Confess daily and repent from premeditated sin

In Is My Repentance Real If I Keep Committing the Same Sin? John Piper suggest we separate repentance from confession. Repentance can be thought of as agreeing with God, changing our heart and mind, lifting our eyes up and letting God put our feet on the path, seeing God as our guiding light. 

The daily activity of asking forgiveness is not repentance. Repentance happens when we come to our sense and give our lives back over to God like the prodigal son, like the thief on the cross, like the tax collector who beats his chest. 

• Life of Christians can go off the rails and require repentance like the Churches in first chapters of Revelation needed to repent from forsaking first love (Rev 2:4), allowing false teachers (Rev 2:16,20), being dead (Rev 3:2–3).
• False religious security of wicked, obstinate people leads to doom (Jer 6:22-8:3)
  

Our lives should look different after we've repented and given our lives to Christ: James 2:17, Heb 12:14, John 14:15, Matthew 7:23, Romans 6:2. Yet We Christians still sin everyday... sin can be defined as any action that doesn't flow from loving and abiding in Christ (every action in our lives isn't hitting a bullseye). 

• Jesus said "give us today, our daily bread and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us
• 1 John 1:9. New International Version ... If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
• This is our daily habit of prayer and confession.
• As long as it's called today...Heb 3-4
• His mercies are made new everyday. Lamentations 3:22-23

Sin will be with us until our inner condition of rebellion is obliterated

Two kinds of confession

1. Superficial, fatalism. Express regret and sorrow but knowing that this is going to happen again, probably this week. Hypocrisy
2. Express guilt and sorrow, but have a hatred for the sin - you have every intention to make war against it. You are going to rob it of its power. Romans 7:16-19

Two kinds of sin

1. Not premeditate, blindsided. Before you wish you haven't done it but it's done. 
2. Premeditated sin, weighing it. You take some time wressing and then doing the sin. 

Warning against perfectionism and the reality of God's faithfulness to forgive us and make us holy: 1 John 1:8-10

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Freedom, liberty in communion with God

Sometimes we need a fresh start, we've been a failure and need to get back in step with the Lord. Sometimes a quick prayer doesn't feel like enough. Hebrews reminds us that God made a special day called "today" - today WHEN you hear his voice don't harden your heart, today is the day of salvation. Warn each other every day, while it is still "today", so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. (Heb 3:13) 

• Before work talk to God and give your ideas to him: “O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. (Gen 24:12-14)
• Then Pay attention:  Before he had finished praying... (he witnessed the answer)... “Praise the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham,” he said. “The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master’s relatives.” (Gen 24:15-27)
• Acknowledge the Lord to others: “So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: ‘O Lord, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission. (Gen 24:42)

Sometimes our prayers are interrupted by thoughts, obsessions, or desires that want to carry us away from the LORD. We need to "be still" and turn the lights on inside our heart, have a moment of reflection, let the word of Christ dwell within ourselves and take Holy Communion. In our hearts we can hold up the shield of faith that extinguish the enemy arrows from the outside, but on the inside of faith is peace. 

• Psalms 11:5 says that “the LORD tests the righteous,” and in Job 23:10, Job says of God, “When he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” Similarly, God told Jeremiah, “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind” (Jeremiah 17:10), and Proverbs 17:3 declares that “the LORD tests hearts.”

 Communion: The Meal of Absolute Victory - Bill Johnson (Sermon Clip) | Bethel Church

• "This is my body" - "broken for you"
• "By His stripes you WERE healed" - today I get to experience the liberty and forgiveness 
• Put someone on your lips and declare healing for them, in Jesus name. 
• As for me and my house we will serve the LORD. 

Communion, the body and blood and the weekend (Psalm 23, John 13-21, Exodus 12)

Psalm 19

Don't hold on theology of problems, hold onto theology of our solution. Take time with the LORD. 

Psalm 19:13: Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. Keep me safe (from arrogant people/things), also, from willful (presumptuous, flagrant, conspicuously offensive, obviously inconsistent with what is right) sins; don't let them rule (control, dominion) over me. Then I shall be perfect (blameless, without spot) and free (acquitted, declared innocent, cleansed) from the evil of sin (transgression, greatest sin). May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

• But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. / Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:14-15
• If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. / If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. / If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:8-10
• Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires. / Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. / For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:12-14
• So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. / For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. Galatians 5:16-17
• No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
• And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ Matthew 6:13
• Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Hebrews 12:1
• or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. / Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. / But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

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God molds us and re-molds us until he see repentance (Jer 18:1-17)

 Jer 18-19

Key verse: 

...As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would. Jer 18:6-10

A) God molds us and re-molds us until he see repentance (Jer 18:1-17)

1-10) LORD gives Jeremiah vision of potter remolding clay on a wheel

• ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’” Jer 18:11
• Be reliable like snowcapped mountain, or a cold stream flowing (Jer 18:13-15)
• But the people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires.” Jer 18:12
• Deserted LORD, incense to idols, stumbled off ancient highways onto muddy paths (Jer 18:15)
• Land will become desolate, monument of stupidity, like wind scatters dust, LORD will turn away from them and refuse to notice distress

Fasting and praying is a wonderful thing. Patience, self-control, perseverance, humility. We talk about what we don't like in ourselves and others but are we willing to change? What will you stop doing, what's no longer working in life that you should put aside and make room for quiet time with the LORD? Fasting does no good if we don't seek the LORD instead of the thing we go to. 

