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I have always been a planner. I'm a goal-oriented person, so I like to have a plan and then check things off my list. However, over the years, I've learned an important lesson—life doesn't always go as planned! Whether it's a little plan or a big plan—your daily schedule or your career strategy—it can be disappointing if everything doesn't work out the way you had hoped. And many people fall apart when their plan falls apart.
Jesus came to "preach the Kingdom of God... for therefore am I sent" (Lk.4:43). We are also commissioned to do the same (Lk.9:60). That in mind, two questions are worth considering. First, how is the Holy Spirit's presence related to the Kingdom of God? They are inseparable. Jesus said: "if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, and the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Mt.12:28). It is the clear biblical testimony that Jesus did what He did by the "power" of the "Holy Spirit" (Lk.4:14; Ac.10:38).
I wanted to share a dream that I found in my journal from three years ago that still resonates with me. In the dream I saw a pastor who is a respected and influential leader of a large charismatic church. I haven't followed his ministry for a few years, but I remember his impactful teaching. He is a man of faith and has a powerful anointing on his life. I attended some conferences back in the 90's where he was one of the speakers.
You ask for a breakthrough, but God may give you instructions. You ask for your healing, but Jesus may ask you a question. You want a miracle, but heaven will dig deeper to get to your heart. The means to your miracle may not be what you think. Scripture is full of examples of people imploring God for miracles. And yet, the way they received their miracle was rarely what they expected. Consider these examples that reveal how God's priority is something much deeper than just a miracle:
When David went on his first assignment to kill Goliath, his identity was not as the king of Israel even though he was anointed as such. His mindset when facing Goliath was, "My God can do this." His faith in God is what killed Goliath. In the next season, Israel came together and anointed him as king over all of Israel. It was then that his identity changed. He was then identified as a king and priest. Though he was anointed as king as a young boy, he never identified as royalty until that call from Israel. In the fourth dimension, he was king, but he only embraced the mindset to start making decisions from that identity once there was a call to be that king.
When it comes to declaring God's word, does the power of confession hold much weight? As far as Scripture is concerned, I would venture to say that it is. Through the power of confession and declaration, the Bible suggests that we have the ability to change our world and improve the quality of our lives here on earth. According to Genesis chapter 1, God created everything on earth through the sound of his voice and the declaration of His words. In the scriptures, it is explained that everything he spoke became, and not only did it become, but it multiplied and filled the entire earth.
A good friend of mine is going through a difficult season. He lost his job several months ago, his severance has run out and many of his calls to prospective employers are ignored. And even though he has money in the bank and food on the table, anxiety about the future sometimes robs him of sleep. At times it feels like God is ignoring his calls, too. "You are in an uncomfortable wilderness season," I told my friend today. "But don't forget that God is in the wilderness."
Throughout my years of advanced study in ministry and theology, I've delved deeply into hermeneutics, the science of biblical interpretation. In my view, no subject is more crucial for anyone seeking to understand the Scriptures. Hermeneutics is the key to unlocking the true meaning of the Bible, yet many believers are unaware of the lens through which they interpret it. In this article, we'll explore eight common approaches to interpreting Scripture.
I receive letters and e-mails fairly often from people who are confused about "praying more than once about the same thing." Sometimes they think that if they confess the Word more than once, the second time is in doubt or unbelief. Prayer and confession of the Word are two different things. Prayer is simply talking to God and talking to God can be for many different purposes. You can talk to God simply to fellowship with Him and not ask anything. You can praise Him for the blessings in your life and all He has done. You can worship Him because of Who He is – holy and worthy of our reverence.
Lovers of Jesus desire for His glorious return, but we read in Ephesians 5:25-27 (NKJV), "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."
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