"Whom the Son Sets Free is Free Indeed"

Weak Made Strong | Jesus’ Strength Made Perfect

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2 Cor 12 :3-4,7,9And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)4How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 77And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

Jesus said in vs 9: And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

IT IS GOD’S GRACE
• God’s grace gives us what we do not deserve
• And in His mercy, he does not give us what we deserve

THE LORD’S POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN OUR WEAKNESS
WE ARE ALL FOOLISH, WEAK AND BASE (LOWLY AND DESPISED) PEOPLE WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST IN OUR LIVES
1 Corinthians 1:26-29: 
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
• The Corinthians tended to be puffed up with pride
o Pride our Proud: is merely having an overly high opinion of oneself or one’s importance
• The Corinthians were puffed up with the knowledge they had 1 Cor 8:1
• “they were puffed up for one against another” 1 Cor 4:6
• “some are puffed up” 1 Cor 4:18:
• ” not the speech of them that are puffed up but the power” 1 Cor 4:19

WE CAN FIND POWER AND STRENGTH IN CHRIST
Ephesians 3:16: That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
2 Corinthians 12:10: Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Romans 8:37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Psalm 18:2: The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Give your heart to Jesus today by saying this prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. Please forgive me. Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Please, help me to live for you the rest of this life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.

Are You Close To God | Purify Your Heart

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James 4:8: Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.

• The double-minded Christian can never be close to God

• HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT: means there are two options that someone wants, but they can’t have both because the options conflict with each other, so they can only pick one.

• WE CAN’T EXPECT TO HAVE THE SINS THAT MAKE US FEEL GOOD AND CHRISTIANITY TOO!
• WE CAN’T HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS; YOU CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS
THIS LIFE IS ALL ABOUT CHOICES
JESUS UNDERSTANDS AND KNOWS ALL: HE HAS COMPASSION FOR US.
COMPASSION MAY BE DEFINED AS “YOUR PAIN IN MY HEART”

Psalm 145:8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Hebrews 4:14-16: Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.16 Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
• He was a man of sorrow, acquainted with grief.
• He understands the pain in our hearts and bodies
Isaiah 53:4-6: Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes, we are healed.6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
• We don’t have to feel despised and rejected
• Bruised hurt and thrown away
• Jesus Christ paid the price for it all
Jesus also said in Matthew 11:28-30: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
• No matter what our past, present or future
• Jesus understands all that we are
• And all that we go through

Some refuse to draw near to God

Zep 3:2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.

Jer 2:30: In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

All nations Draw Near to God

Isa 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.

Give your heart to Jesus today by saying this prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. Please forgive me. Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Please, help me to live for you the rest of this life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.

Roots of Addiction Pt 2 Deliverance | Bring Forth Fruit

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Mark 4:18-20: 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Addictions have underlying roots.

For example: An addiction can be birthed from an “Underlying Issue” of emotional pain
• A Christian parent has a child with medical issues and the child fails to bounce back and prayers seem to produce no results.
• The Christian parent gives up on God and prayer
• In their pain they reached for pain killers and alcohol
• To numb the pain
A Human being goes to great lengths to avoid physical, emotional and spiritual pain
• Drugs Alcohol, Caffiene Porn, Sex, materialism and entertainment, people, Christian leaders, sugar, food… many more

WE KNOW THROUGH THE WORD THESE THINGS CANNOT SATISFY

Ecc 6:7: All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Prov 20:1: Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

BUT WE TALKED THE WHOLE BODY WHICH INCLUDES THE BODY AND THE SOUL

1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Jesus wants to sanctify us WHOLLY and HOLY

DELIVERANCE IS NOT FOR THE UNBELIEVER

• What good would it do to cast demons from an unbeliever?
o Unless they were planning to accept Christ
• Unbelievers cannot maintain their deliverance
According to Luke 11:24-26 : When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

John 5:14: Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
• Unbelievers have no defense at all
• Believers have the Things of God and of the Spirit as a defense
1 Cor. 3:16: Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Give your heart to Jesus today by saying this prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. Please forgive me. Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Please, help me to live for you the rest of this life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.

Roots of Addiction | Pulling Down of Strongholds

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2 Cor 10:3-5: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)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;

A stronghold of the mind is a lie that gets established (as a lifestyle/pattern) in our thinking and actions.
Satan will use guilt, thoughts about our past, what people may or may not be saying about us, or speaks lies that ultimately cripples an individual Christian walk.

ADDICTIONS CAN BE STRONGHOLDS OVER THE MIND THAT CHOKE THAT WORD
Rom 8:6-8 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

TRULY AN ENEMY IS HOLDING THE STRONGHOLD OF THE MIND, ACCORDING TO :
2 Cor. 4. 4: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them

Stronghold of a Reprobate Mind:

Romans 1:28: And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

A BLINDED MIND
2 Cor 3:14: 14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

CAUSING PEOPLE TO WALK IN THE VANITY OF THEIR MINDS

Eph. 4.17-19: 17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

INTRUDING INTO THINGS WHICH THE MIND CANNOT FATHOM, “VAINLY PUFFED UP” BY A “FLESHLY MIND

Col. 2. 18:  Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

OUTLINE OF SOLUTIONS TO ADDICTIONS:

1. WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE AN ADDICTION.
Matthew 9:12: But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need, not a physician, but they that are sick”.
2. WE MUST DESIRE TO BE FREE FROM THE ADDICTION.
Mark 10:51: And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
3. We must be willing to turn from the addiction.
Luke 9:23-25: And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
4. WE MUST SEE THAT GOD IS THE REAL GOLD.
Matthew 6:33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
5. WE MUST BE WILLING TO LAY OUR ADDICTION BEFORE GOD.
I Peter 5:7-9: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
6. WE MUST COME TO DEPEND UPON GOD TO FULFILL OUR NEEDS.
Philippians 4:19: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
7. WE MUST WAIT UPON GOD TO FULFILL OUR NEEDS.
Hosea 12:6: Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.”

Give your heart to Jesus today by saying this prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. Please forgive me. Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Please, help me to live for you the rest of this life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.