VICTORIOUS LIVING A P U B L I C AT I O N O F V I C T O RY F E L L O W S H I P CHURCH
WHY CAN’T WE SKIP THE HARD STUFF
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WHICH SWORD
JULY / AUGUST 2007
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IT’S NOT ABOUT THE 10%
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BRING US BACK
COOKOUT, VOLLEYBALL, HORSESHOES, AND MORE!
BRING A SIDE DISH & DESSERT!
VICTORIOUSLIVING A P U B L I C AT I O N O F V I C T O R Y F E L L O W S H I P C H U R C H
CONTENTS J U L Y / A U G U S T
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VICTORIOUS LIVING July/August 2007 Volume 9 issue 5
CONTACT
Address 1250 Aversboro Rd. Garner, NC 27529 Email newsletter@vfgarner.com Website www.vfgarner.com Phone 919.779.5180 Fax 919.779.4180
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Nikki Dentrone Steve Gillespie Jon Horton Pastor Mitch Horton Anne Houston
STAFF Mitch Horton Senior Pastor pastor@vfgarner.com
Pam Hawkins Receptionist pam@vfgarner
Joe Barbacci Associate Pastor joe@vfgarner.com
Renee Horton Creative Assistant renee@vfgarner.com
Anne Houston Administrative Secretary anne@vfgarner.com
Robert Williams Finance Director robert@vfgarner.com
Dianne Boyette Youth Pastor dianne@vfgarner.com
Sarah Horton Weekly Cleaning
Frann Sarpolus Personal Ministry frann@vfgarner.com Jon Horton Creative Director jon@vfgarner.com
Shawn Tracy College & Career Pastor shawn@vfgarner.com Steven Hoyle Music Minister steven@vfgarner.com
Nikki Dentrone Children’s Ministry Director nikki@vfgarner.com
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HEALING IS THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOU | 2 | WHY CAN’T WE JUST SKIP THE HARD STUFF? | 4 | WHICH SWORD? | 10 | IT’S NOT ABOUT THE 10%
Victorious Living is a bimonthly publication of Victory Fellowship Church. Comments, questions, or suggestions can be mailed or emailed to us at the addresses located above. To view previous newsletters, visit
WWW.VFGARNER.COM/NEWSLETTER
| 11 | BRING US BACK | 12 | FROM THE BLOG | 13 | BEACON INSTITUTE
WHY CAN’T WE
JUST SKIP THE
HARD STUFF BY NIKKI DENTRONE
RECENTLY MY SON BRANDON AND I WERE DISCUSSING our upcoming summer vacation to Disney. It was exciting to talk about our time of family fun, relaxation, and fellowship. We talked about all the activities that would be available at the resort, the adventures that Mickey Mouse had to offer, and what we would do while we were there. We decided that the whole family was ready to go and have some fun together. A few days later, I realized the impact of our conversation. Out of the blue, Brandon asked me how many days we had left. “Until what?” I asked. He responded, “You know, Disney.” I told him that we had a number of weeks to go until vacation, and to emphasize my point, I said that it would be after the end of the school year. Well, obviously the school year wasn’t my best choice for a time reference, because suddenly he no longer wanted to go to school. I attempted to point out all the good things about school, and the need for him to go, but it no longer mattered to him. He hated school. School had become the enemy keeping him from getting to his “Promised Land.”
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I explained to him that he still had things to learn from his teacher before the year ended, that his friends would miss him if he left before the end of the year, and that the vacation would come in due time. In response to all of my adult explanations and tactics, he stood his ground. He decided that his teacher couldn’t teach him anything else, that he didn’t need his school friends anymore, and that the end of the year couldn’t come fast enough. In his mind – what’s the big deal? Why can’t we just skip ahead to the fun, the play, and enjoy the sweet life, at Disney? I found it amazing that not only could I understand his point of view, but I could also relate. As adults, we can act the same way about our promised lands. But, we justify our actions, because my “Promised Land” holds a greater life purpose than just a Disney vacation. It is the promotion, the new job, the new house, the new plan, the new phase, etc. We look at the blessings and promises of God as if they were instant potatoes. Just add water and poof!!! Let’s eat the good of the land! How many times have we tried to skip the wilderness, go around the giants, or bypass the desert’s hard places in order to bask in the land of milk and honey sooner? I am not attempting to say that any of these is a great place to hang out and visit for a long period of time, but they each provide plenty of opportunities to see not only who we are, but also how much of Christ is really shining through us. In Proverbs 16:9, it says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.”
