Thanks for checking out the Anchor Faith Message podcast
from St. Augustine, FL.
Now enjoy this message. That's what I want to be a
consistent, stable person with a strong spirit.
Isn't that what we've been talking about?
Amen. A reigning spirit, maintaining A
reigning spirit, which pastor spoke this year that we were
going to continue to talk about is a reigning spirit and a
strong spirit. A reigning spirit is consistent
through every trial, through every situation.
Come on through anything that you may go through because.
My spirit is strong in the Lord. Amen.
Because he's been faithful to his promises to my life.
Amen. That's what?
That's what you stand on. It's what you.
Stand on that is living a life of faith.
Applying the Word of God to your life and practice in it,
practicing it every single day, will make you a stable,
consistent, strong spirit. Amen.
That is not moved in your emotions, not moved by your
flesh. My flesh does not own me.
Somebody else's flesh does not own me.
I do not let someone else's flesh fit on my emotions because
I've learned how to what we talked about a little bit last
week. I know we jumped around on a
bunch of things being led by the spirit.
I hope y'all received something from it.
I've learned how to what have a strong spirit, A strong spirit
that is not moved by people's emotions.
They should not control your actions, should control them
because we've learned how to self govern which.
We read out of Psalms and was it Psalms or proverbs?
Last week, we've learned how it was Proverbs.
To rule over our own spirit, let me.
Remind us of that. In Proverbs 2528 it says whoever
has no rule over his own spirit. Is like a city broken down
without walls. I refuse to be a broken down
person without a wall of a fortitude of a strong spirit of
faith right? We have to learn how to self
govern our spirit by the word of God, having a strong spirit
letting nothing. Move us in that what he says,
you know? And was it, James, you know, so
that you're not going to be? Tossed around.
To and fro from every wind of every doctrine.
Do you know he does not want wishy washy believers?
And I'm not even just talking about on doctrine.
He doesn't. Want wishy washy believers?
Just a. Saint living supposedly the life
of Christ. One minute you're living it and
the next minute you're not right.
Your situations and your circumstances is dictating how
you're walking this. Walk of faith.
And he doesn't want us to live by the dictates of the what
flesh? Because that will keep you in a
constant place of unrest. Because we know that our flesh
and our spirit battle what daily this is not even on my.
Thing today, our flesh and our spirit is battling daily and if
you don't have a fortified strong spirit that you've
learned how to govern. The flesh is always going to
rule and win out. It's always going to win.
So that tells me then that anything that happens, any
circumstance, any situation that happens in the.
In this area of whatever, somebody may say something to
you wrong, and they say it in the flesh.
And if you don't know how to govern your spirit, and your
spirit has not grown to be some a person of a strong spirit,
then guess how you are going to respond.
Back in your flesh and in your emotions, right?
Because that's what's going to dictate, because that's what's
stronger. That's what's stronger.
Brother Hagan used to always say it this way.
That our spirit should be the umpire calling the shots, The
umpire over our over our flesh, over our mind, over our will,
over our emotions. We want our spirit so strong and
so built up by the word of God that the minute a circumstance
happens or a situation happens, your first response is what the
word not you. Mouth and back with a loose
tongue. Actually, James says your
religion is worthless if you don't know how to bridle your
tongue. Loose lips sink all the time.
Every single day, every single minute, every single word.
That's why he says every idle. Word.
Will be given an account for. Amen.
So we want strong spirits and our spirit is going to have to
be strong if we're going to have a reigning spirit and we're
going to need the reigning spirit to operate more and more
in this day that we are living. Amen.
And we talked about the fact that if we are going to maintain
a reigning spirit, we are going to have to be people that know
the truth, because it's the truth that's going to what set
us free. And Marcy's translation.
Keep you free. Say it again.
Really loud. Say it again.
Just because it's set you free
doesn't mean. You're free.
Amen. No, it's his truth.
It's going to keep you free. And aren't you thankful that we
have His word? Who is truth?
And we have the Holy Spirit living on the inside who is
called the what? Spirit of truth?
That can always, always lead us into the right direction.
And then also we talked about the fact that we if we're going
to maintain a reigning spirit, then we're going to have to
know. God's love and operate in that
love. Not just say you love God, but
yet you still display differences with people because
you can't love God and not love people can't love God and not
love people. So saying you love God, you're a
liar. He actually says in John if you.
Can't. Love your.
Your brother? Isn't that what scripture said?
And so last week we talked about the fact that if we are going to
continue to maintain a reigning spirit.
Then we're going to have to have a strong spirit, and in order to
have a strong spirit, we are going to have to what continue
to be people that will allow ourselves to grow.
We have a responsibility to grow and mature because, he said.
Those that don't grow. Remember those that only want to
receive the milk. Of the word are what babies.
But a person that's a baby does not have a what, a strong
spirit. That means that people are
always having to care. For them and take care of them
and help them out of their. Messes, right?
A babe in Christ. Someone that's only used to the
bottle, only used to the the milk.
OK? And that's fine.
