Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: EHW
Program Code: EHW000012S
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00:19 Hello.
00:21 My name is Shelley Quinn 00:22 and welcome to 00:23 Exalting His Word. 00:25 today will be talking about 00:26 life affirmations from scriptures 00:27 so stay tuned to learn a way to 00:30 tap into the life-giving power 00:32 of God's word. 00:34 Our theme text comes from Psalms 138:2 00:38 that says that God exalts His name 00:42 and His word above all things. 00:44 And that He magnifies His word 00:46 even above His name. 00:48 What does that mean? 00:49 It means that God has given His word 00:53 the highest rank of importance. 00:55 He has assigned 00:57 the highest position of praise 00:59 to His word! 01:01 God exalts His word above all things because 01:04 He has granted creative 01:07 life-giving power to His word. 01:09 Power to accomplish all of His will. 01:14 And God has empowered His word 01:16 with greater force than anything else. 01:19 Let's ask the Lord to bless our study today. 01:23 Heavenly Father 01:25 in the name of Jesus, 01:26 we come and ask that your 01:28 Holy Spirit will be our teacher 01:30 and that as we hear these words Lord that 01:34 we will receive them 01:35 and put them into practice for your glory. 01:37 In the name of Jesus, amen. 01:40 You know there's one thing for certain... 01:43 miracles follow the authority of 01:45 the words of Christ. 01:47 In John Chapter 3 01:48 we see that Nichodemus 01:51 recognize this. 01:52 He believed that the young carpenter 01:54 from Nazareth 01:56 was a teacher from God 01:57 and possibly someone far greater. 01:59 Yet as a ruler of the Jewish Council 02:02 Nichodemus wasn't ready to 02:04 make a public confession of faith. 02:07 He waited. 02:08 And he approached Jesus secretly at night 02:11 to tap into the apparent wisdom of God. 02:13 But even under the cover of the night 02:16 nothing could hide his startled expression 02:20 when Jesus spoke these words... 02:22 Jesus said... 02:24 [text on screen] 02:48 What a shocking statement! 02:50 Words beyond the capacity of 02:53 human understanding! 02:55 You know, 02:56 Nichodemus thought it was irrational 02:58 and he questioned the truth of it! 02:59 Christ spoke in spiritual words. 03:02 And to the natural mind, 03:03 they seem to be abstract foolishness. 03:07 In I Corinthians 2:14 03:09 the Bible explains that 03:10 the unspiritual man can not receive 03:14 the divine thoughts of God. 03:16 It takes the Holy Spirit 03:18 to teach and explain God's spiritual words. 03:22 Only those who have the Holy Spirit 03:25 dwelling within them 03:27 can discern God's thoughts. 03:29 But the Bible does clearly point out that 03:32 there is one notable exemption 03:35 to this principle. 03:36 Every human can understand 03:38 and welcome the plan of salvation 03:41 before they've been born of His Spirit. 03:44 God designed the evidence of 03:46 His creative power of His love 03:50 and amazing grace to 03:51 penetrate the natural heart and mind. 03:54 The Holy Spirit is constantly at work 03:57 to bring conviction of sin. 04:00 He strives to lead 04:03 all of humanity to that 04:05 turning point of Godly sorrow 04:07 and draw them near to God. 04:10 The Bible tells us that 04:11 the kindness of God offers us 04:14 the gift of repentance 04:16 to those who are dead in their sins. 04:19 He invites us to accept 04:23 His gift of salvation. 04:25 But beyond the evidence of a Creator 04:27 and the understanding of 04:29 His plan of salvation. 04:31 The sacred truths of the Bible 04:33 just can't be known without 04:35 the indwelling of 04:37 the Holy Spirit. 04:38 Let's return now to Christ's comments 04:41 about the necessity 04:43 to be born again to see 04:45 or to enter the Kingdom of God. 04:48 What did Christ mean by 04:51 these words to Nichodemus? 