There are times when we will go through challenges in life, both in the natural and in the spiritual. This is when we really learn that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and selfcontrol.” (Gal 5:22,23) As we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us through the challenges, renewing our minds with the Word of God, the junk of our souls is decreased, and we gain our strength and endurance through Christ living in us. It is in the tough places that we are forced to grow. God will, at times, give us a visionary glimpse of the future, or a word of knowledge about a shift that is to come into our lives. But we must not act like it is some magic wand that will change our lives in an instant. Most of our blessings come when we do as the Word of God instructs, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Prov. 3:5,6) Often it is on the path to the “Promised Land” that we learn to press into God. We must allow the Lord to direct us in each step, making sure not to get ahead of Him, and to do the homework that is divinely assigned, even when it doesn’t make sense to us or seems too hard. As for Brandon, after a lengthy conversation about priorities and the fruit of the spirit, he decided that it really was in his best interest to finish out the school year, with a good attitude. Then he would be able to enjoy his summer vacation at Disney, knowing he had accomplished the task laid before him. He would also know that his attitude and actions were pleasing to his Heavenly Father, and to his parents.
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WHICH SWORD? BY ANNE HOUSTON
T H I S S T O RY , W H I C H WA S A C T U A L LY R E C E I V E D A S A V I S I O N , WA S R E L AT E D B Y C AT H Y L E C H N E R , A G U E S T S P E A K E R AT A N EFI W O M E N ’ S C O N F E R E N C E I N T H E M I D -1990’ S . I T I S R E T O L D U S I N G T H E A U T H O R ’ S O W N W O R D I N G A N D C O M M E N T S .
THE VISION She had known the battle was coming, and was thoroughly prepared. So she thought. Intense interims of prayer brought forth a knowing, not a dreading, but a sure knowledge of the coming warfare. How would she fare? What would be the outcome? All she could do was trust the Shepherd. He never failed. And so it came about that one dawn she found herself in a vast armory. Swords to the right, swords to the left, a seemingly endless array of grandeur in cutlery. Each one oiled, sheathed, and ready. The Lord had led her here to choose a weapon. But such variety! Curved blades, straight blades, colored scabbards, jeweled hilts, flared handles, every size and weight ….. her head spun. So she stepped back for a moment to peruse. That’s when she saw it. Beautiful. Almost luminous, it seemed to glow with a light all its own, somehow flowing from within. Could a sword pulse with life? Scanning the rows of weapons, though placed in the middle, she sensed it stood apart. Gems were so intricately set in the hilt that they were almost hidden, rendering it even more stunning with the marked absence of gaudiness. The blade, bold and true, slimmed to infinitesimally thin edges. The lightest touch would sever. Such craftsmanship, such power. Oh, such a weapon! Did she dare? “This is the one I want, Lord!” He was there and nodded encouragement. Eagerly grasping the hilt, she began to withdraw the sword from its scabbard. Suddenly, pain shot through her hand! Instantly she cried out and released the heavy sword, as it slid back into its holder. The edges of the handle were so sharp that they had cut her hand! Stunned, she clutched her bleeding palm and stared aghast at the Lord. What?! Warm eyes met her gaze. Inside she knew, without Him uttering a word out loud, that this was the sword He had chosen for her. “Lord, I can’t use this sword. It cuts my hand!” Unthinkable. I must have misunderstood. The Lord knows no one can fight with a sword like that!
