will is. These same people have access to the Bible. The Word of God is the will of God documented! Many questions would be answered if people just simply read the Bible (read the contract).

c) When God promised something in His Word, He obligated Himself. For example, the Word teaches that ALL who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved; that ALL who accept Jesus as Lord have eternal life. So when someone accepts Jesus as Lord, we don’t question whether or not God has saved them, we know He has, because it’s in the Book. God will never renege on His Word. For God to go back on His Word, He would have to violate His own integrity, and He won’t, because He is completely HOLY!

d) The Bible is full of promises. These promises are BINDING. God obligated Himself when he spoke His promises. In this context, the Bible can be seen as a contract. But like in real life, most people don’t read the contract, and even when they do, they don’t ASK for what’s in it!

e) Not only do you have to read God’s contract (His Word), but you have to ASK for what’s in it. You have to make a demand on what He has promised! If you fail to ask, you will fail to receive, and it will not be God’s fault!

f) Seeing yourself “As Jesus is, in this world,” will give you the boldness required to ASK, in His name, with complete confidence that God will do what He said He would do. That is how we live the life of faith!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I read Your Word daily. I meditate and medicate on it day and night. It is life to me. Your Word contains Your will. Your Word contains many great and precious promises. You obligated Yourself when You gave us these promises. Your Word is binding. But just like most people don’t read a contract to know what’s in it, many believers don’t truly read Your Word to know what’s in it and to ask for what’s in the contract. I am not like most believers. I read Your Word, I believe Your promises, I ask in name of Your Son, and I believe I receive when I pray. Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 30)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 for over a month now. A little over a week ago, I told you that I would add to this passage: John 14, John 17 and Philippians 2. We looked at John 14 already. Today we will start to look at John 17.

What most people call “The Lord’s Prayer” is a model prayer Jesus gave His disciples when they asked Him to teach them to pray (Matthew 6). John 17, however, captures a prayer Jesus actually prayed. Many believers, myself included, consider John 17 to be the actual “Lord’s prayer”. Please read the entire prayer on your own time. I will pull out a few snippets from the prayer for the purposes of this series. So let’s get to it.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17)

(verses 1-5)

After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed, “Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that he could give eternal life to all those you have given to him. And this is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that they can know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. I finished the work you gave me to do. I brought you glory on earth. And now, Father, give me glory with you. Give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.

(verses 15-23)

“I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One. They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth. I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. I am making myself completely ready to serve you. I do this for them, so that they also might be fully qualified for your service.

“I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.

So what does this mean to you today? As I introduce John 17 to you, I will share a few thoughts under the main thought: ONE with God.

1. In Jesus’ prayer (John 17), He prayed, “Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you.” He was basically praying, “Glorify me, that I may glorify thee!” Jesus could pray this prayer without reservation, because He saw Himself as ONE with the Father. Later in the prayer, He prayed that we too would be ONE with the Father. When you get to the point where you truly see yourself as ONE with God, you can ask Him to glorify you, without reservation, because glorifying you would mean glorifying Him!

2. When you see yourself as ONE with the Father and there is no separation between you and Him, then you can ask Him to favor you, bless you, advance you, and make your name great. Because in so doing, you will bring Him glory in the earth. This is the way we are supposed to live.

3. Two chapters before Jesus’ prayer (John 17), Jesus taught His disciples to literally LIVE in Him. He said, “If you LIVE in me, and my words LIVE in you, then you can ask for whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). Jesus was teaching that we can actually get to the point where we can be ONE with the Father, so much so, that we can ask for whatever we want. Because at that point, what we want is what He wants. The goal is to get to the point where His will IS our will. This is why it is so critical that you see yourself AS JESUS IS, in this world!

4. When you get to the point where you see yourself AS JESUS IS — not in heaven, but in this world — and you know your will has been conformed to His will, you can ask for whatever you want, because you have died to selfish desires. Your life, at this point, is all about Him! You live to bring glory to His name. The more He glorifies you, the more you can glorify Him! This is the way our God wants us to live in this world!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am IN You and You are IN me. I abide IN You and Your Words abide IN me. I am ONE with You and You are ONE with me. I have died to me, myself and I. I have died to selfish desires. My life is all about You! Therefore, I declare, that as You glorify me, I am able to glorify thee, in this world! There is no separation between You and me. You bless me, favor me, increase me, advance me, and make my name great. In so doing, You are bringing glory to Your own name, because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 31)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17)

(verses 1-5)

After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed, “Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that he could give eternal life to all those you have given to him. And this is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that they can know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. I finished the work you gave me to do. I brought you glory on earth. And now, Father, give me glory with you. Give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.

(verses 15-23)

So what does this mean to you today? I will give you a few golden nuggets as I focus in on the words, “I finished the work you gave me to do. I brought you glory on earth.”

1. Jesus finished His assignment in the earth.

a) Jesus knew when He had completed His assignment in the earth. You and I are supposed to know as well. But we cannot know when we have completed it, if we don’t know what it is. And once we discover our purpose, we must then have the discipline to complete it before we die. This is success in God’s eyes. The only way to truly experience success is to FIND, FOLLOW and ultimately FINISH our divine assignment before you die. Success cannot be measured in money, houses, cars, or fame. Success can only be measured in purpose.

b) Jesus was here for a reason. He accomplished what He came to the earth to do. Once Jesus completed His assignment, He was free to go. It’s the same with us. We don’t have to die because we are sick. We don’t have to die because we are old. We can simply when we are DONE!

c) Jesus knew when He was done with His assignment in the earth. Our goal should be to live with the same level of discernment. And once we are done, then like Jesus, we are free to go and enjoy eternal life with the Father.

2. Jesus brought glory to God in the earth.

a) Jesus said, “I finished the work you gave me to do. I brought you glory on earth.” Knowing your assignment is one thing, but getting it done is another. You cannot complete your divine assignment without allowing God to actually do the work through you. Success in Christ does not a matter of trying, it is actually a matter of dying… to self, and allowing the Father to live through you.

b) You are on this planet to bring glory to God. The best way to do so is to allow God Himself to live through you.

c) When you see yourself as ONE with the Father, and you allow Him to give you the words and perform the work, He will glorify you and He will be glorified through you.

d) When you are ONE with the Father, He is free to bless you richly. Because at that point, God knows that blessing you results in bringing glory to Himself!

e) When you get to the point where your total being (everything you do) is associated with God, God is free to empower you to prosper. Because elevating you means elevating His own influence in the earth. And as a result, you bring glory to His name.

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am IN You and You are IN me. There is no separation between You and I. I am known as a man (or woman) of God. My entire being is associated with You. Therefore, You are free to bless me richly, to increase me and advance me. Because elevating me, means elevating Your own influence in this world. I declare that You do. I bring glory to You in the earth and I continue to do it until I complete my divine assignment. Everything I do brings glory to Your name, because I see myself as ONE with You! As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 32)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17)

(verses 1-5)

(verses 15-23)

Yesterday I focused in on the words: ““I finished the work you gave me to do. I brought you glory on earth.” The last point I made was: “When you get to the point where your total being (everything you do) is associated with God, God is free to empower you to prosper. Because elevating you means elevating His own influence in the earth. And as a result, you bring glory to His name.” I am going to ‘pull the string’ on that thought today.

So what does this mean to you today? Let’s see.

1. I believe the key to true success in life is found in your divine purpose. Success cannot be measured in “things”, it can only be measured in purpose. But even if you want to have a conversation about the earthly success and the “things” associated with it, I believe God is okay with it, just as long as He is being glorified in the process. Said another way… God is not opposed to you having a great name, He will actually MAKE your name great. God is not opposed to you having “things”, He will actually give you all things richly to enjoy (1 Tim 6:17); He just does not want the “things” to have you. Bottom line: God is not opposed to you being blessed, even by this world’s standards, just as long as He is being glorified in the process.

2. Jesus’ life brought glory to the Father. Some people then make a logical leap and say, “Well Rick, Jesus did not have many earthly possessions and the Father was glorified through Him. Therefore, if we want to bring God glory, we must be poor, humble, and live a quaint life.” I understand the argument, but it is very shortsighted. Jesus had an assignment and He fulfilled it. That does not mean that every human’s assignment is going to be like Jesus’. What about Abraham? The Lord received glory from his life and God Himself made Abraham rich. What about David? God was glorified through David and he accumulated billions for the plans purposes of God. What about Solomon? His wealth was estimated between $800 Billion and $3 Trillion and he used the wealth to build God’s temple and lead God’s people. The point is that earthly success, money, houses, things, etc., are not an issue for God. The issue comes down to purpose and glory. Are you living your life to accomplish His purpose and are you doing it for His glory? These are the questions you need to be able to answer in your heart. Why are you pursuing what you are pursuing? Is it for a selfish desire, or is it to bring glory to God in the earth?

3. When God knows that He will get the glory out of everything you do, then He will withhold no good thing from you (Psalm 84:11). But before that God will withhold things, because He knows that if your heart is not right, the “things” can derail or even destroy you. You can receive a blessing from God and then, in turn, get so caught up in the blessING, that you forget about the blessOR. Far too many believers make this mistake.

4. Make your life about God, His plans, His purpose, and His glory, and you will live a life that far exceeds your wildest imaginations.

5. If you choose to pursue God instead of pursuing things, you will wake up one morning and realize that things are pursuing you (Mat 6:33). I am witness. This is the story of my life. Live your life to bring glory to God and not only will you live the life of your dreams, but you will wind up living the life of God’s dreams for you; and believe, God’s dreams are much better.

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I say this without wavering, because I am living to bring glory to Your name. People know I am Your son. People know I am called according to Your purpose. I am not ashamed of my relationship with You. I take You public every chance I get. This is why You bless me richly. Blessing me, elevating me, increasing me and favoring me, puts You in a position to have greater influence in this world. So I say, “Father, glorify me, that I may glorify thee!” My life is about about You. I have no other goal but to complete my assignment and to bring glory to Your name in the process. This is why I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 33)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17)

(verses 1-5)

After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed, “Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that he could give eternal life to all those you have given to him. And this is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that they can know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. I finished the work you gave me to do. I brought you glory on earth. And now, Father, give me glory with you. Give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.

(verses 15-23)

“I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One. They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth. I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. I am making myself completely ready to serve you. I do this for them, so that they also might be fully qualified for your service.

So what does this mean to you today? I will seek to glean a few golden nuggets from the statement, “They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world.”

1. Jesus made it clear that He was IN this world, but not OF this world. Guess what? He said that we were in the same boat. As He was praying to the Father, talking about us, He said, “They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world.” Jesus did not want us to be taken OUT of the world. But He did want us to live IN this world as a representation of another world!

2. The word translated “Born-Again” in the Bible is a Greek word that means: born from above. When you were born of your mother, you were born from this world; born from beneath. But the day you were Borg-Again, born of God’s Spirit, you were born from above. From that moment on, you are IN this world, but you are not OF it. You are a Kingdom citizen on this planet. You are an Ambassador from heaven, living in the earth, as heaven’s emissary. You are supposed to represent the Kingdom of God. This means you are to live every day carrying out His agenda, fulfilling His purpose, and living life on His terms.

3. If you don’t see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world”, if you don’t see yourself as ONE with the Father, then you will never truly live any different than the world lives. For you to live different, you must see yourself different. Said another way: you will never transform what you allow yourself to conform to. God wants you to change the world, but you can’t do that if you allow yourself to be conformed by it. Seeing yourself AS JESUS IS, is the first step to living your life in a way that brings about true change in this world.

4. God wants you to see yourself “As Jesus Is”, and He wants you to do it “in this world”, not in heaven. When you get to heaven, there won’t be anything to change. When you get to heaven, you won’t stand out from worldly ways or selfish desires, because everything will be heavenly. God wants you to stand out NOW. God wants you to represent His Kingdom plans, purposes and ways, NOW! God wants you to live like Jesus, and to do it NOW, in this world!

5. Your life is supposed to show people what heaven is like. Your life is supposed to testify of God’s goodness. Your life is supposed to draw people out of darkness, into light. But your life will never do it, if you live no different than the world.

6. The day you choose to live “As Jesus is, in this world” — with the same mindset Jesus lived with, with the same confidence He had in the Father, with the same reliance on the Holy Spirit — will be the day people start seeing Jesus IN you and experiencing heaven through you! This is the way we are called to live!

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am just like Jesus, and I am like Him IN THIS WORLD! I am in the world, but not of it. I refuse to conform to this world. Instead, I choose to transform it. I am a world-changer, because I am a Kingdom Ambassador. I live my life as a heavenly thermostat, setting the atmosphere, and not just worldly thermometer, taking the temperature. I live on purpose. I represent heaven in the earth. I am a human conduit of the divine. And I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 34)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

NOTE: Before we get into the Word today, allow me to address two things up front. First, let’s be thankful for those who made it through the recent hurricanes unscathed. Let’s pray for those who were impacted. Let’s lift them up in prayer as they seek to recover from hurricanes Irma and Jose, and while others in Houston are also beginning their journey to recovery from Harvey. Second, today is September 11th. We must never forget what happened in the United States on September 11th, 2001. Life goes on, but our memories of that day are still strong. Let’s look back for a moment to remember, and then live in this moment in a way that honors the memory of those who lost their lives that day.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17)

(verses 1-5)

After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed, “Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that he could give eternal life to all those you have given to him. And this is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that they can know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. I finished the work you gave me to do. I brought you glory on earth. And now, Father, give me glory with you. Give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.

(verses 15-23)

“I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One. They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth. I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. I am making myself completely ready to serve you. I do this for them, so that they also might be fully qualified for your service.

So what does this mean to you today? I will seek to glean a few golden nuggets from the statement, “Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth. I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. I am making myself completely ready to serve you. I do this for them, so that they also might be fully qualified for your service.”

