Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: EHW
Program Code: EHW000008S
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00:19 Hello!
00:21 My name is Shelley Quinn 00:22 and I welcome you to 00:23 "Exalting His Word"! 00:25 I'm so glad that you could join us. 00:27 We've got a wonderful program today 00:29 about the Power of 00:31 God's Promises 00:33 and His pathway to blessing. 00:35 First, I'd like to explain 00:37 the theme verse for this program. 00:40 Is Psalm 138:2 00:43 And that verse says that 00:44 God exalts His name and His word 00:47 above all things 00:49 and that He exalts His word 00:51 even above His name. 00:53 Now, what does that mean? 00:55 It means, 00:56 that God finds nothing 00:58 more important than His word. 01:01 It means that 01:03 God has promoted His word to 01:05 the highest rank of importance 01:07 and the highest place of praise. 01:10 It means that God has 01:12 given His word m ore power than 01:17 any other force on earth. 01:18 There is transforming power 01:21 in the word of God. 01:25 I know that since this is what is 01:29 most important to Him, 01:31 His word, 01:32 and since He has granted His word 01:35 the power to accomplish all of His will, 01:38 that you and I should re-examine 01:41 our attitude about the Bible. 01:43 Don't you think so? 01:45 If we understand God's will 01:46 and the plan that He has for our lives, 01:49 we will no longer suffer from 01:53 the identity crisis. 01:54 The word of God reveals not only His plan 02:00 but it also has 02:02 the creative life giving power 02:05 to work out His plan in us. 02:07 God's word is alive and it is active. 02:12 And it is a source of power that 02:14 you and I can plug into. 02:17 Let me ask you, 02:18 are you plugged in to the power of God? 02:23 Our life here on earth is a training ground. 02:28 A boot camp for eternity 02:29 but as we're trained for eternity, 02:31 our experience here on earth 02:33 can be filled with joy. 02:35 And it can be filled with peace 02:38 if we understand God's plan for us. 02:41 He wants us walking in 02:42 the perfect law of liberty 02:44 which can be defined as this... 02:46 That you and I must recognize 02:50 our absolute total dependence 02:53 upon Jesus Christ 02:54 to perform a work in us that 02:56 empowers us to walk in 02:57 the commandments of God. 02:59 Our Lord said apart from Him that 03:02 we could do nothing. 03:03 But God will empower us to do everything 03:06 He asks us to do. 03:09 Depending on God's power to work in us is 03:12 the first great principle that 03:15 will help us overcome our identity crisis. 03:17 Today we're going to examine 03:20 the second great principle that 03:22 works hand in glove with the law of liberty. 03:25 And that is understanding 03:28 the transforming power of 03:29 God's promises at work within us. 03:32 These two great truths combined, 03:35 will cause us to understand God's plan 03:36 and who we become when 03:38 we accept Christ as our Savior 03:42 and we are included in Christ. 03:45 Before we get into the word, 03:47 let's go to the Lord in prayer 03:49 and ask Him to send 03:51 the Holy Spirit to be our teacher. 03:54 Heavenly Father, 03:55 we come before you 03:57 in the name of Jesus Christ. 03:58 And we thank you Father God for your word. 04:01 And we thank you Father for 04:04 the power of your promise. 04:05 And I pray in the Name of Jesus that 04:07 the Holy Spirit will teach us 04:09 the power of promise. 04:11 I pray you will send him just now, 04:13 to anoint our ears 04:17 and to open our hearts 04:19 to receive your word. 04:20 For your Glory in Jesus Name, amen. 04:24 In II Corinthians 12:9 04:26 the Bible says, 04:28 [text on screen] 04:33 These are the words of the Lord. 04:40 I chose the NIV Translation for 04:42 this verse because 04:44 it more accurately depicts 04:46 the original Greek. 04:47 The word power there is "dunamis". 04:50 It means the power... 04:53 the dynamite power of God that 04:56 keeps on working in us 04:58 to complete the good work that 05:01 God's begun in us 05:03 and bring it to perfection. 