ATMOSPHERE PT 3

ATMOSPHERE Part 3

In his book, Fuzzy Memories, Jack Handey writes,

“There used to be this bully who would demand my lunch money every day. Since I was smaller, I would give it to him.

“Then I decided to fight back. I started taking karate lessons, but the instructor wanted $5 a lesson. That was a lot of money. I found that it was cheaper to pay the bully, so I gave up karate.”

(NKJV) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

I DON’T HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT WE ARE AT WAR IN AMERICA!

· It’s a dirty war – in some ways -- worse than the one we are waging against terrorism.

· It’s being fought right here on our soil

· It’s a war for the minds and hearts of people – between the forces of good and evil.

The stakes in this war are high because the price is life or death

I WANT US ALL TO BE AWARE THAT WHEN WE ARE IN A/ NEW SEASON OF RELEASE ....

· For Souls To Be Saved Or Re-United With God’s Purpose For Their Lives -- We Are Dealing Major Blows To The Powers Of Darkness

· For Marriages To Be Saved -- We Are Dealing Major Blows To The Powers Of Darkness

· For People To Be Healed -- We Are Dealing Major Blows To The Powers Of Darkness

WE HAVE SEEN SEVERAL THINGS TOGETHER SO FAR ABOUT PRAYER CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE ....

· When WE PRAY-- I Become The Will Of God

· When WE PRAY-- Angels Are Released By The Father To Be Messengers In Situations

· When WE PRAY-- Much Power Is Made Available

TODAY ....

3 points I want to make this morning about our position when praying ....

[1] WE PRAY FROM HIS STRENGTH ….

(NKJV)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

We draw our strength IN THE LORD -- WE DON’T DRAW STRENGTH APART FROM RELATIONSHIP IN CHRIST

(NKJV) Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

(NKJV) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Could you use some extra strength today?

NOW — LOOK AT THIS — the word “strong” in .

RICK RENNER, from his book Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol 1 says;

It is the Greek word endunamao, a compound of the words en and dunamis. The word en means in. The word dunamis means explosive strength, ability, and power.

It’s where we get the word dynamite !!!

Thus, this word endunamao presents the picture of an explosive power that is being deposited into some type of vessel, or receptacle.

This is where we come into the picture! We are specially designed by God to be the receptacles of divine power.

When Paul tells us to be strong in the Lord, he is essentially saying,

Receive a supernatural, strengthening, internal deposit of power into your inner man.

God is the Giver — we are the receptacles into which this power is to be deposited.

could be translated to mean:

“...Be infused with supernatural strength and ability.…”

“...Be empowered with this special touch of God’s strength.…”

“...Receive this inner strengthening.…”

God has made available to us this supernatural strength and ability!

WITHIN US is the strength & Life of Christ Himself -- Your amount of strength is based on the development of your relational trust IN HIM!

Jesus asked a couple of powerful questions of His followers:

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

WHAT DO YOU THINK I CAN DO?

OUR PRAYER LIVES are a proof of answering these questions -- CAUSE -- IF I believe He is My Redeemer & ALL things Are Possible -- THEN I WILL PRAY LIKE THAT CONSISTENTLY

I WILL ALSO KNOW THAT I ALREADY HAVE THE VICTORY IN CHRIST -- SOOOOO -- WHEN I PRAY - I PRAY FROM A PLACE OF STRENGTH!

(MSG) And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening. And if we’re confident that he’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours.

And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening. And if we’re confident that he’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours.

[2] WE PRAY WITH HIS MIGHT ….

(NKJV)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

RICK RENNER SAYS;

The word “power” is taken from the Greek word kratos, and it describes what I have come to call demonstrated power. kratos power is a power that is demonstrative, eruptive, and tangible.

, declares that when God raised Jesus from the dead, He used this very same kratos power to do the job! It says,

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power [kratos], which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead.…”

This power that God used when He raised Jesus from the dead is the same, exact, identical power that is now at work in us. That means we have resurrection power working in our lives!