1. Jesus prayed to the Father, asking Him to make us ready for His service through His Word. While God’s grace is certainly unearned and undeserved, His full use of humans comes only after preparation. Prepared blessings come to prepared people. God prepares us through His Word.

2. Jesus made Himself ready to be used of the Father. We must make ourselves ready as well. We make ourselves ready by getting the Word of God down in our hearts.

3. God offers us His anointing for free, by grace. But His anointing will not flow through us until we have been processed to the point where we can carry the weight of it.

4. You are “As Jesus is.” You are this way by grace. But you will never live this way until your soul is renewed. We must learn to think (renewing our mind), feel (renewing our emotions), and make decisions (renewing our will), like God Himself. This happens through Word of God.

5. Jesus prepared Himself to be used of the Father. As result, the Father sent Him into the world. In John 17 Jesus said that as we are prepared to be used of the Father, as we are fully qualified for His service, He will also send us into the world!

6. Going to church is not the goal. You go to church to learn how to live in this world. Getting out in the world as light and salt is the goal. Don’t see church as the place you to go serve. Church is the place you to go worship and learn. You actually leave the church to serve. You leave to the church to go represent Jesus in this world. You do this by living “As Jesus is.” But you will never do it, until you mind is renewed by the Word of God.

7. Jesus’ focus was not the church. His focus was the Kingdom. If you read the end of the book you will learn that the kingdoms of this world MUST become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ!

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am learning to think, feel and make decisions like You. I walk like You, talk like You, look like You, live like You, and represent You daily, in this world! You changed me by Your Word. You now send me into the world to change it! The kingdoms of this world SHALL BECOME the Kingdoms of my Lord, and of His Christ! Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 35)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

NOTE: Before I get started, I want you to know that our children in the Dominican Republic went back to school yesterday. 150 underprivileged children are receiving an education, and food every day, because of your charitable donations. A special thanks to our partners and supporters. If you are not a partner with us, and you would like to do so, please visit: http://ripministries.org/donate. All donations are tax deductible in the United States.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17)

(verses 1-5)

After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed, “Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that he could give eternal life to all those you have given to him. And this is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that they can know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. I finished the work you gave me to do. I brought you glory on earth. And now, Father, give me glory with you. Give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.

(verses 15-23)

“I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One. They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth. I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. I am making myself completely ready to serve you. I do this for them, so that they also might be fully qualified for your service.

So what does this mean to you today? Today I will focus in on the statement, “I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world.”

1. In yesterday’s message I said, “Jesus’ focus was not the church. His focus was the Kingdom. If you read the end of the book, you will learn that the kingdoms of this world MUST become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ!” The goal is Kingdom influence IN THIS WORLD! Don’t just live your life focused on going to heaven. Live your life focused on bringing heaven to the earth!

2. The reason why Jesus prayed that we would be ONE with both He and the Father, is so we could have the boldness and power to change this world. Jesus was sent into the world to change it and He now sends us to do what He did. But you will never do what He did, until you see yourself AS HE IS — not in heaven, but down here, IN THIS WORLD!

3. People are looking for an alternative to their mundane and powerless lives. They are supposed to SEE that alternative IN YOU! This is how you draw the lost to Jesus!

4. God works IN you and then THROUGH you. He works IN you first, helping you to develop the Godly character required to carry the weight of the anointing, and helping you to see yourself as Jesus is, in this world. Once He does that, once the change is effectuated IN you, God then sends you into the world to change the world THROUGH you!

5. Private victory precedes public victory. You must win the battle on the INSIDE before God sends you out to make impact on the outside!

6. Jesus came to establish a Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is supposed to change the world. The world is made up of individuals and systems. God’s Kingdom is supposed to affect (with effects and influence), both the people and the systems of this world!

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I see myself as ONE with You. I am a Kingdom citizen. I have been changed by Your Word. You send me into this world to effectuate change. I do so by living as a representative of Your Kingdom on this planet. I don’t live focused on going to heaven. I live focused on bringing heaven to the earth! Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 36)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17)

(verses 1-5)

After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed, “Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that he could give eternal life to all those you have given to him. And this is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that they can know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. I finished the work you gave me to do. I brought you glory on earth. And now, Father, give me glory with you. Give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.

(verses 15-23)

“I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One. They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth. I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. I am making myself completely ready to serve you. I do this for them, so that they also might be fully qualified for your service.

Yesterday I focused in on the statement, “I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world.” I will do the same today. I closed yesterday’s message with this point:

“Jesus came to establish a Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is supposed to change the world. The world is made up of individuals and systems. God’s Kingdom is supposed to affect (with effects and influence), both the people and the systems of this world!” I will ‘pull the string’ on that thought today.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Jesus did not preach a message about a church. He preached a message about God’s Kingdom. Everywhere Jesus went, He declared, “The Kingdom of God is at hand!” He was announcing, “It is time for God’s Kingdom to manifest… and to manifest in this world!” The Father sent Jesus into this world to preach and demonstrate The Kingdom. He now sends US into the world to do the same thing. However, in order for us to do so, we must see ourselves AS JESUS IS.

2. If you read the beginning of the book (Genesis), you will see that God placed Adam in this world to rule it, govern it, and to establish a Godly kingdom in it. Adam’s was authorized by God to operate with Kingdom dominion, power and authority. However, Adam lost it all. Jesus came to get back all Adam lost. Jesus came to restore us to the position of Kingdom dominion, power and authority. That’s why Jesus always preached “Kingdom” and not “Church”. The church is where we go to learn about the Kingdom. Further, if you read the end of the book (Revelation), you will see that God’s ultimate goal is for the kingdoms of this world to become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ! That’s why the Father sent Jesus into the world, and that’s why He sends us into the world now!

3. The message of the Kingdom that Jesus preached is a message of the dominion and authority of heaven, and how it can be manifested HERE, in the earth. This is what Jesus asked us to pray for. This is why He told us to pray for God’s Kingdom to come, and for God’s will to be done, ON EARTH. How? The answer is simple: AS IT IS in heaven. Adam was planted here to bring heaven to the earth. He failed. Jesus came as the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45), to succeed where Adam failed. Jesus brought the Kingdom. He now sends us into the world to demonstrate it. But we will never do so, if we: (1) fail to see ourselves AS HE IS, and (2) fail to live with a Kingdom focus. Far too many believers live focused on simply going to heaven some day. God wants you to live focused on bringing heaven to the earth every day!

4. God’s intent for His Kingdom is for it to advance. The Kingdom of God advances, and it advances through us. We are supposed to affect (with effects and influence), both the people of this world and the systems of this world! This is what God sends us into the world to do. And this is why it is critically important that we see ourselves AS JESUS IS… not in heaven, but in this world!

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. You sent Jesus into this world to succeed where Adam failed. Jesus announced that Your Kingdom was at hand. You sent Him into this world to restore Your Kingdom. You now send me into this world to demonstrate it. I am a Kingdom citizen living in this world. Your Kingdom advances; and it advances through me! I impact both the people of this world, and the systems of this world. Because I see myself as ONE with You! As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 37)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17:20-23)

I will focus in on the words: “Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. The goal is to be ONE with God.

a) Jesus did not operate as a God in this world. He operated as a human who had God INSIDE of Him. This is the same way He expects us to operate.

b) Jesus prayed that we would be ONE with both Him and the Father. He wanted us to be ONE, just like He was ONE.

c) The day you truly see yourself as ONE with God will be the day you die to human limits. From that day on, humans limits will have no power over you.

2. The fulness of the Godhead is IN you!

a) The Father is IN you. Paul said, “There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. There is one God and Father of us all, who rules over everyone. He works through all of us and in all of us.” (Eph 4:5,6).

b) The Son is IN you. Jesus said, “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:19, 20). Paul said, “I became a servant of the church because God gave me a special work to do. This work helps you. My work is to tell the complete message of God. This message is the secret truth that was hidden since the beginning of time. It was hidden from everyone for ages, but now it has been made known to God’s holy people. God decided to let his people know just how rich and glorious that truth is. That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory.” (Col 1:25-27)

c) The Holy Spirit is IN you. Jesus said, “The Helper is the Spirit of truth. The people of the world cannot accept him, because they don’t see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you.” (John 14:17). Paul said, “You heard the true message, the Good News about the way God saves you. When you heard that Good News, you believed in Christ. And in Christ, God put his special mark on you by giving you the Holy Spirit that he promised.” (Eph 1:13)

3. All that God is, is IN you!

a) If you are Born-Again, you are no longer a mere man. You are a God-man. God lives INSIDE of you!

b) If you live “God-inside” minded, knowing God Himself has taken up residence IN you, you will see every challenge from a different perspective. Looking at a challenge from God’s perspective changes everything! So, no matter what you are facing this morning, look at it from God’s perspective. Stop just thinking about how YOU would have to address it. Think about it from the perspective of how God WILL address it through you!

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I don’t say this because of me. I say this because of You. You live IN me. You gave me Your Spirit. You took up residence INSIDE of me. I am in Christ and Christ is IN me. There is no separation between me and You. Therefore, there is NOTHING I cannot do, because there is NOTHING You cannot do, and You live IN me. I give myself over to You Father. You give me the words. You perform the work. You can do ALL THINGS through me. I enter this day with my full confidence in all that You are! As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 38)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17:20-23)

“I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.”

I will focus in on the words: “Then the world will believe that you sent me.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Open your heart to all Jesus prayed for you to experience.

a) Jesus prayed for us to to be ONE with the Father, just like He was ONE with the Father. He expects us to live (in this world), just like He lived (in this world).

b) Jesus expected us to live a supernatural life, in this world, because God lives inside of us, just like He lived inside of Him.

2. Realize that your life is supposed to living proof of Jesus’ life.

a) Jesus said that when we get to the point where we are ONE with the Father, like He was ONE with the Father, then people would believe that He was sent of God.

b) Our lives are supposed to be proof that Jesus was the Son of God.

c) Our lives are supposed to testify of God’s supernatural power and existence.

d) Our lives should be proof that heaven is real. This is why it is critically important that we see ourselves as ONE with God; as Jesus is, in this world!

3. Open your heart to God’s love.

a) Jesus prayed for us to know that the Father loves us the same way He loved Jesus. Receiving this truth changes you from the inside out.

b) The Father loves us with the very same love that He loved His own Son with. Open your heart to this reality.

c) God loves you NO less than He loved Jesus. Embracing this love is critical, because knowing God loves you is the key the opens the door to the supernatural.

I will talk more about this next week.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I don’t say this because of me. I say this because You live IN me. I am ONE with You. You are ONE with me. You love me with an everlasting love. You love me the SAME WAY You loved Your own son, Jesus. You love me NO LESS than You loved Jesus. I believe and receive Your love. Your love opens the door to the supernatural. People will know that Jesus is real, because they will see Him, and experience Him, IN ME! As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 39)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 for a couple of months now. I have been adding other passages to it. We have been looking at John 17, to go along with it, for two weeks. Let’s go back to both passages again this morning.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17:20-23)

“I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.”

I will, once again, focus in on the words: “Then the world will believe that you sent me.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. You are the proof.

a) Jesus came to the earth to succeed where Adam failed. He came to establish God’s Kingdom in this world. He did it. Mission accomplished. But as Jesus was leaving He knew that His disciples, and all who would follow (which includes you and I), would have to continue what He started. Our job is to live as He lived, to demonstrate what He demonstrated, and to manifest God’s Kingdom in this world. Jesus drove this message home then and we must drive it home now.

b) Jesus spent three and a half years with His disciples, and even then, Jesus had to drive home the message that the responsibility was going to be in THEIR hands. If people were going to believe that Jesus was the Son of God, they were going to have to do it through them! Over 2,000 years later, the same holds true. If people are going to believe that Jesus is real, that He was the Messiah, that He did what the Bible says, it is going to be because of US! We are the proof. We either RE-Present Jesus well or we don’t!

c) The responsibility to RE-Present Jesus in this world is an awesome one. Don’t take it lightly. You are the proof that Jesus is real. Your life is supposed to testify of His.

d) If the world is going to believe on the Lord Jesus, they are going to do so because of YOU! You are supposed to show the world what Jesus is like.

e) For your life to testify of Jesus’ life, the Bible teaches that you must operate in both God’s love and His power. God’s love will show people that He lives IN you. His power will show people that you have grown to the point where allow Him to flow through you! Both are necessary.

2. As yourself this question: Can the world SEE Jesus IN me?

a) Imagine Jesus held a huddle with you this morning and said, “Son (or daughter), I love you. I have prepared you for this day. I will allow you to go out into it alone. I will be with you every step of the way. Remember, I am IN you, but you have to let me out. People in this world can’t see me. But they can see you. You are my proof. You are the proof that I exist. Now go live like it!” Would that pep talk change the way you live this day? If it would, then it’s time to make some changes. This is the way you are supposed to live every day.

b) As you enter each day, remind yourself that the world is supposed to SEE Jesus IN you. That’s why it is so critically important that you live with this mentality: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. The God of the Universe lives IN me. My Savior, Jesus the Christ, is counting on me to RE-Present Him in this world. I declare that I do. I operate in love and power. Love shows the world that my God, who is love Himself, is IN me. Power shows the world that I am in synch with God and He is in synch with me, to the point where I freely LET GOD OUT! The world sees Jesus IN me every day. Because I live this mentality: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 40)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Prayer Request: Before I get into the Word this morning, I would like to solicit your prayers. My mother-in-love (Isabella’s Mom) and brother-in-love (Isabella’s brother) live on the island of Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe was in the middle of Hurricane Maria last night. We got off the phone with my mother-in-love after midnight. The winds were blowing terribly. Isabella has another brother on the island of Dominica, where she is from. Dominica was hit hard yesterday by this Hurricane. The Prime Minister of Dominica had to be evacuated after the roof of his home was blown away. We have not talked to Isabella’s brother since the storm started. We are believing God to talk to him today. I am asking you to pray for the Hurricane to disband and dissipate. Let’s release the power of God. Many islands are still in its path. Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic (where my family is), Turks and Caicos, and other islands are on the path. Powerful things happen when believers pray. Let’s pray. Let’s believe God!

Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 for a couple of months now. I have been adding other passages to it. We have been looking at John 17, to go along with it, for two weeks. Let’s go back to both passages again this morning.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17:20-23)

“I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.”

I will, once again, focus in on the words: “I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. If there are going to be more believers, it is going to be because of you. You are called to be light and salt. You are called to RE-Present Jesus in this world.

2. I am sure there are rare cases where someone comes to Jesus through a supernatural encounter with God, like Saul of Tarsus had when God knocked him off his high horse (literally) and blinded him with a light that came down from heaven. But in the vast majority of cases, people are drawn to God through other people. Chances are high that you came to God because you encountered God in, with and through someone else. This is exactly what Jesus was referring to when He said that other followers would come to Him because of the teaching of those who were present with Him. He was looking at a group of followers and praying for them and ALL who would come to Him BECAUSE of them! See, you coming to God is the first step. But you must graduate to the point where others come to God BECAUSE OF YOU! That is the goal.

3. You may be the only Jesus someone will ever see. But you will never be that, if you fail to see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world.” If you don’t even see yourself as Jesus is, then how will others ever see Jesus in you?

4. God loved you enough to send people your way, to interact with you. These were people who had Jesus IN them; people who were living in such a way that they allowed Jesus to be seen THROUGH them. He now sends you out to do the same for others. God wants to use you to draw others to Him, just like He used others to draw you.

5. God loves you so much that He is willing to use you despite your failures, faults and flaws. He is willing to live IN you. He is willing to come THROUGH you. He is willing to use you (yes, you), as a human conduit of the divine. He is willing to use you to draw the lost to Him. That is both a blessing and an awesome responsibility.

6. Here is a quick guide to being used of God:

a) Recognize that God Himself has taken up residence inside of you (if you are Born-Again). You are the container, He is the content. You are the jar, He is the glory IN the jar!

b) Give up the life you created on your own, for the life God planned for you before the world began. Die to self.

c) See yourself as Jesus is. You are, because He is. Everything He is, is who you are!

d) Allow God to be seen in you. If you yield, He will flow. If you die, He will live. If you allow yourself to be concealed in Jesus, then Jesus will be revealed in you!

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. You took up residence INSIDE of me the day I made Jesus, Your Son, my Lord. I now die to the life I created on my own, so the life You planned for me can be manifested. I die to me, so You can live through me. Living this way, the world can see Jesus IN me. I came to You because of others. Now others come to You because of me. Because I live with this mentality: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 41)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Update to Prayer Request and New Request: Yesterday I asked you to pray for Isabella’s mother in Guadeloupe, her brother in Dominica, and for all those in the path of Hurricane Maria. The night before last, while we were on the phone with my mother-in-love after midnight, our 4 yr. old son, Ethan, asked to pray for his grandmother. We put the phone on speaker and we all released our faith with Ethan as his prayed for the protection of his grandmother. He prayed for the storm to go back into the sea, for it not to hurt his grandmother, and for her to be safe. He actually prayed for a few minutes. When he closed the prayer with, “In Jesus’ name!”, we all agreed with it and we thanked God for his faith. God hears little children, especially those with childlike faith. God used Ethan one time to heal someone at his daycare. Yesterday morning, after Today’s Word, we got to talk to Isabella’s mother. She was safe. She said that when things got rough that night, she kept remembering Ethan’s prayer. When she went outside she saw devastation all around her building, but hers was intact. She thanked God for His protection and we did the same.

I want to highlight two things from this. First, is that we have a responsibility to pray. Don’t just take everything that happens, good or bad, as the will of God. Everything is not God’s will and we must pray for His will to be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Second, children are always listening. Many of the things Ethan prayed for were things Isabella and I had talked about. Keep your conversation filled with faith and your children will have words of faith in their hearts.

As of last night, we have still not heard from Isabella’s brother in Dominica, or any of her family members there. The island was hit hard. They don’t have power of communications yet. We are believing God to hear from them today. I ask you to continue to pray for those impacted already and for those still in the path. Hurricane Maria is scheduled to make landfall on Puerto Rico this morning. Further, let’s pray for those in Mexico, who were impacted by an earthquake yesterday. Over 200 people are already reported to have lost their lives. This is a time for us, as believers, to pray!

Allow me to transition into the Word. I will make Today’s message brief.

Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 for a couple of months now. I have been adding other passages to it. We have been looking at John 17, to go along with it, for two weeks. Let’s go back to both passages again this morning.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17:20-23)

I will, once again, focus in on the words: “Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. In the middle of hurricanes and earthquakes, some people, even Christian leaders, will say that God is punishing countries, people or the earth in general. This is not God. We live in a fallen planet. Bad things happen here. Bad things even happen to good people. This is why we must pray and get God involved in our situations. Don’t blame God. Look to God for help in the time of trouble.

2. God is not out to get you. Listen, God is God. If He was out to get you, you would be have “got” a long time ago. God loves you and He is out to bless you, not hurt you.

3. Our text says that God loves us NO LESS than He loved Jesus. Yes, that means God loves you NO LESS than He loves His own Son.

4. God loves you with an everlasting love. You did nothing to cause God to start loving you and nothing you do will make Him stop.

5. In a time of trouble, we must all be reminded of God’s love. It’s when God’s love is made perfect in our hearts that we can see ourselves AS JESUS IS, in this world.

6. The Bible teaches us that perfect love casts out all fear. There is no fear in love. Right now, with everything going on in the world (hurricanes, earthquakes, missile launches, and etc.), the devil is doing all he can to get people to live in fear. This is the time for us to remind people of God’s love. When God’s love fills your heart, you will not fear.

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. You love me with an everlasting love. You love me NO LESS than You love Your own Son, my Savior, Jesus the Christ. You see me no different than You see Him. As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! You sent Him into the world to show people what LOVE looks like. You now send me into the world to do the same. Today people will HEAR love, SEE love, and FEEL love, through me! Because I am ONE with You and You are ONE with me, and You ARE LOVE! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 42)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Update: We still have not been able to communicate with any of Isabella’s family on the island of Dominica. Thank you all for your prayers. We will continue to believe God and reach out until we get them. Yesterday hurricane Maria caused massive destruction on Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and all throughout the Caribbean. In Mexico they are still pulling people out of the rubble caused by the earthquake. This is time for the church to be the light of the world. Don’t look down, LOOK UP! And help others to LOOK UP as well! God is still God. He still loves everyone everywhere. Let’s share God’s love and His hope with the world in such a time as this. Don’t fill your heart with negative news. Don’t just go around repeating what the news is saying. Spend time hearing from heaven and tell people what heaven is saying! That’s would Jesus would do if He were here. He is not. But you are, and you are JUST LIKE JESUS, in this world! Never forget it!

Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 for a couple of months now. I have been adding other passages to it. We already looked at John 14 and John 17. Today we will add Philippians 2 to the list. Let’s take a look at our two passages.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

“Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. If you enjoy these blessings, then do what will make my joy complete: Agree with each other, and show your love for each other. Be united in your goals and in the way you think. In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too.

In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought. He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit. Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form.

During his life as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross. So God raised him up to the most important place and gave him the name that is greater than any other name.”

(Philippians 2:1-9 ERV)

So what does this mean to you today? I will share a few things, as I seek to introduce this passage to you.

1. The statement, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” was made in the middle of a passage about remaining humble and being a blessing one-to-another. Seeing yourself “As Jesus is,” is not about seeing yourself as better than anyone else. It is about humbling yourself to point where you can accept all Jesus called you to be, so you can BE a blessing to others.

2. When you have the mind of Christ, you don’t look down on anyone. You honor others, you esteem them above yourself, and you seek to see them the way God sees them.

3. When you have the mind of Christ, you are genuinely concerned for others and you go out of your way to BE a blessing to them. We certainly need this mindset right now, with everything going on in the world.

4. Putting on the mind of Christ and seeing yourself “As Jesus is, in this world,” is actually not about any selfish desire to profit or gain. It is simply about becoming the man/woman God called you to be, so you can leave the mark in this world you were born to make.

5. When you put on the mind of Christ you live every day focused on becoming a conduit of God’s love and power. God’s love will show people that you love them just the way they are. God’s power will help realize that they don’t have to stay the way they are. God has given YOU the power to effectuate real change in people’s lives. When people came in contact with Jesus, their lives were changed. When people come in contact with you today, their lives should be changed as well. Enter this day as an agent of Godly change in this world.

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I put on the mind of Christ. I see myself like He saw Himself… as ONE with You! This perspective does not cause me to look down on anyone. On the contrary, this perspective helps me to see people the way You do. I see them through Your lens. I feel for them with You heart. I reach out to them in Your love. And I offer them a better way through Your power. I am an agent of change on this planet! Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 43)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Philippians 2:1-9 ERV)

Today I will focus in on this statement, “Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. To this point in the series I have been focusing on who you are in Christ, and what seeing yourself “As Jesus is, in this world,” does for your self-esteem and self-image. But in Philippians 2, as we seek to learn about the importance of putting on the mind of Christ, we will see what this means for our ability to interact with others. Not only should we see ourselves like Jesus, we should also treat others the way Jesus did. This is how we truly RE-Present Him on this planet.

2. Paul said, “Think about what we have in Christ.” That’s a great exercise. Think about all the Father made Jesus and then think about the fact that Jesus is IN you. All Jesus is, is IN you! Everything He made Jesus, is yours, because is IN you. The goal then is to LET HIM OUT! As you interact with people, God’s desire is for you to let His presence IN you, be known. When people come in contact with you, they should see, feel and experience Jesus. If they do, they will never be the same!

3. Paul told us to think about the encouragement Christ Jesus has brought us. The fact that Christ is IN you and that you are IN Him, should bring you great encouragement! It’s hard to be discouraged when God Himself is living inside of you, and you know it! You are only discouraged, and you run the risk of being depressed, when you don’t know who you are or whose you are!

4. Paul taught us that God’s love brings comfort. The fact that God loves you with an unconditional love — that He actually loves you NO LESS than He loves His own Son, Jesus the Christ — should bring you tremendous comfort, especially in troubling times. And when you are comforted by God, you are in position to allow that very same comfort to flow THROUGH you, TO others.

5. Paul taught us that we get to share in His Spirit. The same Spirit that was in Christ Jesus, lives IN you! You have the same Holy Spirit. This means you have access to the same power, the same love, and the same comfort that Jesus did. The question is, what are you going to do with it?

6. Paul taught us that when we know we are in Christ and Christ is in us, we are more cognizant of the mercy and kindness of God towards us. And when we acknowledge God’s mercy and kindness towards us, we can then show that same mercy and kindness towards others. This is how we live “As Jesus is, in this world!”

I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. Everything Jesus is, is who I am. I am, because He is. You love me NO LESS than You loved Jesus, You son, my Savior. You gave me the same Spirit You gave Jesus. The more I embrace all Jesus is, the more I can become a conduit of all Jesus is, in this world. When the world comes in contact with me, they also come in contact with Jesus. The world will experience love, comfort, peace, power, mercy and kindness through me. Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 44)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

UPDATE: Isabella finally heard from her family in Dominica via text message yesterday. They still can’t make any phone calls and they have no electricity, but the main thing is that they are alive and healthy. To God be the glory! Thank you all for your prayers. Now, let’s continue to pray for all who have been impacted by the recent hurricanes and the earthquake in Mexico. People have a long road of recovery ahead of them. Let’s pray and let’s seek God for ways to help them.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Philippians 2:1-9 ERV)

Today I will focus in on this statement, “Agree with each other, and show your love for each other.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. I have been teaching on being ONE with God for months. If you God is ONE with you and you know you are ONE with Him, then people should SEE Him in both your character and conduct. The love of God has come TO you. The more you die to sin, self and selfishness, the more the love of God can flow THROUGH you for all the world to see. This is how we properly RE-Present Jesus in this world.

2. While teaching us to have the “Mind of Christ”, Paul said, “Agree with each other, and show your love for each other.” The United States of America is currently in (arguably) one of the most divisive seasons we, as nation, have endured since the 1960s. Recent remarks by the President have ignited tensions in ways that could have, and should have been avoided. But the climate being what it is, this is a time for Christ to shine. Instead of being divisive, people should see Godly unity in us. Instead of spewing hatred, the world should see, hear and feel Godly love in us. Light does it’s best work in the dark. This is the time for you to shine!

3. When you develop a Godly mindset, you position yourself to be a free-flowing conduit of God’s love. We surely need more of those in today’s society. Let’s determine to demonstrate the love of God in the middle of hate and the unifying power of God in the middle of divisive rhetoric.

4. Paul made it clear that when we develop the “Mind of Christ”, it will be evident in the way we treat others. Don’t just talk about love, demonstrate it daily!

5. The thoughts of God IN a person create a mindset that makes it easy for the love of God to flow through that person.

6. We learn two key aspects of the “Mind of Christ” in today’s text: unity and love. Let’s enter this day determined to operate in both.

