This book is a compilation of booklets, psalms, visions, my life. And as such I believe that God had a bigger plan for all of it. Here it is! Such as it is! One of the things that my first pastor said to me was be teachable. I have and will always remember that. It has served me well. And my prayer is that you can glean from what I have learned.

The LORD bless you and keep you, the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace - Num. 6:24-25

A

Ezekiel 11:19 - I (God) will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 18:31 - He (God) will make you a new heart and a new spirit.

Intro:

I will be taking us on a journey about our natural and spiritual heart and how they go hand in hand.God mentions the heart 1155 times in the Bible. Now that make me sit up and take notice! Why would God think that it is important enough to mention the heart that many times?

Webster's dictionary defines the heart as:

1) the hollow muscular organ that circulates the blood

2) the central, vital or main part, core

3) the human heart is considered as the center of emotions, personality, attributes, etc.

When you look at the various translations, they all speak of the same thing; life, breath.
the Hebrew nephesh (neh-fesh), meaning soul, comes from naphes (naw-fesh) meaning root.

The Greek psuche (psoo-khaw) spirit, rational & immortal soul, derived from the word psucho (psoo-kho) to breath.

Heart trivia:
The human heart is a hard working marvel. It can keep on beating automatically even if all other nerves were severed. In a 70 year lifetime, it will beat an average of 75 times a minute, forty million times a year - or 2 1/2 billion times. At each beat the average adult heart discharges four ounces of blood. This amounts to three thousand gals/day or 650,000 gals/year. Enough to fill more than 81 tank cars of 8,000 gallons each. The heart does enough work in 1 hour to lift 150lb. man  to the top of a three story building. It exerts enough energy in 12 hours to lift a 65 ton tank car one foot off the ground or enough power in seventy years to life the tallest battleship afloat completely out of the water.

WOW! Isn't God the master mechanic!!

The heart is used in a least 7 ways:
1. the physical pump
2. soul affections
3. the conscience
4. human nature
5. the mind
6. the center of everything
7. the spiritual/natural heart

THE PHYSICAL PUMP

1 Sam. 25:37 - then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like stone.

Proverbs 14:30 - a heart at peace gives life to the body...but envy rots the bones.

Our physical heart is what sustains us. it pumps our very life blood around our flesh so we can have life. Our spiritual heart sustains our spiritual life. Our life's blood flows out of and back into The heart is vital for our natural life as well as our spiritual life. Everything begins and ends with the heart, from the flow of our life's blood in the natural to when we accept Jesus Christ into our heart and He sends His Holy Spirit to reside in us (spiritually).

Our heart is the most important organ in our body. Naturally and spiritually. It needs taken care of. in the natural - watching what we eat, exercising, etc., in the spirit - watching what we say, watch, what we hear. It all ends up in our heart. 

the Word says;

...for out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks (Mt. 12:24).
The good man brings good things our of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).

And we speak volumes.  The health of our heart (naturally & spiritually) is vital to our very existence.

The way I work on protecting my heart is I have to ask God to stop me from saying something I shouldn't. I have actually had my hands clamp over my mouth before I could say something that would hurt someone. I purpose to repent every day for something I said or did that slipped through and seek His forgiveness. If I am watching a movie with my husband and it has a lot of foul language, I actually cringe when I hear it and I have to leave. As much as I want to spend time with him, I have to protect my heart.

SOUL AFFECTIONS

Genesis 2:24 - for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Mark 10:8 - and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one.

1 Cor. 6:16 - do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "the two will become one flesh."

Because of soul affections many things can afflict us; we become despaired, discouraged, we may desire death, we become hopeless, we might even think about committing suicide. We get soul ties through intimacy outside of marriage. We get STD'S (spiritually transmitted diseases). When we are intimate with someone in or outside of marriage, we become one flesh. What is their's is now our and what is ours becomes theirs.

