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It Begins With An Image
By Charlie Rogers
Charlie Rogers Ministries
www.charlierogers.org
All scripture unless noted is taken from the New King James Version®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights
reserved.
The “Mirror Confessions” and “In Him Confessions” by Gary Carpenter are
used by permission. www.garycarpenter.org
Cover design and graphics by Judy Gilmore, Gilmore Graphics
www.gilmoregraphics.org
I want to thank my wonderful wife
Shelly for her support and help in writing this book.
Thanks to Gary and Judy Gilmore for their hard work helping with this
book.
Also I want to thank my long time friend Gary Carpenter for the use of
the “Mirror Confessions" and the “In Him Confessions”
It Begins With An Image
1st Printing 2013
© 2013 by Charlie P. Rogers
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written
permission from the publisher is prohibited. Printed in the United
States of America.
Charlie Rogers Ministries
14146 Ranch Acres Drive Tahlequah, OK 74464 (918) 458-7876
[email protected]
Do you know that you have an inheritance? It Begins With An Image
reveals this God-given blessing and how to change your image to receive
it!
We want positive changes, but we often don’t know how to make the needed
changes to receive the life God wants us to enjoy. This book reveals how
to use the Word of God to change those undesired circumstances. And how
does it all begin? It begins with the image we have of who God is and
the great blessings He has for us. This book will help you make these
changes and receive all the good things God has for His children.
Charlie Rogers resides with his wife Shelly in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. They
are ministers who operate in the power of the Holy Spirit with signs
following.
In 1985, after a divine visitation, Charlie answered the call of God to
heal the sick and set the captive free. Through the pow er of the Holy
Spirit people have received healings from cancer and other diseases,
along with many other physical and emo- tional infirmities, including
creative miracles. Many people have received a touch from God and have
gone away refreshed and full of God’s Spirit.
Charlie and Shelly not only minister in the United States, but also
throughout the country of Peru. Miracle crusades are held, along with
conferences to teach pastors the walk of the Spirit. Many churches
have been established and strengthened through this message and the
demonstration of God’s power.
Also I want to thank my long time friend Gary Carpenter for the use of
the “Mirror Confessions”and the “In Him Confessions”
Hebrews 11:1 states that faith is the substance of things hoped for.
Faith comes before the manifestation of the things hoped for, and hope
has to come before faith. We have to get an image, a hope, of
something before we can have the faith. We must use the word of God in
order to cause that image to materialize (Heb.11:3)In the beginning God
had an image. He had an image of what was about to be created, then He
spoke it into existence. (Gen.1:2-3) We do the same; we must use the
Word of God to get the image and the faith, to speak it into existence.
God not only gives us the idea of what He wants us to have, but also the
way for it to be manifested. I believe the following pages will not only
build faith in the person that reads them, but will also increase
victory in their life.
It Begins with an Image
Chapter 1
How do you see yourself? Do you some- times wonder, “Is there a way out
of my situation,” whether it is a physical infirmity or a financial
infirmity? If so, how do you start to change things? I just imagine some
even wonder if they deserve a better life than they have. Let’s look and
see what the Bible says about those
who love God.
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of
man, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him (1
Corinthians 2:9).
Have you ever stopped to think of what God has given us, not just when
you get to heaven but in the here and now? As each month and each year
passes along, and with each trip into God I take, I realize more and
more what He has for us and intends for us.
We are sons and daughters of God, adopted into the family of
Christ. With this great transaction comes a great blessing, we have
the same inheritance as the Lord Jesus Christ who is the heir of all
things (Eph.1:11-14)! Christians are joint-heirs with Him (Romans
8:17), so therefore, everything that Jesus has is ours!
The Bible tells us in Ephesians 1:18-19,
The eyes of your understanding being en- lightened; that you may know
what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His
inheritance in the saints,
19: and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who
believe, accord- ing to the working of His mighty power.