I saw a good video about relationship with God, versus a religious notion about God. If someone comes to your door and asks to stay with you would you let them in? No, you would need to get to know them first as your protecting your home. 

• God wants us in humility to be honest about our shortcomings and out right debauchery, lay your burdons down at the cross and receive forgiveness. His mercy is made new everyday so we turn from our evil way. He puts us back on the path and points us toward righteousness, so that we can do what is right. Alleluia, Amen. 

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Our fruit is for other people

 How to Pursue Your Promised Land (Lessons From the Wilderness) - Bill Johnson Sermon | Bethel Church

If I don't have people in my life I don't need the fruit of the Spirit. What's worse is if I don't have people in my life I can think I have the fruit of the Spirit. 

Our inner world must become bigger than our outer world (as described in Hebrews 11) until it culminate into the glorious presence of God here and now (Heb 12). 

• I'm reminded of a sponged left in water in the sink can begin to stink. It needs to be rung out, dried and reused. This is the sponges righteous purpose. 
• Our righteous purpose is to work 6 days, then rest. Getting rest in Christ (Upperroom Sundays at 9pm)
• upperroom.cloud
  
• Remember, write it to remind ourselves of what seems to come easy in the moment: Knowing Jesus, the will of God

Bill Johnson's key messages: God is Good, Hosting his presence, Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind, Strengthen Yourself in the Lord, Healing

A fruit tree isn't fed fruit, it's given water and soil and converts it into fruit. A fruit tree doesn't evolve from the water and soil, it comes from the seed, a parent, a design. God is our creator and when I let his Word dwell within me, it's going to break open and become a fruit producing tree. Alleluia, Amen. 

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Walk the promised land with faith and humility, not fear and humiliation

Numbers 13:25-14:11, 1 Cor 10

‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.”  Then the Lord said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. Numbers 14:18-20

These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did..Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others... Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. 1 Cor 10:6,24,32-33

Ten days, second Sabbath since my friend pass away and I've been fasting and seeking the Lord. Listening to How to Pursue Your Promised Land (Lessons From the Wilderness) - Bill Johnson Sermon | Bethel Church.

Ambition, designed to stand before the Lord and hear, "well done, good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:23)

Faithfulness is defined by what you're done with His promises. 

Careless theology says, whatever God wills to happen will happen. Yet God's will is that none shall perish (2 Peter 3:9) but many are perishing (Matthew 7:13-14). 

• Somethings happen whether you believe it or not, like gravity (physical world) or love (spiritual world) or promise (Jesus will return).
• Somethings happen only when we believe and follow through with obedience. 
• God can make a promise that we don't see fulfilled, but it's not God's fault
• Unbelief is the result of fear. Fear is a horrible teacher. Fear and humility never work together, fear and humiliation will. 
• Humility is a modest opinion of one's own importance, while humiliation is the act of causing someone to feel a painful loss of pride, self-respect, or dignity. 

Here are some other differences between humility and humiliation:

• Perspective: Humility is about dealing with circumstances honestly and finding ways to navigate them. Humiliation is about feeling embarrassed by circumstances. 
• Self-awareness: Humility is about acknowledging what makes you special and unique, while humiliation is about feeling separated from the rest of humanity. 
• Emotions: Humility can produce more happiness, positive emotions, and well-being. Humiliation can lead to feelings of impotence, frustrated rage, despair, and a desire for revenge. 

People wrongfully interpret fear and humiliation as "humility." Any time we take a dysfunction in our life and give it a virtuous name, we give it permission to stay. 

• Fear masquerades as wisdom. Unbelievers were afraid to walk into the promised land and this is a warning to us. (Numbers 13:25-14:11, 1 Cor 10). They wanted to go back to slavery, forgetting how bad it was. How do we know when we are guided by fear disguised as wisdom? Because promise didn't take them there. 
• Where am I going in life that promise didn't take me? Any area of our life that we are not being pulled by a promise...we are being driven by fear. 

When the Lord gives us a promise, he is actually going into our future and giving us a word that will be necessary to get us there. 

• 1 Timothy 1:18-20 The Passion Translation (TPT): With this encouragement use your prophecies as weapons as you wage spiritual warfare by faith and with a clean conscience. For there are many who reject these virtues and are now destitute of the true faith, such as Hymenaeus and Alexander who have fallen away.
• Promise from God doesn't mean it's quick and easy, but that there will be a conflict between now and it's fulfillment. 
• Two parts to Christian advancement, 1) receiving from the Lord as a child a submissive response to our good father. What you need will be brought to you. What we need to survive is brought to us. 2) apprehending by force as one planted in the middle of a war, what we were born for is on the other side of a fight. 
• Stewarding the promise of God by memorizing and putting into action what God has said, as Joshua did. "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." Joshua 1:7-8 
• Declare, confess, say, do what ever is necessary to keep it in front of me. Otherwise it's easy to lose track of what God says is supposed to happen in my life. 
• We die to self will and get an upgrade into what God is declaring into our life. Saying YES to the will of God, gives us grace to fight. 