05:05 Christ never expected us to 05:07 walk the narrow road of salvation 05:11 by our own power. 05:12 I keep saying this but it's so important! 05:15 Apart from Christ 05:17 we can do nothing to save ourselves. 05:20 We can't obey God by our own power! 05:24 Obedience is by grace. 05:27 What do I mean by that? 05:29 Well, we've got to take a closer look at 05:32 what grace really means. 05:35 Most people would say 05:36 it's the unmerited favor of God. 05:39 But, what exactly does that mean? 05:41 Here's a simple but profound definition that 05:45 may change the way you look at God's grace. 05:50 Grace is the unmerited, 05:54 undeserved favor or 05:58 gifts of God. 06:01 Let me repeat it this way. 06:02 Grace is the undeserved 06:04 unearned gifts of God. 06:08 The two greatest gifts of grace that 06:11 God has bestowed on us is 06:13 Christ in us. 06:15 Our hope of glory 06:16 and the power of His indwelling spirit! 06:20 No wonder Christ said that 06:23 His grace was sufficient! 06:24 He pours His life giving power into us 06:29 and perfects the good work that 06:31 He has begun in us. 06:33 This reminds me of a verse in II Timothy 06:37 and it's chapter one verse 12. 06:39 Now, I'm gonna try to speak it to you 06:41 although it's hard for me to speak this verse 06:44 in a natural intonation. 06:47 The scripture that 06:51 this verse is 06:52 -is also the refrain of 06:53 one of my favorite songs that 06:55 I remember often singing in church 06:58 when I was a child. 06:59 Every time I read it, 07:00 I'm actually singing it in my heart. 07:03 And it goes like this... 07:04 "I know whom I have believed, 07:09 "and am persuaded that He is able, 07:12 "to keep that which I've committed 07:16 "to Him until that day." 07:20 Are you persuaded? 07:23 Are you persuaded that 07:25 Christ is able to save you? 07:29 If we will learn to depend 07:32 on His power to walk in 07:34 the law of liberty. 07:36 Being confident of 07:38 this very thing that 07:40 He who began a good work in you 07:43 will carry it on to completion 07:46 until the day of Christ Jesus. 07:48 Then, praise God, we'll understand that 07:53 salvation is all about Him. 07:56 It's not up to us! 07:59 All God asks of us is 08:01 permission to work in us. 08:04 Daily we must choose 08:07 to give Him permission 08:10 by coming to Him in surrender. 08:13 We want to surrender 08:15 control of our lives to him 08:16 and walk in cooperation with His spirit. 08:21 This wonderful law of liberty will keep us 08:24 walking in obedience. 08:26 We'll recognize God's commandments 08:29 as His law of love. 08:30 Ten wonderful promises that 08:33 He will empower us to do! 08:35 The joy of our salvation 08:37 will be restored as we learn 08:39 to depend totally on His power 08:43 to work within us. 08:44 With minds that are steadfastly 08:47 fixed on God, 08:49 we'll walk in perfect peace. 08:50 He frees us from condemnation. 08:53 In Romans 8:1 the Bible says... 08:57 [text on screen] 09:10 Oh how I pray that 09:12 God is working in you even now 09:15 what He is also working in me! 09:17 Through the understanding of His plan. 09:19 The perfect law of freedom keeps me looking 09:23 into the word of God 09:25 to learn who I am in Christ Jesus. 09:28 By faith I accept what God has to say about me. 09:33 By grace I am who God says I am. 09:37 Even if I don't see the evidence yet! 09:40 I will do as He does. 09:42 And I will call things that 09:45 are not yet tangible or 09:47 evident to my senses 09:49 as though they already existed. 09:51 I want you to experience this because 09:54 it WILL restore the joy of your salvation! 09:59 Empowered by grace 10:02 and through our faith in Him, 10:03 we can put His word into practice 10:06 and be blessed according to 10:09 the promise of James 1:25 10:10 that says... 10:12 "But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty, 10:14 "and continues in it 10:17 "and is not a forgetful hearer, 10:18 "but a doer of the work. 10:21 "This one will be blessed 10:23 "in what he does." 10:26 Jesus said, 10:27 I am the way 10:29 and the truth 10:30 and the light. 10:31 Jesus promises a way out of 10:34 our identity crisis. 