John 3:1-3 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” NLT

But God is calling us to a higher purpose. It is called “discipleship”. Everyone is called to be a disciple but not all dare to follow. Notwithstanding there are qualifications to be one that is true:

Being teachable and disciplined are two of the greatest deficits in the body of Christ…

People Perish Without A Vision…

Prov 29:18 – Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law. NIV

The word translated “unrestrained/perish” is the Hebrew word “Para:” means “to let go, neglect, draw away from.”

The original Hebrew: When people don’t perceive God’s call on them, they become aimless, and run in circles until they disintegrate.

Here Are two Questions We Need To Ask To Better Play Our Part…

Are You Growing Spiritually?

A growing believer is entirely committed to daily feeding upon the Word of God.

Psalm 119:9-11 - How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. 10 I have tried hard to find you—don’t let me wander from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. NLT

Proverbs 4:20-23 - My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. 21 Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, 22 for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. NLT

Job 23:12 - I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food. NLT

Understanding The Scriptures Builds The Wall That Keeps History From Repeating Itself…

Mark 4:24 – “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more.” NLT

The enemy has but one quest– to rid the church and humanity of God’s Word. Nothing more, nothing less… and if the enemy he can steal God’s Word from you…he’ll ultimately usher in your destruction.

Are You Investing Your Christian Values In Another?

“Go and make disciples” is more than a suggestion… It is God’s mandate for winning the world…

Oswald Chambers wrote in My Utmost For His Highest, “our works begins where God’s grace has laid the foundation; We are not to save souls, but to disciple them…One life wholly yielded to God is of more value to God than 100 lives simply awakened by His Spirit. God brings us to a standard of life by His grace, and we are responsible for reproducing that standard in others.”

Luke 14:26-30 “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.
27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you.
30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’ NLT

Many believers call themselves disciples of Jesus when in all reality they are little more than followers. They remain living their lives for themselves…

John 6:60-69 – Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” 61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you?
62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again?
63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.)
65 Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”
66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.
67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”
68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.
69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” NLT

Discipleship Example:
The world’s most powerful Evangelist who could win 1000 souls to Jesus each day of his entire life from the day he was born would never win the world in his generation. [80 Years = 29,200,000]

However, if one person disciples another person for an entire year, and then each of them disciples another person the next year this could yield the amazing result of the earth’s population being discipled (not just converted) in one generation!

In 34 years = 8,589,934,592 disciples would be produced

Matthew 28:19-20 - Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” NLT

Matthew 9:37-38 - He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” NLT

2 Corinthians 5:20 – So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” NLT

What Is A Disciple? The word “disciple” means, “a learner; one who is teachable and disciplined.” (Many believers are followers of Jesus, but not many are disciples.)

Jesus Gave Us 3 Commissions, Not Just One Great Commission…

1st Commission:

Matthew 9:37-38 – Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” NKJV

Luke 10:2 – Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. NKJV

2nd Commission:

Matthew 10:7-8 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’  8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. NKJV

3rd Commission:

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. NKJV

Here Are 5 Marks Of Those Who Are Truly Disciples Of Christ:

1. True Disciples Effortlessly Continue In The Word Of God…

John 8:31-32 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” NLT

Colossians 1:21-23 – This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it. NLT

2. True Disciples Willingly Give Up Their Opinions With A View Of Embracing God’s…

Isaiah 55:6-9 – Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. NKJV

John 5:19 So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. NLT

John 5:30 I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will. NLT

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. NLT

3. True Disciples Obey Christ Without Regard To The Cost…

Luke 6:46-48 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? 47 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built. NLT

John 14:15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. NLT

Acts 4:18-20 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” NLT

4. True Disciples Are Not Only Willing To Die For Christ, But They Are Committed To Live For Him…

Philipians 1:21-24 - For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. NLT

2 Timothy 4:7-8 – I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. NLT

5. True Disciples Possess A Life Long Desire Of Producing Fruit…

Galatians 5:22-25 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. NLT

Pastor Sam Hinn
March 27, 2011

God does not call the qualified;
He qualifies the Called.By Dr. Dan Yachter

Sunday, January 16, 2011

We find 16 promises when we truly fast:

