Posts

Confession & Declaration 27

Revelation 5:8 And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves before the Lamb. Each was holding a harp (lute or guitar), and they had golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God’s people (the saints).

This scene occurs in Heaven’s Throne Room. What’s phenomenal to me is the last part of verse 8: golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God’s people (the saints).

Think on that: Golden bowls of incense which are the prayers of the saints. We have no idea how precious we are to God. Yet here in this passage it is so beautifully illustrated. Your prayers, and my prayers are mingled with the prayers of all the saints, from all the ages. Can you imagine? Your prayers are mingled with Noah’s, Abraham’s, Isaac’s, Jacob’s, Joseph’s, Moses’, and Joshua’s. They are mingled with the prayers of the prophets, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel. Crazier still? Our prayers have been mingled with the prayers of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. That should cause you to pause.

Now you might ask, What does this have to do with overcoming the enemy? The answers are varied but ultimately you should be getting a picture of what a treasure you are to God. The enemy wants to remind you of your frailties, and failures. He wants to accuse and condemn you. What you need to see is that there’s a reason why that is. Do you remember the meditation regarding being co-heirs with Christ? Do you remember that all things that belong to Jesus – belong to us? Well guess who Jesus owns? All the angels and demons. And Jesus shares that ownership with you. The devil hates you because Jesus Christ so valued mankind that He chose to share the stewardship of the entire universe with us. In comparison to angels we are frail, puny, weak men, and women. Yet God shares the stewardship of the universe with us – entrusting us – through our prayers. Prayers which move the heart and hand of God. Prayers, which are led by the Spirit of God, lifted before the Father, through Jesus. Your prayers shape world events. Your prayers move through the universe ushering in the Kingdom of God. Thus, you overcome the accuser through the prayers of the Spirit lifted before your Intercessor Jesus. And God the Father? He answers with thunder, power and wonder.

Declaration 27: Holy Father I stand amazed and awed by Your great love and the mystery of choosing man to co-labor along side of You. Thank You for including us in the stewardship of the world. Thank You for choosing me to know You. Thank You for praying through me – intermingling my intercessions with those of the Spirit, Jesus, and the saints. Thank You that I am a co-heir with Jesus, through Jesus’ conquering resurrection. Through Your Resurrection and Ascension Satan is defeated, and death has lost its sting! Thank You Jesus that Your coming back and that I will reign with You! Grant me Grace and the Power of Your Spirit to add more and more prayers to the golden bowls before Your Return. Grant me Grace and the Power of Your Spirit to pray in Your Spirit, from my spirit, as I abide in Your Word – let Your Words abide in me. Hallelujah I thank You Jesus that the Living Word of God dwells in me and that I am seated in heavenly realms with You!

Who’s Your One? Wednesday, February 5, Day 24

Confession & Declaration 24

Romans 8:17 And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.

A few months ago I was intrigued by a promise repeated five times in the 37th Psalm:

Psalm 37:9 For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait and hope and look for the Lord [in the end] shall inherit the earth.

Psalm 37:11 But the meek [in the end] shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Psalm 37: 22 For such as are blessed of God shall [in the end] inherit the earth, but they that are cursed of Him shall be cut off.

Psalm 37:29 [Then] the [consistently] righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.

Psalm 37:34 Wait for and expect the Lord and keep and heed His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; [in the end] when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

I knew that in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount that He repeats this promise in Matthew 5:5 Blessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth!

But after my discovery in Psalm 37 I had to say, Lord, all I really want is to be with You. I could care less about inheriting the earth. But my question for You is, Why is this such a big deal? The first thing He reminded me of was that to be on earth during the Millennial Reign of Christ is to be with Him. But the second thing He showed me was that which is in Romans 8:17 “…heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]…”

We need to understand something. In Hebrews 1:2 it states: “…has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;…”

Jesus is Heir of all things. In the Greek “all” means “ALL.” So everything belongs to Jesus – the earth and all it contains; the heavens’ and all they contain; the seas and all it contains; the universe, with its stars, planets, milky way, asteroids, comets, and moons. All of these things belong to Jesus. We belong to Him. Angels and demons are His. He owns it all. But guess what? Because He has made us His children, we have full rights to receive His inheritance. According to Matthew 25:34; Galatians 3:29; Colossians 1:12; and 3:24 – we are His beneficiaries. Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father [you [a]favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Galatians 3:29 And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham’s Seed], then you are Abraham’s offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise.

Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light.

Colossians 3:24 Knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving [is] the Lord Christ (the Messiah).

The payoff of the “blessed’s” found in the Psalm 37, and the Matthew 5:5 passages, is that we get to be with Jesus in Heaven. We get to be with Jesus during the Millennial reign. We get to be with Jesus in the New Heaven and New Earth. Oh yeah, and by the way, we inherit everything that belongs to Him!!!! Jesus is setting things back to the way they used to be. Have you ever thought about that? When God the Father placed Adam and Eve here that the entire universe belonged to them also? They got to co-steward it all with the Godhead. (Now you can understand why the devil hates your guts so bad: you own him!) Wrap your head around that. Even crazier is the idea that the earth and all it contains; the heavens’ and all they contain; the seas and all it contains; the universe, with its stars, planets, milky way, asteroids, comets, and moons. All of these things belong to you too. You don’t have to buy a star and put your name on it; all of them are your inheritance. When Paul speaks of the riches of our salvation he wasn’t joking. We had no idea we really are royalty.

Declaration 24: Father, I’ve often pondered the admonition: Be still and know that I AM God. I’ve also puzzled over the silence in Heaven in the Book of Revelation. But now I’m stunned. I’m stunned, humbled, and prostrated spiritually before You – groveling with my face to the ground. What words can express the measure and depths of Your love? The praise and worship You are worthy of? “Thank You’s” fall to the ground sounding hollow, and cheap. Words really can’t express my sincere and humble gratitude, and admiration. It all requires the fullness of all that I am to give You the worship You are due; to provide You with an eternity of service. But now I rise. Lord Jesus I rise above the sin and shame. I rise above the failures and rebellion. I rise above memories of my disobedience and my treatment of such an amazing salvation. I rise and stretch my hands towards You in Praise. I rise and raise my voice as thunder to You. I rise lifting the fullness of my soul – mind, will, emotions, and personality – and I pour it all out to the One Who is Worthy. Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain before the foundation of the world! Worthy is the Lamb, the Conquering King Victorious! Hallelujah I shout Your praises joining my voice with all the Voices that know this full well. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! How can I be quiet any longer? How can I be still? Crown Him with many crowns is my anthem now! Crown Him forever more!

Who’s Your One? Saturday, February 1, Day 20