There's patience for God, you know, to allow you to grow and
to mature. But there comes a point where
he's saying OK you. Have to continue to grow, but
many believers stop growing. They think just because they're
born again, they're good to go and they don't have to grow in
anything in their life anymore, right?
That you've already. I mean, what else is there?
When I die, I get to go to heaven.
No, for us to obtain the promises of God, for us to walk
as a mature believer, which he talks about in scripture, for us
to walk. In the fullness of all that God
has for us, we have to continue to grow and mature into the
things of God. Amen.
We have to be. Believers that want to what grow
up. We want to grow up, we want to
mature. Because he tells us in Hebrews
that if we're only used to the milk of God's word and we don't
want to grow into righteousness, then we are going to be what
deceived in these last days because we've.
Not trained ourselves how to discern good and evil.
A baby. When they're a baby, they just
open up their mouth and you can stick whatever you want in their
mouth and they do it too, right? They'll chew on anything.
They'll pick up anything. On the floor.
Right. What am I saying?
They'll eat anything that's given to them until you start,
Until they start discerning broccoli or you know, something.
That's what good for them. It's going to help them what,
grow and bring a different type of nourishment as they are
growing older. They need more than milk.
They need more than just, you know, baby food in a jar.
They need more than just cereal. Eventually, they're going to
have to start eating some what? Meat, right?
They're going to have to start eating some raw.
Vegetables, you know, and those types of things so that what
they can grow properly. But as a baby, they've just got
their mouth wide open and they cannot discern on their own what
is good and what is bad for them, and how many believers are
we seeing because we've been talking about.
So many that are going to fall away in these last days because
they have not grown spiritually to mature with words of
righteousness, which is meat and which is a little.
Bit harder than milk, right? Where we know there's people
that only want to go to churches that make them feel good about
themselves so that they can live their best American life now and
it just makes them feel good all the time.
If you go to a place like that, you're not going to spiritually
mature, right? Because the word we know is
there to do multiple things. It's there to instruct, It's
there to correct. It's there to admonish.
It's there to help you. What grow spiritually?
So we want to have people with strong spirits that know how to
discern good and evil and that don't just walk around with
their mouth wide open. Because if you walk around with
your mouth wide open listening to anything that anybody is
saying, this is how you're going to be.
Pulled away and seduced by doctrines of demons, seducing
spirits and false prophets. Because you've not trained your
senses, Hebrews says. Do I need to read that scripture
for you? I'm sure I have it down here
somewhere in the 100 scriptures that I have.
Let's see if I have it. Here it is.
Hebrews he says this. Hebrews 511 through 14.
This is not where I wanted to start, but since we're here,
we're just going to read it concerning him.
We have much to say and it is hard to explain since you have
become dull of hearing point. You can sit in a church for
years and I said this become deceived because one, you've not
been a practicer. Of the word or a doer of the
word or you have become what dull of hearing you think you've
already heard it. You know you've heard it
multiple times. You could quote.
Genesis chapter one verses 26 through 28.
Let us make and let him. See this?
So he says. Listen in Hebrews, he says.
You've become dull of hearing, for though by this time you
ought to be teachers. You have need again for someone
to teach you elementary principles, and I'm not going to
teach on the elementary principles of the oracles of
God. And you have come to have milk.
Need of milk. Not solid.
Food. So you know what this tells me?
That if you've become dull of hearing?
I don't. Care how long?
You've been in the church. Guess what you get to do?
Go back to the milk. You have need of milk again.
So you had milk as a babe, but you became dull of hearing,
which means you stopped growing, You stopped maturing.
So guess what? Because you've done that.
I don't care that you've been in the church 20 years.
Guess what? You have need of again.
We need to put you back on the bottle because you've gotten off
your foundation, You've gotten off the foundation of the word.
You see that? And because of that, we're going
to have to come. Back to need for milk and not
solid food. For everyone who partakes only
of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he
has is an infant, but solid food is for the what mature.
Who? Because of practice, they
practice. This is how you grow strong in
spirit. This is how you maintain a
reigning spirit. You are going to have to be one
that actually practices the word.
That means when you know that the Scripture says that your
flesh and your spirit battle daily, and yet when a situation
you just encountered causes your flesh to rise up, you respond
that way instead of what you know to do.
So when you don't do what you know to do, we know that's
called. Sin.
But not only. When you don't do what you know
to do. That means you're not
practicing. You're not practicing what you
know to do, how you know you should respond in every
situation, in every circumstance.
We are to respond by the Spirit, not by the Where to walk by the
Spirit, not by the flesh, where to live, By the, not by the.
Right, so we have to. And he tells us that we must
mature. We read this last week out of
Ephesians and I believe that this is a church that's going to
get people off the milk. And get them over to the meat of
righteousness, to maturity. Now, those who want to stay a
baby, we're still going to have babies.
And babies are always what? My life would be so easy if
there were no babies. You're always going to have
babies, period. Because you should be getting
new people in that's never heard the word and get born again and
they're going to be considered a babe.
But then we know we're always going to have babies, too.