Now you might say, “Well, I don’t feel like I have everything. In fact,
when I got up this morning, my body said differently. It said, ‘I don’t
have ev- erything.’” But you really do have everything! We have
been given everything that we could ever think of, or ever imagine, or
ever imagine needing concerning our body, or our family, or our
finances. Everything that we could ever need has already been given to
us.
Sometimes we sit around waiting for God to give us something, but He’s
already given it. There’s no need in waiting for a sovereign move of
God, because 2000 years ago Jesus died on the cross. He paid for our
sins, rose from the grave and ascended to the right hand of God and gave
us everything He had as joint heirs in Christ! That is the sovereign
move of God, and everything that we’ll ever need was given to us. I
praise God that we have this inheritance. If we have not re- ceived our
manifestation, it’s not God’s fault.
You know, sometimes I just have to be honest with myself and admit that
it is me. God is not stuck. He’s already done everything, and
then He gave it all to me. He delivered everything to me that could be
delivered to me. So there’s only one person that might be stuck, and
that’s me. The more I learn about His grace, His mercy, and His love,
the more I just want to go further into Him and get this manifestation.
I want to have it alive in me where others can see it. It’s important!
The inheritance that we have from God should be revealed in our
lives, how we live, how we act. Some people think, “Well, I’m called
to witness. I’m supposed to witness to every- body.” No, you’re not
called to witness; you’re called to be a witness. Others are supposed to
see your life, and see the Godly love oozing out, prosperity oozing out,
or health oozing out.
Now don’t be in condemnation if you feel like you have fallen short in
these areas. That’s where the grace and mercy of God come in. His grace
is there for you, until you can get to that point where when you walk
down the street, or drive down a road, others notice that there’s
something special about you as you pass by. The special thing is that
you’re full of God, and the manifestation of it is showing up on the
outside. It’s not just something locked up on the inside.
This inheritance that we have received is not just something for us to
dwell on. We should be walking in every bit of the prosperity, every bit
of the health that He ever delivered, every bit of the peace that He
ever delivered. But it also is for a purpose. This inheritance is more
than just something for us to have and to use for ourselves. There’s
more to it. If that were all there was, God would be a very selfish God.
He’s not that way. He didn’t give us this inheritance for us not to have
access to it. He’s not one to give something, and then take it away. In
fact, His Word says exactly the opposite.
Hebrews 6:17, 18: Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the
heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an
oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to
lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay
hold of the hope set before us.
He can’t take away what He has given. He cannot lie. In Him is all
truth. If He said we were healed (1Peter 2:24), then it doesn’t matter
what our bodies say, part of our inheritance was healing. We were healed
2000 years ago. If He said that He took on our poverty and delivered
back to us the riches of heaven, then He did. This is the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 8:9).
So whatever you’re expecting, wanting or needing—whatever it is, I know
that God wants it more for you than you could ever imagine. More than I
could ever imagine, more than I could ever convince myself out of the
Word of God. As much as I would like to think that I know everything
that God has for me, I know that it’s even beyond what I can even
comprehend at this time. But I comprehend more each day.
He says, in Eph 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that
works in us.
I believe that everyone reading this teaching probably loves Him. I know
that I do. I love Him to the extent that I can possibly love Him. Now, I
would like to love Him more, and I’m falling more in love with Him
everyday So if you feel like sometimes you don’t know how much you love
Him, don’t feel alone, because there was a time that I didn’t know how
much I could love Him either, mainly because I did not fully under-
stand His love for me!
It is a process, and He understands that. His grace is there. We are to
continue on doing the things in the Word of God that cause His grace and
His mercy to be poured out upon us. We start to see what He has for us.
Then we continue day by day to fall in love with Him more, and more, and
more. Then we are able to receive more and more of what He has.
You know, I’m walking in as much of the power of God right now as I can.
There is more for me, but as far as what I’m walking in right now, it’s
as much as I’m able to do. As I go more into His Word, and I develop a
greater relationship with Him, then there is a greater anointing for me.