Anointing 2 Cor 1:20-22: For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.

• Not "maybe" but YES for EVERYONE: For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” ... he always does what he says. - 2 Cor 1:19
• YES from GOD and AMEN from US: For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. - 2 Cor 1:20
• Over 7000 promises from God in the Bible. Stewarding promising can be difficult, because when we hear the promise, we fail to join it with faith. We join it with fear and take comfort in fear because it keeps us away from the risk that intimidates us. 
• God declares a promise but he's waiting for human agreement. "For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory."
• God designed his will to be done through human agreement. Since the beginning, we were made co-laborers with Him. Take off your sandals and put on the Gospel of Peace
• Jesus gave us keys of authority and said, now accomplish what I told you to do. Matthew 16:19, John 20:23, Matthew 28:16-20, John 14:26. 
• God's Will: "On earth as it is in heaven.", "I will pour my Spirit on all fresh (not a token representation of every tribe)", "glory of the Lord will cover the earth as water covers the sea (Hab 2:14)"
• We often have more faith in Second Coming than the power of the Gospel. If we believed in the power of Gospel like the second coming - Christ return wouldn't be to rescue us but the crowning achievement of church victorious. 
• The gospel is powerful enough to transform a person, therefore a family, therefore a community, therefore a nation, therefore the world. Jesus is not coming back to die again and upgrade what is possible in our lifetime. The cross is enough. Faith in Jesus is my response to his Spirit speaking to me (Genesis 8:20; 9:9; Hebrews 11:7)

Promised Land, stepping into what we were born for. We were designed to work, create, be productive - not from a place of stress but inspiration. God is bringing us into a place of in productivity, fruitfulness, increase where labor would be breathed on by God and it would have an effect on surrounding nations. We see this exemplified in Joseph, Daniel, David and ultimately in Jesus and the Church. 

• In the promised land they had to work for it, plant and care for crops, but in the wilderness manna appeared on the ground. 
• God takes us through seasons of absolute trust, where we have nothing, so that he can trust us with something. The measure of what he can entrust to us, is in our measure of trust in Him. As my trust in God expands, so does my capacity to be entrusted. 
• Challenges ahead: "See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions...You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness...I will send my terror ahead of you and create panic among all the people whose lands you invade. I will make all your enemies turn and run...But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you. I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to take possession of the land." Ex 23:20-33
• Law of the harvest, it takes time and effort. Reaping and sowing. Like planting trees: year 1) survive, stay alive, thrive. We can't speed it up but we can slow it down. "Bonsai Christians"
• God doesn't drive out "block E" if we are not prepared to occupy it.
• God doesn't remove abortion clinics if we are not prepared to help fathers be accountable and support families. 
• Challenges behind drive us into trusting God even when there's risk. See (Ex 11-15)
• They were baptized into Moses (1 Corinthians 10:1-5)
• This could have been an eleven day journey into promises, but lasted 40 years! 
• Rebelion was measure by the unwillingness to connect faith with the promises God gave them. 
• Our Faithfulness is seen in what we do with His promises. 

• Promised land is today, not when we die. We live the life Jesus modeled for us here on earth, as it is in heaven. Jesus is the person called the promised land. Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus reverses the land-exile cycle by going into exile on our behalf and then giving us the land he inherits (Bible Project). See Dispensationalism
• I've seen this inheritance in Alpha at Teen Challenge, alleluia. 
• The Holy Spirit is referred to as a river in John 7:37-39, baptism sets us up for entering this promised land of healing and ministry. 
• Romans 15:4. ESV For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
• Gifts are given to take territory, we are comforted so that we can comfort others (2 Cor 1:4, from 1 Cor 12-14)
• Teaching doesn't give gifts, we must pursue these gifts earnestly. He has given me every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. My inheritance is your inheritance. 
• I introduce you to what God gave to me. 
• Godly hunger and thirst for righteousness. 
• Promised land is found in the person of Jesus
• He had more Joy than everyone around him put together. 
• Hebrews 1:8, 9: God anointed Jesus with gladness beyond his companions because he loved righteousness and hated wickedness. 
• Hebrews 12:2: Jesus endured the cross for "the joy that was set before him". 
• Matthew 13:44: Jesus taught that joy was essential to receiving his kingdom. 
• Luke 15:7, 10: Jesus said that there would be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance. 
• John 3:29: John the Baptist said, "He is truly the Messiah. and my joy is now fulfilled just in hearing him". 
• Acts 2:25–28: Peter's first sermon is about the gladness of Christ.
• 120 people in a room for 10 days, came to a place of humility, tenderness and brokenness. The crowning achievement of Pentecost.
• Faithfulness, crown by explosive touch of God (you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you). 

Much of what we experience in life is determined by what we've become. When we get our inheritance quickly we squander it. Which reminds me of , yesterday, John Price shared his faith with me: The Only Thing We Can Do for God "When God whisper we say yes!

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