Because I started looking for love in all the wrong places (a chapter later in the book) from the time I was 12, I ended up with a lot of soul ties and STD's. I had to go through a process of having God identify each person. I had to repent for having sex outside of marriage with that person. Call that piece of my heart  and soul back and give them to God and my husband. You see, I didn't know until the LORD showed me, why I had such a hard time loving my husband like I should. This took time. I had years of being up close and personal with guys to repent for. After that I had to have prayer for all the STD's that I had acquired from those times.

We can also have a soul tie with a parent (s) or friend or sibling where the relationship has become interdependent with each other rather than being dependent on God. So the same principle of repentance, seeking forgiveness, and payer applies. I am purposing to be in a place where God is my source, my provider, my Yahweh Yireh

and my God shall supply ALL my needs according to His glorious riches by Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19), my husband is a bonus!

THE CONSCIENCE

1 Sam. 24:5 - afterward David was conscience stricken for having cut a corner of his (Saul's) robe.

Job 27:6 - I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.

That small voice that lets us know we did wrong, or something is going to happen. There is a check in our spirits (our hearts), our inward being. As long as we do what is right, what God's Word tells us to do, we will remain in right standing.

As long as we listen to that small voice that says don't do that, or don't say that or this is wrong, then we can't go wrong. But, sometimes we think, oh it is jut a little white lie. No one will be hurt, no one will know. NO such thing! A lie is a lie!! And God will know as well as you. It does hurt someone. YOU! Your heart and it may hurt someone else , but we are just not aware of it.

Just as an earthly father would be hurt by his child lying to him, we hurt are heavenly Father. If we don't listen and decide later that you shouldn't have, then by grace and what Jesus did on the cross, we can go boldly before the mercy seat and repent and ask/receive forgiveness. It is our best option for being washed clean.

That still small voice is the best spiritual friend you could ever have. The voice of Jesus, His Holy Spirit and God! It won't steer you wrong. You won't get into trouble when you listen to it. It never lies. You cannot go wrong, do wrong, or say wrong when you follow His voice. We need to learn to listen for Him, and to Him for our health, safety and our lives.

HUMAN NATURE

Jer. 17:9 - the heart is deceitful above all things, and beyond cure...who can understand it?

Mark 7:20-23 - what comes out of a man is what makes him unclean. For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.

Mt. 15:18-20 - but the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man unclean. For out of the heart come evil thoughts....these are what make a man unclean; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him unclean.

Pro. 4:23 - above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Because of the fall, we are sinful and deceitful by nature. When we become saved, we become a new creature and as such need the Lord to help us change our natural tendencies. Unless we allow God to help us recognize what is within our own hearts and deal with it, we will just be speaking evil. Again our hearts have everything to do with our spiritual and natural life. Ours is to pray that the LORD would clean our hearts out so that nothing comes forth but life and His Word.

When we become sick, ill, or have a disease in our bodies, it is the physical manifestations of the condition of our heart. What did God's Word say, "everything that proceeds out of the mouth come from the heart." If we have life issues in our heart and it is defiled, polluted, foul, then that manifests as sickness, illness or disease. What we have in our heart comes forth out of our mouth and can hurt or harm not only us but someone else. God does not bring sickness, illness or disease. Satan does. He is out to steal, kill and destroy God's own. God does however, allow things to happen to get our attention, or maybe there is a lesson to learn from it. We have to make sure that we take care of our heart, It is vital to our well being.

When I become sick, I always ask the LORD several things:
i. Did I sin?
ii.  Is this a by product of something that you are removing from me?
iii. Or is this from a wrong choice I made?
iv. What do I need to learn from this?

Because in the end I have sinned, or God has been trying to get my attention and this was the only way, or He has delivered my from something and it came out in sickness. I purpose to watch what come out of my mouth. I check my heart for pollutants, and confess regularly those things the LORD shows me that I need to deal with.

THE MIND

Exodus 35:5,35 - 5 from what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is will is to bring to the LORD and offering of gold, silver and bronze. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers - all of them master craftsmen and designers.