The more that I die to the things of the world, and the things of the
flesh (Gal. 2:20), and the emotions, then the more anointing I will
have. The same goes for everyone called of God.
1 Corinthians 2:10 says, “But God has revealed them to us, through His
Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God,
for what man which is in him, even so no one knows the things of God,
except the Spirit of God”.
We can never, with our natural mind, ever comprehend or learn the things
of God. Never! Now this is where religion, denominations, traditions,
and all that, have taken a wrong turn. They are deceived into thinking
God can be understood with the natural mind alone.
He delivered unto us the Spirit of God to not only be with us, but to
dwell and live inside of us. The word dwell means to set up
housekeeping. He’s there to reveal and add the power to sweep out the
things stopping us from walking in our inheritance. He’s going to be
there forever until the day Jesus returns; that’s the job of the Holy
Spirit, to bring to us the things of God, to reveal them to us when we
don’t know where we stand in healing, prosperity, peace, or whatever
area we are facing. It’s the job of the Holy Spirit to get that across
to us and to bring about this manifestation into our lives. Everything
that we could ever need, ever think of, or ever want.
Just because somebody has taken part of that inheritance, and maybe
perverted it, and used it to heap upon themselves Cadillac’s and new
houses all for fleshly reasons, doesn’t make God and His Word wrong. He
still wants us to have all the prosperity and all the healing He
delivered 2000 years ago. He wants it manifested in our life.
We love Him, but He loves us even more. When we said, “Jesus, come into
my heart. Live in my heart. I want to live for you. I give my life to
you,” we immediately became a child in the family of God, and we became
entitled to an inheritance in every area of our lives! It was delivered
free of charge. No way we could earn it, or work for it. It was
delivered by the grace of God. Now, He wants us to take that inheritance
and do something with it. He wants us to live comfortably; He wants us
to have everything. But He also has another purpose for that
inheritance.
Change Your Thinking
Look, God isn’t into us having zero at the end of the month. What
we need to begin to see is a $50 month.” That is, whenever everything is
paid at the end of the month, and we come down to the bottom line, we
still have $50 left over. When we get that image on the inside, and we
have that manifested in our life, then we need to begin to see a $100
month. And while we are at it, why don’t we go ahead and get that image
on the in- side that we could have a $1,000 month!
“Why are you saying this, Brother Rogers? So we can heap more upon
ourselves?” No! So that we can be vessels for God to flow through and
touch this world! We have people around us right now, all through
the area, in dire need. People that need to see a little bit of
God out of us. How can we do that if we’re broke?
Think about it! We come down to the end of the month, we paid that
$325-a- month payment on that brand new pickup truck, and paid the rest
of the bills, and there is nothing left over. So what? If we had had a
$100–a-month payment, we would have another $225 a month extra. Then we
would have had a $225-a-month.
It is a matter of changing an image.
You know, we accept things the way they are too easily. “Well I ended up
with a zero month. Everything balanced. I paid all my bills. I paid all
those big car payments, the house payment, and at the end, I have zero.
Well, at least I paid everything.” And we accept that, and keep going.
Then, we accept that throughout our entire life. “Well, my body hurts,
so I’m going to accept that for the rest of my life.” That’s not what
God intended. He didn’t intend for us to accept that.
He didn’t intend for my joints, (just because I’m 57 years old) to hurt.
He didn’t intend for me to accept that. He expected me to have a
different image, the image on the inside of me of a healed body.
Of a body that’s walking in the fullness of health.
How can we get all those other souls saved, if we go home early to
heaven? How can we reach and touch and change other people’s lives, if
we’re in a wheelchair, or can’t get around very well. How can we
minister to the needs of other people? There’s no condemna- tion. His
grace is there, and He will heal us and set us free. He will also lead
us out of debt financially, which is His perfect will—not to owe any
man! What I’m saying is, it’s not in Him for us to accept our situation
and live with infirmities and debt for the rest of our life. He didn’t
intend for that 2000 years ago. He gave us an inheritance, that we could
walk out of it, and be a vessel for Him to use.