1. Spiritual breakthrough – revelation-truth- takes over-demon darkness in our lives
2. Wholeness and strength
3. God-filled life!
4. Answered prayer
5. Divine guidance
6. Satisfaction
7. Freshness and Growth
8. Effective Life and Ministry
9. Joy in the Lord
10. Release of Spiritual Power in Your Life (Matt.4).
11. Release Of spiritual Power in Ministry (acts 13:1-3).
12. Hearing The Word of the Lord (Dan.9:3, 20-23).
13. Protection (Ezra 8:21-23).
14. Avoiding Disaster and Destruction  (Joel 2:12-17).
15. Help In Times Of Trials, Tribulations and Battles (Joel 1:12-14;2:12-18).
16. Deliverance (II chron 20:3 & 9).

MATTHEW 17: 1-21 – MARK 2: 18-20

II Corinthians 10:3-5

10:3  – For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

10:4  – (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

10:5  – Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Physical Perspective

The cornerstone of the DANIEL FAST  is high net-gain foods. It’s that simple. By eating more high net-gain foods, your energy will rise, body fat will decrease, mental clarity will be enhanced, cravings for refined foods will fade, and your spiritual focus will be enhanced.

Join Our 21 Day Fasting Blog!

Ezra 8:21, 23

And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled. 23 So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. NLT

Here is the challenge. Would you join me on a fast on Wednesday from wake up until 4 p.m. Devoting the day to prayer and fasting.

The PURPOSE: To ask God for and expect a great spiritual awakening with our local church, and churches; for a revival of holiness and happiness; prayer, faithfulness and fruitfulness in ministering to each other; and reaching the lost with the message of HOPE. My prayer is that will hear God’s call to FAST!

Fasting & Prayer Changed The Course Of History…

It is almost impossible to overstate the historical importance of fasting in the early church, in this moment in Antioch in the history of the world. Before this word from the Holy Spirit (Acts 13-14), there seems to have been no organized mission of the church beyond the “Eastern Seacoast of the Mediterranean.”

This moment of prayer and fasting resulted in a “Missions Movement” that would make Christianity the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. Within two and a half centuries that would yield 1.3 billion believers of the Christian faith today with a Christian witness in almost every country of the world…And 13 out of the 29 Books of the New Testament were the result of the ministry that was launched in the moment of prayer and fasting.

Let’s Ask God To Change Our Course…And For God’s Intervention In our every Crisis!

For example, the Moabites and Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat the king of Judah. What could the people do? What direction should they turn?

2 Chron 20:3-4 Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. 4 So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help. NLT

2 Chron 20:14-15 - the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph. 15 He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. NLT

The next day when the people of Judah went out, they found that the people of Moab and Ammon had destroyed one another, and it took them three days to gather the spoil. There was so much. What looked like a huge defeat became a stunning overnight victory.

Again the course of history was changed through the fasting of God’s people.

God is going to change the course of your life and future as you position your heart in gratitude. What has looked like a huge defeat, God is going to turn into a stunning victory for you. Please join me in this time of prayer and fasting (A Temple Revolution) and let’s believe God for miracles, lots of them. They’re happening all around us!

With All My Heart,
Pastor Sam Hinn

It was a miracle. That’s what happened here. Moses found a tree in the desert, uprooted it and threw it into the creek or stream or well and God, just as a symbol, make it sweet. I believe it’s a symbol of the cross, a tree many years later that brings sweetness out of bitterness.

Notice: “Then the Lord showed him a piece of wood.” It doesn’t say God created it. It says God showed it. It had been there all along, and if Moses had been wrapped up in self-pity and everything he would have never seen the solution to his disappointment. He would never have seen the thing that turns bitterness into sweetness.

As long as I’m cursing, rehearsing, nursing my disappointment, I can’t see what God says is the solution. God had that tree there. He had the solution there but they couldn’t see it because they were complaining.