Because people are going to become dull of hearing after 20
years. You decide.
You decide what you're going to become.
You going to remain a baby and live by the dictates of the
flesh like everybody else and not grow and not mature?
Or are you going to decide? You know what?
It's time for me to grow up. When I was a child, I used to.
But when I became a man, I put away childish things and the
flesh is childish things. Childish.
Just showing that you're acting like a baby.
You know, what would it be if if I actually am doing a counseling
meeting and someone's, you know, coming in my office and want to
have counsel and I just. Start crying.
I would. Like to do that because that
would really freak some people out and just have a meltdown.
As they are having a meltdown, wouldn't that be fun?
Just two people in there just having meltdowns.
Oh, praise the Lord. You would like to look at them
and say just quit acting. Like a baby.
Grow up. Come on, Are we not beyond this
by now? But see, that's speaking the
truth in love. And you know, a lot of people
can't even handle that because they're OK.
Not you. Look at your neighbor and say,
not you, you're not a baby. Don't cry at them in their face,
OK? So we know this Ephesians
chapter 4. We're going to move over into my
message because I'm meddling Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 11
and 15. It says.
And he himself gave some apostles, prophets, evangelists,
pastors, teachers, for the equipping of the Saints, for the
work of ministry, for the edifying of the body, till we
all come to the what unity of faith and the knowledge of the
Son of God. To a perfect man, that word is
mature, a mature man. To the measure of the stature of
the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children
tossed to and fro, carried away by every wind of doctrine, by
the trickery of men, and by the cunning craftiness of deceitful
plotting, you know. There's deceitful plots by
people that you encounter. It's not just, you know, false
prophets and all these things. Again, Pastor has told us we
have to learn how to discern what spirit this person's really
coming from in their behavior. And why they're even saying what
they're saying and acting like they're acting.
You can have a word of knowledge and know you know what you have
a wrong. Motive in what you just said.
And the way you just acted and the way you just responded,
that's a wrong motive, right? But he says, because you're
trying to be right deceitful, and you're plotting, you're
manipulating, you're trying to be.
Crafty in the way that you're talking to me, but I will not be
manipulated nor controlled by any.
Of that kind of spirit, you see that?
Not going to be made feel guilty.
I'm not going to be made feel ashamed because of your failure,
right? Not yours.
But whoever it is I'm dealing with or talking to, and it's not
even me dealing or talking. I mean, I mean, you know,
there's family members, there's people all the time.
You're encountering, right? But I will not be controlled by
people's emotions. I will not be manipulated by
people, right? Your own children.
I'm going to tell you, plenty of your teenage children are
manipulating you all day long and twice on Sunday.
We got a wise up, parents, wise up.
Come on, because you have the Holy Ghost on the inside and you
ought to be able to know when your kid is lying to you or not.
Because that's from a different spirit and if you actually are
following. The.
Spirit of Truth and have the Holy Spirit living within you.
You know whether they're lying or whether they're manipulating
you. But if you're a manipulator and
you're a liar. And don't act like there ain't
no Christians that do that. OK, so this is just the truth to
help us. What?
Say it again to grow up, to grow.
So he says deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love,
that we may grow up in all things unto him who is the head
Christ. And when we He says He wants us
to grow up in the Greek, that means he wants us to become
complete. He wants us to have complete
mental and moral character, not just growing spiritually or
physically. He wants our mental.
Capacities or faculties? Not capacities faculties to grow
and to mature again, so that our emotions do not rule us in a
situation. You see that because our spirit.
Has grown completely matured in the moral character, the
completeness of fully mature, a perfect man, full stature of a
man, so he never wants us to remain babies in Christ.
So we have to desire the sincere milk of the word so that we can
grow thereby, and not only desire the sincere milk of the
word, but we need to desire the the words of righteousness so
that we can get beyond elementary principles right.
So that we can actually learn how to discern some things and
we have actually become practicers of the word of God.
Within our lives daily that we practice the word.
How do you? Practice the word.
You're going to be in those situations that you have to
apply the word. You're going to have to be in
situations that you're going to have to apply the word.
If you know where to live by faith and not by sight, and
you're believing God because you're a tither, you're in
covenant, you are a sower that you know.
You come in your face with a huge bill that you just
encountered. Do you think that took God by
surprise? Do you think that he did not
know about the $120,000 worth of taxes?
He knew. He knows, right?
So what are we going to do because we trust in him?
Lord. Because we're faithful, tithers.
Because we're in covenant with you.
Because we're givers. Because we're walking in love,
Right? I know.
By faith that this is already done.
So I don't have to worry about tomorrow because we what seek
first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and everything
else will be what added to us, right?
So that's calling. That's called practicing living.
By faith, when everything looks like you're going under.
I live by faith. That means I don't worry about
what I see in the natural because I don't live by what
sight I live by. Because my spirit is strong in
the Lord, my spirit is strong in the Lord, and I'm going to
respond according to my spirit if my spirit has been growing
properly. You're not going to respond by
the spirit if you have not been what we called last week.