Chapter 2
Before we change our life and the things in it, we must change our image
of it. Before we can change the image, we must have something to change
it to; this is why we must know we have been given an inheritance.
Understand Your Inheritance
Let me point out, it’s an inheritance for us to use, not an inheritance
where we just sit down on nice padded pews, no matter how nice the pews
are. We might even feel comfortable sitting there. This inheritance
isn’t for us to do that. It wasn’t His intention for us to take this
inheritance and just sit (if you don’t mind me saying this) on our
inheritance. He wants us to get off our inheritance and do something
with it! Begin to use it in the body of Christ. It’s called
increasing the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 1:11, In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things
according to the counsel of His will…
First, most people need to know that they have an inheritance. Many
people in the body of Christ still haven’t realized that they have an
inheritance that God freely gave them. It’s nothing they can earn. It’s
there for us to receive and have manifested in our lives.
Ephesians 1:17, …that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened;
that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches
of the glory of His inheritance in the saints…
We need to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the inheritance that has
been given. Reveal to us ev- erything that God has given us. Many
acknowledge their inheritance of salvation, but when it comes to other
things in the Word of God, they excuse it away, saying that it passed
away and God doesn’t do that anymore. Some might have a revelation about
their inheritance in the part about healing. Others may have the
revelation about prosperity, peace, or that He’s a life changing God.
Others may not have that particular revelation. Whatever it is in which
we are short; the Holy Spirit will hold nothing back.
Your Inheritance Is for Blessing Others
Yes, we have prosperity as a part of our inheritance, and guess what?
It’s free; we don’t have to pay for it with our tithes and offerings.
Jesus paid the price for prosperity, also. I get tickled sometimes with
some friends of mine that say they are called as businessmen in the body
of Christ, called to make money. There is that calling, that gift of
giving (Romans 12:8). Yes, that is the actual calling—the gift of
giving, not just to make the money for their own pleasure. I get
tickled because they act as if God has given them some big secret to
make money. God never intended to withhold anything from anybody. If He
reveals something to a person for making money, He expects that person
to share it, to re- produce it, to multiply.
You see, God is a God of reproduction. He wants us to take that
revelation that we have in the Word of God and begin to reproduce other
people that can go out and make money for the kingdom of God. There has
to be a right motive somewhere along the line. We have to correct our
motives, if they’re out of line. He expects us to reproduce. Actually,
we’re only cutting our own supply line off if we don’t reproduce. When
we begin helping other people, that’s when the blessings begin to flow.
Whenever our motive is to help others in the body of Christ, we have
touched God’s heart.
My wife and I don’t worry about any need or anything, because we know
that God is going to supply it. We make sure that in our hearts we keep
the right motive of “why are we in minis- try?” Well, He showed me a
long time ago that He is a life changing God. So I’m supposed to be out
there for Him to change other people’s lives. That’s helping other
people. Changing their lives from where they are now to another place.
It doesn’t matter what my call is, my motive has to be right. The motive
is helping other people.
We have to help those who are lost and those that are in the body of
Christ that don’t have that revelation of the Holy Spirit and how He
assists us. It’s to overflow out of us and into them. That opens up the
blessing of God in our life. But first, we have to realize that the Holy
Spirit is the one who will reveal. He’s the only one who can reveal to
our natural mind, our natural eye, and the natural things of man. We
can’t find out the things that have been freely given to us. It’s only
by the Holy Spirit. He’s the one that will reveal these things to us.
“Would you prove that to me?” Yes.
1 Corinthians 2:10, But God has revealed them to us through His
Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man
which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the
Spirit of God.
Now, having the spirit of this world is being a child of the devil
(Romans 8:1-10). That’s basically what that is. If we are of the world,
then we are a child of the devil. We have to be either a child of God or
a child of the devil. There is no in-between here. We are one or the
other. Before we were born again, we were a child of the devil. A child
of the spirit of death, instead of the Spirit of Life.