10:36 In Him is life 10:37 and that life is the light of all men. 10:41 Christ the living word 10:43 is the only way out of darkness. 10:46 to heal us and deliver us from 10:48 our destructive behavior. 10:49 The word of God is life to us 10:52 bringing truth that has power to change! 10:54 And as His word enters into our hearts 10:58 it sheds His light of understanding 11:01 into the darkness 11:03 and confusion 11:04 and it shows us the way out! 11:08 Putting His word into practice 11:10 brings great blessings! 11:12 And it brings great blessings 11:16 and it trains us for the eternal inheritance that 11:19 we've been promised. 11:21 You know, 11:22 we have been promised 11:24 the mind of Christ. 11:25 In I Corinthians 2:16 Paul says that 11:28 we've been given 11:29 the mind of Christ. 11:31 And the Bible is the mind of Christ. 11:32 The more we put God's word into our heart, 11:35 the more we'll operate by the power of His mind. 11:38 Why would we want to walk in 11:41 our limited understanding when 11:44 it is so pitifully inadequate. 11:47 We have His great wisdom 11:50 right here that 11:51 we can learn to lean on. 11:53 The authority of God's word. 11:56 In Isaiah 46:10 God says that 12:01 I know the end from the beginning 12:03 and I make it known from 12:05 ancient times what is going to happen. 12:08 And He says my purpose will stand 12:11 and I will do all that I please! 12:19 the power of promise is this... 12:22 [information on screen] 12:37 That's Jeremiah 1:12 12:40 God's overall purposes will stand firm. 12:44 God's watching over His word to perform it 12:47 and He will not let His plan be defeated. 12:50 In fact, the Bible tells us that 12:52 He regards all things as if 12:56 Even though they may not yet be revealed 13:00 to the physical senses of humanity. 13:03 If this study is of interest to you, 13:07 -And I hope it is... 13:08 Then you might want to consider 13:10 the following announcement... 13:12 Stay tuned! 13:14 We'll be right back! 13:16 If this dynamic series 13:18 is making a difference 13:19 in your life, 13:20 then you should know 13:22 about a special study guide 13:23 written by Shelley Quinn. 13:24 Exalting His Word with 13:26 Life Affirmations From Scripture 13:27 is an in depth study of the word of God. 13:30 Please send your love gifts to... 13:45 God offers us new life through Christ! 13:50 A glorious life here, 13:52 right now 13:54 and then forever! 13:55 Still He has made us agents of free will 13:57 and the Lord will not force us 13:59 to accept his gifts. 14:01 Instead we must give Him permission 14:04 to work in our lives. 14:05 He intervenes by invitation. 14:08 Invite Him in. 14:10 Ephesians 1:11 says that 14:12 He works all things 14:14 according to the wisdom of 14:16 His plan for your life. 14:18 Now how do we know God's will? 14:21 His plan for our lives? 14:22 We can know the end from the beginning! 14:25 Because it is written 14:27 and in the Bible it says this... 14:30 [text on screen] 14:40 God's will for us is that 14:43 we be separated from worldly evil. 14:46 That we be sons and daughters 14:49 who partake of His divine nature. 14:52 That we be Holy. 14:54 Can we achieve this? 14:56 No way! 14:57 But can He achieve this? 14:59 Yes! 15:01 If we'll only let Him 15:02 have His way with us, 15:04 He will do an incredible work in our lives! 15:08 God's plan is to conform us to 15:10 the very nature of His son. 15:13 Through the life of Jesus Christ, 15:16 He plans to restore 15:18 and establish humanity to the creation 15:22 He originally intended. 15:26 When we receive Christ as our Savior, 15:28 we have a spiritual union to Him. 15:32 Listen to what the word of God says 15:35 in I Corinthians 6:17. 15:39 It says that 15:40 He who is joined in the Lord 15:43 is one spirit with Him. 15:46 And in I Corinthians 1:30 15:49 the Bible says... 15:50 That God includes us 15:52 or positions us spiritually in Christ. 15:56 And we're also told that 15:57 every single promise of God belongs to us 16:00 if we are abiding in Christ. 16:05 God works out all of the circumstances of 16:08 our life for our eternal benefit. 