What Feeding your spirit. Feeding your spirit The proper
food, the proper nutrients, the proper things right.
And what feeds our spirit? The word of God?
Faith. Comes from what?
Hearing And the hearing from the word of God.
So we have to be people that say, you know what, I am going
to grow. I'm going to mature.
I'm going to feed my spirit man on the word of God coming to.
Church once in 1/4, working your fingers to a bone, doing what
you want to. Do come on, not reading the
word. You do not have.
A. Strong spirit, Period.
Period. Because he says that we should
what, daily Meditate? On the word that His word is
what? Bread.
Amen. So we are not going to develop
properly, and we're not you're going to be anorexic.
You're actually going to be deformed.
If you are not feeding your spirit as a Christian, you will
be a anorexic Christian and a deformed Christian deformities
within you because you've not actually transformed.
OK, transform the renewing of your mind.
So let's go here. I want to go here in US
developing a strong spirit in Colossians chapter 2.
Colossians chapter 2 and verse 6 through 8 says this.
And now, just as you have accepted Christ Jesus as your
Lord, you must to continue to follow Him.
Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built
on him. Then your faith will grow what
strong in the truth you were talked and you will overflow
with thankfulness. Do not let anyone capture you
with empty philosophies and high sounding nonsense that come from
human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world
rather than from Christ. So you also are complete through
your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler.
And authority, he lets us know right here.
That we must continue to let our roots grow down within him and
our lives being built on him, right?
We know that we have to be built upon the.
Rock, because everything else is what sinking Sand.
Build your house upon the rock. Who is the rock?
Who is? Jesus.
The Word. So if we don't want our house,
our temple, our who, we are built on the wrong things, we
are going to have to recognize that we must build our house
upon the rock. The revelation of who Christ is
the Word of God. He is the Word, and we have to
build our lives on His Word and nothing else, nothing else.
My. Life is built upon his word.
He is my rock. And when I go before any
challenge, any situation, I can be assured that I'm not sinking.
I don't even feel like I'm sinking.
I don't feel overwhelmed. I don't feel pressure.
I don't feel frustrated because I've built my house upon the
unfallible word of God. Amen.
And do you know every believer should be in that position that
we are so built upon. Our foundation is so strong, so
sturdy. Nothing can knock us off the
foundation. Because I'm going to tell you
what, many people are going to be thrown off the foundation
that they once were on because they want continue to stay on
the milk of God's word and did not allow him to rebuild them
because they became deceived and dull of hearing.
And that's how he says many are going to fall away from the
faith in the last days because they were not continually being
built upon the rock and letting their roots grow deeper and
deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper.
Let's talk about a building. I'm going to tell you, most
believers quit growing because they get born again and they
think they're good to go. And that one day when they die,
they're going to be with Jesus in heaven, they stop growing.
They become religious and they think just 'cause they're coming
to church maybe once in awhile and maybe serving once in
awhile, they're good to go all along.
They're still shriveling up and not growing.
And then something rocks their world and the foundation they
thought they were on. No, it wasn't rooted.
It was shallow. Do you know when a builder comes
in? I know a little bit about
building now. I feel like we've been building
for, well, for 20 years. We have been right.
So you know when you go to build.
You cannot just put a house on top of the ground.
But this is what believers think, that when they get born
again, their house is built and they've just plopped it out on
the top of the ground like no house is put on top of the
ground. Huh.
Yeah, just trailers. And they're called mobile homes.
You know what that means? They can be uprooted and moved.
But a path that's built, come on and firmly built and planted
down in the they have to. Listen there, there's a lot that
goes on before you actually see a house.
They have to. They have to actually.
They have to grate the ground first.
Well, first they have to measure out your plot.
Then they have to grade it right.
They have to grade the ground to make sure that the water is
going to flow off properly and not stay right there at your
house. You want it to roll off the
edges of your property, right? So they're grading the ground,
and sometimes, if they have to bring in dirt because it's so
low, guess what they have to do? Let it sit and.
Let it settle for a little while, right before they can
even start measuring out for the cornerstone of the house.
To then put in the the, the, the, you know, the foundations
and the pillars on every corner. They have to dig it out, they
have to put it in. Depending on how.
If you got a three story house, it's got to go down different
depths into the ground. Now if you just want a shallow
house, you're not going to go down as deep.
You want to live a shallow life. Don't go down as deep into the
Word and you'll live a shallow Christian life and a life that
never God intended for you. But if you actually want to be
all that God wants for you and do all the things that God
actually had destined for you to do, you're going to have to dig
down a little bit deeper so that your house, your capacity, can
be larger, right? Then once they get those corner
things all whatever they're called the the.
Squared out and all the footers, thank you.
Y'all knew what I was talking about.
I know what I'm talking about. I just don't know all the
terminology. Then what do they do?
They have to dig out for the septic and the plumbing.
All that stuff before they can actually pour the concrete for
the foundation, because all of that has to have pipes coming up
before they pour the concrete. What if I tried to build the
house and this is what Christians do?