And so up and down the rows she meticulously searched. Trying this blade, then that one, choosing carefully, for the battle still loomed, and the right weapon was critical. It must fit her perfectly. Finally the choice was made, and it did fit her perfectly. Light, easily wielded, with a comfortable hold, balanced in her hand, the blade seemed designed specifically for her. Ah, such movement, such freedom it allowed. Surely the enemy would fall quickly before this sword! Armed with her choice, she emerged from the armory to confront the enemy. And the battle began. For most of the day she stood her ground, and for most of the day she fought. Oh, how she fought! She lunged, feinted, swerved, lunged again; hour after hour she thrust over and over. But after all the effort, all her maneuvers, all the agonizing energy she had poured into the long battle, the enemy remained. Now frantic and exhausted, she withdrew and fell on her knees before the Shepherd, crying desperately, “Lord, I have fought so hard, please tell me, how does the enemy remain?” In the sun’s slanting rays, the Lord gently led her back into the armory and silently pointed to that sword. “Lord, you can’t be serious! I can’t use that sword; it cuts my flesh. I won’t be able to fight with it!” Those warm eyes did not offer an explanation, only a promise … His Presence. And the assurance of what He wanted her to do. Reluctantly releasing the sword she had chosen, she walked to the one the Shepherd still indicated … and grasped it. It was just as sharp, and as her hand closed around the hilt, its edges slit the flesh of her palm once again. Struggling, she just managed to slip the heavy sword from its scabbard. Wearily stumbling outside, she once again took her stand on the battlefield. Now as the daylight waned, using every particle of her remaining strength, fighting to maintain her hold even as blood slid down her arms and she shook with fatigue, she was just barely able to raise the sword ……. and the enemy took one look ……… and fled.
THE CHALLENGE Are we ever insistent on fighting life’s battles OUR way? Will we take the challenge to submit to the Lord’s choice of weapons for us? How boldly do we declare, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony …” So true! But the verse continues, “and they loved not their own lives even unto death.” (Revelation 12:11) Is it possible that we can become partial to certain Scriptures, perhaps ignoring others, maybe the ones that cut the flesh? God’s wisdom for living life is found in embracing the beautiful balance of the whole counsel of His Word. We must both “Submit yourselves to God” AND “Resist the devil” before “he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) I challenge myself foremost, along with you – Let’s open our hearts and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal blind areas in which we have disregarded His wooing, perhaps unwittingly. We can be certain that discovering the results will be an adventure!
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Healing
is the will of god for you by pa stor mitch horton
I WAS RAISED IN A DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH AND FREQUENTLY HEARD THIS PRAYER: LORD, HEAL SO-AND-SO IF IT BE YOUR WILL. THEN, IF THE PERSON WHO WAS SICK DIDN’T RECEIVE HEALING, THE INFERENCE WAS THAT, IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE, IT WASN’T THE WILL OF GOD FOR THAT PERSON TO BE HEALED. SO YOU COULD NEVER REALLY KNOW WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOU TO BE HEALED IF YOU GOT SICK. AND SINCE FAITH BEGINS WHERE THE WILL OF GOD IS KNOWN1, YOU COULD NEVER REALLY HAVE YOUR OWN FAITH IN GOD TO HEAL YOU. THE WILL OF GOD FOR HEALING WAS SOMEHOW MEASURED ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND DETERMINED BY THE OUTCOME. IN THIS LESSON, I WANT TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE WILL OF GOD CONCERNING YOUR HEALING, AND I WANT TO HELP YOU GET YOURSELF IN LINE WITH GOD TO RECEIVE HEALING FROM HIM IF YOU ARE SICK.