16:12 To help conform us to 16:14 the image of Christ. 16:15 Our destiny is to become like Jesus. 16:21 We must look into His word 16:24 and get into His promises 16:27 to see a new vision of who we are. 16:32 The new identity that we assume in Christ. 16:36 To partake of His divine nature, 16:38 we must partake of His promises 16:42 and make them ours. 16:44 Let's examine what the Bible says. 16:47 The wonderful news as found in II Peter 1:3,4. 16:54 [text on screen] 17:30 Now, let's unpack all the promise that's 17:33 in those few scriptures. 17:36 God has already equipped us with 17:40 everything that we need to do His will. 17:43 His spirit and His word supply the divine power. 17:49 And because of His loving character 17:52 and His righteousness, 17:54 God has vowed to do for us that 17:58 which we can not do for ourselves. 18:02 The creative power of God is in His word. 18:06 God's promises empower us to escape evil. 18:11 That's what that scripture just said! 18:14 But more precious than that 18:16 His promises bring new life in us. 18:20 And cause us to absorb 18:22 the divine nature of Jesus Christ! 18:25 Hallelujah! 18:26 You know, we've heard it said. 18:30 "Know the truth and the truth shall set you free." 18:34 Amen? 18:35 Well, not so fast! 18:38 But you think... 18:39 Now wait a minute! 18:40 That's scripture! 18:42 Yes, it's scripture. 18:43 But it's taken out of context. 18:45 We can't read that verse that's found 18:49 in John 8:31 18:50 without including 18:52 the rest of Christ's instructions. 18:54 And in the other verse it says, 18:57 "if you abide in His word, 19:02 "then we will be His disciples." 19:06 His disciplined followers. 19:08 And then you will know the truth 19:11 and the truth will set us free. 19:15 Simple acquaintance with His word 19:17 does us little good. 19:19 The blessing comes from the knowledge we gain 19:22 through living in His truths. 19:25 The knowing game through experiencing God 19:28 in our daily lives. 19:31 God's love is unconditional but 19:33 his promises are not. 19:34 They are based on obedience to His will. 19:37 Which is the only pathway to blessing. 19:40 Consider this verse from Hebrews 10:36. 19:45 [text on screen] 19:54 What does the Bible say? 19:56 After we have done the will of God 20:00 we'll receive the promise. 20:02 That's why it's important to abide 20:06 or live in God's truth. 20:09 When we choose to walk 20:11 according to His instruction, 20:13 are we willing to conduct our lives for His glory? 20:19 If we do, 20:20 we'll escape evil. 20:22 If our practice is to live in His word, 20:24 we'll partake of an ever increasing measure of 20:29 His divine nature. 20:30 The Holy Spirit will lead us from 20:33 one level of His glory to the next. 20:38 I get so excited when 20:39 I talk about his glorious truth! 20:41 I just want to shout it form the roof top! 20:45 Just pause to consider this. 20:47 All that we have to do 20:49 to overcome evil is depend on God's power 20:54 to live in His word. 20:57 He has vowed to give us 20:59 the divine nature of Christ 21:01 as we live in His promises. 21:04 It's not us performing His word. 21:08 It is God fulfilling His word in us. 21:12 By the power of His Holy Spirit. 21:15 How much simpler could he have made 21:19 His plan for our lives? 21:22 We can stop grieving God. 21:26 WE can quit quenching 21:28 and resisting the Holy Spirit. 21:31 We can be emptied of our old sin nature. 21:34 Just a little more each day 21:36 as we're trained for our 21:39 glorious eternal inheritance. 21:42 By simply choosing to obey, 21:44 we can tap into the power that is 21:48 a greater supply of the Holy Spirit that 21:52 Paul referred to in Philippians 1:19 21:58 The more we obey 21:59 the more God gives us the Holy Spirit. 22:02 And the more that we become like Jesus. 22:06 We'll focus on this on a later program. 22:09 But for now, just pause and consider 22:13 what the Bible says in Acts 5:32. 22:16 [text on screen] 22:33 My heart breaks when I talk to Christians 22:37 who feel defeated and discouraged 22:40 and unworthy! 22:41 It doesn't have to be that way! 22:44 If they only knew their identity! 