So turn up your level of expectation! Start anticipating that this mighty power of God will begin to flow through you!

HOW MANY THINKS OUR FATHER HAS A FORCEFUL ECHO?

(GW) Then God said, “Let there be light!” So there was light.

Then God said, “Let there be light!” So there was light.

(GW) Then God said, “Let the water under the sky come together in one area, and let the dry land appear.” And so it was.

Then God said, “Let the water under the sky come together in one area, and let the dry land appear.” And so it was.

(GW) Then God said, “Let the earth produce vegetation: plants bearing seeds, each according to its own type, and fruit trees bearing fruit with seeds, each according to its own type.” And so it was.

Then God said, “Let the earth produce vegetation: plants bearing seeds, each according to its own type, and fruit trees bearing fruit with seeds, each according to its own type.” And so it was.

I Love That After God Declared Something - The Next Statement Is “AND SO IT WAS”

Everything happened according to whatever GOD SAID TO HAPPEN

THAT IS EXACTLY the way HE wants US to PRAY --

· WE declare someone to be delivered from darkness -- and so they are

· WE declare someone to be healed -- and they are healed

· WE declare prosperity in our lives - and so we prosper

WE are to ENFORCE what CHRIST has already redeemed US from & redeemed US to have

(NKJV) You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

What Do We Do When We Pray -- Simply Speak From The Word That Is In You -- THE FATHER WILL DO THE REST!

[3] WE PRAY WWF STYLE ….

(NKJV) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

WRESTLE -- IT’S A SPIRITUAL THROWDOWN BABY

ILLUSTRATION

When I was in High School, I was part of the wrestling team and wrestled at 180 lbs. but because we were a small school, sometimes I had to wrestle the heavy weight class -- which meant I could be wrestling someone at 400 lbs. Which I did many times and all I wanted to do was hit them with a chair or table and run! Cause once I wrestled a guy who weighed in at 450 lbs and I tried to do a firemans carry on him and well -- broke my hand after he landed on me.

AFTER PAUL lays out the armor to put on -- he shows us that the way we then wrestle is by PRAYER & WE NEED TO BE AGGRESSIVE -- WRESTLING IS AGGRESSIVE -- WE ARE TO BE AGGRESSIVE AGAINST THE RANKS OF HELL IN THE HEAVENLIES

Who’s in the heavenly realms?

· Well, if you just read that one verse -- you’d think it was the spiritual forces of evil.

But that’s not true.

(NKJV) and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

When we were saved -- God lifted us up to live in the heavenly realms.

We’re there right now.

WHERE IS CHRIST SITTING? -- THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER

WHERE ARE YOU SITTING? -- THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER IN CHRIST

You may think you’re sitting here in a church building in WEATHERFORD TX, but in reality – if you’re a Christian - you’re in the heavenly realms right now.

You know what that means?

You have the high ground.

You have the “high ground” SPIRITUALLY.

ILLUSTRATION

I once had a group in Nashville who were asking me to play for them say; “You can’t be so heavenly minded that you can’t do any earthly good” — which was their way of saying that I was going to have to be willing to make compromises in my Christian life to make money with them.

BUT — I can’t Really do any earthly good without being HEAVENLY MINDED!!!!!

OUR CONFESSION

I confess that God’s indomitable, overpowering, conquering, and irresistible power flows through me! The very power that raised Jesus from the dead resides and operates in my life. It is an eruptive power; it is a demonstrated power; and it is an outwardly visible power — the strongest kind of power known to God or man. With this empowering Presence of the Holy Spirit working in me, I expect the power that raised Jesus from the dead to operate in my life. I deliberately turn up my level of expectation and anticipate this mighty power of God to begin to flow through me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name

WE CAN’T GIVE UP ON OUR PRAYERS & WE CAN’T GIVE UP PRAYING

EVERYBODY SAY IT ....

WE PRAY & MAKE THINGS HAPPEN