Romans 8:2, But the spirit of life which is from God.
Now, he’s talking about our born-again spirit. He’s not even talking
about the Holy Spirit. First, he said, “Not the spirit of the world.”
That’s an unborn-again spirit. That’s a spirit that is unable to receive
the things of God or understand the things of God. Then he says, “But
the spirit who is from God.” That’s our born-again spirit. At that
point, when we were born again, we received the capacity to understand
and receive things from God. Before that, we couldn’t.
I remember before I was born again. When I would open a Bible in one of
those motel rooms, I couldn’t understand one word of the Bible. I knew
about all the Bible stories; but as far as taking the Bible, opening it
up, and trying to read it, I couldn’t. I mean I couldn’t even focus on
it more than two minutes, and I certainly didn’t understand what the
Word of God said. But when I was born again and I received the Holy
Spirit, I may not have understood very much at a time, but I did begin
to understand. I received the ca- pacity to understand the Word of God
and the things that God had for me, and was able then to begin to
understand Him. Before that, I couldn’t even understand Him.
One of the biggest problems that we have in getting people filled with
the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues is that the more education they
have, the more they let their minds get in the way. It’s because their
minds are always trying to analyze and figure it out. How do you figure
out praying in other tongues? The natural mind is not going to
understand the things of God. That certainly explains it.Continuing, He
says in 1 Corinthians 2:12, Now we have received, not the spirit of
the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things
that have been freely given to us by God.
Once again, He’s talking about what we just said—our inheritance;
that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God,
here on this earth as well as in heaven.
Verse 13, These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom
teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things,
with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
He told the people at Corinth, Look, you’re a bunch of babies, and this
is how I can tell. All you do is fight and fuss and have divisions among
yourselves; so therefore, you’re babes. I want to give you more! You
have been given the greatest teacher in existence to compare things to
the Word of God; but you’re more interested in the color of the carpet
and who is sitting in your seat. I can’t even explain some of this to
you because you’re carnal. You’re babies in Christ; I can’t even get
past the milk (my paraphrase of 1 Cor. 3:1-3).
The more we allow our born-again spirit to come forth by turning
ourselves over to the transformation and illumination of the Holy
Spirit, the more we will begin to see ourselves as God sees us. Which is
His Image projected in us and through us. It’s called conforming to His
Image and walking into how He sees us, which is an overcomer. Walk into
the inheritance we have been given, and be blessed as a son or daughter
of God.
1 Corinthians 3:9-10, For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s
field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was
given to me as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and
another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
The Apostle Paul is talking here about false doctrine, wrong teaching,
men’s traditions, religion, and things like that. He goes on to say in
verse 11, For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is
laid, which is Jesus Christ. You must be born again. There is no
other way. You must accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. That is the
foundation. That is your way to Heaven. He said not only that, but Paul
also said to be careful about how we build upon this foundation. Be
careful about how we use this inheritance that has been delivered to us.
Be careful about how we use these things from God that He has given to
us. Paul said, Be considerate of how you use these things that the
Father passed on to us and what we do with the things of God and make
sure we go all the way with the things of God.
Paul goes on to say, 1 Corinthians 3:12-14, Now if anyone builds on
this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because
it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of
what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he
will receive a reward.
Do you know that it doesn’t just stop here? It doesn’t stop with
salvation, it doesn’t stop with getting filled with the Holy Spirit and
having that speaking-in-tongues experience. The evidence of speaking in
other tongues is not even the issue in the Word of God. The issue in the
Word of God is whether we want the Holy Spirit praying on our behalf or
not. Whether we want Him involved in our life, teaching us, and praying
for us, and standing in the gap on our behalf. The issue is whether we
want the Holy Spirit in our life, bringing our inheritance to fruition,
and keeping us until the day of redemption. That is the issue!!!! The
Holy Spirit is the One who keeps us until that day that Jesus returns.