God’s Word is His will, just as your word is your will. When a person makes out a will, they are placing in print what they want to be done with their personal property and belongings. Well, the Bible is God’s will for us. To know God’s will, you will only find it written in His will, the sixty-six books we call the Bible. God’s will for our health is not found in circumstances, but in His Word! I want to establish, first of all, that healing is always the will of God for the believer! It is the perfect will of the Father for every believer to be healed of sickness and disease. What we must do is learn to get ourselves in position to receive God’s best for our lives. 2 It’s the will of God for us to be healed because God is as interested in our bodies as He is in our spiritual nature. We are made in the image of God: spirit, soul, and body3. Our bodies, as well as our spirits, belong to the Lord4. We are made in the image of God, and this image refers to our bodies as well as to our spirits5. 6 | V I C T O RY F E L L O W SHIP CHURCH | WWW.VFGARNER.COM
The body is included in our redemption in Christ. We are to bring glory to God in our bodies as well as in our spirits6. He wants us to present our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice7. There is a close relationship between the spirit and the body. What affects one will affect the other. Emotional and mental stability can contribute to physical well-being, or our minds and emotions can hinder our health. A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones8. Our whole being was affected by Adam’s sin. In fact, all of creation has been affected, and the cure for the spiritual, physical, and natural effects of the curse are all found in the redemption provided by the death and resurrection of Christ9. We have spiritual and physical needs as a result of Adam’s sin. Just as surely as it is the will of God to forgive all of our sins, it is equally His will to heal all of our diseases10.
“MOST PEOPLE WOULD ADMIT THAT GOD CAN DO ANYTHING HE WANTS TO DO! BUT FAITH BEGINS WHEN YOU ARE REALLY CONVINCED THAT GOD NOT ONLY CAN BUT WANTS TO HEAL YOU.”
God’s will for the healing of our bodies is clearly seen by understanding the origin of sickness and disease. Sin and sickness have their origin in the fall of man. Everything was perfect in creation11 until the introduction of sin and disobedience. When Adam sinned, Satan gained a legal foothold on the earth and on man, and only through redemption in Christ is this legal foothold removed. Time and time again, sickness is directly referred to in the Word of God as a work of Satan12. To have faith in the Father to heal you, you must first of all be convinced that it is His will to heal you. As mentioned earlier, faith begins where the will of God is known. A person must be convinced that it’s God’s will for him to be born again before he can have faith to be saved. And, likewise, we must know that healing is God’s will before we can have faith in the Father to heal us. Faith for healing rests not only in God’s ability to heal us, but in His willingness to heal our bodies. Most people would admit that God can do anything He wants to do! But faith begins when you are really convinced that God not only can but wants to heal you. A man with leprosy approached Jesus as He came down a mountain, and said, Lord, I know that you have the ability to heal me if you only want to. Jesus immediately showed that His willingness equaled His ability to heal him by saying, I will, be cleansed! And the man was healed of leprosy. If it was Jesus’ will to heal this man, it has to be the will of God to heal us, or Jesus shows partiality. And there is no partiality with God.13 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 14 We know God’s will by looking to His Word. Paul prayed that the believers in Colossae would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding15. He was really praying that God’s Word would be revealed to them, so that they would know God’s will.
In his book Christ the Healer, F.F. Bosworth says, “If sickness is the will of God, then every physician is a lawbreaker, every trained nurse is defying the Almighty, every hospital is a house of rebellion instead of a house of mercy, and instead of supporting hospitals, we ought to do our utmost to close every one.” 16 The will of God in healing can also be seen in the seven redemptive names of God. God’s redemptive “Jehovah names” express His will that continues through successive generations. Jehovah literally means the eternal, self-existent, unchanging God! Each of God’s Jehovah names reveals His unchanging will through time. God has been and always will be Jehovah Jireh our Provider17, Jehovah Nissi our Victory,18 Jehovah Shalom our Peace,19 Jehovah Raah our Shepherd,20 Jehovah Tsidkenu our Righteousness,21 and Jehovah Shammah our personal Presence.22 The last of His covenant names is Jehovah Rapha our Healer.23 If God never changes in the first six covenant names, then why would He change in His seventh name as Jehovah our Healer? Healing is also found in the atonement of Christ24 for our sins. Healing is clearly revealed in what we call “The Great Redemptive Chapter,” Isaiah 53.25 Notice Isaiah 53:4-5: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” The Hebrew word for griefs26 is literally sickness, and the Hebrew word for sorrows27 is pains. Jesus literally took our sickness and pains on His body and bore them for us so that we could be free from them, in just the same way that He personally bore our sins so that we could be free from them! VICTORIOUS LIVING | JULY/ A U G U S T 2 0 0 7 | 7
“THE BEST WAY TO PLANT THE SEED OF THE
WORD IN YOU FOR HEALING IS TO FIND SCRIPTURES CONCERNING GOD’S WILL TO HEAL YOU AND MEDITATE ON THEM.”