They try to bypass. They think because they're born
again, they can bypass things. So what if I try to, you know,
put my studs up to start building and framing in and I
don't put the trashes up for the roof to support it and I just
put them on top of the tops of the two by fours in the frame?
It's going to collapse. But this is what Christians this
is how their lives are being built.
They're trying to build it their own way and bypass, maybe to
save money. We're going to cheapen and cut
corners like some builders do. Don't go with a builder that
does that, because then then the end you're going to pay.
You going to have cracks in your foundation, Your walls are going
to start cracking, The ceilings going to start cracking.
Come on. You going to have all kinds of
cracks in your house That was. Built because you try to cut
corners, save money and not build it properly.
When God will build your house properly if you allow him to.
So that your foundation can be shirt up so that your whole
house can be built properly. That you never have to worry
about. When the winds come and the
rains come and the floods come. Because guess what?
They're coming and they're going to come.
Because in this life you will have what trials, tribulations,
and all kinds of problems. But what have you allowed God to
do with your life? Have you allowed him to build
you or to grow you, to be a person that's continually
growing and allowing him to do whatever he needs to do within
your life and within your? Heart so that you have a strong
spirit, a reigning spirit. Through whatever's going on in
life, you see that? So that we're not going to get
called up. We're going to be built
properly. You want to make sure that you
are built properly, built on him.
Then your faith will grow strong in the truth that you were
taught. Amen, 'cause if you're not
allowing him to build you properly, it's not true faith.
It's religion, and it's what you want your faith to be.
So it's going to be built wrong. Amen.
And then you're going to wonder why there's always drama,
there's always problems, there's always situations, because
you're ruled by the circumstances.
The. Situations of life because
you've not allowed him to build you properly.
And allowed yourself to continue to grow and mature.
Because in the midst of the pain is where growth can come.
In the midst of the challenge is where growth comes.
And we we talked about this last week, the only way your muscles
are going to grow is if you what?
Tear them down. Break them down so that they can
what? Grow stronger now?
God's not tearing you down and breaking you down, but there's
circumstances, situations, and trials in life that are there to
try to tear you down, to break you down.
Come on. That's a test of faith for you.
And do you actually believe the words that you are being taught
so that when you actually practice it or apply it in that
situation, it's helping your what spirit to grow?
Isn't that what we read last week in Romans about Abraham's
faith grew? He grew strong in faith when he
had to believe God, when his dead body was dead and Sarah's
womb was closed up, right? It said.
His faith was able to grow in the midst of that challenge
because he had to believe God and he counted God.
What faithful, faithful he trusted him beyond what he could
see and his ability, even though his his body was what dead it
said. And that's when you actually
allow God to mature you and grow you through all of these types
of things that you go through. When you as a believer know what
the Word says, you've heard it preach.
Now, are you going to do it right?
Are you going to be a doer in the midst of the situation?
That's how you grow and mature. You do not grow and mature, just
'cause you know what to do, but you don't do it right.
You're being faced with it. What are you going to do?
You've got to apply the word. This is what's going to help you
grow and mature. I want to give you 4 quick
points on how. We can grow a.
Strong Spirit, the number one thing is we must meditate on
God's Word. We must meditate on God's word.
If we are going to be those with a strong spirit, and when any
situation arises in our life that the very first thing that
comes up is, what does the word say?
What does the word say? I hear what the doctor's report
just said. I hear it because that came now.
But what does the word say? That what?
By his stripes I am healed no matter what the report of the
Lord is. Whose report are you going to
believe? People sing that song all day
long. But when they hear the report,
they crumble. Believers, that has even been
taught. The good Word of Faith, they
crumble. You know why?
Because they have not remained build on the foundation.
Of the word of God. You know what I was thinking the
other day? And I was sharing this with
Y'all last Wednesday night and I shared it and taught it to our
staff and the ministry coordinators.
About these children of Israel, he's.
Just had me on this lately. These children of Israel, you
know what? It took only 40 days for them to
revert back. Well.
It actually only took him three because right when he brings
them into the cross in the Red Sea, right into the wilderness
in three days, they were already looking back and want to go back
and whining and crying, OK, I can give them three days.
I'll give that to them because this is all new.
This is a new experience, you know, This is a new thing they
haven't encountered yet. That God's but this is like our
spiritual growth. God delivers us.
We get born again, and he's wanting to bring us into the
promised land. But because it's out of our
comfort zone and because it's not in our normal routine and
the way we used to do life, you know, you're feeling a little
out of sorts. That's what faith will do to
you. And in three days they were
whining and crying. But listen to.
This after God did everything for them.
Here they are, 40 days. When Moses goes up to the
mountain, he was gone for 40 days, right up on the mountain,
talking to God. In 40 days they had already
forgotten what God had delivered them out of.
How long does it take? We've said to create a habit, 21
days to create a habit, right. I believe the 22nd day they
started reverting back. They started reverting back.
They like got Moses. Where is he at?
I mean, come on, he's, he's been up in this mountain now, you
know? And is he coming back?
Because poof, that didn't just happen on the 40th day.