Deut. 29:4 - but to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.

1 Kings 4:29 - God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.

Is. 14:13 - you said in your heart, " I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain."

Rom. 10:6 - but the righteousness that is by faith says, "Do not say on your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is bring Christ down)

One who is willing, a conscience decision, something we make up our mind to do. We are filled with a skill that come from knowledge that the LORD has given us, or He has enabled us to learn, which happens in the mind. We are not always privy to all the things of the LORD, nor do we always need to understand all the things of the LORD.

Breadth - the measure across any plane surface; width; liberally largeness of mind, generosity. Because of Solomon's relationship with the LORD and asking for wisdom and understanding, the LORD provided him with what he needed. Solomon asked and received. Solomon received more understanding than I think he even expected to get.

We learned earlier that out of the abundance of our heart, we speak out. But what is in our minds gets into our heart as well if we let it.Do not think of ourselves higher than anyone else even Jesus. What starts in the mind, eventually ends up in our hearts and out of our mouths.

Our mind is where the enemy's plans are played out. I know when I am faced with a situation, the enemy has a filed day playing out all kinds od scenarios, conversations, etc. in my mind. I have to be persistent in rebuking them and speaking God's Word over the situation. I have to pray, ask for forgiveness for even entertaining those thoughts, plead the Blood of Jesus over my mind, ask the LORD to place a hedge of protection over my mind.

Ro. 12:2 - do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.

1 Cor. 14:14 - for if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

Col. 3:2 - set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Mt. 22:37 - Jesus replied; "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

1 Ch. 28:9 - and you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion a willing mind...

Ps. 26:2 - test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.

2 Ch. 20:15 - he said; "Listen King Jehoshaphat, and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you; don't be afraid of discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's."

Ps. 24:8 - who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

Take every thought captive. Rebuke those thoughts that are not godly. Like: complaining, murmuring, backbiting, gossiping, etc. give them over to God. Leave them ar the foot of the cross. Repent. Seek forgiveness. Receive.

THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING

Exodus 15:8 - by the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.

Mt. 12:20 - for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The heart, the center of everything, both naturally and spiritually. God created everything. He is central to everything we do, at the heart of who we are in Him. The heart of the heart, the center. Everything flows from this center whether in the natural or spiritual.

Our heart is the beginning and end of our life force. Jesus is the beginning and the end. The Alpha and Omega. The center of ALL. He is the heart of the Father. I cannot stress enough how vital our heart is, both spiritually and naturally. God never would have mentioned it so often if it wasn't very important.

THE SPIRITUAL/NATURAL HEART

Duet. 5:29 - oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep my commandments always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever.

2 Ch. 11:16 - those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD....

Ps. 57:7 - my heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.

Jer. 24:7 - I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. 

Luke 8:18 - but the seed (God's Word) on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the Word, retain it, and by persevering produce crop.

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our LORD and Savior, He came to live on our heart. Spiritual heart. We have to make a conscience decision with our natural heart and mind to follow, seek after the things of God. As we allow God to weed out the areas in our heart that are not of Him, then the seeds that are God's Word that we get by renewing our minds will plant in the fertile soil of our hearts.

Through all this we need to guard our hearts?
How do we do that?

I. Develop a consistent prayer life

• 1 Cor. 14:14-15 - for if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
• 1 Thess. 5:17 - pray continually
• James 4:8 - come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.
• Eph. 6:18 - and pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep in praying for all saints.

Pray in the spirit always, go before the LORD with your payers and requests with thanksgiving. Easy to say, hard to do. But with patience and perseverance we can thank Him for everything no matter what the circumstances.

I have come to a place in my life that I am determined to look at the promises of God and not what is in front of me. I am determined to thank and praise Him every day for His provision, nothing more, nothing less. I am determined to be like Abraham and Sarah. They did not look at their age or her barrenness, but the promise of a son. We should have no other needs than for God to be who He is!  

II. TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST

• Phil. 4:7-8 - and the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lively, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.
• Pro. 6:2 - if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth....
• 2 Cor. 10:3-6 - for tough we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
• 2 Thess. 3:5 - may the LORD direct your hearts into God's love and Christ perseverance.

​Take every thought captive. Those scenarios that run through our minds, the thoughts that may creep in if we are angry, upset, frustrated. Even the thoughts that escape our mouth, we are to take captive. Rebuke them right away and give them to God. Plead the Blood of Jesus over those thoughts and then speak the opposite, which is God's Word. LIFE!!!

III. PUT ON THE GARMENT OF PRAISE

• ​Ps. 50:23 - he who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.
• Is. 61:3 - and provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.
• Ps. 34:1 - I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
• Ps. 106:1 - Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD for he is good; his love endures forever.
• Ps. 139:14 - I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
• Ps. 150:6 - Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.
• Heb. 13:15 - Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.
• James 5:13 - Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

​Praise goes up and blessings come down. Praise God continually for all that He has done for you and for wgo He is to you. Praise Him in every circumstance you are in even if you don't feel like it. JUST DO IT!!!!!

IV. GET RID OF UNFORGIVENESS, RESENTMENT & BITTERNESS TOWARDS OTHERS

• Eph. 4:31-32 - get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.
• Mt. 6:9-15 - this, then, is how you should pray; "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But id you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive you your sins.
• Mark 11:24-26 - therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,believe that you have recieved it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

​Repent of any sin that you have against someone, ask for forgiveness and receive it. If you cannot forgive others, then how can the LORD forgive us? He can't and won't. Forgive them even if they don't forgive you. It is not for them, but for your well being. By forgiving the other person, you release them from bondage that you have held them in. Then God can move on them. It also frees you from that same bondage.

I found that where my husband is concerned, who the LORD uses all the time to sharpen and mold me, I have to forgive over and over and over again. I have gotten to the point that I have forgiven him before he opens his mouth. This way I am a head of the game, so to speak, and I mean it when I say it. This took lots of practice and lots of patience and lots of grace and lots of mercy and lots of love and lots of...........you get the picture.

V. BE IN SUBMISSION TO THOSE IN AUTHORITY AS UNTO THE LORD

• Col. 3:22 - slaves, obey your masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the LORD.
• Rom. 13:1-5 - everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment, but also because of conscience.
• Acts 5:27-29 - having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. We gae you strict orders not to teach in this name, he said. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood. Peter and the other apostles replied, we must obey God rather than men!
• Eph. 5:22-25 - wives, submit to your husbands as to the LORD. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands love you wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by washing with water through the word.

​Submit to those in authority over you. Your husband, your pastor, the policeman that stands on the corner, etc. Authority had been established by God and by submitting to those in authority over us, we are submitting to God. By rebelling, we are rebelling against god. Plain and simple.

Boy, this is a tough one, especially for those that think they know what way is better, or how to do things better. This means not complaining because you think your boss doesn't know what he is doing. It is hi business, he is the boss, just pray for him and let God do the rest. Be grateful for having a job and ask god to bless your boss. Don't be angry at the police officer because you got pulled over for speeding. He may have just saved your life! You should have obeyed the law. And he is doing his job by following the law. Get the picture?

VI. GOD GAVE US THE COMMISSION

• Pro. 23:19 - listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path (listen and guard your heart).
• Pro. 2:2 - turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding (apply understanding)
• Pro. 3:3 - let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them n the tablet of your heart (meditate on God's Word, memorize it, learn it)
• Pro. 4:4 - he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live!" (let your heart retain His Words)
• Pro. 4:23 - above all else; guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (keep your heart
• Pro. 23:12 - apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge (apply your heart to instruction)

​God gave us the commission; listen and guard, apply understanding, meditate on God's Word, memorize it, learn it. Let your heart retain His Words, keep your heart, apply your heart to instruction. Be teachable. His Word is a complete guide for how we are to live this life. We just need to listen, learn, apply, guard!