The words borne2and carried2refer to the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement bearing away the sins of the Israelites. According to Leviticus 16, on the Day of Atonement, the priest would offer two goats as a sin sacrifice. One goat was slain, and its blood was placed on the mercy seat30 on top of the Ark of the Covenant to atone for or cover the sins of the Israelites from God’s view, as His presence hovered over the ark in the Holy of Holies. The scapegoat was the second goat which was not killed, but was led into the wilderness. There the high priest laid his hands on the goat and symbolically confessed and transferred onto the goat all of the sins of the Israelites for that year. Then the goat was released into the wilderness to bear and carry the Israelites’ sins to an uninhabited place, typically removing the sins to a place where they were never to be found again!31 So, just as Jesus bore our sins, He likewise bore or carried our sicknesses for us so that we could be free from them. Matthew 8:16-17 is a divine commentary on Isaiah 53:4. “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.’” I think that God must have known that religious people would seek to spiritualize Isaiah 53:4 and say that it refers only to our sins. But it’s obvious to any thinking person, in the light of the Hebrew words in Isaiah 53:4, and of the reference to healing the sick in Matthew 8:16-17, that God was showing us clearly that Jesus bore our sicknesses at the same time that he bore our sins!
That same sacrifice takes care of both the sin and sickness problem! Once you’ve established in your own heart that it’s God’s will to heal you, the next step is to put yourself in position to receive healing. In this lesson, I want to show you how to receive healing by exercising faith in God’s Word.32 Since faith begins where the will of God is known, once you know it’s God will to heal you, it’s then necessary to get yourself in position to receive the healing that’s been provided. Since faith comes by hearing God’s Word,33 the first step in receiving by faith is to get God’s Word about healing firmly planted within you! In fact, the order in Jesus’ ministry in the four gospels was teaching, preaching, and then healing.34 Please notice that in the four gospels, Jesus usually didn’t minister healing until the seed of God’s Word was planted through teaching. The best way to plant the seed of the Word in you for healing is to find scriptures concerning God’s will to heal you and meditate35 on them. Meditation in the Word builds the capacity for faith. The Word will build a knowing, a conviction within you, that God will heal. Once that conviction is strong, it’s time to act on the Word! The best way I’ve found to act on the Word is to go to Mark 11:23-24,36 and use these verses as a basis to initially exercise your faith. It’s worked this way for me for over 30 years now. Whether you have someone pray and lay hands on you, or you just pray on your own, the important thing is to believe you receive. Once the command of faith has been spoken to the mountain of sickness, you must begin at
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that moment to believe you receive your healing. That is, you believe that you have already received the healing before there is any change whatsoever in the symptoms. Faith must have corresponding actions to work as it should.37 If you believe that you receive, then do all you can to act as though you believe you receive. Talk like you believe you receive. If someone sees your symptoms and asks you how you’re doing, tell them you’re fine, and that you believe you receive your healing. I find ways to act my faith when I’m believing I receive. I’ll grunt through the discomfort, and I’ll do the things I would do if the manifestation of the healing were there. Faith acts. Be pragmatic and practical, but find ways to demonstrate your faith. Believing you receive is one of the most challenging things you’ll do as a believer, because we are programmed by the world to believe only what we see. But we are to look at the things that are not seen by focusing our attention on the Word.38 Let every thought, word, and action affirm that you believe that God has already answered your request. Your job is to believe you receive; God’s responsibility is to manifest the healing in response to your faith. Remember, if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.39 Meditate in the Word, then release your faith by believing God has answered while the symptoms still rage, and then act your faith in practical ways. God honors His Word. He watches over it to perform it.40 It will not return void to Him.41 He longs to heal you, because healing is provided in your redemption in Christ! {
RESOURCES 1.