So we have to be people that recognize that we are going to
have to allow him time to do some things within our life so
that it becomes a habit within us, which has to do with
practicing. We have to practice this habit
right for 21 days before it becomes a.
Part of our. Routine.
Isn't that what they say? 21 days to form a habit?
So we're going to have to practice these things.
How much more are we going to have to practice what His word
says that we should do in the situations that we encounter?
Because if they can revert in those forty days to where
they're ready to worship this cow, that this golden calf, and
create their own God again. How about us?
Who are believers that are not doing what the Word of God says,
that are not meditating in the word day and night, that are
not, you know, applying His Word and practicing His Word on a
daily basis? What are we doing?
We're going to create our own ways, just as Pastor said, to
work how we want to worship God and what will be acceptable for
God. OK, but we're not going to grow
with that Anyway. Meditating on the word Joshua 18
says this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth.
But you shall. What?
Meditate in it day and night, so that you'll be careful to do
according to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will
have success. What does he say?
Day. And night.
You know what would be a good habit for you?
If you want to continue to grow, we are going to have to read the
word in the morning before you go to work and read the word
before you put your head on the pillow.
That is day and night, meditating on it Day and night.
I want the first thing I read in the morning.
Not to be the news outlet. Not to be Instagram, not to be
whatever you like to read your romance.
Novel. Your fiction book?
No. The first thing you ought to put
in you is the word of God when you wake up, so that it's your
first. Thoughts in the morning and the
last thoughts before you lay your head to rest.
I'm going to put the word in it because he says if I meditate in
it day and night right and not let it depart from my what?
Oh my. Mouth.
That means I actually should be speaking it.
When I'm getting put in a situation, I'm going to speak
the word only. What does the word say?
What's the word say? What's the word say?
What's the word say about this situation?
That's the first thing I'm going to have come out of my mouth.
But it's not going to come out if we're not putting it in.
It's not going to come out just because you hear it on Sunday
and Wednesday. It's day and night every day.
It's Our Daily Bread, right? Then what will?
Happen. He not only says we are to not
let it depart from our mouth, he only also says that we're
supposed to meditate on it day and night.
But then he also says we are to what do it?
Do be careful to do according to all that is written, not just
part of what is written, not. Just pick and choose what you
want to do and what you don't want to do.
To the word, because, you know, this is really my personality
and you know, God made me this way, so that's how I'm going to
respond, period. Even though it may not be,
according to what the word says, how you should.
Respond right being quick to. Hear slow to speak.
And slow to wrath. So be careful to do according to
all that is written for. Then you will make your way
prosperous and you will have what success?
That's not like you're going to have a successful business.
It's that your life will be a success in whatever you do
because you've actually put the word to it.
Now of course your business will be applied there if you put the
word to it, if you actually do what you know you're supposed to
be doing with your business. Plenty of business owners have
multi $1,000,000 businesses but never give one cent to the
church because they're a businessman and they want to
control where the money goes, right?
Well, that's not doing it according to all that is
written. All right, I'll go.
On anyway, Philippians, let's read this.
Philippians 4/8 and 9:00 says this.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.
Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right and
pure and lovely and admirable. Think about these things that
are excellent and worthy of praise keeping.
Keep putting, say. Keep putting into practice, into
practice. All that you learned and
received from me everything that you have heard.
From me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be
with you. You see that?
So he lets us know. Not only are we to meditate on
the word day and night, but we're supposed to keep our our
thoughts with has to do with meditation with has to do with
our mind, our thinking on things that are right.
Honorable. True.
Pure, lovely and admirable and excellent and worthy of praise.
Right? I'm not going to think about
wickedness and what people are doing.
Bitters. Wicked.
I'm not going to. Meditate on that I'm.
Not going to watch that garbage. I'm not going to.
Listen to that stuff, right? But no, I'm going to think on
things that are true. I'm not going to listen to lies.
I'm not going to listen to liars when I know people are just
lying. They're just lying dogs.
I'm not going to listen to them. That is not going to be the
truth that I put in my life. I don't build my life upon lies.
No, I build my life upon truth. I build my life on honor, not
going to participate in things that are dishonouring people or
whatever. And I'm going to do what is
right. I'm going to think about and
meditate on things that are right, not things that are
wrong. I'm going to think on things
that are pure and holy and righteous and lovely and
admirable. You see that.
So we've got to be people. That meditate on the right
things and put these things within our lives if we're going
to continue to. Grow and mature and have a
strong spirit and then he goes on to say, and we need to keep
putting them into practice because many people are not
practicing the word. They're not practicing the word,
OK? We know one translation says
fixed your mind on these things. The amplified.
You know what else the amplified says about this scripture?
It says to. Think on and weigh and take an
account of these things. Think on these things.
Take an account of these things. Fix your minds.
What does it say? Way out.
That means everything that I'm going to begin to think on.
I'm going to weigh it with the word.
I'm going to weigh it out with the word.
I'm not going to just. Think on things that is not
being. Weighed out with the word of
God. Right.
