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FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:26)

Faith will not move anything until it moves you. The first part of you that your faith will move is your mouth! Mark Hankins

In my psychology class, we learned that reasoning will not change an emotion, but action will. In other words, you can’t feel your way into better behavior, but you can behave your way into better feelings. God created us so that actions are stronger than feelings. Faith is an act. By faith we access the grace of God. Just a little bit of faith can access a whole lot of grace.

God has already done everything He is going to do about our salvation, our healing, our deliverance, and our blessing. Jesus paid it all and then sat down. Now it is our move — we have to know what He’s done for us and act in faith on the Word of God.

Many churches are full of nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and prepositions but God is looking for verbs. He is looking for people who will believe and will act in faith.

Confession:  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth.  (Mark 9:23)

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BELIEVE IS A VERB

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (James 2:17)

Reasoning will not change an emotion, but action will! Mark Hankins

I recently watched a man on television who said that he had written the first novel that had no verbs in it. He said it was full of nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and prepositions, but no verbs. They asked him how well the book was selling and he said, “not very well.”  When asked why, he said, “Because it has no action.”

James 2:26 says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also.”  The Amplified Version says, “For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from (its) works of obedience is also dead.”

The word, believeis a verb and verbs always denote action. Faith, on the other hand, is a noun. However, effective faith (faith that gets results) must be translated into action.

Confession:I am a doer of the Word of God, not just a hearer only (James 1:22). My faith is in action! So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power [inoperative, dead]. (James 2:17 AMP)

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SHAME-FREE LIVING

For the scripture saith, Whosever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (Romans 10:11)

We must consistently see ourselves in the light of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Mark Hankins

Many people try to fix their behavioral problems with more and more doses of shame and guilt. Instead of curing the problem, shame perpetuates the problem. The Complete Life Encyclopedia makes this interesting statement about shame:

“Shame is the issue that drives almost every compulsive, self-defeating behavior known to the human race. Shame is at the root of all addictions.”

The cure is at the cross of Jesus Christ. On the cross, God was working in Christ, but He was working on us. Jesus took our condition and we were engrafted into Him. Now, God sees us through the blood, through the cross, and through the resurrection!

Confession: I reign in life through the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness through one man Jesus Christ! I am free from guilt, shame, sin, death, and the curse! (Romans 5:17)

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THE ANOINTING OF JESUS

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me… (Luke 4:18)

Jesus had to lay aside deity powers, humble Himself as a servant, and become a man in order to go to the cross. Mark Hankins

Jesus had to lay aside His powers of deity and become a man. He is God in the flesh, but He could not use His deity powers. It would have been illegal for Him to die on the cross and become the last Adam if He had used His deity powers.  He did not use anything that you and I do not have available today.

The only thing He used was the Word and the Holy Spirit. He was tempted in ways like you are. (Hebrews 4:15) He felt the same pressures you feel. He felt the same loneliness at times. He dealt with those challenges with the Word and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus found Himself in Isaiah 61 one day as He was reading through the book of Isaiah. Isaiah was prophesying something that was going to happen 1,000 years in the future. Jesus said, “That is Me right there where Isaiah said ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me. He has anointed me’…This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (Luke 4:18-21)

Confession: The same anointing that was upon Jesus is inside of me. I am in Christ, the Anointed One!

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POSSESSING THE LAND

Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours. (Deuteronomy 11:24 Amplified Bible)

There are some places you can never go geographically until you first go there in prayer in the Spirit. Mark Hankins

You have to acknowledge and declare that you are who God says you are in order to possess the land. There are some places you can never go geographically until you first go there in prayer in the Spirit. God has given you influence in new places in the harvest – in America, Africa, Asia, China, Central America, and Europe. God has given the church places to walk in harvest.

You will have new places of influence where you never had influence before.  God wants the church to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. That means walking in supernatural influence over your city, your family, and your life. It is harvest time!

Confession: I am who God says I am. I have what God says I have. I am doing some walking right now. I am possessing the land. Healing and miracles are mine. New anointing and authority are mine. Prosperity and victory are mine. New places of understanding and revelation, new places of authority, boldness, and anointing are mine. New places in prosperity, world harvest, evangelism, and new places in prayer are mine!

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