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JESUS WENT TO THE SYNAGOGUE

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (Luke 4:16)

Jesus had studied the Word and found Himself in the Word! Mark Hankins

Jesus went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and as His custom was, He went to the synagogue. Jesus went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day as He usually did and stood up to read. Jesus went there all the time. His mama and daddy taught Him to go there.

You might say, “I don’t need to go to church because the Lord and I have our own thing.”  If Jesus went to the synagogue as God, you ought to go to church.

They gave Jesus the book of the prophet Isaiah. When He opened the book, “he found the place where it was written.” (Luke 4:17) Jesus had studied the Word until He found Himself in the Word!

Do you know how He found it? He was looking. While everybody else was playing games, Jesus was studying the prophets. Luke 2:52 says, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” You can grow in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man by finding yourself in the Word of God.

Confession: I am growing in God. I am increasing in wisdom and in favor with God and man.

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IT HAPPENS ON THE INSIDE

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,will of God. (Romans 12:2)

Your identification with Christ is the center of the power of the Gospel. Mark Hankins

Mind renewal begins with understanding your identification with Christ. Some problems in your mind or soul can be so severe that they can only be dealt with at their roots by this part of the Gospel. You will never be normal and you will never fulfill the potential God has for your life unless those problems are dealt with.

Your identification with Christ is the center of the power of the Gospel. It will rise up inside you and will hit the root of mental, emotional, or behavioral issues. No matter what has happened to you — abuse, shame, what ever it is — you can say, “I am a new creature in Christ. Christ lives in me. I forget what I used to be.”

There is miracle-working power in Christ. The world may say you will never recover. But in Christ, you can be restored. It cannot happen from the outside, but it can happen on the inside!

Confession:I am being transformed from the inside out by the renewing of my mind! I was crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!

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A GLORY FASHION SHOW

Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith. (I Peter 5:8-9)

If the devil can get you under condemnation, he can cheat you out of your inheritance! Mark Hankins

Do not expect to breeze through this life without an adversary. The more anointing and glory you get, the more you move up on the devil’s hit list! Your picture is up in the post office of hell announcing, “MOST WANTED – Get him, stop him somehow!”

The devil is the accuser of the brethren. He will take you back as many years as necessary to get you under guilt and condemnation until you hang your head. Revelation 12:10-11 tells us the way to overcome him is by the word of your testimony. 

It is time for some new clothes! Get dressed up in the glory! God wants to have a fashion show like Paris or Rome has never seen. He wants to dress you in righteousness, glory, honor, and humility and let you come walking out with the glory of Jesus on you!

Confession:I know what God can do. He brought my family, my children, and my grandchildren, and me out of the horrible pit and put my feet on the rock. Look what the Lord has done!

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A BRAND-NEW MAN

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is free from sin. (Romans 6:6-7)

Wouldn’t you like to go ahead and lose your mind for a little while? Mark Hankins

Paul said in Romans 6, “I know this for a fact. I was crucified with Christ. Christ took me to the cross with Him.”  Some theologians believe that Paul had lost his mind because he was not even in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. But Paul said, “Christ lives in me now. I did not survive the cross, and there is nothing left of me. It’s all gone. I am a brand-new man. I was crucified with Christ.”

Paul was presenting the law of substitution to the theologians and to us. The law of substitution has to do with the two Adams. The first Adam got us into this mess, so God made another Adam. Jesus is the last Adam. To get rid of the old Adam, there had to be a resurrection.

The death and resurrection of Christ is a group picture. You have to find yourself in it, or the picture does not look so great. Once you find yourself, you can say, “Oh, there I am!”  This is not sense knowledge; the Holy Spirit reveals it to you.

Confession: Because Christ lives, I live! I am seated with Him and blessed with Him. I cannot be defeated! I can not be depressed. Christ lives in me!

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THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.  (1Corinthians1:17)

The union between humanity and deity can never be broken. Mark Hankins

Paul used the word “cross” In 1 Corinthians 1:17, not because he was simply talking about the crucifixion. He identified with the cross because that is where God identified with him.

The first step of God’s identification with sinful man began with the incarnation when God became a man, and Jesus came to earth. 

The second step of God’s identification with fallen man was when Jesus told John to baptize Him. When Jesus got in the line with sinners, He said, “Baptize me with those who are confessing their sin.”  John the Baptist did not understand what was happening so he said, “I am not baptizing You.” However, the union between humanity and deity in Jesus can never be broken. Not just for one human generation, but through all eternity.  Jesus is still a man right now at the right hand of God.

Confession: “I consider myself as having died and now enjoying a second existence, which is simply Jesus using my body.” (Galatians 2:20 The Distilled Bible)

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