And when we do that, we can be assured.
That we will continue to grow strong.
Now look at Psalms One and three.
This is the last scripture on meditation.
Psalms. One, one through 3.
Blessed, happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable.
Enviable. Is that how you pronounce?
That? Is the man who walks and lives
not in the counsel of the ungodly?
I would never listen to an ungodly, unsaved person and put
what they say. First place in my life, period.
I'm going to listen to what God's word says and what a
hopefully a St. would say and a believer would say and take
counsel from them speaking the truth rather than taking advice
from an ungodly unsaved person. And how many Christians do that
still have ungodly friends and trying to get in and?
People that are whoring around, come on.
People that are doing all kinds of ungodly things in your sphere
of influence and you listen to their advice, give me a break
that may it never be, God forbid.
I mean, that's insanity. OK?
So we're not. We should be doing that,
listening to ungodly counsel, following their advice, their
plans and purposes, Nor stand submissive and inactive in the.
Path where sinners walk nor sit down to relax and rest where the
scornful and mockers gather. But his delight and desires are
in the law of the Lord. On his law, his precepts, his
instructions, and the teachings of God, he habitually meditates,
ponders, and studies by day and night.
And he shall be like a what a tree, firmly planted and tended
by the streams of water, ready to bring forth fruit in every
season, and its leaves shall not fade wither, and everything you
do shall prosper and. To maturity.
The reason why some of you are not growing and maturing is
because of this. Right here.
You've got an ear to what ungodly people are saying.
You're listening to their advice.
You're listening. You're hanging out with scornful
sinners, mockers against the things of God.
And you are not putting what God's word says in your heart,
in your ears. You're not feeding upon it.
Remember, we have eye gates and we have an ear gate and that's.
What gets into our soul? What are we listening to?
What are we feeding on? What are we watching?
What are we allowing to be put within our souls?
Come on. And whatever that is is feeding
us. What if you've heard this before
the statement garbage in, garbage out.
If you're feeding on garbage and listening to this junk and all
these philosophies of the world and all these you know,
so-called psychologist and self help people and Instagram is
full of them. They're going to lead you down
straight to. Hell, I'm telling you right now,
you're on a dangerous Rd. if you're feeding on their counsel
more than the counsel of God, which is the word of God.
Hallelujah. So we need to meditate in the
word of God if we are going to have a strong Spirit #2.
We must be practicers or doers of the word if we're going to
have a strong spirit. James 121 through 26 Out of the
Amplified So get rid of all cleanly uncleanliness and the
rampart outgrowth of wickedness. And in humble, gentle, modest
spirit, receive and welcome the word which is implanted and
rooted in your hearts, and contains the power to save your
souls. Be not doers of the word right.
Obey the message and not merely listeners to it, betraying
yourselves into deception by reasoning contrary to the truth.
What does? That mean you are hearing the
truth. I can guarantee you every time
you come to this church and the words that are going to come
forth off of this platform is going to be the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth.
Soap. Help us God, unfiltered,
unadulterated, unwatered down. And if you sit here for 20
years, hearing the truth of God's word and not being a what
doer of that word, what are you doing?
Your reasoning out, why you don't have to do it, why you
don't have to do it, and that you think you can still grow and
mature and have a strong spirit. I mean, that's just deception,
guys. And I don't want.
Anyone to be deceived, It's just deception and you got to shake
that off of you into deception by reasoning contrary to the.
Truth, you're sitting there reasoning out.
The. Truth that you don't really have
to do that it says for anyone. Who listens to the word without
obeying it and being a doer of it?
He is like a man who looks carefully at his own natural
face in a mirror, for he thoughtfully observes himself
and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.
But. He who looks carefully into the
faultless law. The faultless law, the law of
liberty, what the law of freedom come on, and his faithful to,
and perseveres into looking into it.
Being not a heedless listener who forgets, but an active doer
who obeys, he shall be blessed in his doing, his life of
obedience, if anyone thinks himself to be religious.
And does not bridle his tongue, deludes his own heart.
You think you're religious. You think you're full of faith.
You think just because you show up here once a quarter or
whatever the case may be. But you ain't doing it.
And you run off at the mouth. You have an unbridled tongue.
You have no soul control. You're deceiving yourself.
Deluding yourself. That you're right.
You're reasoning it out contrary to the truth.
And we cannot be people that do that if we are going to allow
ourselves to grow and mature. Come on and have a strong
spirit, a reigning spirit that he says we can have.
We will not reign in life or do anything if we are deluded.
It says he shall be blessed in his duty.
Anyone who thinks to be religious right and does not
bridle his trunk, he he tongue he.
Deludes his own heart. This person is religious.
Service is worthless. It's worthless.
I didn't say that.
The word of God said it. The word of God said it and we
got to read it for what it says, Amen and then be doers of it. #3
We have to give the Word first place, right?
The Word is first place within our hearts and within our lives.
If the Word says, I need to do that.
If the Word says, I need to act like that.
If the Word says, I need to change.
If the word says, I need to respond like that.