04:53 You know sometimes 04:55 we overlook a familiar passage of scripture 04:57 thinking that we know it. 04:59 There's devine depths to 05:01 the thoughts expressed in the Bible 05:03 and we should be cautious of 05:05 taking a casual approach to our studies. 05:08 I pray often that 05:10 God would give me an unquenchable 05:12 desire for His inexhaustible word! 05:16 I want to go deeper into His mind 05:19 gaining a more intimate relationship 05:22 with His thoughts. 05:24 Some years ago 05:25 I found myself drawn to 05:27 our subject text 05:28 and I asked the Spirit of God to 05:30 increase my understanding. 05:31 Now I want to share one of 05:33 the rays of light that 05:34 the spirit shined on this passage to 05:37 expose truth that 05:39 I hadn't recognized before. 05:41 In this passage of John Chapter 3 05:44 Christ defined the two stages required 05:48 for receiving the truths of the Kingdom; 05:53 SEEING and ENTERING! 05:55 We must the born-again by 05:57 the Spirit of God 05:59 to see kingdom truths 06:01 and we have to see before we know how to enter. 06:05 Seeing a kingdom truth is just the first stage. 06:09 By the insight of the Holy Spirit 06:11 we can understand God's word. 06:15 But seeing is not enough. 06:17 What good does it do to 06:19 recognize the blessing of humility if 06:22 we remained prideful? 06:23 What is the benefit of 06:25 knowing God's counsel for 06:27 a healthy lifestyle if 06:28 we ignore it? 06:30 Seeing the truth is 06:31 just a platform 06:33 or a springboard that 06:35 will take us to the next stage. 06:37 Now entering a kingdom truth 06:40 means putting God's word into practice. 06:43 It requires that 06:45 we take that step of faith 06:47 and empowered by His spirit 06:49 we enter the truth as we do 06:51 the will of God. 06:53 If we're BELIEVING in His word 06:57 we must be LIVING in His word. 07:01 That's what it means 07:03 to have entered a kingdom truth of God. 07:06 God has demonstrated to me that 07:09 speaking scripture promises 07:13 over my life is one of 07:14 the greatest ways to enter into 07:18 His kingdom truths. 07:20 This is the practice of affirmations. 07:23 And let me define for you what that means. 07:27 I'm often asked if 07:29 there's a difference between 07:31 claiming a promise of God 07:34 and speaking His word 07:36 as an affirmation. 07:38 Well yes, there is a difference. 07:40 Claiming a promise is recognizing that 07:44 we have a right to it. 07:46 If you are abiding in Christ then 07:49 you have been given by faith 07:52 a titled deed interest 07:55 in all of God's promises. 07:57 God wants us to recognize 07:58 and state our claim because He has vowed 08:03 to give us these promises in His son. 08:07 In fact, 08:08 claiming God's promises with assurance is 08:11 what faith is all about! 08:13 Now let's look at Hebrews 11:1 08:17 in the amplified version 08:19 and we will see. 08:21 It says... 08:22 [text on screen] 08:47 So we see that faith is 08:49 our titled deed interest 08:51 in which we can claim God's promises. 08:54 Still an affirmation goes beyond claiming. 08:58 Let me give you 09:00 a definition for affirmation. 09:02 A life affirmation from Scripture is... 09:06 [information on screen] 09:44 Speaking scriptures as affirmations 09:46 is a practice that the Holy Spirit 09:49 inspired me to begin in 1995 09:51 when I was desperately ill. 09:54 After a year of 09:56 intense suffering without relief, 09:58 God sent His word to heal me 10:02 in a miraculous manner. 10:04 And after tapping into 10:07 the inherent power of 10:09 the affirmation practice, 10:11 it has become my passion. 10:14 God has trained my focus 10:15 on His word. 10:19 He has replaced my thoughts 10:21 with His thoughts. 10:23 And He has expanded 10:25 my vision of His plan. 10:28 I see the kingdom of God. 10:31 An increased understanding of His plan 10:34 has prompted me to step out in faith! 10:38 And enter God's kingdom truths! 10:42 You know, 10:43 the practical application of 10:44 this teaching is so simple! 