He will teach us, and keep us on the foundation, and show us how to
build carefully on it.
What Paul is saying is here’s the foundation, we have salvation through
the Lord Jesus Christ; but Jesus sent the Holy Spirit so that you could
understand and have the capacity to receive the things from God that
have been given to you freely, your inheritance. The Holy Spirit will
keep us going in the right direction, building upon the foundation with
correct doctrine; so that, whenever we stand before the Lord Jesus
Christ, it
doesn’t go up in smoke. The work that we do here on earth is going to be
tested by fire; and that which stands the test of fire will receive a
reward. That which doesn’t stand the test of fire will be burned up like
a pile of straw.
I told a bunch of people the other day, “You know you don’t want to end
up in India in some ghetto doing good works just because you wanted to
do good works. You want to be where God wants you to be, doing those
good works. You need to take time with the Holy Spirit and find out
exactly where you are supposed to be and what you are supposed to be
doing.”
All I am talking about is we don’t want to be in the wrong place
spending our entire life thinking that we are doing something good, and
we didn’t even ask Jesus where we were supposed to be. We didn’t even
take the time to find out from the Holy Spirit, who knows every part of
the plan of God for our life. If we don’t take time out, it is our own
fault because everything in our inheritance was supplied for us to find
out exactly where we are supposed to be.
1 Cor 3:15 explains, If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss;
but he himself will be saved. Paul continues to talk about if anyone
defiles this temple of God, God will destroy them.
He’s talking about false doctrine. You know, we think sometimes as
Believers that Paul is talking about the smoking and drinking. You know
smoking is not good for your health. It will destroy your health.
Alcohol will destroy your health. But, what He’s talking about here is
doctrine. He’s saying to be careful about how we build on our
foundation, and what direction we’re going. Be careful to make sure that
you get the Holy Spirit involved in what you believe.
Ephesians 1:13, In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you
were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee
of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession,
to the praise of His glory.
The Holy Spirit is part of our inheritance. He is our earnest. Our
deposit. Our seal to- ward the day of redemption. He will set up
housekeeping in us. Purge out false doctrine. Purge out the things that
are not of God, such as wrong thinking, doubt, and unbelief. We cannot
afford not to pray in other tongues. We need to allow the Holy Spirit
freedom in our life, illuminating the Word of God that contains our
inheritance, and causes it to come alive in our life, so we can begin an
image change.
Chapter 3
Ephesians 1:13, In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed,
you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the
guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession, to the praise of His glory.
The Holy Spirit is part of our inheritance; He is our
earnest, our deposit, our seal toward the day of redemption. He will
set up housekeeping in us. Purge out false doctrine. Purge out the
things that are not of God, such as wrong thinking, doubt, and unbelief.
We cannot afford not to pray in other tongues, allowing the Holy Spirit
freedom in our life. Illuminating the Word of God that contains our
inheritance, causing it to come alive in our life, so we can begin an
image change.
Your Image Transformer
A lot of people think that when you talk about praying in other tongues,
it means intercession or tongues for interpretation. Most of the tongues
talked about in the New Testament are tongues for edification. That
means we can begin to get the Holy Spirit in our lives and let Him start
transforming us out of those things that weigh us down.
This is what Paul talked about for the most part in the New Testament.
There are tongues for interpretation, tongues for the unbeliever, and
tongues of intercession. Mainly tongues are for our personal
edification. Our private “Hot Line” to God. When we pray in other
tongues, we pray down the plan of God, and the mind of Christ for our
life is revealed. Therefore, we don’t have any excuse but to be on the
right path receiving everything from God.
“Well, Brother Rogers, I don’t feel like I’m receiving everything from
God. In fact, this morning when I got up, you should have seen my body.
I could hardly get out of bed.” That’s all right, the grace of God is
there and that’s why the Holy Spirit is there. To purge you of that
doubt and unbelief that you’ve been walking in, and transform you to
that inheritance so you can receive your healing, and get up a healed
person. Alleluia!
