#153 - DARE TO DECLARE THAT YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST

Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Romans 8:33-34 

Faith will not work in an atmosphere of unforgiveness.

Kenneth E. Hagin 

I once heard Dad Hagin say, “If the devil can get you in condemnation, he’ll cheat you out of your inheri- tance.” When we receive forgiveness and freely forgive ourselves and others, our faith will work properly. God forgives us so radically and totally, that He commands us to forgive others the same way. God’s kind of forgiveness erases the memory of all sin, failure, guilt, and accusation. We plead our case with the Word of God and the blood of Jesus.

In II Corinthians 5:21, God declares us righteous in Christ. Righteousness is a free gift and those that receive it will reign in life through Christ Jesus. This reve- lation of righteousness makes us glad. These are days of Heaven on Earth, so go ahead and laugh at the devil.

Confession: I have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I receive this free gift and reign in life through Christ Jesus! II Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:17

#152 - NO MORE PARALYSIS

And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. Luke 5:20

God is always propelling us forward.

Mark Hankins

In Isaiah 43:25-26, we know God’s promise says that He blots out our transgressions and will not remember our sins. This promise of forgiveness and faith in His Word opens the door to God’s goodness.

The story of the man with four crazy friends in Luke 5:17-26 is one of my favorites. “When Jesus saw their faith,” He told the man with paralysis, “Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” Jesus spoke to that man’s deepest need. If Jesus calls you forgiven, you are totally forgiven and released from the condition and consequences of sin. You are redeemed.

Jesus then told the paralyzed man to “Arise!” The man got up totally healed of all paralysis. This miracle caused the religious leaders much trouble. The rules and regulations of religion have paralyzed many people. However, when you get in the presence of Jesus, forgive- ness and restoration are freely given. What a wonderful Jesus we have who forgives and heals!

Confession: I am redeemed! Isaiah 43:26 says to put God in remembrance of His Word. This promise of for- giveness and faith in His Word opens the door to His goodness in my life!

#151 - ALL IS FORGIVEN

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. Isaiah 43:25-26

Never look back if you want the power of God in your life.

Smith Wigglesworth

In Earnest Hemingway’s short story, “The Capital of the World,” he tells the story about a father and his teenage son who lived in Spain. Their relationship became strained, eventually shattered, until the son ran away from home. The father began a long journey in search of his lost and rebellious son. Finally, as a last resort, he put an ad in the Madrid newspaper. His son’s name was Paco, a very common name in Spain. The ad simply read, “Dear Paco, meet me in front of the Madrid newspaper office tomorrow at noon. All is forgiven. I love you.” The next day at noon, in front of the newspaper office, there were 800 “Pacos” all seeking forgiveness.

God is in the forgiveness business. His forgiveness includes the total erasing from His memory that sin was ever committed. He does this for His own sake so that He can bless us the way He wants!

Confession: I believe that I am forgiven by God. If God does not remember what I have done wrong, then I will erase it from my memory also! Psalms 32:1

#150 - FAITH IN GOD CAN CHANGE ANYTHING

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23

Any man can be changed by faith, no matter how he may be fettered.

Smith Wigglesworth

I have a niece who used to live in Italy. One day she came home with her paper from grade school and was crying. She had drawn a picture and one of the kids from the class had taken her paper and put a big ugly mark on it. She is a tenderhearted girl so she was very upset. Her mom, trying to comfort her, encouraged her to settle down. She then took a pen and began to try to fix the picture. She started working with the ugly mark and before long, it had become a beautiful flower.

Many people spend their lives whining and crying about what the problems of life have done or what kind of mark the devil has put in their life. If we will go to God and let Him show us a new picture, He will take the marks and turn them into something beautiful.

When you have a spirit of faith, you don’t just see the problems and the bad experiences you have had, you see what God can do when you come to Him.

Confession: I have a spirit of faith. It may look like something bad has happened to me, but I believe that God is going to make something good out of it.

#149 - LIVING FAITH WILL CARRY YOU

Faith is like that. If faith does not issue in action, if it is all alone by itself, it is dead. James 2:17, Barclay

The word of faith begins in your mouth.

Mark Hankins

It is very difficult to carry dead faith around. Faith without action is dead. However, living faith will carry you. Living faith demands action.

Romans 10:8-9 says, “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Again, the word of faith begins in your mouth.

The first act of faith a Christian makes is with his mouth saying, “Jesus is Lord.” The miracle of the new birth is activated by words. There are many important facets of faith, but the speaking part is vital. It seems that Satan wants to stop you before the initial act of faith. When God gets His foot in the door, His power changes everything.

Confession: The word of faith begins with my mouth. My faith is changing my words and as a result, it will change my world!

#148 - MOVE YOUR MOUTH, MOVE YOUR MOUNTAIN

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain... Mark 11:23

Change your words, change your world.

Mark Hankins

The speaking part of faith is very important. Speaking is vital to faith working effectively. Jesus emphasizes the speaking part three times and believing only once. In Mark 11:23, we can see from Jesus’ words that the speaking part must be emphasized 3 times more than the believing part.

Faith moves God. Faith moves mountains. Faith will not move anything until it moves you. The first part of you that your faith will move is your mouth. Smith Wigglesworth said, “No man looks at appearances if he believes God. I’m not moved by what I see, I’m not moved by what I feel, I’m moved only by what I believe, and I believe God.”

Your faith must change your words before it will change your world. If you are silent, you lose by default. There is no silent faith in the Bible. Faith must have a voice.

Confession: I’m not moved by what I see, I’m not moved by what I feel, I’m moved only by what I believe, and I believe God!

#147 - RISE UP IN FAITH

For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from (its) works of obedience is also dead. James 2:26, Amplified

Even in the middle of adversity, your faith will get you to your destination.

Mark Hankins

While ministering in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I went to a hot-air balloon festival. A man from the church I was ministering at had a hot-air balloon in the competition and took me in the balloon with him. Not long after we took off, he told me that we had absolutely no control over the direction of the hot-air balloon. He said the only thing that we had control over was the altitude of the balloon.

The balloons that had made it to 3,500 feet were heading north. There was a different wind blowing at 3,500 feet causing the balloons to go a different direction. We noticed that all of the balloons at 1,000 feet were head- ing south. Unfortunately, that was the wrong direction. The target was on the north side of Albuquerque!

This experience reminds me of people following Jesus and obeying God. If you want to get on the target that God has for you, you are going to have to rise up in the Spirit, rise up in the reality of your redemption, and rise up in faith.

Confession: I have a divine destination. I choose to rise up in the Spirit where there is another wind blowing!