"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Your Divine Focus
When a disruption, interruption or distraction tries to knock you off course, always remember that the simple solution is to keep your focus where it needs to be – on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith.
This life provides us with ample opportunities to get off course. The key to staying on course is to discover and maintain your communion, your intimate connection with God. There is nothing more valuable in your life than your relationship with God. He is Your Rock.
"He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved." (Psalm 62:2)
He is the one who sustains, energizes and inspires your life to do His good will.
His Heavenly Places
The devil looks for opportunities to disrupt your life (1 Peter 5:8). God, as well, has provided wisdom ways to keep your life in His perfect plan and will (Proverbs 24:3). There is no need to be worried about the devil. He has already been defeated.
"And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:13-15)
If Christ had not destroyed the devil's work and power, then you would have a need to be concerned. As Believers, we have not one reason to be concerned because Jesus has seated us in heavenly places with Him.
"...and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6)
The seated position is the place of rest and power. Just as we are kings in Christ Jesus, so the authority given to us is totally sufficient, as the God of peace crushes the head of the serpent under our feet.
"And the God of peace will crush satan under your feet shortly. (Photo via Unsplash)
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen." (Romans 16:20)
Victory is not a dream but a reality in Christ. The need is an alignment of the mind of man with God's truth, thoughts and reality. When our souls come into a place of yielding to His will, our eyes are then opened to see the reality of His Kingdom and will manifested in our lives.
Divine Nature Crossover
In our hearts, we need to cross over into the promised land of His divine nature being revealed in us. This is where we take on the DNG (the "Divine Nature of God").
"...His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature..." (2 Peter 1:3-4)
As His promises are fulfilled in our lives, we experience the glory of His presence in fresh ways. We are, in essence, being reNEWed in our minds – this being the times of reFRESHing that come from the presence of the Lord. God wants us continually refreshed in His presence.
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19)
Repentance is about a change of direction – of mind. It is about returning to the higher place of His presence (typical of a place that's luxuriously fitted, offering fine views), where His refreshing waters are poured out upon us.
The weapons of our warfare are powerful in God to the pulling down of strongholds. God has given us keys, weapons, wisdom, grace and creativity to undermine the devil's attempts to subvert our lives.
"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds." (2 Corinthians 10:4)
We can pull down dark strongholds and build up heavenly strongholds in our minds and in the minds of others. God has His own strongholds that He desires to establish in our lives. A wisdom key in breaking the power of the devil in your life is to recognize what is of God and what is not – discerning between good and evil.
"But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Hebrews 5:14)
Having Discernment
This is the beginning of your path to victory. Without discernment it will be hard to walk in a consistent place of victory. You have to see what is right and wrong, what is good and evil, what is inspired by God and what is inspired by the devil. This is where it all starts. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the hatred of evil.
"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate." (Proverbs 8:13)
When you have eyes to see what is good (or of God) versus what is evil, then you can move on to eliminate those things that are hindering your life. What are you watching? Where are you spending your time? Are your relationships leading you on God's path and will? You must allow and ask the Holy Spirit to show you what actually is helping your walk with God and what is holding you back. (Photo via Pexels)
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1)
There are sins that are obvious when you come to the Lord – the old ways of worldliness, pleasures of life, and worries and bad habits that need to go. These are the easy-to-see and obvious things. This is only the beginning of things to deal with. The picture is like someone who takes a vacuum cleaner over the carpet, and all that is seen visibly with the natural eye is swept up. Yet, as we all know, there is more under the surface of the carpet that is not visible to the natural eye. God will keep cleaning your 'carpet' as much as you let Him. But if the process is stopped, then things will not get out, and there will be hindrances to your life.
It is all about our level of surrender to God. The more we surrender, the more we experience His divine life. How much will someone pursue the Lord? What price will they pay? There are different levels of sacrifice and surrender. "I Surrender All" is a great song, but what really matters is how it is worked out in our lives.
If you were able to see all the amazing, good plans God has for your life, you would not waste a second of time holding back. There are weights that also hold us back from the best God has for us. They are not necessarily categorized as sins, but things that hinder and keep us from God's very best.
Take time to enhance your focus and, if needed, totally refocus your heart upon the Lord.
Keys to Help Your Focus:
• Repent from all known sin,
• Lay aside weights (bad habits, etc.),
• Sow into the Spirit (Bible, pray, worship),
• Welcome the Holy Spirit,
• Walk in His Word (ways to apply),
• Take your authority in Christ (be strong),
• Give thanks continually.
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John Belt
Overflow Global Ministries
Email:Â hello@overflowglobal.com
Website:Â www.overflowglobal.com
John and Brandi Belt are the leaders of Overflow Global Ministries. The heart of their message is that God's greatest desire is to indwell His people with His presence. They believe that man was created to be inhabited by God through His Spirit. With a sincere devotion to God through the Holy Spirit, people can live in a place of overflow in His presence. This overflow translates into touching the lives of others through living encounters with God. When John and Brandi minister, the intimate presence of God is manifest – being accompanied with demonstrations of God's power to heal, revive, and restore.
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