2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9.
10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
& ENDNOTES
F.F. Bosworth, Christ the Healer (Grand Rapids MI; Fleming H. Revell, 1948) 49. I first found this phrase in this classic book; I encourage you to read it and to use it as a reference guide to understand the whole counsel of God concerning divine healing. Many believers don’t know it’s the will of God to heal them, and they perish for their lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6) Later in this article, I’ll mention the reasons people often don’t receive healing. See 1 Thessalonians 5:23. See 1 Corinthians 6:13-20. Genesis 1:26-27 reveals that God made us in His image and likeness. This means in His image physically as well as spiritually. There are many Theophanies or appearances of God in scripture. God has eyes, ears, hands, arms, feet, and bodily parts just like we have. And God is concerned about every part of our being, inside and out. We’re groaning physically as we wait for the redemption of this heavy clay pot we live in. (Romans 8:23) We are to give glory to God with our bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Romans 12:1 Proverbs 14:30 – Amplified Bible. See also Proverbs 3:7-8; Proverbs 16:24. All that Adam lost in the fall is fully recovered in the sacrifice of Christ for us. Redemption from sin, healing for the physical body, freedom from Satan’s rule, a glorified body at the return of Christ, and the lifting of the curse on the earth with the restoration of the new heaven and new earth are all a part of our full and complete redemption in Christ. God’s plan in Christ is to restore to fallen humanity all that was lost in the fall of man. See Psalm 103:3; Matthew 9:2-6; Mark 16:15-18. See Genesis 1:31. Everything God made was very good. Notice Job 2:7; John 10:10; Acts 10:38; Luke 13:16; Luke 4:18; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5. There is no sickness in the millennium when Satan is bound (Rev. 20:3) for that one thousand year period. (Isaiah 33:24, Isaiah 11:9) Jesus dealt with sickness the way He dealt with demons. See Luke 4:35,39 and Mark 9:17. If sickness is of Satanic origin, with the fall of man and Satan gaining a legal dominion over humanity, then the sacrifice of Christ must be its remedy! Romans 2:11 Hebrews 13:8 Colossians 1:9 Bosworth 67. Jehovah Jireh literally means The Lord will provide. See Genesis 22:1-14; Philippians 4:19 is the New Testament fulfillment. Jehovah Nissi means The Lord our banner, or Victor, or Captain. See Exodus 17:8-15 and 2 Corinthians 2:14 Jehovah Shalom – The Lord our Peace. Judges 6:24; Ephesians 2:14; Romans 5:1 Jehovah Raah – The Lord our Shepherd. Psalm 23:1; John 10:11 Jehovah Tsidkenu – The Lord our Righteousness. Jeremiah 23:6; 1 Corinthians 1:30 Jehovah Shammah – The Lord is Present. Ezekiel; Hebrews 13:5 Jehovah Rapha – The Lord your Physician or Healer. Exodus 15:26; James 5:15; Matthew 8:17 The phrase atonement of Christ is used loosely to describe what Jesus did for us in His death and resurrection. Atonement actually means covering. Jesus’ blood doesn’t cover our sins; it removes or remits them! This entire chapter shows Jesus vicariously bearing our sin penalty. I encourage you to read it often.