The Greatest Shortages In Life Are Often Followed by Fullness

Ex 15:27 After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water. NLT

There is a turn around COMING. The greatest shortages in life are often followed by fullness. It says they left Marah, “Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees and they camped near the water.” An oasis!

To find twelve springs and seventy palms in the middle of the Sinai was paradise. A place of absolute delight. More than enough water. You read the chapter and find they spent over a month there — about 42 days.

The greatest shortages in life are often followed by fullness. The question I want to ask you is, “How far is Elim from Marah?”

How far is this place of delight, from the place of disappointment? If you were to get out a geographical map, and look at the Sinai, you’d discover that Elim is five miles from Marah. Five miles!

It was right around the corner. But they’ve stopped at Marah and they’re complaining and griping and being negative and worrying and criticizing when Elim was just five miles away; where they had more than enough, all the water that they needed. Just around the corner is surplus.

What is the point? I think one of the points is that we too often stop too soon.

We stop at Marah and get disappointed and it’s bitter and we don’t like it and it’s distasteful and we stay there. The message is – Don’t Quit! Don’t throw in the towel. Elim is right around the corner.

You need to make a decision today to just keep on going. Keep on moving ahead, trusting God. Notice it didn’t say that God brought Elim to them. God knew exactly where Elim was and He knew exactly where they were.

But He did not say, “They’re over here and I’m going to do a little miracle and bring this oasis five miles closer.”  God did not bring Elim to them. They got there by keeping on and not giving up in spite of their disappointment.

Thank him for mighty miracles in your life. Lord we thank you for surprises, for interventions of God, divine intervention lord. I hear the lord saying son, tell my people, I will come, but I will not come the way they thought. I hear them saying, I knew you were coming, I just didn’t expect you would come this way. Tell them, I am coming, I will do what I said, but it won’t be the way they thought. I will surprise them. Tell them to put their expectation on me coming and not how I will come, for they might miss my coming, because they have their eyes fixed on how it will happen. I am coming, but not the way they thought. Lord Jesus, the spirit and the bride say come, surprise us lord. Surprise TGP and the people god. Come lord, come Jesus, Thank you Jesus.

Tell them that I want them to become serious about me, the way I am serious about them. I don’t want them to find time for me, I want to be there time. Tell them son, I want them to become serious about me, like I’m serious about them. When they are, they will see my hand move so swiftly. I will come, I will surprise them, but I want them to become serious about me. Thank you Jesus. Tell them I want to get serious about serving me, come into alignment, and get serious about serving me. When they’re serious about serving me I will serve them. No more half-hearted service. Tell them to get serious about serving me, my ambassadors, my representatives in the earth. I will serve them when they get serious. What a man sows with his life, that also he shall reap. Lord we will be serious about serving you, our life is but a breath here on the earth. David said a mans life is about the width of his hand, here today and gone tomorrow. Lord let us serve you whole-heartedly, I thank you Jesus. We will be serious Lord. We will do what you called us to do. In Jesus Name…. Amen.

From Pastor Sam:

What Is Sin? The definitions of sin in the Bible are not simply random “do’s” and “Don’ts.” Instead, they show us the way God lives. They reveal the spiritual principles by which He lives, the same standards of conduct He expects us to live by.

Sin’s Practical Definition…Sin occurs the moment that man separates himself from God’s opinion concerning life. It is the violation of one’s conscience. Sin is knowing what to do and deciding to choose differently. Sin is shrinking back from faith in God. It happens the moment we no longer believe God in any area of our lives.

1. Sin Is Missing God’s Mark…
This view of sin includes the concept of our intending to go in one direction but straying off course to the side and not continuing in the direction we planned, with the result that we don’t make it to the intended goal.

This concept also includes the idea of failing to measure up to a “Standard.” For example, most academic courses and tests are graded according to a minimum standard. If we don’t achieve that standard, we fail the test or course.