We’ve got to begin to get an image on the inside of ourselves of people
with an inheritance. You say, “I’m failing. My prosperity message is
failing me. I need to listen to a television prosperity message this
coming Sunday morning, because my prosperity message is failing.” No,
what you need to do is begin to change the image on the inside of you,
of who you are. Let the Holy Spirit begin to build upon that image.
“Well, Brother Rogers, I’m not even that far. I just can’t get up every
morning without sinning before the morning is over.” You need to begin
to change the image of who you are on the inside. It starts with an
image! We’ve got to get the image on the in- side before we can have
the manifestation on the outside. The Holy Spirit will begin to bring
alive to us who we are, which is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We
are overcomers!
We can’t keep on with the same image we have right now and have change
in our lives. It doesn’t happen that way. “Well, how does the Holy Spir-
it help us transform?” I’m glad you asked. I’ll give you an example.
2 Corinthians 8:9, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you
through His poverty might become rich.
We cannot begin to change the image inside us without the Word of God.
The Holy Spirit will take the Word of God and begin to change that
image, if we will begin to turn ourselves over to Him. If we are falling
short in our life, we must make an image change. Whatever area it is
where we are falling short, then we need to take the Word of God and
begin to meditate on it. We got in the shape we are in by what we did
in the past; we will change things by what we do now and in the future!
We get to thinking that the Holy Spirit will just do it for us without
us doing our part. Wrong. That’s not the way it works. He can only work
with what we give Him. First, it’s our surrender to Him. Second, we must
have an idea of an image to develop from the Bible. We must begin to
give Him something with which to work. That’s where the Word of God
enters the plan.
2 Corinthians 8:9, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you
through His poverty might become rich.
He was able to do that, because He took on our poverty! We have to begin
to take that and meditate upon it and let the Holy Spirit begin to de-
velop that image inside of us. That image starts to take hold because we
are getting the image developed on the inside, that He already took on
our poverty that is in us. Now we are beginning to develop the image
that we have to the riches of heaven. Now things don’t look so bleak.
Unless we change our image, we are never going to walk out of where we
are.
So about right now you must be thinking, “How do you know that God wants
to change me?” That’s just the way He is. He wants to change you. He
wants to change me. You’ll just have to believe me. “Well, you’ll just
have to accept me the way that I am.” No, we won’t! God wants to
change us from glory to glory to glory to glory (2
Cor. 3:18). That’s the job of the Holy Spirit, among other things. He’ll
get in on our act, and begin to purge us, begin to transform us, but we
must give Him something with which to work.
He’s got to have an image from the Word of God. I was crucified
with Christ (Galatians 2:20). There’s an image!
Crucifying the flesh, leaving that sin behind. Sin shall not have
dominion over me (Romans 6:14). There’s another image. If sin
defeats you every day, you need to begin to get that image on the
inside. Sin shall not have dominion over me! The Word of God does not
lie! If it says, Sin shall not have dominion over you; then,
sin shall not have dominion over you. It has no dominion. It does
not rule in your life. You need to begin to get that image on the
inside. You can’t have the manifestation of no sin, without that image
first. The image must come first!
You need to begin to look at yourself differently. I’m the
righteousness of God in Christ (see 2 Cor.5:21). You need to begin
to get the image on the inside of you that you can become what the Word
says. That you can receive the inheritance that you’ve been freely
given. Not just written words on a page, but manifested and alive in
your life, so all can see. I want to see it in my life. I want others to
see it. I don’t want them to have to question. I want them to be able to
see it working in my life. I won’t settle for anything less.
This is part of the job of the Holy Spirit, if we will let Him get
involved in our life. With the Word of God, He will begin to change us
until we conform to that image of Christ. You see, the Word of God is
the image of Christ and that’s the direction that we’re to head. But
there’s just one problem, we have to let Him get involved in our life.
We have to decide that maybe we are not so perfect after all. Maybe we
have more doubt and unbelief than what we thought we had.