7. When you are ONE with God, it means you are ONE in both thought and deed. You demonstrate you have the “Mind of Christ”, when you operate the way Jesus operated. As Jesus is, so are you, in this world!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am ONE with You and and You are ONE with me. I am IN Christ and Christ is IN me. I am IN Your Kingdom and Your Kingdom is IN me. Therefore, I demonstrate Your love and unity daily, because I develop Your mindset. I think like You. I act like You. I talk like You. I unify like You unified. I demonstrate what You demonstrated. I am a walking/talking representation of You on this planet! As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 45)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

UPDATE: Don’t stop praying for those impacted by the latest natural disasters. The hard work begins now. People are still trying to put their lives back together again in Houston. Dominica, Puerto Rico, and other parts of the Caribbean are still without electricity, and they may be that way for months. So please don’t forget about those impacted. Pray for them and pray about DOING something to help them.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

“Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. If you enjoy these blessings, then do what will make my joy complete: Agree with each other, and show your love for each other. Be united in your goals and in the way you think. In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too.

(Philippians 2:1-9 ERV)

Today I will focus in on this statement, “In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Bishop T. D. Jakes once called pride the silent killer of the church. A person can do a great things for others, but if he/she does it in pride, they will receive no reward in heaven for it. He called it the silent killer, because it’s hard for us to see pride in others. We may not know their motives. We may not be able to discern the intentions of their heart. But God can and He does. God will know if you are doing what you are doing in love or in pride.

2. Don’t do what you do in pride. Do it in love. Love genuinely cares for and goes out of its way for others. Love does not do it to be seen. Love does not do it to be recognized. Love does not do it to be repaid. Love does it from the heart. Guess what? God is love. When you operate in love, you operate in God.

3. Putting on the mind of Christ means you die to self, selfishness, self-righteousness and pride. You cannot think like Jesus and operate in selfishness or pride at the same time.

4. Seeing yourself “As Jesus is, in this world”, means you also develop the mindset Jesus operated in while He was here. This mindset will help you be both humble and bold at the same time. You will be humble, because you know you cannot do ANYTHING without God. You will be bold because you know there is NOTHING you cannot do, because God lives IN you! He is the one living in you. He is the one giving you the words. He is the one doing the work. As you humble yourself and allow Him to flow through you, you will live with a level of Godly boldness that will glorify God and horrify satan.

5. If you are Born-Again, you are a human with a God living on the inside of him/her. You can choose to continue to rely on the human side of you. If you do, if you choose to live in “the flesh”, you will feel a sense of human pride that will keep God from being seen. People won’t see God IN you, because there will be too much of YOU in the way. But if you choose to DIE to your humanity, the divinity INSIDE of you will be on full-display. When you get to this point, pride won’t be an issue for you, because you will know that you are NOT the one doing it. It is the Father, living in you, He is giving you the words, and He is performing the work. This is how we live, “As Jesus is, in this world!”

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am ONE with You and and You are ONE with me. I refuse to allow selfishness or pride to be my guide. I refuse to allow pride to rob me of the crowns I will receive in heaven. Therefore, I willingly die to self. I release every self-righteous thought. I am NOTHING without You. But I am EVERYTHING in You! I can do all things, because I am not the one doing it. It is You Father, living in me. You give me the words. You perform the work. This is why I boldly declare: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 46)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Philippians 2:1-9 ERV)

Today I will focus in on this statement, “Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. The Bible teaches us to be humble, to the point where we can focus on honoring others more than ourselves. This is part of the ‘mind of Christ’. When you develop a Godly mindset, you are able to value and esteem others, while knowing that you valuing others IN NO WAY lessens your value.

2. When you develop the ‘mind of Christ’, you are able to see others the way God sees them. This will help you truly honor them for whom God called them to be, without feeling dishonored in the process.

3. The Kingdom of God way of honoring someone means you are able to see them the way God sees them, and honor them on that level, even though their faults, flaws and failures have not qualified them for that level of honor. In other words, when you develop ‘mind of Christ’, you are able to honor someone on the level God wants them to be honored on, without stumbling over their mistakes. Why? Because that is the way God honors with you. You know God does not just give you what you truly deserve. He honors you beyond your performance. This is the way He wants us to honor, value and esteem others.

4. Many don’t truly honor others because of their own insecurities. But when you develop the ‘mind of Christ’, and you see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world”, you will be secure enough to value and esteem others, without feeling devalued in the process.

5. When you see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world”, you know who you are, so honoring, valuing or esteeming others highly does not bother you. You are free to honor others, because you honor the anointing on your own life.

6. As believers, we must be cognizant of the fact that while we were born a certain way, we were Born-Again! Once you are Born-Again, you are a Kingdom of God citizen. The Kingdom of God functions a certain way. In the Kingdom of God, the currency is faith (faith is how you make an exchange), and the culture is HONOR. The entire Kingdom of God functions on a culture of honor. When you are IN Christ and Christ is IN you, the Father expects you to be honorable in all you do.

7. With all the divisive rhetoric going on in the United States right now, this is our time to shine. This is our time to show people what it is like to live IN the world, but to not be OF the world! As Kingdom of God citizens, we should honor, value and esteem ALL people, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender or even religion. Honorable people operate in honorable ways. Period.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I honor You as my Lord and King. I honor myself, by accepting all You have called me to do. I see myself as ONE with You! I honor others by seeing them the way You see them, by valuing them and esteeming them, even above myself. I am secure in who I am. I can lift someone else up, because I know it will not bring me down in the process. So I boldly declare: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 47)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Quick Missions Update: Our schools in the Dominican Republic are in full-swing for the new year. A special thanks to all our partners and supporters, for helping us provide 150 children a Christ-based education. If you would like to donate, please visit: Ripministries.org/donate

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Philippians 2:1-9 ERV)

Today I will focus in on this statement, “Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Most people are not going to come to God unless they SEE God in another human. God is looking to show the world what He is like, and He is looking to do it through YOU! You are His proof. You are His evidence. Your life is supposed to make the case for His existence. This is why it is critically important that you see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world”, and that you develop in God’s love. People are not drawn to God through selfishness. People are drawn to God through selfless and unconditional love.

2. God is love. Love gives. Love is not selfish. Love is always focused on others. This means God is always focused on us, not Himself. And since He lives IN us, He expects us to live the same way. When you are selfish, you are not demonstrating the character of Christ.

3. The Bible says, “Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too.” If you can see others suffering and it doesn’t bother you, if you can see your brother or sister hurting and it does not touch your heart in any way, then there is WAY TOO MUCH of you in the way. God cannot flow through you, because you have not died to self. When you die to self, your passion for God is validated by your compassion for men.

4. God does not just want to live in heaven. He wants to live in you! You are a reflection of who He is in the earth. This is why you can’t be selfish. God is not selfish.

5. When you develop the mind of Christ, you get up every morning seeking for ways to BE a blessing in this world. You know you are blessed. You know you are prosperous. You know God’s favor is on your life. And you also know that the purpose of your prosperity is evangelism! God blesses you, so that He can, in turn, bless others THROUGH you! This is why you can’t just be focused on yourself. If you are, God has no reason to bless you. The blessing God has for you FAR EXCEEDS the needs of your family.

6. God is too big a God, and His blessing is too powerful of a blessing, for Him just to be focused on YOU and your family. The day you open your heart to BEING a blessing to others, will be the day the favor of God is open to you and your family. This is why it is critical to develop the mind of Christ; to see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world!”

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am blessed TO BE a blessing. You favor me and bless me beyond measure. But You don’t just do it for me and my household. You bless us richly, so that we can in turn BE a conduit of Your blessing in the earth. I don’t live my life focused on just me and mine. I live my life focused on BEING a blessing in this world. I have the mind of Christ. I think like You Father. I am the one with the answers. I am the answer to this world’s problems. I am the change people are looking for. Because it’s really NOT me. It’s You, living IN me! That’s why I boldly declare: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 48)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Philippians 2:1-9 ERV)

Today I will focus in on this statement, “In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought. He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. The Bible teaches us to have the mind of Christ. Our goal should be to think the way He thought. Once we have a Godly mindset, we will see God, ourselves and others in the proper light. Our perspective will then influence our actions. If you want to properly relate to God, others and even yourself, it all starts in your mind.

2. To properly think like Jesus, we must first understand how He thought. Jesus saw Himself as equal with God. Jesus also did not see His equal standing with God as something that He would use for his own benefit. He did not go around making people praise Him. No, He used his connection to God as a benefit to others. He went around making other people better. He did not come, as a human with God on the inside of Him, to BE served. He saw it as His duty, as a human with God on the inside of Him, TO SERVE! This is the same mindset we must develop. Because, like Jesus, we are humans with God on the inside of us!

3. When you come to the realization that God Himself is living on the inside of you, and that He made plans for you before the world began, the human/selfish tendency is to think: “How can this benefit me? How is this going to help me live the life of my dreams? How is the going to help me make more money, buy a bigger house, drive a nicer car, and prosper in life?” While God is not against any of those things, the Bible teaches us that Jesus did not use the reality of His connection to God for His own benefit. Developing the mind of Christ means that instead of focusing on selfish desires, you instead focus on ways you can BE A BLESSING to others in this world. Take it from me, if you live your life focused on BEING A BLESSING to others, you will be blessed in the process. You won’t ever have to worry about yourself, if you live your life for others.

4. My last point for this week will come in the form of a testimony that crystallizes the essence of this series. A friend of mine is flying to Puerto Rico today, to connect with this family members, to help people while he is there, and to then bring his family members back to the United States. As I prayed with him about the trip, here is a recap of what I told him. “Jesus is not here, but you are! Jesus cannot visit Puerto Rico, in human form, but you can. Jesus is IN you! The Father sent Jesus into the world. He now sends you! You go to Puerto Rico knowing that you are anointed for such a time as this. This is your season. This is your time. You have the answers. You are the solution. Not really because of you. But because God LIVES IN YOU!” This is the mindset Jesus had and it is the mindset He wants us to live with. We must see ourselves as carriers of God and it should not be for our benefit. We will be taken care of, when we focus on taking care of others!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am IN You and You are IN me. I don’t see my connection to you as something I simply use for my benefit. I see it as a benefit to this world. You are not here, in human form, but I am. You sent Jesus into the world. You now send me into the world. I have the answers! I am the solution! Not because of me, but because You LIVE IN ME! Therefore, I boldly declare: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 49)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Philippians 2:1-9 ERV)

Today we will, once again, focus in on this statement, “In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought. He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Even though Jesus was a human, walking around with a God on the inside of Him, and even though He was on equal status with God the Father, the Bible says that He did not use His status for His own benefit. Instead, Jesus chose to benefit others with the power God placed IN Him. This is the mindset Jesus had and it is the mindset God wants us to live with.

2. When you realize you are a man/woman, walking around with a God on the inside of him/her, you know you are in position to change the world. Not because of your power, but because of His. Not because you will attempt to unleash the power of God into whatever selfish desire is birthed in your heart. But because you know the power of God is ready to be released into the plans He already made, from the foundations of the world. When you accept this reality, you don’t see any challenge as a true problem. There is nothing God cannot do and He lives IN you!

3. God did not have to create the earth, but He did. He did it because He wants to influence this world. He does so by living IN us. God is heaven, but He does not just want to live in heaven. He wants to live IN and THROUGH you! This is why Jesus came. This is how Jesus lived. And it is how we are supposed to live… knowing that God is IN us and He wants to impact and influence the people of this world and the systems of this world. God will do it, and He will do it through you!

4. Yesterday my Pastor, Tony Brazelton, said something that flows in the vein of what I am teaching this morning. He said, “The New Testament is not about what you need. The New Testament is about what you already have!” Allow me to ‘pull the string’ on that thought as we close:

a) The Old Testament is a picture of a people disconnected from God. They yearned for the intimacy Adam had with God in the Garden of Eden, but they could not have that intimacy. The Holy Spirit lived in the Temple, above the Ark of Covenant, and only one person (the High Priest) could visit the presence of God. Even then, the High Priest could only visit one a year. He had to visit what Adam had on the inside of him.

b) John taught us that while the Law was GIVEN through Moses, grace CAME through Jesus (John 1:17). Did you catch that? The Law was given to people on tablets of stone. There was no direct connection between God and man. But when it came to the New Testament, God did not simply GIVE something, He CAME HIMSELF! The Law was given, but GRACE CAME!

c) Jesus redeemed us all the way back to Adam, in the Garden, before the fall. In the New Testament, it’s not about us being disconnected from God, needing this or that. It’s about knowing that God LIVES IN US, and we already have everything we need. All the answers are in God and He is IN US! The key is letting Him out. This is why you must develop this mindset: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!”

I will discuss this further tomorrow.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am IN You and You are IN me. I am not disconnected from You in any way. I don’t lack anything. I don’t have a need You have not already supplied. You live in heaven, but You also live in the earth, IN ME! You want to influence the people of this world and the systems of this world. You can and will do it through me. The kingdoms of this world SHALL BECOME the Kingdoms of my Lord, and of His Christ, and it will happen THROUGH ME! Because I am a man/woman with a God on the inside of him/her. This is why I boldly declare: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 50)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

“In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought. He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit. Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form.

(Philippians 2:5-9 ERV)

In yesterday’s message I shared with you something my Pastor, Tony Brazelton, said, and I attempted to weave it into the vein of this series. I will do the same again today. This is what Pastor Tony said: “The New Testament is not about what you need. The New Testament is about what you already have!” Allow me to continue to ‘pull the string’ on this thought, within the context of this series.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. In the Old Testament (or the Old Covenant), man had to strive to attain things in God and to earn things from God. The spotlight was on man, and it was about man working to for God. The New Covenant is completely different. In the New Covenant you do not strive to attain or obtain, you realize that Jesus already obtained for you. Under the New Covenant you simply receive all Jesus is. The spotlight is no longer on man, or man working for God. The spotlight is on God, and what God has already done for man.

2. The purpose of the Old Covenant was to prove to man that we could never be good enough; that we could never earn God’s blessing; that our effort would always fall short. The Old Covenant was designed to bring man to the end of himself/herself. Once you are at the end of yourself, you learn that the only way you can become the man/woman God called you to be, is by allowing God to live through you. Jesus was an example of what it looks like for a man to be completely submitted to the God IN HIM. This is the way we are supposed to live.