VI. BUILD A BRIDGE AND GET OVER IT

This bridge is a bridge of forgiveness. Each step taken is one step closer to healing. The foundation of the bridge is God's Word. Each pylon, each plank is an issue that needs forgiveness.

Anger, bitterness, resentment, hatred, worry, unbelief, etc.

• Recognizing and admitting our own feelings about the circumstance
• Recognizing what our issue is
• Confessing our own sin
• Repenting of our own sin
• Forgive (to pardon, to remit, to overlook) the other person
• Receiving forgiveness
• Seeking to understand what the other person was really trying to say or do
• Seeing the other person for who God created them to be
• Plead the Blood of the Lamb over your heart and mind
• ask the LORD to wipe the memory clean so the enemy cannot rehash it
• Pray for the other person & bless them
• Rejoice over the fact that God forgives you as you forgive others
• Praise & worship the LORD for who He is and what He has done for you

These are all planks that go towards building a bridge of forgiveness. Each plank takes us one step closer to total healing in our lives. Some people forgive, place the plank, but in their heart they really don't mean it and end up burning that plank up and never manage to build.

They sabotage what they build. This is the very reason that we continue to do, go through, or have happen to us over and over and over again. It is hard to carry the same plank every time we go to build. It will get heavier and heavier to the point that we just give up and never build. In order to truly build the bridge we must forgive with all our heart. OTHERS! OURSELVES! SITUATIONS! CIRCUMSTANCES!, etc. and mean it!! Otherwise we may never get to the other side where our healing awaits us.

The supports are God's strength: You can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you! Phil. 4:13

VIII. PUT YOUR BUT'S BEHIND YOU

Have you ever said I trust God, BUT....
Well, there are no BUT's with God. Either you trust Him or you don't.
When the Israelites put the BUT in the middle of trusting God, what happened to them?

• They wondered the desert for 40 years
• They were overcome by the enemy
• They had their treasure plundered
• They lost half  the people at the bottom of Mt. Sinai

​Get the picture!
When we are not right with God or put our BUT's in the middle of trusting Him things go wrong.
We need to put our BUT's behind us where they belong and trust Him!

Refuse to think negative, critical, resentful, lustful, evil, angry, bitter or selfish thoughts about anyone. God's Word encourages us to continually forgive, no matter what. It is for them as well as you! For our hearts to be pure before the LORD; sometimes that takes forgiving over and over and over, no matter how many times, no matter how long. If we cannot forgive, how them can our heavenly Father forgive us.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see others as He sees them. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the issues in your heart that the LORD wants you to turn over to Him.

What we have written on our hearts is what we believe. Our very cells are programmed to produce what we believe. This is the reason that we have recurring problems and issues. We need to rewrite what we believe on our hearts, otherwise our problems and issues will keep coming back.

There are three areas in our lives that we tend to be camped in a one point or another.

1. EGYPT
A place where you are working to supply the needs of the world, a slave to the plans and purposes of a worldly kingdom of which God is not the main focus. It is a place of toil and work where you do not see the benefits of your labor.

EGYPT - SERVE & PREPARE

• Learn the wisdom of the world
• Gain understanding
• Work in obedience and submission
• Set an example of humility and submission
• Have faith for a delieverer
• Let virtue rule in your heart
• Live for God!

2. SINAI
A place without outside provision in the natural and a place of leanness and lack. A place where all the things of the world are stripped away so that God can become more real. A place of character development.

SINAI - SACRIFICE and GROWTH

• Join together with other believers
• Learn about your true family
• Understand your inheritance
• Adapt your culture to God
• Develop a "fasted" lifestyle
• Understand authority
• Develop thoughness & discipline

​3. CANAAN
A place of promise where we must first battle for the position in which God has called us. Then we must work to provide for ourselves, and apply the discipline of Godly living to benefit our lives and others.

