twitter twitter
vimeo vimeo
email email
facebook facebook
flickr flickr

Winning the War Within – Part 5

Major points I want to make this week:

  • Natural vs. Spiritual vs. Carnal
  • Learning to be led of the Spirit

 

 

(1 Cor 2:9-14 KJV)  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?  Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1.  Before we come to God we are natural

a.  Born with a sin nature.

b.  Sin was natural to us.

 

2.  The Natural cannot receive Spiritual things

a.  The natural man attempts to make sense of everything, because he processes everything through his senses.

b.  The Spiritual communicates with God Spirit-to-spirit.

c.  God is Spiritual, not sensual.

 

3.  Once you are Born-Again, if you live by your Old Nature you are referred to as “Carnal”

a.  The Carnal man is a believer who is governed by the flesh.

b.  You can be Born-Again and still dominated by your old nature.

 

4.  To be Spiritual you must

a.  Be Spirit-indwelled.

b.  Be Soul-transformed.

 

5.  The goal is to be to Spiritual (to be led of the Spirit)

a.  When you are led of the Spirit you are a SON of God (Rom 8:14).

b.  When you are led of the Spirit you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Gal 5:16).

04
Mar 2012
AUTHOR Rick
CATEGORY

Change, Development, Dreams, Faith, Warfare

COMMENTS No Comments
TAGS

, , , ,

Find, Follow, and Finish it! (Purpose and Vision Part 2)

My prayer for you is that you:

1. FIND your purpose.
2. FOLLOW your purpose.
3. FINISH your purupose.

… before you die! That is the definition of success in my eyes.

Enjoy:

08
Jan 2012
AUTHOR Rick
CATEGORY

Dreams, Faith, Purpose, Vision

COMMENTS No Comments
TAGS

, ,

What is Success to you?

success

Success is means different things to different people. Many attempt to make a connection between the size of their checking account and their level of success. But to me success is simply about finding your purpose in life and completing it BEFORE you die. Finding, following, and then finishing your purpose. That’s what success is all about to me.

John Maxwell talks about it in this video:

16
Nov 2010
AUTHOR Rick
CATEGORY

Purpose

COMMENTS No Comments
TAGS

, ,

How do you spell success?

success-and-failure-sign
How do you spell success? Some measure the success of their lives by the size of their bank accounts. Others by the size of their home or the number of cars in the driveway. But the truth is that success is not about money, cars, houses, or material things. I believe success comes down to purpose. Our days on the earth are limited. We are all born for a reason and with a purpose. It is my prayer that you find, follow, and finish your purpose, in the earth, before you die. If you do, then I believe your life was successful.
Paul was able to say “I have finished my course” because he knew what it was and God wants you to know what yours is. It was never God’s intention for us to aimlessly wander our way through life. Let’s learn some life lessons from Paul as we attempt to live successful lives.

5 keys to Paul’s success:

1. He Permitted God to Operate in his life (see Acts 9:1-6): Early in his life Paul fought against the church with fire and dedication. He was completely sincere, but you can be sincere and sincerely WRONG! Wrong is what Paul was. He was fighting against God and he did not even know it. The Father revealed Himself to Paul and he stopped fighting the process! For you to be IN IT TO WIN IT, you must first be IN IT! It’s hard to fight against the pricks. If you are fighting against God’s will for your life, today is your day to stop! For God to Operate in your life, He needs you to Cooperate with Him! Will you surrender today?

2. He Submitted to the Process of Preparation (see Acts 9:21-31): Paul wanted to preach immediately, but he was not ready and the people were not ready to receive him. The right thing at the wrong time becomes the wrong thing. Having a “call” on your life does not exonerate you from the work of preparation. Before Paul could truly start his ministry he had to spend three years in Tarsus preparing. He needed to sit down and learn. He may have been a superstar on the other team, but in Christ he had to start off like a ‘walk-on.’ To be IN IT TO WIN IT, you must submit to the Process of Preparation.

3. He was Purpose-Driven (see Phil 1:12-16): Paul was convinced that He had eternal life in Christ and he was ready to go enjoy it, but his work on the earth was NOT FINISHED! He knew that his life what NOT his own. He understood that he was bought with a price. He was now living His life to fulfill his purpose and his purpose was to serve God’s people! To be IN IT TO WIN IT you must find, follow, and finish your purpose!

4. He was Poised under Pressure (see 2nd Cor 11:23-28): This is a powerful passage and it shows how much Paul suffered for being the person God assigned to blaze the trail for Christianity. He endured the hardship required to start the work of the Gospel and through it all, he was more focused on the souls than his personal comfort. God had given Paul an assignment and He had also given Paul the grace for it. You too have grace for your assignment. Understanding your Purpose helps you develop Poise for the Pressure!

5. He Persevered until the End (see our focus text): There is no retirement plan for the believer. The Father expects you to be IN IT TO WIN IT and to be IN IT ‘till the end! James said, “Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course!” (James 5:10,11 MSG) Do you have STAYING POWER? Are you going to quit when the going get’s rough? The only way you can LOSE is if you QUIT! Life is a gift if you choose to STAY THE COURSE! To be IN IT TO WIN IT you must be determined to persevere to the END!
I pray you received something from this. In closing, I want to share two things.

1) A closing confession. Speak this OUT LOUD, by faith, over your life: Father, I declare, right now, by faith, that I am IN IT TO WIN IT! I, like Paul, will be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because I know that my labor is not in vain in the Lord. I cooperate with You. I submit to the process of preparation. I live a purpose-driven life. I am poised under pressure. And I will persevere until the very end. I will never quit, never throw in the towel, and never give up on what You desire to do in my life. I am determined to get out of me ALL that You have placed IN me! I will find, follow, and finish my purpose in life, before I die, and that will make me successful! In Jesus’ name. Amen!

2) A video. This video from John Maxwell helps drive home the message. Be blessed.

09
Mar 2010
AUTHOR Rick
CATEGORY

Development, Purpose

COMMENTS No Comments
TAGS

, , ,