3. In the Old Covenant the Blessing of the Lord was contingent upon man’s performance. So performance-based religion was the natural by-product. The challenge is that many believers have not made the transition from a dispensation (or time period) that was performance-based, to one that is grace-based. Under the New Covenant, our blessing is not based on our performance. The Blessing has already been provided. The Blessing was contingent upon Jesus’ performance. This is why it is so critically important that we embrace ALL Jesus is. We are because He is. All that Jesus is, is who we are. Not because of our performance, but because of His!

4. Jesus lived with a mindset where He saw Himself on equal status with God. Then the Bible says that we should live with the same mindset. Now, to be clear. You are and I will never be on equal status with God, in and of ourselves. However, God LIVES IN US! God Himself has taken up residence INSIDE of us. So, from that perspective, the Father wants you to live with the same mindset Jesus had. You must see no separation between God and you. You must see no difference between the God who WAS IN Jesus and the God who IS IN you. When you get to this point, when you see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world”, when live with the same mindset Jesus had, when you realize God is IN you and it is not just for your own benefit, then at that point you are ready to change the world. Not because of you, but because of Him. Not because of your performance, but because of His! Not because you deserve it, but because Jesus earned your status for you. This is the message of Grace. This is the power of the New Covenant. This is the freedom we have in Christ Jesus! This is the GOSPEL! As Jesus is, so are we, in this world!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I no longer strive to attain or obtain. I no longer live by the arm of the flesh. I no longer attempt to earn everything by the sweat of my brow. I release the strain of performance-based religion. I enter into Your rest. I fully accept ALL You have given me in Christ Jesus. I fully embrace the fact that You see me the way You saw Your own Son. You love me with the same love. You gave me the same Spirit. And You see me as righteous, because of Him. I am, because Jesus is. This is why I boldly declare: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 51)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Philippians 2:5-9 ERV)

Today I will focus in on this statement, “He [Jesus] gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Jesus is our example.

a) Jesus was with the Father from the beginning. He made all things. Nothing that was made, was made without Him (John 1:3). He was in heaven and He chose to humble Himself to the point where He stripped Himself of His divinity, so He could live inside of a human body.

b) Jesus humbled Himself to His assignment. He could have remained in heaven, but since He had an assignment, He humbled Himself to the point where He accepted it, embraced it, and completed it.

c) Like Jesus, you too have an assignment. The Bible says, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.” (Eph 2:10 ERV). When you are Born-Again, and the Holy Spirit begins to reveal the plans God made for you before the world began, you are then posed with a challenge. You have to choose between God’s plans (which He made from the foundations of the world), and your plans (which were birthed in your own heart). Having the mind of Christ means you place God’s plans above your own.

2. Selfishness is natural to this world.

a) Before being Born-Again, you were living for yourself. You knew it and God knew it. It was understandable, because you were natural to this world. In this world people pursue their own desires.

b) In this world people are told that they can be whatever they want to be and do whatever they want to do.

c) The world has been programmed, for millennia, to focus on human desires. But in today’s society it is going to an extreme. The focus on self expression, self liberty, and living however you want to live — regardless of morality, standards, or the Bible — is at a fever-pitch. Anyone who questions an individual’s personal expression is labeled a “bigot”.

d) The problem with all of this is that it is completely contrary to the way Jesus lived. Selfishness is NOT the mind of Christ. Selfishness is counter to all Jesus represented.

3. Selflessness and humility are natural to God’s Kingdom.

a) The Bible teaches us that when we embrace Jesus’ death we must also embrace your own.

b) As a Born-Again belier, you don’t own yourself. Your life is not your own. You were bought with a price. That price was the Blood of Jesus. You are now the temple of God. Your body houses the Holy Spirit. Your pursuits are supposed to be Godly pursuits. Your desires are supposed to line up with the plans God made for you before the world began (see 2 Cor 6:19,20).

c) Don’t be afraid of giving up control, of changing the direction of your life, or of giving up personal desires. I’m a witness. If you willingly give up your life and you truly give yourself completely over to God, you will get to experience an amazing life; it will be the life God planned for you before the world began. It will be greater than anything you ever imagined.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. My life is not my own. You purchased me with a price. You redeemed me with the Blood of Your own Son, Jesus the Christ, my Lord. My life is therefore no longer about me, or my selfish desires. My life is about You and the plans You made for me before the world began. I die to me. I fully embrace You. I am who You say I am. I can do what You say I can do. I am all You called me to be, because I am in Christ and Christ is in me! This is why I boldly declare: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 52)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Philippians 2:5-9 ERV)

Today I will focus in on this statement, “He [Jesus] gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form.”

So what does this mean to you today? Yesterday I drove home the point that your life is not actually about you. It’s about the plans God made for you before the world began. I will further emphasize this point today.

1. Jesus gave up everything to fulfill His assignment. This is the mindset we are supposed to live with. There should be nothing in our lives that we are NOT willing to give up, in order to become the man/woman we are called to be.

2. If Jesus was willing to leave heaven and to strip Himself of His divinity, in order to fulfill a His divine purpose as man, then surely you should be able to give up whatever God requires of you.

3. The mindset of Jesus was that He put NOTHING above His divine assignment. That’s the same mindset we should live with. NOTHING should be more important to you, than the assignment God sent you the planet to complete.

4. Paul made it plan. He said, “We don’t live or die just for ourselves. If we live, we are living for the Lord. And if we die, we are dying for the Lord. So living or dying, we belong to the Lord.” (Rom 14:7,8). That’s about as plain as you can make it. Your life is NOT your own!

5. Jesus said, “Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me and for the Good News will save it.” (Mark 8:34,35 ERV). Jesus did not sugar-coat the requirement. God has never required any less than ALL OF YOU! Either He is Lord OF all, or He is not Lord AT all!

6. The closer you get to God, the less you focus on yourself, and the more you desire to live as a human conduit of the divine.

7. The more you die to self, the more God can and will live through you. This is how Jesus lived. This is how we are supposed to live as well!

8. The more selfless you are, the more God will flow through you, and the more of an impact you will make in this world. Because at that point it won’t be you doing the work. It will be the Father, living in you. He will give you the words. He will perform the work. And He will leave a mark in this world, through you, that will not easily be erased!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. Because my focus is no longer on me or any selfish desire. The more I live, the greater impact I make. Because it is NOT me doing it. It is You Father, living in me. You are giving me the words. You are performing the work. I am a human conduit of the divine. I am a God-carrier. I take God into every meeting, conversation and activity I engage in today. This is why I boldly declare: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 53)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Philippians 2:5-9 ERV)

Today I will focus in on this statement, “During his life as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God.”

The point of this series is for us to learn to live as Jesus lived in the earth. It’s hard to do that, if you don’t understand the mindset Jesus lived with. Paul tells us that Jesus was obedient to God the Father, in every way. Today we will look at some scriptures that make this evident. Jesus modeled for us what our relationship with God should look like.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. In John 5:19 Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself.” Jesus did not say that He could do whatever He wanted, but that He simply “chose” to the submit to the Father. NO! Jesus was saying that as a human conduit of the divine, ALL HIS POWER came from the divine part of His being and NONE OF IT came from His humanity. He literally could NOT DO anything without the Father. Guess what? We are in the same boat! All our power comes from God! There is nothing righteous in our humanity and there is NO POWER in it. The key to the supernatural is humbling yourself to the divine power that lies within you.

2. In John 5:30 Jesus said, “I can do nothing alone… I am not trying to please myself. I want only to please the one who sent me.” Jesus took it a step further here. Not only did Jesus acknowledge the fact that He could NOT do anything without the Father, but He gave us a glimpse into His heart. In His heart, He was not living for Himself. He was not selfish in any way. He only wanted to please the one who sent Him to this planet. This is the mindset we are supposed to live with. This is the mind of Christ. This is how we live, “As Jesus is, in this world!”

3. In John 6:38 Jesus said, “I did not come down from heaven to do my will, but rather the will of the one who sent me.” Jesus’ mission was simple and He modeled it for us. The role of every human is to simply perform the will of the one who sent us here. As the creation, our role is to please the Creator! We are on this planet for no other reason.

4. In John 8:28 Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me.” Jesus performed no act without the Father’s leading, and He said no word without the Father’s instruction. He only said what He heard the Father say. He only did what He saw the Father do. This is the mind of Christ. This is how we live, “As Jesus is, in this world!”

5. In John 12:49 Jesus said, “I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it.” Not only will the Father tell you what to say. But He will tell you HOW to say it. He tell you where to go and what to do when you get there. He will tell you who to talk to and then what to say when you are engaged with the person. This is how Jesus lived and it is how we are supposed to live!

6. In John 14:10 Jesus said, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, carrying out His work.” Jesus made it clear that it was the Father, living in Him, who gave Him the words and who performed the work. Two verses later, Jesus said that WE would do what He did, and even GREATER WORKS. However, for us to do what He did, we must live as He lived. We must develop His mindset. We must live as His representative. “As Jesus is, so are we, in this world!”

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. Because I have the mind of Christ. I can do NOTHING without You. I am not here to perform my will. I am on this planet to perform Your will, Father. I say what You tell me to say. I do what You tell me to do. I go where You lead me to go. I connect with the people You want me to connect with. My life is all about YOU! This is why I boldly declare: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 54)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Philippians 2:5-9 ERV)

Today I will, once again, focus in on this statement, “During his life as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God.” In our last message, we looked at scriptures in John chapters 5, 6, 8, 12 and 14. In every statement we looked at, Jesus made it clear that He was not here to perform His will. He was here to perform the will of the Father. This is how we are supposed to live. This is how we put on the mind of Christ. This is how we live “As Jesus is, in this world!”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Jesus’ authority in the earth came from His submission to heaven. You are called to live with the same power and authority Jesus had. But this also means that you must live with the same level of submission He lived with. The more you die to self and the selfish desires of this world, the more the power of God will be manifested in, with and through your life.

2. There was a human side and a God side to Jesus. Jesus did not live like God in the earth. He had to learn things. He had to go to school. He had to develop from a baby, to a toddler, to a boy, to a young man, to a man. He did not perform miracles until He was filled with the Holy Spirit. In other words, He did not perform miracles until He was a human with God inside of Him. And once God was inside of Him, He let God out. His power was not in His humanity. Jesus’ power was in the God living IN Him! He was fully obedient to God in every way. That was His power. Guess what? We can do the same! We can live the same way. We are humans with God on the inside of us. If we submit to God, we can live as Jesus lived, in this world!

3. Jesus was the only perfect human to ever walk the planet. If there was ever a human who COULD rely on His humanity, it was Jesus. But Jesus refused to do it. He did nothing in the flesh. And we should all be glad He did not. If Jesus had chosen to do what He did in His perfect humanity, then He could not be an example for us. Because our humanity is not perfect. But since Jesus refused to operate in His humanity and He found His power in the God living IN HIM, Jesus becomes the perfect example for us. We can do that! We can emulate that! We can adopt that mindset. We are can submit to God. And if we do, we will live as Jesus lived, in this world!

4. Your power is found in your submission. If you are Born-Again, God Himself is living in you. But the only way His power will be released in your life is if you submit to Him. If you choose to live your own life, make your own decisions, pursue your own desires and do things your own way, you will go to heaven, but you would have missed your opportunity in the earth. You will make it to heaven, only to realize that you had an assignment in the earth and you never fulfilled it because you were too selfish to die. God was not able to be seen IN or THROUGH you, because there was too much of YOU in the way. Wouldn’t it be a shame to get to heaven, only to realize that you walked around with God on the inside of you for decades, and you never let Him out?

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I have the mind of Christ. I am fully submitted to You in every way. My life is not about me. My life is ALL About You! I love You! I worship You! I live for You! I do what You tell me to do. I say what You tell me to say. I am a human conduit of the divine. When people come in contact with me, they come in contact with You! Because You are IN me and I am determined to let You out! As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 55)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Philippians 2:5-9 ERV)

Today I will focus in on the statement: “During his life as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Having the mind of Christ means that you submit to the Father in every way, even when it is unpleasant. The Bible says that Jesus obeyed the Father, even when it meant death. Not just any death, but the gruesome death of the cross. The Father gave Jesus a name that is above every name, but it only came after He was willing to endure all He was required to endure on the road to His purpose. We too, as believers who are called to the work and purpose of God, must be willing to submit to the Father, even when the process is painful.

2. God never promised you a perpetual picnic. God never promised you a pain-free path to your purpose. While we have been believing God for this year to be the “Year of Great Victory”, this does not mean that it will be a year without opposition. Because the truth is, you will never have one. The fact that we are declaring “Victory”, means that we actually have something to triumph over. Submitting to God fully, means you are willing to submit, even when God is leading you into unpleasant situations.

3. Some Christians only want to submit to the Father when they actually want to do what He is telling them to do. In actuality, that is NOT submission. That is agreement! Anyone can agree to submit to something they are happy with. True submission comes when you DON’T want to do what God is leading you to do, and you do it ANYWAY! That’s how Jesus lived and it is how we are supposed to live as well.

4. Paul declared that he wanted to know Jesus in the power of the resurrection. But in that same statement, the Apostle acknowledged that the only way to know Jesus in the power of the resurrection, is to also participate in the fellowship of His sufferings (Eph 3:10). Believers today want the power, but they don’t want the suffering. You cannot participate in the power, if you are not willing to endure the suffering.

5. I told you yesterday that your power is unlocked in your level of submission to the Father. Well, sub-mission means you are submitting to His mission. You are putting God’s will above your own. You are putting His desires above your desires. You are saying that if you ever encounter a situation where God’s path is not the path you wanted to go down, that you will choose to go down His path anyway. If you do, you are putting on the mind of Christ. If you do, you are humbling yourself before God. If you do, you are dying to self. If you do, you will experience the life God called you to live! If you do, you will live “As Jesus is, in this world!”