CANAAN - MULTIPLYING ABUNDANCE - REPRODUCE & BLESS

• Wage offensive warfare, take ground!
• Occupy until He comes!
• Build a dwelling place of blessing
• Become productive beyond your need
• Invite foreigners to live among you
• Establish the house of the LORD

Our hearts are critical to our well being, both naturally and spiritually. We need to take better care of it.

We are either headed for more tragedy or more victory!

Where are you headed?
What is your heart attitude?
 

FAITH

Faith; belief, trust, confidence,conviction, strict adherence to duty and promises, word of honor pledged.

Faith without works is dead (James 2:26)

• inner and outer works

​Inner Works - dealing with our hearts

• Going before the LORD in prayer and having Him weed out the areas that do not belong to Him.
• Repent, forgive yourself, forgive others and ask for forgiveness, receive

​Outer Works - walking out God's Word

• This is an action item. We must retrain ourselves to speak God's life giving/breathing Word, write it on our hearts (Jer. 31:33 - "I will put My law in their minds and write in on their hearts....) and continually have it on our tongue. Continually going before Him in prayer, with supplication and thanksgiving (Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus - 1 Thess. 5:16-18). 

​1. We need to realize who we are in Christ 1st and foremost.

2. Shift the paradigm of our thinking.

3. Learn to have faith, believe and trust God at His Word, for who He is, what He says He will and can do.

2 Cor. 5:17,22 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gome, the new has come! God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Eph. 1:5,7 - He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished in us with all wisdom and understanding.

So if I am a new creation, I need to stop looking at who I used to be and vbe the new creation. A son/daughter of the Most High God. A brother to Jesus, a kiingdom heir! Forgetting the past I press on towards the goal, which is eternity.

Phil. 3:13-14 - Forgetting what is behind and straining (to exert oneself, to exert to the utmost) towards what is ahead, I press (to push with force) on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

HOW DO WE LOOK AT OUR CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE NATURAL?

• We see the bills come in, look at our account and then moan and groan because we do not have enough to pay them. we give ourselves a pity party. then devise a plan to rob Peter to pay Paul.
• Believe that God is not looking out for us because we did not get a check in the mail from Him.
• We believe that He does not hear our prayers because He did not answer (or so we think) them.
• We decide that we need to work this our ourselves and end up in worse shape than we were.

​Pro. 4:25 - Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you (at Jesus).

I have to stop looking at what is going on around me and look at what the Word of God says about the circumstance. I have to make a conscience decision to praise God in every trial and tribulation (Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3). No matter what is going on. Am I completely there? NO! If I were, I would be in heaven with Jesus watching you all. Praise Him! Praise Him! Praise Him! Thank Him for His Word and what He says for your particular trial. NO MATTER WHAT!!!

He is the GREAT I AM!!!!!!!

WE ARE IN THIS WORLD NOT OF IT!

We have to stop looking at our trials/circumstances with our natural eyes. Often times then not, our attention is on the wrong thing. Our trial/circumstance instead of God and what His Word says. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. BUT take heart! I have overcome the world! John 16:33.

We have to shift focus. Instead of maoning and groaning and whoa is me. We need to be praising God for who He is and what His Word says He can do!!

Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day! That bill comes in - thank Yahweh Yireh (The LORD that provideth) for His provision, then put it down and thank Him every day as if you have already received it! Now faith is sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Heb. 11:1

Phil. 4:8-9 - "Whateve is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me - put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

2 Cor. 5:7 - We live by faith, not by sight.

1 John 4:4 - Greater is He who is in me, then he who is in the world.

1 Cor. 15:57 - But thank be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.i

​And the kingdom is right here within us. The day we accepted Jesus Christ as our LORD and Savior, we became kingdom dwellers. Jesus came to live within our hearts and HE is the Kingdom of God! We may live on this big beautiful planet God the Father created, but we most certainly are not of it anymore!!