22:48 And if they only knew 22:51 who they were in Jesus Christ! 22:53 So few of us walk in the abundant life that 22:56 He wants to give us. 22:57 Right here and now because 23:00 we don't understand 23:02 the privilege of obedience. 23:06 Our all loving, 23:07 all powerful Father God wants to do 23:10 much more than we ever imagined. 23:14 He is willing to do all things in us 23:18 for us and through us. 23:22 It's critical we know who we are in Christ. 23:26 There's only one way to accomplish this. 23:30 We learn our identity in Him by 23:34 living in God's promises. 23:37 It comes by experiencing a relationship of 23:40 absolute dependence on God and His word. 23:43 God wants His slumbering church 23:46 the members of Christ's body 23:49 to wake up 23:50 and walk in true union 23:52 with the living word. 23:53 It's time to abide in His word! 23:56 Plant His promises 23:57 and allow God to bring His word to life in us! 24:01 God will reward those who earnestly 24:04 seek Him in faith. 24:06 The promises of God 24:09 are ushered into existence by faith! 24:12 In the John 11:40 24:14 Jesus said, 24:15 "Did I not say to you 24:17 "that if you would believe 24:20 you would see the glory of God?" 24:22 Are you ready to live 24:25 in absolute dependence upon 24:27 the transforming power of the spirit and his word? 24:29 The seed of the miracle is in God's word. 24:33 Miracles from God will follow our faith 24:37 when we overcome our identity crisis. 24:40 God will be able to trust us with his power 24:44 just as He did with Moses 24:47 and Joshua 24:49 and Peter. 24:51 Well, I hope that you're beginning 24:54 to see today that 24:57 there is power in God's promises. 25:00 It is the power to bring us 25:03 and cause us to absorb 25:06 the divine nature of Christ. 25:08 If we'll just get His promises into our hearts 25:11 speak them over our lives 25:14 and except God's testimony about 25:17 who we are in Christ. 25:20 God will honor our faith 25:22 and He will bring up those promises to life in us. 25:27 I think that if we could just understand 25:30 these two principles to overcome 25:32 our identity crisis 25:34 the law of Liberty which means 25:36 we walk in absolute total dependence 25:40 on Jesus Christ 25:41 to do a work in us 25:43 to empower us to walk in obedience 25:45 to God's Commandments. 25:47 And then if we would understand 25:50 the power of God's promises that 25:53 we are who God says we are. 25:54 And if we'll we just take that to heart 25:58 and believe it 25:59 God will watch over His word to perform it! 26:03 He wants us to come to Him in faith. 26:07 He doesn't want us to be doubting 26:10 and disbelieving what He says to us. 26:13 His promises are solemn vows to us. 26:19 And when we get God's promises into our heart 26:22 and you know, 26:24 every commandment of God is a promise of 26:26 something that God will empower us to do. 26:30 When we get those into our heart 26:32 God will do something that 26:36 we've never experienced before. 26:39 Well our time together 26:40 certainly passes by quickly! 26:43 I hope that you are allowing 26:46 the Holy Spirit to 26:47 teach you how to depend 26:49 totally on God. 26:50 For the power to walk in obedience to him. 26:54 I hope that you're encouraged to know that 26:58 God watches over His word to perform it. 27:02 That means there's a power in the promises of God. 27:07 He will perform his vows in you 27:10 if you'll just cooperate with Him. 27:12 He will transform your life! 27:16 Please join us next time 27:18 as we start our study on planting 27:21 God's promises for 27:23 a harvest of blessings. 27:25 I think you'll really enjoyed this study. 27:27 May God multiply his mercy, 27:31 love, 27:32 and grace to you. 27:33 And watch over his word 27:35 to perform it in your life 27:36 as you cooperate with him. 27:38 Please remember to 27:40 spend your time making that 27:43 which is most important to God 27:46 the very thing that is also 27:49 most important to you. 27:52 "Exalting His Word" 27:54 above all things! 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Revised 2023-08-22