If the word says this, whatever the case may be, it's first
place in my life. So I'm going to yield to it.
I'm going to do it, I'm going to apply it, and I'm going to.
It's first in that what Matthew 633 says, Seek ye. 1st.
The Kingdom of God in his righteousness right.
And all these things will be added unto you.
Look at Proverbs 420. In proverbs 420 through 22, out
of the Amplified my son, attend to my words, consent and submit
to my sayings. And that's where most people are
at. Are we submitting to his
sayings? Are we submitting to his word?
Are we putting at first place in our life and what he says that
we should be doing? Or are we putting other people's
opinions, other people's ideas of how we should do this thing?
Other people's right philosophies, other people's
doctrine? Because you're hearing sound
doctrine here, but you may still be holding on to other people's
doctrine. Maybe your mama's doctrine,
maybe your daddy's doctrine. Come on.
Maybe somebody else's belief system that's been put in you
and you are holding on to that tradition, right?
God in that way we say, and not wanting to go let go of it and
not putting his. Word first in your heart, you
see that? So it says this.
Let them not depart from your eyes, your sight.
Keep them in the center of your heart, for they are life to
those who find them and healing and health to all your flesh.
If you just start submitting to the Word, your body would start
getting in alignment in every area of your life.
Because it's health and healing, start submitting to the word of
God and your body again in alignment some of you.
That's a prophetic word. You need to submit to the word
and your body will get in line instantly.
Obey #4. Last one.
We're closing with this. Instantly obey the.
Voice of your spirit, the minute you hear the Holy Spirit, yeah,
that's it. That's what you need to do.
Obey it. Obey it immediately.
Obey it whatever it is you can be sitting in.
You could be walking in Walmart. And the Holy Spirit say, you
know what, I want you to buy that person's groceries.
Obey immediately. Be sitting in here, and the Holy
Spirit say you need to go pay. For that person's rent.
Obey immediately. You may be sitting in here in
the Holy Spirit, say you need to deal with this root issue.
Obey immediately. Obey the voice of the Spirit
immediately. Because I'm going to tell you,
it will save your life. If we don't obey it, then we're
going to harden ourselves all the time.
Those prompt things are coming. And if we don't learn to obey,
that means we are practicing obeying.
We're practicing obeying. Oh, that's what the Word said
about that situation. OK.
The next time I'm going to obey it.
And you know what you should say?
Thank you, Holy Spirit, that the next time I want to respond that
way, you tell me and I'm going to obey it.
And he will, and he does. I've used this example before.
You know my husband, when he and I first got married, you know, I
had a mouth on me and you know. I had I had a problem right?
And he would come in from work or whatever, and I would just
spout off or, you know, whatever, say whatever.
We're getting into argument. You know, I'm going to have some
stuff to say about it. And, you know, act in a fool,
OK, Just say you act in a fool when you do it.
So, you know, I'm growing as a woman of God, and this is years
ago when we first got married, you know, And I I was taught you
don't have to submit to a man. And so I wasn't going to submit,
you know, and all these things. And all of a sudden I heard the
Holy Spirit say, you need to bite your.
Tongue. You need to quit talking to him
like that. That is not honoring.
That's not respectful. That's not how you should be
talking to your husband. You know, and so I heard the
holy now I have a choice. Now I have a choice to obey the
voice of the Spirit or to not. So I have said OK to myself,
self, and the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Lord, that you're
going to let me know the next time I want to start spouting
off. You're going to let me know that
I just need to keep my mouth shut and I'm going to yield to
that. And what happened?
I started practicing. It.
Was I perfect? Immediately?
No, because I had been practicing.
It for what? Years?
Been practicing it for years, so it took a little.
While for that habit to become natural response.
But it never would have become a habit, and it never would have
been a natural response if I had not obeyed and yield to what the
Holy Spirit said I recognized. It I received the correction, I
said, you're right, I shouldn't be.
And then I began yielding to it. And the Holy Spirit would help
me because he's our what? He's our helper, He's our helper
and he's there to help. Us become who it is that we need
to become so that we can grow and we can mature into.
A. Person who actually responds to
the word 1st and not our emotions, not our situations
because our spirit has become what strong and that's how you
know you have a reigning spirit because pastor can say this is
the year of a reigning spirit and not not one person operate
in it. I don't care that you've been
given the reigning Spirit, which we know who is Christ and the.
Spirit of Truth that's living on the inside of you and the power
of the Holy Ghost. I don't care that you've been
given that spirit. You have to yield to it and
actually walk it out and do it. OK.
So for us to maintain a strong spirit so that the first thing
we do is what does the word say? Because I've been meditating on
the word day and night. I've been putting it in my
heart. I've been meditating on it.
I've been making sure I'm thinking on these things.
I've been practicing the word. I've been doing the word.
I've been responding according to the word Amen.
I've been putting it first in my life.
And I actually am obeying. The voice of the Holy Spirit.
Amen. That's how we're going to
maintain a reigning spirit this year.
Hallelujah, Thank you so much for listening to this message.
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