We must purpose to live by faith each and every day. We do not have a choice. God has provided the way so everyone can have faith.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for (thanking HIM for the provision for whatever you need), the evidence of things not seen ( you will know then by their fruit - peace, joy, patience... Mt. 7:16).

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour - 1 Pt. 5:8.

Yes roaring - I believe he really wants to make his presence known, especially now with his time so short. The enemy is out to kill, steal and destroy - the thief does not come except to steal, kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly - John 10:10.

He does this by keeping us paralyzed by fear (F-alse, E-vidence, A-ppearing, R-eal) - For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind - 2 Tim. 1:7.

Taking what is rightfully ours through Christ Jesus, and destroying us by our inactivity. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life. To turn one away from the snares of death - Pro. 14:27. Submit yourselves then to God, resist the devil and he will flees from you - James 4:7.

We always hear resist the devil and he will flee from you, but the most important part of this is the 1st part. Submit to God! The devil is not going to flee from you if you are not submitted to God. Why should he. He doesn't have anything to lose. You're no threat to him. He has you right where he wants you - inactive. The only way to resist the devil is to be submitted to God. There is no other way.

We must turn our FEAR - false evidence appearing real - a negative action, into a positive one. F-aith, E-levated, A-bove, R-eality!

I started off my faith walk with something small - if you have faith as a mustard seed...Luke 17:6. That was all the faith I had. I went before the LORD in prayer with supplication and thanksgiving and asked the LORD for a journal. and I thanked Him every day as if I had already received it. Mind you, I didn't tell anyone else. About a week later a journal appeared on my desk wrapped in a gift bag!

Then I went larger. I needed gas in my car. So I prayed and thanked Him every day for gas. The needle never moved off 1/4 tank and I went 498 mile son a tank. I had only ever gotten the car to go around 350 miles on a tank. Off course I did get cocky and not listen to what the Holy Spirit told me to do and low and behold I ran out of gas and had to be rescued.

Start small and work your way up. But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" Mt. 19:26.

FAITH GROWS OUT OF THE WORD OF GOD

Faith is grasping the unrealities, the impossibilities of hope and bringing them into the realm of reality. Hope says I may have it sometime or another. Faith says I have it right now, even though I cannot see it. Hope looks to the future. Faith looks to the here and now.

Faith says the same things that the Word of God says. Faith kept only in your heart will never bring your healing, the infilling of the Holy Spirit or an answer to your prayer. But faith in your heart and spoken out your mouth past your lips will bring marvelous results!

"Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ' move from here to there', and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" Mt. 17:20.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God - Ro. 10:17.

No matter how long it takes. This is how we build our faith. Will we stumble? YES! Will we fall? PROBABLY. The point is to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and pick up where you left off. Don't give up, don't quit!

His yoke is easy and His burden is light - Mt. 11:30.

What are you hearing? God's Word spoken out of your mouth? Or your negative, spirit breaking, hope killing words? Many are defeated by their negative confession. We are what we say! But what does it say? "The Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart" - Ro. 10:8, that is, the Word of faith we are proclaiming.

Why be buried under things we cannot handle ourselves? Why should you want to stay in a boat that is being tossed about by every wind of doctrine and circumstance (that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting - Eph. 4:14) when you can put your eyes on Jesus and walk on water! Many people fail because they can see themselves fail.

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you - Joshua 1:5.

We need to have the God kind of faith - we don't need to pray for it - we already have it - we need to exercise it. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you; Do not think yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God had given you - Ro. 12:3.

I can't do it! YES, you can!! You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength - Phil. 4:13.

I can't learn! I can't change! YES, you can and you are!! You have the mind of Christ! " For who has understood the mind of the LORD so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ" - 1 Cor. 2:16. You are already changed, a new creature once you accepted Christ (Therefore, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! - 2 Cor. 5:17). You are already changed. Whether you are hearing positive, life giving Words or negative, spirit breaking, hope killing words - that is where are faith is. faith is measured by our confession.

The tongue is also a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life, and is itself set on fire by hell - James 3:6.