10:47 All we have to do is 10:49 accept God's testimony about us 10:52 as new creations in Christ Jesus. 10:55 Then, as we find a promise of God 11:00 in the Bible 11:01 simply speak His word 11:04 over our lives. 11:05 I would like to point out that 11:07 all of His commandments are promises also! 11:10 For example, 11:12 The Bible says, 11:13 "in your anger do not sin." 11:16 That's a promise of 11:17 what God will empower us to do!! 11:21 Let me show you 11:23 how we can turn this into 11:25 an affirmation taken from two scriptures. 11:29 Ephesians 4:26 and Romans 6:14. 11:34 And say... [text on screen] 11:52 So we can take that and we can say... 11:54 [information on screen] 12:09 This isn't mind over matter. 12:12 Or, the power of positive thinking. 12:15 It's planting the life giving 12:19 word of God into our hearts 12:22 and accepting His testimony of 12:24 what God says that 12:27 He will do in us. 12:29 Part of the beauty of affirmations 12:32 is that 12:34 they change the way we think 12:35 and talk about ourselves. 12:37 When you behold in 12:40 the mirror of the word 12:42 the reflection of who you are in Christ 12:45 and when you declare it 12:48 with your living voice 12:50 the amazing result is that 12:53 you become what you behold!! 12:55 We can look at II Corinthians 3:18 12:58 to verify this. 13:00 It says, 13:01 "But we all with unveiled face 13:04 "beholding as in a mirror 13:07 "the glory of the Lord 13:09 "are being transformed into His image 13:12 "from glory to glory 13:14 "just as by the spirit of the Lord." 13:18 Oh I think that's so wonderful!! 13:21 As we learn to speak God's word 13:24 over our lives, 13:25 we learn to lean on His understanding 13:29 and He directs our paths! 13:31 The practice of affirmations 13:33 will change our lives! 13:36 God guarantees it!! 13:38 Please stay tuned 13:39 and we'll be right back after 13:40 this announcement to discuss 13:43 how the words of our mouths actually have 13:45 the power of life and death. 13:51 If this dynamic series 13:53 is making a difference in your life, 13:54 then you should know about 13:56 a special study guide 13:57 written by Shelley Quinn. 13:59 Exalting His Word with 14:00 Life Affirmations From Scripture 14:01 is an in depth study of the word of God. 14:05 Please send your love gifts to... 14:21 Affirmations transform us 14:23 by the renewing of our minds. 14:26 They help us to know 14:28 and understand the perfect will of God. 14:32 Hearing our living voice declare 14:35 the wonders of His truths 14:37 increases our faith. 14:40 And as we reprogram our thoughts 14:42 in this way, 14:44 His thoughts, become our thoughts! 14:46 And they become the source for truth 14:49 and we overcome our identity crisis! 14:52 The life giving power of the word of God 14:55 washes away the influence of 14:58 the world system! 15:00 The word of God that we affirm 15:03 becomes a fire that burns 15:05 the froths separating us from 15:11 the pure from the impure. 15:12 The ultimate blessing is that 15:15 as we apply His promises personally 15:19 we partake of His divine nature. 15:22 This all begins by 15:24 the power of our tongue. 15:25 The Bible says in Proverbs 18:21... 15:29 [text on screen] 15:38 We speak life into our days 15:41 when we speak God's word 15:43 into every situation. 15:46 But on the other hand, 15:47 do you remember the story of 15:50 the Israelites 15:51 who God delivered from bondage 15:53 and lead them to the Promise Land? 15:55 A land that God vowed to give them 15:57 but they doubted His word. 16:00 They wouldn't accept God's testimony 16:03 and enter into His promise. 16:05 They spoke words of disbelieve that 16:09 directly contradicted the word of God. 16:13 Just like the Israelites, 16:15 at the edge of the Promise Land 16:18 we speak death into our days if 16:22 we endorse the testimony of 16:25 doubt and disbelieve. 