Who Do You Think You Are?
Who Do You Think You Are?
Thursday, May 1, 2008
2 Corinthians 4:18; 5:7 “Since we CONSIDER and LOOK NOT to the things that are seen BUT to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (temporary, brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.” 5:7: “For we WALK by FAITH, not by SIGHT or APPEARANCE.”
In Hebrews 4, Paul reveals that God wants us to BELIEVE and ENTER HIS REST – resting from our own works, resting from all anxiety or stress. Why? Because ALL PROVISION - HIS WORKS - were already done for us and He wants us to grab hold of them by faith! He told us that He’s already given us ALL we need for life and godliness. Now He wants us to simply lean on Him – place our trust and faith IN Him and receive all He’s done for us. We are to GRAB HOLD of them by FAITH!
Hebrews 4:3 “For we who have believed do enter that rest, in accordance with His declaration that those who did not believe should not enter when He said, As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest; and this He said although [His} works had been completed and prepared and [and waiting for all who would believe] from the foundation of the world.”
What can shut you out of that rest? God shows us in Hebrews 3:19 and 4:1-2: “So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest], because of their unwillingness to trust in God [unbelief had shut them out]. Therefore while the promise of entering His rest still holds and is offered today, let us be afraid, lest any of you should think he has come too late and has come short of it. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not mix it with faith.”
The REASON Jesus could WORK THE WORKS was because of WHO HE CONSIDERED HIMSELF TO BE - ONE WITH THE FATHER!!!!
ALL REVELATION IS MEANT FOR MANIFESTATION!
You died to sickness and disease and sin! How do I know that? GOD says so in His Word! Receive it!
CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE ONE WITH HIM!
When we fail to “consider or understand” WHO Jesus is in our lives and what He can DO and WHY He does what He does, our hearts can grow calloused and dull! (See Mark 6:33-52) BEWARE!
Jesus said that He was ONE with the Father. He told them, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.” The religious leaders hated Him for saying that! BUT Jesus knew exactly Who He was and what He was about!
So, HOW do we change our thinking? How do we start this all-powerful process of transformation that leads to an overcoming, victorious, successful life of faith and rest?
Joshua 1:8-9 “This Book of the Law (the Word of God) shall not depart out of your MOUTH, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For THEN you will make your way prosperous, and THEN you shall deal wisely and have GOOD SUCCESS. Be STRONG, VIGOROUS, and VERY COURAGEOUS. BE NOT AFRAID, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
MEDITATE = to muse, to mutter, to speak, to think on, ponder, consider, reflect, like a cow chewing her cud…she chews it for a while, then swallows it, then she brings it back up and chews and chews on it some more.
What are YOU meditating on? What do you think on during the daily? What thoughts and attitudes permeate your thought-life? Do you see yourself as others see you: your parents, your teachers, etc., or do you see yourself successful, a failure, sad, happy, continually struggling, or victorious? Do you SEE YOURSELF ONE WITH JESUS… ONE WITH THE LIVING WORD…”?
I love the scripture that says, “IN HIM I LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE MY BEING.” In Him! I’m one with Him! I’m one with His Word! I draw my life from Him!
Meditate on these things and see your life begin to take on amazing changes. And it all starts with our thought life, for “as a man thinks in his heart so IS he.” So get into His Word and meditate on it. Mix it with faith. Then see yourself MOVING, BREATHING, THINKING, ACTING JUST LIKE HIM - BECAUSE YOU’RE IN HIM AND HE’S IN YOU!
DO YOU SEE YOURSELF MOVING IN HIS WISDOM… IN HIS LOVE… IN HIS COMPASSION… IN HIS STRENGTH… IN HIS POWER… OVERCOMING ALL OBSTACLES AND ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES? DO YOU SEE YOURSELF THINKING AND SPEAKING AND ACTING LIKE HIM?
Meditation is key to our transformation. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude]…” And we transform our mind THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD.
Jesus IS the Living Word, and in Him – and His Word – we must live continually. His Word is alive His anointing is inherent in it, and when applied with faith will destroy every work of the enemy in your life and will build an image inside of you of who you really ARE! Meditating on His Word will make it come alive to you and begin to produce for you.
Matthew 12:34, 36-37 (AMP): “You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks. 36-37: But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, non-working) word they speak. For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced.”
The Message Bible says, “Words are powerful. Take them seriously. Words can be your salvation or they can be your damnation.” Wow!
GOD DESIGNED US IN SUCH A WAY THAT WHAT WE SAY SHOULD COME TO PASS - EVERY TIME! HE DOESN’T WANT OUR WORDS TO BE CONTAMINATED WITH DOUBT AND UNBELIEF, OR TO BE UNDERMINED WITH, “WELL, I WAS JUST JOKING. I WAS JUST EXAGGERATING. I DIDN’T REALLY MEAN IT.” NO! NO! NO! HE WANTS US TO BE SO CONFIDENT, SO SURE, AND TAKE OUR WORDS SO SERIOUSLY THAT WE KNOW THAT EVERY WORD WE SPEAK WILL COME TO PASS! WE ARE TO BE JUST LIKE JESUS! HE NEVER DOUBTED THAT HIS PRAYERS WOULD COME TO PASS! HE NEVER DOUBTED ANY OF HIS WORDS! AND WE, MADE IN HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS, WERE CREATED TO DO THE SAME!
YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE GOD-KIND OF FAITH! REMEMBER THAT!
NOW SEE YOURSELF WITH THAT GOD-KIND OF FAITH – OPERATING IN IT! GOD SAID THAT WE ARE MORE THAN OVERCOMERS! HE SAID WE HAVE BEEN MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST! HE SAID WE HAVE BEEN BORN OF GOD! HE SAID WE DIED WITH CHRIST, WAS BURIED WITH HIM AND ROSE WITH HIM. HE SAID WE ARE NOW SEATED IN HEAVENLY PLACES WITH CHRIST JESUS! HE TOLD US TO “BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT”! DO YOU SEE YOURSELF STRONG? DO YOU SEE YOURSELF RIGHTEOUS? DO YOU SEE YOURSELF SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER WITH CHRIST?
YOU START MEDITATING - “CONSIDERING” - WITH YOUR WORDS!
“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:3
God framed this world with His words, and He designed us to do the same! We frame our world – our lives – with our words.
So start meditating on it today. Speak it. Think on it. Dwell in it today. Put it to work in your life by speaking it, shouting it, singing it, and DOING it! That’s right, simply apply it to every situation and watch God move. Let it transform your thinking so you begin to know and understand who God really is and who you really are! You’ll never think of yourself the same again! Jesus knew exactly Who He was and He wants us to know without a shadow of a doubt who we have been made to be. He’s waiting for your agreement with Him and His Word, and as you apply His Word, the supernatural anointing and power of God will go to work on your behalf!
By Pastor Carol Derksen