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I put on the mind of Christ. I am fully submitted to You in every way. If there is a choice between my will and Your will, there is no choice. I choose Your will every time! I am Yours and this means I live for You every day, and I submit to You in every way. I walk in the power of the resurrection, because I am willing to participate in the fellowship of the sufferings. And I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared, with the glory which shall be revealed in me. Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 56)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Philippians 2:5-9 ERV)

Yesterday we focused in on this statement: “During his life as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross.” In yesterday’s message, I made the following statement:

“Some Christians only want to submit to the Father when they actually want to do what He is telling them to do. In actuality, that is NOT submission. That is agreement! Anyone can agree to submit to something they are happy with. True submission comes when you DON’T want to do what God is leading you to do, and you do it ANYWAY! That’s how Jesus lived and it is how we are supposed to live as well.”

Today’s message will flow continue to flow in this vein.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. When many believers hear their spiritual leaders declare things like: “This will be a season of great victory”, “This is our season!”, “This is our time!’, or “Get ready for the overflow”, they immediately open their hearts to what heaven is announcing. This is great! They should get ready. But what many fail to acknowledge is that the journey will not be pain or opposition-free. God did not remove all the obstacles on the road to your purpose. If He did, your human experience, here in the earth, would be a much different one. While God did not remove the opposition or the obstacles, what He did do was give you the grace to overcome them all!

2. Divine success does not come without human submission. Human submission requires submission to things you did not want to do. Human submission will require painful experiences you did not want to endure.

3. I have been teaching this series for a while now. I hope you are seeing yourself “As Jesus is, in this world.” However, be sober about the reality of it. This does not mean life will be a cake-walk. It does not mean everything will be easy. It does not mean you will not face opposition. Remember all that Jesus was up against. But what it does mean is that you ALREADY have the power to overcome all you must overcome on the path to your purpose, because Jesus is IN YOU! And that, my friends, is good news!

4. As you enter this day and you prepare to face all you know you are going to have to face, just remember, God is ON you, IN you, WITH you and FOR you! If you submit to the God living on the inside of you, there is no way you can lose!!!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am ONE with You and You are ONE with me. I take You into every meeting conversation and activity I engage in today. If I face opposition, I do not run from it. I do not give up, cave in or quit. I am a world-overcomer. Greater is He who lives in me, than he who is in the world. I enter this day knowing that You are ON me, IN me, WITH me and FOR me! There’s no way I can lose. Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 57)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Philippians 2:5-9 ERV)

Today we will focus in on the last statement in our passage from Philippians 2: “So God raised him up to the most important place and gave him the name that is greater than any other name.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. In Matthew 23 Jesus was warning people about the hypocrisy of those who do things in the name of God, but in their hearts they are only doing them to be seen. He said, “The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Mat 23:11,12). In a way, this became a self-fulfilling prophecy for Jesus. He humbled Himself and the Father exalted Him. If you humble yourself the Father will exalt you as well. But as Jesus said, if you exalt yourself, the Father will humble you! And being humbled by God is not pleasant.

2. Luke’s account of what Jesus said in Matthew 23:11,12 included an example of the humility Jesus was speaking of. Jesus said, “But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.” (Luke 14:10). I worked in the Pentagon for years. Whenever there was a ceremony, people jockeyed for seats. Every once in awhile, I witnessed the awkward situation of someone being asked to move because they sat in a seat or a section they were not supposed to sit in. Unfortunately, the issue of jockeying for seats has also crept into the church. This is really a pride issue. People make an issue over seats because they feel entitled. But if you have the mind of Christ, you will learn that it is much better to be asked to move up, then to be asked to move back. Humble yourself and God will exalt you.

3. Peter said, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, and he will exalt you in due season.” (1 Peter 5:6). Peter basically said what Jesus said, but he added the “due season” component. This is something all believers must learn. Many of us learn it painfully. There is a SEASON when your exaltation is due. God will not exalt you before time! You must remain humble, pursuing your purpose, walking in love, seeking to be a blessing, and when the time is right, God will exalt you and make your name great! This is how Jesus lived and it is how we are supposed to live.

4. The concept of humility is not limited to the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant, Solomon taught us that if you operate in pride, it will lead to ultimate humiliation. But if you humble yourself, it will lead to exaltation (Prov 29:23).

I will stop here for today and discuss this concept further next week.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I put on the mind of Christ. I humble myself, so you have no need to humble me. I walk in love. I honor others, even above myself. I pursue my purpose. I seek to BE a blessing. I don’t attempt to make my own name great. As I live this way, I know You will exalt me in due season. When the time is right, you will lift me up and make my name great. So for now, I seek to represent You well. I enter every day with this mindset: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 58)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 for months. I have added several passages to it, as I am led of the Father to teach you concerning ALL He gave you when He gave you His Son. Today we embark on a new journey, with a new passage. For the next few messages we will walk our way through some of what the Apostle Paul said in his opening remarks to the believers in Colossae.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

“Now Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God. He existed before creation began, for it was through him that everything was made, whether spiritual or material, seen or unseen. Through him, and for him, also, were created power and dominion, ownership and authority. In fact, every single thing was created through, and for him. He is both the first principle and the upholding principle of the whole scheme of creation.”

(Colossians 1:15-17 J. B. Phillips)

Paul continued:

“I am happy in my sufferings for you. There is much that Christ must still suffer. And I gladly accept my part of those sufferings in my body for the good of his body, the church. I became a servant of the church because God gave me a special work to do. This work helps you. My work is to tell the complete message of God. This message is the secret truth that was hidden since the beginning of time. It was hidden from everyone for ages, but now it has been made known to God’s holy people. God decided to let his people know just how rich and glorious that truth is. That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory.”

(Colossians 1:24-27 Easy To Read)

We will take our time and walk through this passage. For today, I will simply provide you a high level overview.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Paul taught us that Christ Jesus was the visible expression of an invisible God. People could not see God, but they could see Jesus. Today, you are supposed to continue in the same vein. People cannot see Jesus, but they can see you. God was IN Jesus and He is also IN you! You may be the only Jesus people will ever see. Live like it! Christ is IN you, He is your hope for glory! All the glory which shall be revealed in you is not tied to you or your goodness, it is tied to the fact that God Himself has taken up residence INSIDE of you, and He is good! Enter this day with this mindset: Christ is living INSIDE of me and I will let Him out today!

2. John explained to us that everything made, was made by Jesus. There is nothing that was made, that was not made by Him (John 1). Paul then teaches us that it was all made BY Him and it was also made FOR Him! He made it all according to His own will and He made it all for His own pleasure (Col 1). Paul then tells us that Jesus “is both the first principle and the upholding principle of the whole scheme of creation.” Jesus created everything and everything is upheld by His power. Jesus holds everything together. Think about that for a moment. Meditate, for a minute, on the type of power Jesus has. Now think about this: that very same Jesus is LIVING IN YOU! If you can ever get to the point where you see yourself, “As Jesus is, in this world”, you will live a life of no limits. Because Jesus is limitless!

3. Paul told us that in Jesus, and for Jesus, were created “power and dominion, ownership and authority.” The ability to rule, govern, dominate and lead this planet were all created by Jesus and for Jesus. And that very same Jesus lives IN you! If you believe that, it should impact your perspective as you enter this day and this week.

4. Paul went to great lengths to explain the awesomeness of the power Jesus operates in. He then explained that he was called to preach a mystery; a mystery that was hidden, but God called him to reveal it. Here’s the mystery, as Paul stated it: “Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory.”

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. You have already given me the victory through Your own Son, my Lord, Jesus the Christ. All things were made by Jesus. Without Him was nothing made, that was made. Everything was created by Him and for Him. Jesus upholds all of creation by His power. Jesus has power and dominion, ownership and authority. And this very same Jesus LIVES IN ME! Christ IN me, the hope of glory! This is why I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 59)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Colossians 1:15-17 J. B. Phillips)

Paul continued:

(Colossians 1:24-27 Easy To Read)

Today I will focus in on this statement: “Now Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. The Bible tells us that Christ was the visible expression of an invisible God. People could not see God, while Jesus was in the earth. But they could see Jesus. Now that Jesus is gone, He left us to continue what He started. People cannot see God today, but they can see us. We are the visible expressions of an invisible God. But in order to fully operate in that function, you must see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world.” You cannot see any separation between you and God, between God and you. You must see yourself as ONE with the Father and see Him as ONE with you!

2. When Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father, Jesus got upset. He said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” Jesus lived His life as ONE with the Father. Jesus wanted people to see Him as the physical representation of an invisible God. Guess what? Jesus expects us, today, to live with the same mindset.

3. The Father wants us to live with the same mindset Jesus had. He wants us to be able to say, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. I am in the Father and the Father is in me. I am ONE with the Father and the Father is ONE with me.” Now, if you are religious, your mind just went haywire when I said that. A religious person will never see themselves as ONE with God. A religious person is way too focused on their humanity to fully embrace their divinity. A religious person would think that it is presumptuous to claim to be like God. But to God it is not presumptuous at all. The Father is not upset when we make such statements. He is happy. He is a proud Father. He is pleased with the fact that we believe His love enough to fully embrace it to the point where we can see ourselves LIKE JESUS, in this world!

4. Many people think God wants us to see ourselves as FAR below Him. In our humanity, this is certainly the case. But we have been redeemed! There is a mystery that was hidden for ages and Paul said it was revealed. What is that mystery? It is the fact that “Christ lives in you!” That’s the mystery that was revealed. That’s the gospel. That’s the good news. We are human, yes! But we are humans with a God living on the inside of us. When we fully embrace this truth, we will become visible expressions of an invisible God!

5. If you go all the way back to Genesis 1, you will see that God created man in His own image and likeness. God created me, and God created you, to look like Him in this world! If you fully embrace the love of God in your heart, if you accept that you are created in the image and likeness of God, then you will be able to say, like Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father!” If you can ever say that and believe it in your heart, you will be in position to walk in the true power of God in this world!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am in You and You are in me. I am ONE with You and You are ONE with me. There is no separation between You and me. I am not a mere man. I am a God-man. I am a man with a God living on the inside of him. I enter this day with this mindset: “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father!” I am a visible expression of You, an invisible God, in this world! This is why I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 60)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Colossians 1:24-27 Easy To Read Version)

Today I will focus in on this statement: “I am happy in my sufferings for you. There is much that Christ must still suffer. And I gladly accept my part of those sufferings in my body for the good of his body, the church.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Embracing all Jesus is, is amazing. It’s liberating. It’s empowering. It’s life changing. But don’t forget that it should also be sobering. The world hated Jesus. The world persecuted Jesus. The world ultimately did all it could to kill Jesus. (Of course, no one could actually kill Him, and He had to willingly lay down His life). My point is that fully embracing Jesus and all that He is, means there will be people who will be vehemently against you, because they were vehemently against Him. And you have to be okay with that. Don’t back down. Don’t cave in. Don’t quit. Don’t cower. Believe what you believe and don’t be ashamed of it! If you deny Jesus, He will deny you!

2. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, remember that they hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as it loves its own people. But I have chosen you to be different from those in the world. So you don’t belong to the world, and that is why the world hates you. Remember the lesson I told you: Servants are not greater than their master. If people treated me badly, they will treat you badly too. And if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours too. They will do to you whatever they did to me, because you belong to me. They don’t know the one who sent me.” (John 15:18-21 ERV). If you are going to live “As Jesus is, in this world”, then you are going to have to be okay with people disliking you because of who you are and what you believe. When you have the approval of God, you have to be okay with it, even when it means you don’t have the approval of men.

3. Paul taught us to be okay with suffering for the cause of Christ. If we are going to walk in the power of Jesus’ resurrection, then we must be willing to partake in the fellowship of His sufferings.

4. I believe the Bible is clear that it IS God’s will for us to prosper. He wants us to maximize the purpose and potential He placed in us before the world began. God wants us to become the men and women we are destined to be. But prosperity does not mean we have been promised a “cake-walk”. You will have to overcome many challenges on the road to prosperity, and the good news is that God has already equipped you to overcome them all! But overcome them you must!

5. Some have mistaken God’s will for us to prosper to mean that life is going to be easy. Especially today. In today’s society many live with a sense of entitlement. They believe the world owes them something. And when they hear people like me make the following statements, they feel even more entitled. We say: “You are ALL THAT JESUS IS, in this world!” “Everything Jesus is, is who you are!” “God has called you to live AS JESUS IS, not in heaven, but in the earth. NOW! In this world!” These are great statements and they are all true. However, none of them mean you are not going to suffer. None of them promise an easy path. None of them guarantee a pain-free journey. What the Gospel boils down to is the mystery Paul explained in our text. Here is the mystery: “Christ lives in you!” So you will face all you must face, but you will not face it alone! Here’s some math you should remember when you are facing a challenge: You + Jesus = Victory! Every time! But you can’t have victory without opposition!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am ALL JESUS IS! This means I will face some of what Jesus faced. I am okay with that. I please You, even when it means I am displeasing to man. I believe You, even when others oppose me for it. I am not ashamed of the Gospel. I don’t back down. I refuse to turn my back on You. I don’t deny You. I don’t hide my relationship with You. I don’t succumb to the pressures of this world. I am not afraid of taking You public! While is why I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 61)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Colossians 1:24-27 Easy To Read Version)

Today I will, once again, focus in on this statement: “I am happy in my sufferings for you. There is much that Christ must still suffer. And I gladly accept my part of those sufferings in my body for the good of his body, the church.” As I meditated on this, I was led to look at something Paul said in his second letter to the church in Corinth. As the Apostle was writing to them, he talked about a great opposition he had and how he asked God three times to remove it. Instead of giving Paul “less challenge”, God explained that He had already given him “more grace”. Paul learned, then, that God’s grace is actually made perfect in our weakness. Let’s look at the account in Paul’s own words.