16:28 Do the words of our mouth 16:30 really matter to the Lord? 16:33 What God said in Numbers 14:28,29 16:38 certainly shows that they do. 16:40 Because the Lord said to them, 16:42 "Say to them as I live says the Lord. 16:45 "Just as you have spoken in my hearing 16:49 "so I will do to you. 16:51 "The carcases of you who have complained against me 16:55 "shall fall in this wilderness." 16:58 And in Matthew 12:36,37 17:01 Jesus gave us the warning about 17:04 the words that we speak. He said that 17:07 "I say to you that 17:08 "for every idle word that you speak, 17:10 "you will have to give an account of it 17:13 "on the day of judgment. 17:15 "For by your words you will be acquitted 17:17 "and by your words you will be condemned." 17:21 Almost daily, 17:23 I find myself confessing 17:25 the sin of idle words. 17:27 Both those that escape my lips 17:30 and the unspoken words of my thoughts. 17:32 Words that don't line up 17:36 in agreement with His will. 17:37 Words that are void of His power. 17:40 I seek God's forgiveness 17:42 and I ask Him to put a guard 17:45 at the door of my mouth! 17:47 I pray the word of faith 17:49 will be in my heart 17:50 and on my tongue 17:52 as it says in Romans 10:8. 17:53 Let me quote that for you... 17:55 The Bible says, 17:57 "The word is near you. 17:58 "It is in your mouth 18:00 "and it is in your heart. 18:01 "That is the word of faith that 18:03 "we are proclaiming." 18:06 I ask God to cause me 18:09 to confess His testimony 18:12 as my source of life 18:14 through affirmations. 18:16 My constant prayer is that 18:18 I will speak into all situations 18:22 with the tongue of an 18:24 instructed disciple. 18:26 The practical application of 18:28 this teaching is so simple. 18:31 But we've barely scratched 18:33 the surface of understanding. 18:35 I'd like to explain to you 18:37 the deeper truth 18:40 and the power that supports this simple 18:42 but transforming practice. 18:45 I've learned that 18:47 we wont continue the practice of something 18:50 unless we really understand 18:52 why and how it benefits us. 18:55 Isn't that true? 18:57 I receive many reports 18:58 from Christians who've been empowered by 19:01 speaking life affirmations 19:04 over their life yet 19:05 challenged by the exercise of 19:09 walking in the word 19:10 And they slip back into old lazy habits. 19:14 Then sometime later in response 19:17 to God's leading 19:18 they will start up this practice again! 19:20 And that's when I hear from them. [chuckles] 19:23 Excited Christians will call me 19:25 and they'll say... 19:27 "I don't understand why 19:29 "I ever stopped practicing this! 19:31 "It's so powerful 19:32 "and it makes such a difference in my life!" 19:36 I understand their sentiment 19:38 because my experience 19:39 has been exactly the same. 19:41 Until I appreciated why 19:44 this practice 19:45 exerted such a powerful force 19:48 I wasn't compelled to continue. 19:51 When the spirit helped me to see this as 19:54 my way to plug-in to the power of God 19:58 it became worth the effort. 20:00 I devoted the time and energy to 20:03 enter this kingdom truth. 20:06 What convinced me of 20:08 the power of this process 20:10 was a study in the Greek. 20:12 And today 20:13 I want to 20:14 briefly introduce you to 20:16 two Greek terms that 20:18 we find in the Bible. 20:20 I constructed the definition for 20:22 these two terms from multiple resources of 20:25 scholarly Greek works but 20:27 most importantly from 20:29 the use of these terms in Scripture. 20:33 And the first term is in the Greece... 20:35 [information on screen] 21:38 I've learned that 21:40 this is so important to us 21:42 because God spoke 21:44 the world into existence 21:47 by his LOGOS word. 21:49 And then He completed the work 21:52 by His RHEMA word. 21:54 You and I are born again 21:58 by the LOGOS word. 22:01 But the use of the Greek term RHEMA 22:04 in scripture 22:06 demonstrates that God equips us 22:09 and perfects us by His RHEMA word. 22:12 The scriptures that we confess 22:15 and personally apply 22:18 brings order into our lives 22:21 and transforms us into His image. 