The Ultimate Hook Up: Pt. 2

The favor of God isn’t an accessory, but rather an aspect or byproduct of your relationship with God that will forever change the life of the person who understands. When everyone and everything is against you, know that as a child of God you are a member of His household and He is for you. God opens and closes doors no person can (Psalm 5:11, 12), not of our strength, but by God’s shield. It could be daunting to receive the favor of God but it doesn’t change God’s plan – you must be convinced. Favor is a force! You can strengthen it for protection.

There is no Scriptural foundation that God is somehow out to get you or punish you. As a parent in the natural, you’d be locked up if you committed violent acts against your children. Why then, do we blame God, our Heavenly Father, for the evil that comes against us?

1. Like hearing the Word of God produces faith, being covenant with God produces favor.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” -- Romans 10:17 Faith won’t be there automatically! See clearly: faith comes by putting yourself in the right position and environment where you can hear the Word. Knowledge and understanding comes by reading, but not faith. When you are in covenant with God (entered by faith), favor is the result. (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12)
“For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” – Psalm 30:5
Even if you have torched your entire life to the ground – allow God to build it back up! Live by His favor. Faith and favor are parallel. Your faith will have to grow to meet the favor demand.

2. Increase in favor like you can faith. 2 Thessalonians 1:3 – in this verse, “grows” means “non-stop increasing.” Jesus was in submission to his parents, which God gave as overseers. If you wish to increase the force-field of favor, increase your faith.
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” -- Luke 2:52.

3. How to make a claim on God’s favor:
Scriptural examples -- Luke 15; 5:5-17
• Know God’s will.
• Forget the odds.
• Go huge.

From Zero to Hero!

Last week we started the year coming out of the gate by affirming we were Born to Win! Even though everyone has blown it at one time or another, we press forward in learning to see ourselves as God sees us. You have to raise your thoughts higher (Isaiah 55:8). This week, we go from Zero to Hero!

1. God thinks about me.
Imagine that? Jeremiah 20:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil to give you a future and a hope.” God has plans to give you the future you hoped for; don’t let anyone tell you different. He has given us “hope” Biblically defined as “expectation,” in other words; something has already been done for us. Think of expectation like this: You’d look pretty silly waiting for a bus standing on a street corner without a posted bus stop. No, you wait at the appropriated bus stop expecting a bus to arrive because the scheduled stop has already been pre-determined!
The realization of how God sees us was overwhelming to David, too. As we read in Psalm 8:3-6, “…what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For you have made him a little lower than the angels [God], and You have crowned him with glory and honor…” Reading this, how can you consider yourself a zero? The Hebrew definition of “angels” in this verse is “Elohim” or God. The Biblical translators had a hard time wrapping their minds around the fact that God sees man as little “g” gods and translated the word incorrectly. In truth, our position is higher than that of angels. (Psalm 82:6) Angels are servants, here to serve us and deliver messages. They are not to be worshipped (John 10:34).

2. God has a plan for me. You are a hero!
“Hero” defined: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent (we are children of God), endowed with great strength and ability (Romans 8:37), illustrious warrior; one that shows great courage. God sees you as an overcomer.

3. I need to see myself how God sees me. (Romans 12:2)
1 Corinthians 26-29; John 15:16; 1 John 5:1-4
All throughout the Bible are found people who the world would otherwise consider throwaways. Lest you think heroes of the Bible were perfect, here are a few examples: Rahab was a prostitute, yet she single-handedly saved the Nation of Israel with one act of bravery (Joshua 2). Moses was a murderer; Abraham distrusted God and disrespected his wife. David was a cocky boy. Peter was a failed fisherman who doubted. Paul was an executioner who killed in the “name of God.” God saw potential is every one of these flawed people, and their names are forever linked as those who were mighty in the faith.

Born to Win!

Born to Win!

In spite of all the significant occurrences of the past decade, all the uncertainty, calamity, and adversity, for example, Y2K, crumbling governments, worldwide economic crisis, wars and terrorism – the world has survived, but the people of God have overcome. God knows we need new beginnings. That’s why we wake up to a fresh start each day.

Romans 8:37-- “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
This is good news! A conqueror is the last one standing, but one who is “more than a conqueror” is the one who holds all the spoils! You’d better be clear where you stand when adversity strikes and set your focus straight like never before. All your thoughts, words and actions need to line up with this truth.

1. Jesus tells us about the troubles in the world, so we won’t be scared.
Fear comes as an indication of a void, emptiness, or that something isn’t quite right.
John 16:33 -- “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulations, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”
The word “but” is bold to separate the above verse into two. Jesus guaranteed that we would face trials. BUT is on one side where there is fear, but on the other side of BUT is victory.

2. Be brave in every situation.
Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that He has deprived the world and any trial or tribulation of the power to harm us, therefore we are to be brave and courageous in every situation we face. Romans 8:37 ought to give us courage. You’re not fighting your battles alone. God has gone through everything first.
James 1:2-4 – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
Why are you wearing fear on your face? Courage is not the absence of fear; it is walking through in spite of it! When you choose to be in Christ, you show the world the way out. Know by faith that in the problem your faith will produce so thoroughly that you will be complete, lacking nothing.
1 John 3:8 – “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy (break up, dissolve, melt or put off) the works of the devil.”

3. Our confidence comes from knowing that we win!
Failure is what you pass on the way to success. Don’t let fear be a stop post.
1 John 5:1, 4 – “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God… For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.”
Micah 7:8 – “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise.”
Proverb 24:16 – “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.”

Start declaring that you can take on ANYTHING the enemy dishes out. The battle is not yours! All you need is a will to rise. When you are in Christ, He gives you the will to get up!