The Apostle said, “I begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” (2 Cor 12:8-10 Message Bible)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Living “As Jesus is, in this world”, does not mean you will not face opposition. It may mean you face more opposition than you ever imagined, because the world will come up against you like it came up against Jesus. But you will not have to face it alone. Jesus is IN you and He has already equipped you to face and overcome every challenge on the road to the fulfillment of your purpose.

2. When you acknowledge the fact that Christ lives IN you, you realize you have all it takes to become the man/woman God called you to be, and to complete the assignment you were sent to this world to accomplish.

3. Paul learned that God’s power (His grace) is made perfect in our weakness. What this means is, God will not compete with you. If you want to attempt to do everything on your own, He will stand by and watch you struggle. If you work, God will rest. But if you realize you can’t do it, if you acknowledge the fact that God has called you to do things that exceed your power/ability/strength, and you yield to Him, then God’s power will kick in where your submission opened the door. If you work, God will rest. If you learn to rest, God will work through you.

4. Paul taught us about a great mystery. Here is the mystery: Christ lives IN you! There is a God living on the inside of you. But this God honors your right to choose so much, that He will not get involved, unless you ask Him to. His grace will not flow, unless you yield to Him. His power will not be manifested, unless you die to self and get out of the way. If you have a God living on the inside of you and He is NOT being seen in, with or through your life, could it be because there is too much of YOU in the way?

5. The purpose of you learning that God is living IN you, and the point of you seeing yourself “As Jesus is, in this world”, is so that you would yield to Him. God’s strength is only made perfect in your weakness. When you can’t, He can. When it’s bigger than you, it smaller than Him. When it exceeds your resources, it certainly does not exceed His. So you must learn to live with the God who is IN you and then learn to allow Him to do what you can’t, to say what you don’t know, and manifest His glory in your life for all the world to see. This is what it means to declare, “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!”

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. You live IN me and I am determined to let You out! There was a time in my life when there was too much of ME in the way for You to be seen. Those days are over. I die to me. I yield to You. Your strength is made perfect in my weakness. When I can’t, You can. When it is bigger than me, it is smaller than You! When I don’t have the resources, You have already made provision. So I learn to walk with You and allow You to manifest Your glory through me! I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 62)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Colossians 1:24-27 Easy To Read Version)

Today I will focus in on this statement: “I became a servant of the church because God gave me a special work to do.” Paul discovered His God-given purpose.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. In Paul’s opening remarks to the believers in Galatia, the Apostle said, “Greetings from Paul, an apostle. I was chosen to be an apostle, but not by any group or person here on earth. My authority came from none other than Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Jesus from death.” (Gal 1:1). When you know God called you and you know what He called you to do, your confidence comes from Him, and you don’t have to ask the permission of men to be who God called you to be.

2. Paul said, “God had special plans for me even before I was born. So he chose me through his grace. It pleased him to let me see and know his Son so that I could tell the Good News about him to the non-Jewish people.” (Gal 1:15,16). Paul knew God made plans for him before he was born. He knew the plans were specific and tailor-made for him. He discovered God’s plans and he pursued them for the rest of his life. This is how you succeed in life. You cannot find success outside of God’s plans.

3. If you become a success in the eye’s of this present world, only to get to heaven to find out that you spent your life becoming someone God did not call you to be, then you were never a success. There is no earthly success outside of God’s divine purpose.

4. While Paul made it clear, in several letters, that he was called to a specific assignment, he also made it clear that he was not special in this regard. We are all called to a specific assignment in the earth. In Paul’s letter to the believers in Ephesus, the Apostle said, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.” (Eph 2:10). Did you catch that? We are supposed to spend our lives doing the good things God ALREADY planned for us to do.

5. You cannot choose or decide your purpose in life, because God chose and decided it before you were born. Therefore, purpose cannot be decided, it must be discovered. Your job is to discover it, develop in it, and then deploy into it; to find it, follow it and finish it, before you die!

6. When you discover your purpose, like Paul did, you can spend the rest of your life pursuing it, becoming the man/woman God called you to be, and making the impact you were born to make.

7. Discovering your purpose, as the Apostle Paul taught us, is one thing. But in order to complete it, you must do what the Apostle John taught us. You must fully embrace the love of God. You have to accept the fact that God called you despite your flaws. You must internalize and embrace His undeserved grace. And then, as the icing on the cake, you must see yourself AS JESUS IS, in this world. If you do these things, you will leave a mark in the earth (by the grace of God), that will far outlive you!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I know who I am and I know what I am called to do. My purpose is not something I decided. It is something You decided and I discovered. I am who You say I am. I can do what You say I can do. And since I have consulted with You, I don’t need to approval of man to be who You called me to be. I enter this day with fearless confidence and unshakable faith. Because I know You love me and You have called me to change the world. This is why I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 63)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Colossians 1:24-27 Easy To Read Version)

Today I will focus in on this statement: “This message is the secret truth that was hidden since the beginning of time. It was hidden from everyone for ages, but now it has been made known to God’s holy people.” The secret truth Paul is referring to is the fact that God came to live INSIDE of us. This morning I will take you back to Genesis and provide you a quick overview of what Jesus did for us.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. In Genesis 1 God made it clear that we were created in His image and likeness (v.26) and that we were created to rule and oversee this planet (v.28).

2. In Genesis 2 God formed Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into His nostrils the breath of life (v.7). God literally put Himself inside of man. The Holy Spirit was living inside of Adam. The Holy Spirit was Adam’s connection to God. Adam had a body, but he did not communicate with God through his body. Adam’s body was his connection to this world. With his body he interacted with this world through his senses. But with the Holy Spirit, Adam interacted with God directly, spirit-to-spirit. This world is sensual, God’s realm is spiritual. Like Adam, every Born-Again believer has a body, to communicate with the sense-realm, and God’s Spirit, to communicate with the spirit-realm.

3. God told Adam that if he ever ate of the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, he would die. Adam ate, and he died. He did not die physically (that would happen later). He died spiritually. The Holy Spirit was removed from Adam, and as a result, because of the transgression of ONE MAN, every human after Adam was born without the Holy Spirit. We were created in God’s image. We were created to have God INSIDE of us. But because of ONE MAN, Adam, we lost God’s abiding and indwelling presence. Now every human is born with a void that many try to fill with sex, drugs, alcohol, money, work, and etc., but the void can only be truly fulfilled by the agent that created the void in the first place; the Holy Spirit. The void can only be filled when God Himself takes up residence INSIDE of you. This is the secret Paul was talking about.

4. Under the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit lived in the Temple, above the Ark of the Covenant. The High Priest was the only person authorized to visit the presence of God. One person, once a year, had the right to visit was Adam had living on the INSIDE of him 24×7. But under the New Covenant, there is no need to visit any place. We are the Temple of God, and the Spirit of God lives IN US! (1 Cor 3:16, 6:19 and 2 Cor 6:16).

5. Read Romans 5 when you have the time. In this chapter Paul contrasts Adam and Jesus. Adam got us into a mess and Jesus came to get us out of it. Paul said, “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign as kings in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (v.17).

6. Jesus redeemed us, NOT back to Abraham, but all the way back to Adam! Jesus redeemed us to the life we were supposed to live. Jesus redeemed us to the place where God lives IN us. Jesus redeemed us to the place where we can live as kings in life, in this world, by the grace of God. Jesus redeemed us to Kingdom dominion, power and authority. Not because we are so good, but because He has chosen to live IN us!

7. Paul told us of a mystery that was hidden and it was time for it to be revealed. Here is the mystery, here is the secret: “Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory.” You get to live “As Jesus is, in this world”, because Jesus lives in you!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am walking in a greater level of victory, because I am receiving a greater level of revelation. This has nothing to do with what I do or fail to do. The revelation I am getting is of what You have already done. I now understand that I am, because You are! I am all Jesus is. Jesus lives IN me and He is my hope for glory. So as I enter this day, and this week, I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 64)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Colossians 1:24-27 Easy To Read Version)

Today I will focus in on this statement: “God decided to let his people know just how rich and glorious that truth is.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. The people the Apostle Paul was called to reach were not Jews. They did not know our God. They worshiped many other gods. Not only did they not know about Jesus, but they had no idea that a true and living God would choose to LIVE IN THEM! So Paul tells his followers that the mystery, the secret, the hidden truth, is that Jesus LIVES IN US. This truth was hidden from people for ages, but Paul was excited to reveal it. Paul says that this truth is “rich and glorious”. I can imagine him telling people about it. To Paul, the fact that Jesus would be willing to LIVE INSIDE OF US, was a mindblowing, hard to believe, ‘out of this world’ type idea. But guess what? It was true then and it is true now. If you are Born-Again, Jesus LIVES IN YOU!

2. There are many people who ascribe to many religions around the world. Countless people believe in gods they can see and touch (idols). Others believe in gods that are tied to the lives of mere humans. But our religion is different. We believe in a God who chose to come as a man. He was not a mere-man. He was a God-man. He lived for us. He died for us. He rose from the dead for us. No other religion has a risen savior. Not only that, but Jesus ascended into heaven. No other religion has an ascended savior. Not only that, but before He comes back, He has chosen to LIVE INSIDE OF US! This is where the Gospel takes a powerful turn. Our God is not a God who is disconnected from us. Our God is not a God who cannot be touched with the feelings or the pressures of our infirmities. Our God is not a God who simply Lords over us. Our God has chosen to LIVE INSIDE OF US!

3. Once you are Born-Again, you are no longer a mere man. You are a God-man, because God LIVES IN YOU!

4. No other religion on the planet has a God who, not only died for you, but who has chosen to live INSIDE of you!

5. Paul was raised under the strict Laws of Judaism. But one day he came in contact with the God he thought he was serving. Once He did, His life changed for ever. This God let Paul know that beyond any Laws people could follow, written on tablets of stone, He was willing to live INSIDE of Paul, and personally write His perfect Law upon the flesh of his heart. Guess what? What God did for Paul, He does for us. God lives IN you and He personally writes His Law on your heart. He leads you from the inside out. He guides you from within. So you can spend the rest of your life manifesting an outworking of the internal. Your reality is not on the outside. Your true reality is on the inside, because God LIVES IN YOU! This is the truth. This is the message. This is the Gospel. And Paul tells us that it is both rich and glorious!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me, because I accept Your rich and glorious truth. I embrace the fact that You live IN me. Jesus loved me enough to die for me. He died in my place. My sin was put on Him, and His righteousness is now put on me. I am, because He is. Not only did Jesus die for me, not only did He rise for me, but He has not chosen to live INSIDE OF ME! This truth changes everything! I can now enter every day saying, “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 65)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Colossians 1:24-27 Easy To Read Version)

Today I will focus in on this statement: “That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Paul was not there when Jesus walked on water. He was not there when Jesus raised three people from the dead. He was not there when Jesus fed 5,000 with two sardines and five biscuits. Paul was not part of Jesus’ team, while Jesus was performing ministry in the earth. As a matter of fact, Paul was on the wrong team. He was against the Jesus-movement. So when Jesus appeared to Paul and revealed to him to that he was called to be an Apostle before he was born, Paul was overwhelmed. This was “shock and awe” of the God-kind. Paul accepted the call. He preached Christ, and Him crucified, for the rest of his life. Paul was so amazingly dedicated to his assignment that God used him to write over half the New Testament. This is what happens when you have a person who:

a) Knows they don’t deserve the goodness God extends to them.

b) Feels inadequate, undeserving and unprepared.

c) Fully embraces the fact that God has chosen to live inside of him/her.

d) Relies totally on the God in them, placing no confidence in their own power, ability or strength.

*** You too, can be like Paul. Accept God’s goodness and allow Him to live through you!

2. Paul is an example of what happens when a human gets a revelation of the God’s indwelling presence inside of him/her, and then fully yields to that presence. What God did in, with and through Paul, He can do in, with and through you. But like Paul, you must realize that Jesus is IN you and that He wants to live through you. You must develop this mindset, “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!”

3. When you couple the abiding presence that Paul taught, with the unconditional love that John taught, what you have is one amazing Gospel. You realize that Jesus has chosen to live inside of you, that He loves you despite your faults/flaws/failures, and that He wants to use you to change the world! Have you embraced this truth? Once you do, everyone around you will know it, because they will begin to see Jesus IN you!

4. If God could use Paul (a man who terrorized the church), to lead the church, then He can surely use you. The key, though, is getting to the point where you see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world!”

5. Embrace what Paul taught you: Jesus lives in you. And also embrace what John taught you: God loves you with an unconditional love, because He IS love! When you fully embrace those two truths in your heart, you will be in position to unleash the love and power of God everywhere you go. Not because you are so good, but because God is. Not because you have all the answers, but because God Himself is living IN you; He gives you the words and He performs the work. This is how you become the man/woman God called you to be. This is how you change the world. This is how you live, “As Jesus is, in this world!”

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me, because I no longer rely on me, my power, my ability or my strength. You are freeing me from ME! I am dying to self, and the more I do, the more You are able to live through me. I know what Paul taught me: YOU LIVE IN ME! I also know what John taught me: YOU LOVE ME! So I accept Your love. I believe Your love. I become Your love and Your power in this world! Not because I am so good, but because You are! This is why I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 66)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Note: Isabella and I are headed to the Dominican Republic today to visit our schools and our church there. Because of flights and other obligations, I will NOT send out Today’s Word tomorrow or Monday. The next message will be on Tuesday. Enjoy the weekend and please pray for us as we go.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Colossians 1:24-27 Easy To Read Version)

Today I will focus in on this statement: “That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. God does not just want to live in heaven. He wants to live in the earth. He wants to live IN you.