22:25 The Bible says that 22:27 Christ sustains everything by 22:31 His RHEMA word of instruction. 22:34 I hope you'll be able to 22:37 join us again next week 22:39 when we'll devote more time to 22:41 explain and develop these terms 22:45 for a better understanding. 22:47 You know, 22:48 the distinction between 22:50 these terms LOGOS and RHEMA 22:53 will become much clearer 22:55 as we continue in future programs. 22:58 We're going to 22:59 examine the RHEMA word in 23:02 the context of scripture. 23:05 And, we'll let the Bible develop 23:07 the definition for us. 23:10 I believe you'll see 23:11 the exciting advantages of 23:14 taking God's LOGOS word 23:17 and making it our 23:20 RHEMA utterance. 23:22 I've come to appreciate that 23:24 this is the way His word 23:28 enters our life with triumph 23:30 and helps us achieve 23:33 the overcoming victory. 23:36 We have ventured 23:38 into some depths of this teaching. 23:41 Now let's surface 23:43 and take a deep breath! 23:44 Here are the five main points that 23:47 I would like you to recall. 23:49 [information on screen] 23:59 Go ahead and say it right now! 24:04 I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM. 24:09 [second point on screen] 24:19 This is taking the wisdom 24:21 and the council of God's testimony 24:23 and personally applying it to your life. 24:28 [first point on screen] 24:57 You know, 24:58 to encourage my effort 25:00 in the practice of 25:02 speaking His word over my life 25:05 as RHEMA affirmations, 25:07 the Lord impressed this thought 25:09 on my mind one day. 25:11 And this happened when 25:12 I had practiced it for about a year 25:16 and then... It actually, 25:18 it had been about two years 25:20 and then I abandoned the practice. 25:23 And I was trying to 25:24 get back into doing the practice again 25:28 and finding the time that it took 25:31 and just carving that time out of my schedule. 25:35 And suddenly the Lord impressed 25:37 this thought in my mind. 25:40 He said, 25:42 "Time is life. 25:43 "How you invest your time is 25:45 "how you invest your life." 25:49 Let me ask you something... 25:52 How are you investing your life? 25:57 How are you investing your time? 26:01 The affirmation process is 26:03 worth your time investment. 26:04 It will work the very mind of Christ in you. 26:09 Jesus said that His words are 26:12 spirit and they are life. 26:15 The transforming power of 26:18 God's word 26:19 will change your life forever. 26:23 You'll be clothed 26:25 with power 26:26 from on high! 26:29 Oh yes!!! 26:31 And let me remind you 26:32 just as Nichodemus saw that 26:35 miracles follow 26:37 the authority of the words of Christ 26:40 miracles do follow the authority of 26:43 the word of God. 26:46 My brother and my sister 26:48 and friends, 26:49 I don't know where you are right now. 26:51 And I don't know your circumstances, 26:53 but I know one thing... 26:55 God has a plan for your life 26:59 and it is better 27:01 than the one you are living! 27:02 I know that His plan is better yet 27:05 than the one that I'm living. 27:07 And if we would just learn 27:10 and accept God's truth 27:12 that His word is life to us! 27:15 If we would acknowledge that 27:18 God has the perfect plan 27:21 and we come to Him 27:22 and earnestly seek Him, 27:24 God will change us! 27:27 May God multiply His mercy, 27:29 love and grace to you. 27:31 And may He watch over His word to 27:32 perform it as you cooperate with Him. 27:36 Please remember to spend your time 27:39 making that which is most important to God 27:44 the very thing that is 27:45 also most important to you. 27:48 Get into His word! 27:50 Acknowledge that it's life! 27:54 Exalt His word! 27:55 Invest your time 27:58 in exalting God's word. |
Revised 2023-09-19