The mark that man has missed is not the mark of moral perfection, but of abandonment to God’s unspoken desires and written words. It is simply not trusting or believing what He said to the point of obedient actions.

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, NKJV

Rom 10:1-4 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. NKJV

2. Sin Is Turning To Our Own Way…

The word translated “unrighteousness,” “wrong action,” “wrong-doing’ and “iniquity” in the verses below in the Greek are the same…“sin.”

Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. NKJV

1 John 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. NKJV

Prov 14:12 There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. NLT

Repentance is a complete turnabout.  It is a change of direction, from going away from God to coming towards God.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. NKJV

The key is to confess our sins…But how do we do that effectively? Are there some things to keep in mind as we confess our sins?

What does real repentance look like? The Bible gives us an example in the sin and repentance of David. After his adultery with Bathsheba, he conspired to have her husband murdered.

Later, the prophet Nathan confronted David about these sins. The child that resulted from David’s affair with Bathsheba was sick at the time of his birth, so the king fasted and lay prostrate before the Lord for seven days. When the child died, David resumed his life. (Read 2 Samuel 11–12 for the whole account.)

When Nathan went before the king with his tale of a poor shepherd whose only sheep had been stolen by the evil herd-owner, David got the message. David’s confession was immediate. So was his forgiveness.

2 Sam 12:13 So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. NKJV

Read Psalm 51 OUT loud…

Ps 51:1-19 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight — That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. 16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart — These, O God, You will not despise. 18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar. NKJV

In Psalms 51, we have what David wrote after he was guilty of his adultery with Bathsheba…
a. He provides an example of how one should confess their sins to God
b. He provides what I’d like to call “The Art of Confession.”

How should we confess our sins to God? From the example of David, a good place to begin is…

1. APPEAL TO GOD’S MERCY AND LOVE (verse 1-2)

Ps 51:1-2 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. NKJV

NOTE THE BASIS OF DAVID’S PLEA FOR FORGIVENESS…
A. “According to Your lovingkindness…”
B. “According to the multitude of Your tender mercies…”

David sought forgiveness based upon God’s lovingkindness and tender mercies.

Repentance begins with the appeal to God. Our repentance is only possible because of the mercy of God. David invokes not only the name of God, but also his character.

God described himself as merciful… David’s address is a plea for God to act on his mercy.

Ex 34:6-7 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,
7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” NKJV

Lam 3:21-24 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: 22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” NLT

Ps 51:1-2 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. NKJV

David uses several Hebrew words for sin. He uses the words, “transgression,” “iniquity” and “sin.”

“Transgression” (pesa) is an act of rebellion or disloyalty. It is like trespassing where a “No Trespassing” sign is posted.

“Iniquity” (avon) is a crooked or perverse act, an intentional twisting of legal or moral intent.

“Sin” (hatach) is missing the mark. The idea here is that even though we want to do God’s will, and even try to do it, we fail—like an archer who aims for the bull’s eye but simply misses.

Ps 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. NKJV

We need to head for the showers of God’s mercy. We need to be cleansed completely. Verse 2 invites God to do all that’s necessary to cleanse David of his sin.

AS WE SEEK “WASHING” AND “CLEANSING” FROM OUR SINS…
Don’t base your appeal on our past accomplishments. How much we have done for the Lord. But on the goodness and mercy of God! Appeal to His mercy and grace! Knowing that He is slow to anger and abounding in mercy!

Ps 103:8-10 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. NKJV

2. ACKNOWLEDGE OUR SINS TO GOD (verses 3-4)

Ps 51:3-4 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight — That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.

3. UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE GOD WANTS US (verses 5-6)

Ps 51:5-6 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

David describes the depravity in which he finds himself. He is not trying to escape responsibility by saying he was born that way; only that he knows he is utterly sinful… BUT GOD DESIRES MUCH MORE…

David knew that God wanted…“truth in the inward parts” and “wisdom in the hidden parts”
David knew that God desired to provide more than just forgiveness, He also desires, total restoration with understanding and wisdom on our part.