26. The Hebrew is choli and means sickness or disease. It’s translated sickness or disease in Deuteronomy 7:15, 28:61; 2 Kings 1:2, 8:8; 2 Chronicles 12:15; 1 Kings 17:17 and 2 Chronicles 16:12. 27. The Hebrew is makob and means pains. It is translated pains in Job 14:22 and in Job 33:19. 28. Borne is the Hebrew word nasa and means to lift up, to bear away, to convey, to remove to a distance. 29. Carried is the Hebrew word sabal and means to assume a heavy burden. It assumes a complete removal of the thing that is borne! 30. Leviticus 16:15; see also Hebrews 9:6-7. 31. Please take some time to read Leviticus 16 in its entirety. The two goats are a type and shadow of Jesus becoming our lamb of sacrifice and actually dying two deaths. He died spiritually and physically for our sins on the cross. His spiritual death took Him to Hell, where he completely paid for our sins. The goat that was let go in the wilderness is a type and shadow of Jesus bearing our sins in Hell! 32. Healing is received two ways: through the manifestation of spiritual gifts (gifts of healings, working of miracles, and the gift of faith – see 1 Corinthians 12:1-11), or through the exercising of faith in God’s Word. You can’t always receive by spiritual gifts, because they operate as the Spirit manifests them, and you just can’t make them manifest when you want. But you can always receive by faith in God’s word. 33. Romans 10:17 34. This is mentioned over and over in the gospels. See Matthew 4:23; Matthew 9:35; Mark 6:16; Luke 5:17: Luke 6:6; Luke 6:17; Luke 9:1-2,6,10-11; Luke 13:10,22; Luke 21:37-38; Luke 23:5. 35. There are many books available today that have done it for you! The healing scriptures are laid out for you. All you need to do is to pick up the book and meditate. To meditate the Bible way, you can do several things. First, you can say a verse over and over again out loud. Or you can quietly roll the scripture over and over in your mind. Think about it. Say it over and over within you, like you’re talking to yourself, except you’re allowing the Word to revolve over and over in your own mind. This exercise will be faith. You’ll know when it’s time to pray, because you’ll have a strong confidence that rises within you! 36. Mark 11:23-24: “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” 37. See James 2:14-25 for details. Don’t just hear and believe, but act! See James 1:22 and Matthew 7:24-29. 38. 2 Corinthians 4:18: “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 39. Mark 9:23 40. Jeremiah 1:12 41. Isaiah 55:11
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IT’S NOT ABOUT THE 10% BY STEVE GILLESPIE
When we talk about tithing, what are we really talking about? As born again believers, we are taught to give 10% of our income to the Lord. Do you think the Lord needs this? Do you feel you will get a “That a boy!” when you get to heaven? It is time the church has a heart check. The tithe is not about ten percent of your income; it is about trusting the Lord 100%.
The church should not be deceived by Satan, the ruler of the natural world. Galatians 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” The principles of seed time and harvest were created by God and are always at work in the earth. The tithe is a starting place that puts these principles into motion for your finances.
When you trust the Lord 100%, you know that the 90% of your income will produce more than all of it together. One of my favorite verses is Malachi 3:10: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” The tithe is about trust. When we tithe, we show God that we put Him first place in our finances, so we honor and worship Him with the first 10%.
Galatians 3:14 says, “that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Jesus died on the cross so that we can receive the blessing of Abraham. I don’t know about you, but I want some of that! It all starts with the tithe. Trust the Lord 100%. I dare you to start tithing and see the power of God move in your life!
When I first started tithing, I was inconsistent. I would tithe for a while and then question whether or not we should give before or after taxes. If I gave a gift to a ministry, I would count that as part of the tithe. That is not being a good steward of the tithe, which belongs in the local church. The Lord does not need your money. His needs are met. We need to give so our needs are met. Isn’t it amazing how, when you are finally hooked up with the love of tithing, the car seems to need fewer repairs, and the electric bill is not quite so high? The tithe shows God that you love and appreciate Him, and that you want to spread the gospel all over the world. I know that some people just can’t understand how they could tithe if they can’t pay their bills. They wonder, “How on earth could I do it if I tithed?” I have been there; I understand. However, we the church need to start living in the supernatural, not the natural. The natural way of thinking says that tithing is crazy. People have told me I am crazy. I don’t take my council from people; I take council from God.