Our lips can make us victorious or keep us in bondage. Our faith will never rise above the words of our lips. Learn to use words that will react upon our own spirit. 

For it is with your hearts that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved - Ro. 10:10.

"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. there fore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:23-24.

Believing and saying is the key to faith. Believe with the heart and say with your mouth. Faith is measured by our confession. if your faith is in the wrong thing - what you have been hearing - it is time to switch lanes and get on the right hearing path. For our faith to work, we have to rely upon, have confidence in, the hope that, for safekeeping of, that which is in the care of God the Father. If you believe, you will act. 

If you believe God's Word, then you will act as though it is true. There are so many Christians today who believe what they feel, see, hear and can touch. Real faith cannot be felt, seen or touched in the natural, but is based upon the Word of God. Put your feeling last, God's Word 1st, and faith in God's Word 2nd.

Many are defeated by their negative confessions. We are what we say. There is a confession of our heart and confession of our lips, and when the two line up we become mighty in our prayer life!

The God kind of faith comes from hearing God's Word - out your mouth to your ears. Our actions have to line up with our believing if we are to receive from God. If we don't take God's Word and make it our own, then God has nothing to work with. God's Word does not return void (....so is my word that goes out from my mouth; it will not return void to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it - Isa. 55:11). If we never speak out His Word by faith, He cannot answer.

By our actions we can be triumphant or defeated. We can receive from God or not - the choice is up to us,

Stop relying on yourself. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean (rely) not on your own understanding... Pro. 3:5. You cannot do it by yourself. God said " I will never leave you; never will I forsake you - Heb. 13:5. Turn to Him for help!

In order for this to happen, we have to have a relationship with God that goes beyond our understanding or comprehension.

RELATIONSHIP

Relate - to ally by kindred; to stand in some relation.

Related - connected by blood; standing in some relation.

Relation - connection; kindred; relative.

Relationship - the state of being related; kinship.

Kindred - relationship by birth; affinity; relatives by blood; related; of like nature.

In order to have a relationship with God, you need to be allied by affinity (resemblance), connected by blood (Jesus'), in the state of being related, of like nature (created in the image of God). Spending time with the person of God the Father. We have been conditioned by our past and present circumstances. We put up wall, stay away from God as well as the people He has placed into our lives. We tend to isolate ourselves.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, maker of heaven and earth, the seas, and everything in them - the LORD, who remains faithful. Ps. 146:5-6.

Our perspective of other people and how they have treated us, disappointed us, etc. spills over into our relationship with God. We tend to view Him the same way.

What do you do when your faith is challenged? Do you hunker down in your fox hole (prayer closet) and use your weapons (the Word of God) on the enemy? Or do you surrender to the enemy? Give up, get depressed, angry, frustrated, etc. Our choices make a BIG difference in how we go through this life. Do we get through with victory? Or do we go through with failure?

6 ENEMIES OF FAITH

1. Failure to understand what it means to be a new creature in Christ. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Cor. 5:17. We believe that we have to remain as we are. Stuck in the muck of our sin, when the truth is that when we accept Jesus Christ as our LORD and Savior, he recreated us into something new!

2. Failure to understand our place in Christ.

3. Failure to understand righteousness. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God - 2 Cor. 5:21

4. Failure to understand our right to use the name of Jesus. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not aksed for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:23-24.

5. Failure to act upon the Word - real faith is the child of knowledge of God's Word.

6. Failure to hold fast to our confession of faith. ... he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live...Pro.4:5.

Mark 5:25-34

Say it!

Do it!

Believe it!

Receive it!

Tell it!

HOW CAN WE TRAIN OURSELVES TO BUILD OUR FAITH?

• Meditate on the Word of God
• Practice the Word of God
• Give the Word of God 1st place
• Instantly obey the voice of the Holy Spirit

IT IS TIME TO PUT ON YOUR FAITH FACE AND TAKE A STAND!!!!!