4- PRAY FOR RENEWAL AND RESTORATION (verses 7-12)

Ps 51:7-12 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

DAVID DESIRED MORE THAN JUST FORGIVENESS OF SIN…

a. To purge him with hyssop… “Cleanse me with hyssop” refers to ritual cleansing. Hyssop was a plant used much like a brush or sponge, which was used to brush or sprinkle blood on the object being cleansed. (Ex 12:22 and Lev 14:6–7)
b. To wash him whiter than snow…
c. To hide His face from his sins… Ps 51:9
d. To blot out all his iniquities… Ps 51:9

But he also sought for more; he desired…
a. Joy and gladness – Ps 51:8
b. A new heart and renewal of a steadfast spirit – Ps 51:10
c. Continuation of God’s presence and Spirit – Ps 51:11

As summarized in verse 12: “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your generous Spirit.”

AS WE CONFESS OUR SINS…

1. We should look to God for more than just forgiveness!
2. We should also ask for: a complete renewal and total restoration and a return to “the joy of salvation.”
3. By praying as David did, we are to sure to experience two things:
a. Forgiveness itself
b. The joy of forgiveness

Ps 32:1-5 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! 3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. 4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. 5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt.I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. NLT

From Pastor Sam:

Pastor Sam Hinn & Sharon Yerbys (from Heartland)

What will you do with today? Will time be the enemy that you race against or will you use time to your advantage by spending it with the Lord? If we are to number our days”, then we must make each day count. Only the Master knows the sum of that number, so each day should be spent as the last. If today was your last day on earth, how would you spend it? Would you make sure that your walk with God was in right standing? Woul you be prepared to mee the Lord knowing that gave Him your best? Les us not take one day for granted, but live to please the One Who granted us the day..

Sharon Yerby

Sharon Yerby is an amazing woman who loves God dearly. She carries such a powerful anointing on her life. She and her husband, John, are on the leadership team at Heartland with Pastor Steve and Jeri Hill. She is a minister in her own right and travels extensively. She walks in a very powerful prophetic anointing and has been apart of every service whenever I have ministered at Heartland. Over the past last month or so, we have prophetically seen the same things, because much of it began at TGP and Heartland at the same time. I trust her. I will be using her notes and insight along with me during these blogs. Thank you again Sharon!

Our relationship with God is sustained by openness and honesty. When we sin against Him, we unconsciously build a barrier between heaven and ourselves.

Each of those barriers we have built to keep God out ultimately walls us, in spiritually imprisoning us in our sins. These barriers deteriorate into strongholds of demonic oppression. Eventually, our walls toward God imprison us outside the Divine Presence, and trap our soul in darkness.

Yet, the love of God is so awesome that He loves us enough not only to release us from our sins but also from the negative effects our sin has had upon our fellowship with Him. Mercifully, He promises…

Hebrews 10:17 Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” NLT

Every time we ask for forgiveness, our relationship with Him becomes free and new again. In one sweeping act of forgiveness – so complete that He promises to not even remember what we did wrong – God has provided the eternal payment for each sin we repentantly ask Him to forgive.

He loves us so much that, while He continues to perfect our attitudes of heart, He also provides a means to keep our relationship with Him genuine and without barriers.

Jesus Paid the Price
Ephesians 1:7-8 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. NIV

What is redemption? Redemption is the “payment of a debt or obligation.” There were notes, warrants held against us. We are all debtors to God, but Jesus satisfied the warrants held against us by His death on the cross.

Col 2:13-14 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. NLT

The moment you accepted Jesus into your heart, all the things you ever did wrong, every evil thought, every angry word and every wicked deed – each of which deserved its own punishment – was stamped REDEEMED: PAID IN FULL by our Father in heaven.

Jesus paid for them all with His blood. He is our Redeemer! He paid the price, not just for the sins we previously committed but for every sin that we sincerely ask forgiveness for now. All our sins are forever forgiven and forgotten.

Colossians 1:19-22 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. 21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. NLT