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SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON: Deuteronomy 8:18 Mark 4:8 Deuteronomy 28:2-8 Matthew 6:33 Psalm 112:3 Luke 6:38 Proverbs 3:9-10
YOU BECOME WHAT YOU THINK TUESDAY, JUNE 5TH 2007
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he… (Proverbs 23:7). Our thoughts determine the course of our lives. So we must be careful with what we allow ourselves to think about. Here’s a great question to ask. Would I want the last twentyfour hours of my thoughts to manifest in my life? If not, then I need to change what I’m thinking! Jesus said in Matthew 12 that a good man manifests in his lifestyle what he meditates on within, and likewise the meditations of an evil man manifest in his lifestyle. Satan knows how powerful our thoughts are and continually seeks to invade them. We must choose to keep our thoughts on godly things, and not allow them to dwell on fleshly things. Notice the admonitions from the New Testament we have encouraging us to watch our thought life: Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2); Be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Ephesians 4:23); Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2); Gird up the loins of your mind (1 Peter 1:13); Pull down strongholds and cast down vain reasonings, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5); Whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy – think on these things (Philippians 4:8); We don’t allow Satan to take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his mind games (2 Corinthians 2:11); Be free from mental intoxicants, be mentally alert and on guard (1 Peter 5:8). Here are some quotes I’ve gathered over the years that will encourage you to control your thought life: A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner, so if one’s life is cold and bare he can blame none but himself. You have a chance to select from some pretty elegant furnishings (Louis L’Amour). Make not your thoughts your prison (Anonymous) . . .
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INTRODUCTION TO BEACON INSTITUTE.
UPCOMING COURSE.
Victory Fellowship has joined with Beacon Institute of Ministry in Columbus, Georgia, to provide a school to prepare believers for obeying the call of God upon their lives as ambassadors for Christ.
“God’s Manifest Presence” August 16th - 18th / Dr. Philip E. Goodson
Beacon Institute of Ministry is accredited by Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) to award degrees through the Master of Divinity and has been granted authorization to begin offering courses leading to the Doctor of Ministry Degree. In-depth studies are provided in Bible, Counseling, Christian Development, Church Growth and other related topics. These studies are designed to prepare Christian Workers for pastoral, counseling, evangelistic, teaching, music, youth, children’s, and other ministries. They are also designed to enrich one’s spiritual life, along with strengthening the ministry of the local church. If you are not a member of Victory Fellowship, you must be grounded in a local church in order to participate in the courses offered at our campus.
COURSE DATE
This course is a study of the phenomena experienced during times of refreshing when the Holy Spirit is moving with unusual manifestations in the Body of Christ. Objectives include examining the Church’s reponse to the manifestations of the Spirit and stirring the flames of revival.
SIGN UP TODAY AND RECEIVE YOUR BOOK AND SYLLABUS! For more information on Beacon Institute of Ministry, please contact Shawn Tracy at 550.0618.
COURSE TITLE
INSTRUCTOR
January 18th - 20th
“How to Study the Bible”
Dr. Dwayne Lusk
February 15th - 17th
“The Theology of Relationships”
Dr. Gary Stewart
“Introduction to Biblical Counseling”
Dr. Mike Chapman
April 19th - 21st
“The Book of Acts: The Spirit and the Mission of the Church”
Dr. Jerry W. Horner
May 10th - 12th
“A Theology of Worship”
Dr. Fuschia Pickett
June 14th - 16th
“World Religions in Christian Perspective”
Dr. Stephen Mansfield
July 19th - 21st
“Biblical Languages: Hebrew I”
Dr. Charles H. Gaulden
March 15th - 17th
August 16th - 18th
“God’s Manifest Presence”
September 13th - 15th
“Biblical Building Blocks for Marriage and Family”
October 18th - 20th
“Survey of the Old Testament II”
November 15th - 17th
“Biblical Discipleship”
December 2007
Dr. Philip E. Goodson Rev. Scott & Cheryl Scheer Dr. Charles H. Gaulden Rev. Greg Hinnant
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