2. God lived INSIDE of Adam in the Garden of Eden. Adam sinned. Sin broke the relationship and the intimacy. After sin, God no longer lived INSIDE of man. Under the Old Covenant, man attempted to get a glimpse of what Adam had 24×7, living INSIDE of him. Under the Old Covenant, men yearned to be in the presence of God and they had to visit God in a temple. Under the New Covenant, because of the redemption of Jesus, God’s presence has been restored. The Holy Spirit is no longer in a temple. WE ARE THE TEMPLE of God and His Spirit dwells IN us.

3. Here is a truth you must embrace in order to maximize your purpose and potential: God lives IN you and He want to live THROUGH you. He wants to be the star of your life’s story! Will you let Him? Or will you be too selfish to allow God to be seen?

4. You are a reflection of who God is in the earth. People can’t see God, but they can see you. He wants to be seen IN you!

5. You are God’s prize. You are His representation in this world. You are His glory in the earth. It’s time for you to live like it.

6. The more you walk with God, and the more you die to self, the more God is able to be seen IN and THROUGH you.

7. The more you walk with God, and the more you die to self, the more you are transformed into His image. You are gradually and continually becoming who He is, from glory to glory to glory.

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me, because I am dying to me, and I am living for You. The more I die, the more I become like You. I behold Your glory and I am being transformed into that very same image, from faith to faith, and from glory to glory. I enter this day knowing You live IN me, and that You want to be seen. I declare that You will! Which is why I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 67) – Testimony

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Today I am going to do something a little different. I will still teach you about living “As Jesus Is”. But today’s message will be somewhat of a testimony. Isabella and I were in the Dominican Republic this past weekend. We went to see our children (the children RIPMinistries provides an education for) and we also baptized a few new converts from our church there. As I prayed over what to share with you today, I was led to go back to 1 John 4:16,17 and then share a few things from my heart.

Before I do, I am including a few pictures of the trip in the email. Also, I openly share what God does through my life on instagram. Here is my feed: https://www.instagram.com/rickpina/. Here is a link to the video of the baptisms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeBfCdJrpA4.

Now let’s get into the message. The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. Our ministry provides and education for 150 Haitian children. Isabella and I have met some of the parents of the children, but not all. During the trip this weekend, we got to meet a few more parents. The parents said they knew “someone” was helping their children receive an education, but they did not know who. As they talked to my wife in Creole, they initially thought Isabella was Haitian. When Isabella told them that she was from Dominica, and that I was of Dominican descent, they looked confused. They said, “Why would you help us? You are not even Haitian? Why would you leave your children to come see ours? Why do you care?” Isabella’s answer was, “Because God cares. He loves you and we do too. We are here because God is thinking about you and your children.” I could see them get emotional, but I did not know what they were saying. Later, I asked Isabella to interpret for me. When she told me what they said, I got emotional. People are living in a world where they don’t see or feel true love. God is love. When we allow the love of God to flow through us, lives are changed forever. Jesus said, “People will know that you are my followers, if you have love one for another!” God is love. He lives in us. If we allow Him to be seen, people will come to know TRUE LOVE! This is what it means to live, “As Jesus is, in this world!”

2. The Pastor we oversee in the Dominican Republic, Pastor Idovil, and I, baptized the new converts in a public river. People were in the river, playing, swimming and fellowshipping. Isabella stood on a bridge, overseeing the spot in the river where we were performing the baptisms. As we began to sing and it became obvious that we were about to baptize some people, the families in the river stopped playing, the people on the bridge circled around Isabella, and God gave us a captive audience. We then baptized the new believers as the people watched. This gave Isabella and opportunity to share concerning what we were doing. And people asked me about it as well. It was an opportunity to witness. We were not in a church, away from unbelievers. We were in the world, in a river where people were drinking alcohol and doing other things, and the world stopped for a minute, as they felt the love of God. The presence of God was manifested in the river. Jesus did not call you to live like Him when you get to heaven. He called you to live like Him, NOW, in this world. And He did not call you to remain hidden in sterile churches. He called you live as an example of His love in the world. Never be ashamed to show people who Jesus is. You may be the only Jesus someone may ever see!

3. You are called to be the light of the world. Well, guess what? Light does its best work in the dark. Don’t just shine around other lights. Shine in the midst of darkness. Shine as Jesus is, and do it in this world!

4. The world is looking for love. Love Himself is living IN you. If you die to self and you get out of hte way, the love of God will be on full display!

5. Anyone can display their Christianity in church, where it is comfortable and you feel safe. But God has called us to put Him on display in the world, without shame and without fear. This is how the world is going to know Jesus is real. They can’t see Jesus, but they can see you. You are the proof the world is looking for. Live like it today and every day. Live, “As Jesus is, in this world!”

6. The love of God has come TO you. Now the love of God wants to flow THROUGH you. Will you let Him? If you do, the world will see Jesus IN you!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me, because I am determined to live As Jesus Is, and to do it in this world! I am not ashamed of You. I refuse to hide my relationship with You. I put You — Your light and Your love — on full display, for all the world to see. I enter this day determined to BE the change I want to see in the earth. Which is why I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 68)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 for months. Recently I added Colossians 1 to it. I want to get to back to both passages today, but within the context of something that just happened to me yesterday. I will explain as we go through the message.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Colossians 1:24-27 Easy To Read Version)

The Apostle John drives home the message that God is love and that He loves us with an unconditional love. The Apostle Paul drives home the message that Jesus lives INSIDE of us, and that we must be willing to both enjoy the reality of His presence, and deal with the repercussions of it as well. Paul was willing to be a partaker of the suffering associated with presenting Jesus to this world. We must be willing as well. And what keeps us going, when we face opposition, is the fact that God loves us and that we are commanded to love others.

Yesterday I shared my heart concerning the blessing it was to visit the Haitian children we are blessed to provide an education for the in Dominican Republic, and to be able to baptize new converts. As is often the case, the testimony blessed many, but it also drew ire from some. A person accused Isabella and I from “bragging” about what we are doing in the Dominican Republic, while supposedly not doing anything for Dominica, where Isabella is from. Without getting into what we are doing for Dominica, and without attempting to justify anything, my point today is that when you give your heart to God, to do good, and to re-present Jesus in this world, there will be some who come against you, because they came against Him. You must be willing to take it, to keep going, and to never allow anyone to derail you from your destiny.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. When I was first Born-Again and God began to reveal my divine destiny to me, I quickly realized two things. First, God’s blessing is free. There was nothing I did to earn the life God was calling me into. It was a free gift. Second, this free gift came with a high cost. For me to become the person God called me to be, it was going to cost me everything. The life I live now has almost NO resemblance to the life I imagined in my own mind. In order for me to become the person God called me to be, I had to be willing to give up the person I had become on my own. I had to die in order to truly live. And I willingly did it, because I understood that God loves me.

2. You must get to the point where you are convinced God loves you. Because if you don’t, you will never give up the life have, for the life God planned before the world began. It is knowing that God loves you and that He will never hurt you, that gives you the confidence to LET GO of your past in order to LAY HOLD of your future.

3. When you embrace the life God planned and you start to live “As Jesus is, in this world”, it will be amazing. God will use you to touch and change the lives of others. You will see how one word, one hug, one touch, or one phone call, can get someone out of a bed, save a marriage, restore a relationship, or encourage the discouraged.

4. When you start living “As Jesus is, in this world”, you get to participate in Jesus’ power, but you quickly learn that you must also participate in the fellowship of His sufferings. When you start doing what God tells you to do, you will be misunderstood, talked about and flat-out attacked. And the hardest part is that, in most cases, God will tell you that you cannot say a word. God will keep you from defending yourself. He will forbid you from retaliating. So you have to trust Him and allow Him to be your defense.

5. Walking with God is amazing, but don’t ever forget that it is also costly. Your destiny is a free gift, that comes with a high cost. It will cost you everything and you will also receive everything in return. Be willing to give up everything and you will live “As Jesus is, in this world”

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I have died, in order to live. I am dying daily, so You are free to live through me daily, for all the world to see. I participate in Your power, and I also participate in Your sufferings. The servant is not greater than the Master. You were misunderstood, talked about, and attacked. I will be too. And I shall not be moved. I won’t retaliate. I won’t say a Word unless you lead me to. The enemy’s poison cannot stop my purpose. Which is why I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 69)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 and Colossians 1:24-27 for a while. I am about to transition to another passage. Before I do, I feel led to provide you a few closing thoughts from what the Apostles John and Paul taught us.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

(Colossians 1:24-27 Easy To Read Version)

So what does this mean to you today? A few things.

1. The Apostle John drove home a valuable message about God’s love. Knowing God loves you is one thing. But you must also believe the love. When you know AND believe the love God has for you, it changes your perspective of God and yourself. When you get the revelation of God’s unconditional love for you, it births a confidence inside of you that cannot be shaken. You enter every day with fearless confidence, because you know God loves you and He sees you no less than He saw His own Son.

2. The Apostle Paul taught us about God’s indwelling presence. He called the revelation of Jesus’ presence inside of us a “mystery”. That’s a good characterization. It’s hard to explain. It’s sometimes even hard to imagine. The God who sits on the circle of the earth lives INSIDE of us. The same Jesus who went to the cross is living INSIDE of us right now. As I write this message and as you read it, Jesus is in us both, watching us talk and think about Him. This is most certainly a “mystery” humanity struggles to grasp. But when we do, when we internalize the fact that God is literally living INSIDE of us, it changes everything.

a) God’s presence IN you is important when you go into a meeting and you are being asked questions you don’t have the answer for. At that point you realize the one living INSIDE of you has all the answers!

b) God’s presence IN you is important when you walk into a hospital room and you know you don’t have the power to heal anyone. But you quickly realize the one living INSIDE of you has the power to heal to sick and even raise the dead!

c) God’s presence IN you is important when you feel like you can’t take it anymore, like you don’t want to do it anymore, and you just want to give up. God ministers to you, from the inside, and reminds you that the one living INSIDE of you can do ALL THINGS! You then lift your head up and keep going!

3. To live “As Jesus is, in this world”, you must be convinced that God lives IN you (which is what Paul taught us) and that He wants to use you because of His unconditional love for you (which is what John taught us). When you combine the revelation of God’s presence and His love, what you have is a person who knows Jesus lives IN them and who feels loved enough to let Him out, despite their own faults, flaws and failures!

4. When you can say to yourself, “God lives INSIDE of me” and “God loves me”, you are in position to live, as Jesus lived, in this world! That’s the goal!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I know AND believe the love You have for me. You are love and You love me with an unconditional, unwavering and unfailing love. Your love is not based on my performance. Your love is based on Your dedication to me. So I believe and receive Your love. Furthermore, I know You live IN me. You have taken up residence INSIDE of me. This changes everything. There is nothing You cannot do. And since You live IN me and You love me, there’s nothing I cannot do! Which is why I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

As Jesus Is (Pt. 70)

* You can watch the video version of this message at: https://youtu.be/Zyx8B5o9iW0.

Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 and Colossians 1:24-27 for a while. Monday morning I will move on from Colossians 1. Before I do, allow me to close out the week with one last message from these two passages.

The Apostle John said:

(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)

The Apostle Paul said:

“My work is to tell the complete message of God. This message is the secret truth that was hidden since the beginning of time. It was hidden from everyone for ages, but now it has been made known to God’s holy people. God decided to let his people know just how rich and glorious that truth is. That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory.”

(Colossians 1:25-27 Easy To Read Version)

So what does this mean to you today? Today I am led to share a few things with you about the amazement we should have as we walk with God. It’s time to bring the amazing back!

1. When you first come to God, everything is amazing. You are amazed that He takes the time to listen to you. You are amazed when He answers your prayers. You are amazed that you get to sense His presence. Everything is new. Everything is awesome. Everything is amazing. However, over the process of time, even the best of us can lose that sense of awe and amazement. So from time to time, God reminds you of His dedication to you and He attempts to “bring the amazing back!”

2. It’s amazing to think that God made plans for you before the world began. Before you ever took one breath or one step, He had already planned out your life. He finished you before you ever got started. He mapped out your life, rewound the tape, and then pressed “play” the day you were born. That’s amazing!

3. It’s amazing to think that God loves you with an everlasting love. You did nothing to cause HIm to start loving you, and nothing you do will ever cause Him to stop. He loves you despite your faults, flaws and failures. He loves you despite your constant wavering and occasional waywardness. He loves you, even when you put your will above His. Now, to be clear, there are repercussions to your decisions. Sin may not unravel your righteousness, but it will unravel your life. If you make bad decisions, you will get bad results. If you sow bad seeds, you will reap a bad harvest. But my point is that even if you do, God will love you through it all. Up and down, good and bad, sinking or soaring, God’s love never fails. That’s amazing!

4. It’s amazing to think that God lives in you. I mean God. The true God. The everlasting God. The God who was, and is and is to come. The God of your yesterday, your today and your tomorrow. The God of your “already”, your “right now”, and your “not yet”. The God who has all power, who is in all places, and who knows all things. The only one and true God… He lives IN YOU! That’s amazing!

5. It’s amazing to think that God chose you! He could have remained in heaven, but He chose to live IN YOU! He chose you to be His representation in the earth. He chose you to be His proof! He chose you to be His prize! He chose you to be His child. You are not a servant. You are not a slave. You are a SON! You are child of the Most High God! He lives IN you and you are ONE with Him! That is amazing!

Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I go back, in order to go forward. I bring “the amazing back”. The amazement I had when I first came to You, is now coming back to me! It’s amazing that You have chosen to live IN me. It’s amazing that You have chosen to show the world what You are like THROUGH ME! I am Your choice. I am Your prize. I am Your Son! I am ONE WITH YOU! Which is why I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.