Jude 20, But you, beloved, building your- selves up on your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
When we go up, we leave something behind. For example, when you go up a
ladder, you leave things behind. Well, when we pray in the Holy Spirit
and build ourselves up on our most holy faith, we begin to leave behind
those things that we once were. Now the Holy Spirit can take the Word of
God and begin to change us and make us into the image of Christ. But if
we don’t get Him involved, there is nothing He can do, because He won’t
force us.
Some people thought when they received the
Holy Spirit that it was a wonderful experience.
It was for a week or two, and then the experi- ence wore off. Ten,
fifteen, twenty, thirty years have passed. Then we think back to when we
received the Holy Spirit. What a wonderful experience it was. Well,
it ought to be an experience every day for us to get with the Holy
Spirit.
When the Pastor gets up and preaches about prayer, you think it’s
spending five minutes out of your day. Well, five minutes is a little
bit of a start. It would be nicer, though, if you would spend at least
an hour with the Holy Spirit each morning every day. “Well, I can’t do
it every morning; I can do it at night.” Well fine, stay up all night!
He’d like us to get to know Him. He’d like to get a chance to work in
our lives. “Well, Brother, I just don’t have time!” You really
don’t have time not to pray!
There have been a lot of rough times that my wife and I have been
through in the ministry. One thing I’ve found though, as long as I keep
praying in the Holy Spirit and keep building myself up on my most holy
faith. I never lose that image of what He’s called me to do, who He’s
called me to be, and where He’s called me to go. I never lose that
image. It’s because I give Him the chance to re- new it day by day, hour
by hour.
We have to begin to let Him into our life. He won’t force His
way into our life. We’ve got to invite Him in. “How do we invite Him
in?” We ask the Holy Spirit to dwell in us with the evidence of
speaking in other tongues.
The most fun I had in Peru was getting Baptist pastors filled with the
Holy Spirit! I’ll never forget this one wonderful man. He came to me and
through the interpreter said he’d been having all kinds of miracles by
laying hands on people. People were receiving miracles in his church.
They were going out getting people saved, the lame walking, the blind
seeing, and lots of things happening. He said, “But there’s just one
thing. I just haven’t been able to get filled with the Holy Spirit.” I
thought, my goodness, most Holy Spirit filled people are not even doing
what you’re doing! He got his wish that night. I laid hands on him, and
in a split second, he was spewing out those other tongues.
It’s more than just a Pentecostal experience. It’s a way of life, and we
have to stop long enough to begin that way of life. It’s not just when
we get excited while listening to good preaching. It’s not just when we
have a good praise report. It’s an
every-day-way-of-life-offering-ourselves- over to the Holy Spirit. And
spending that hour each day praying in other tongues.
1 Corinthians 14:2, For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to
men but to God, for no one understands him; howev- er, in the spirit he
speaks mysteries.
The word mysteries in this verse means the mind of Christ, the will of
God for our individual lives. His plan for every part, every step we
take. All in line with the Word of God, His image that we have planted
in our life.
Also, remember it’s okay with Satan if you go part way!
In other words, he doesn’t mind if you start following instructions of
how to get your life changed and never finish them, you just stop! God,
on the other hand, can use faithfulness as a reason to trust you with an
increase.
Chapter 4
The Holy Spirit wants to change the image inside of people. You can’t
move forward without that image change. You will get stuck and stay in
the past, if you don’t begin to change that image. That’s why the Holy
Spirit is here. He was sent to help us effect change in our lives so
that we not only don’t stay the same, but we don’t go backward.
Receiving from God
1 Corinthians 2:9, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered
into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who
love Him. But God has revealed unto us through His Spirit; for the
Spirit searches all things, yes the deep things of God.
To some people the deep things of God are the big, mystical
things. They take scripture out of context. What he is talking about
here is everything in your inheritance, everything that was given to you
at the cross. The Holy Spirit’s job is to bring that to you. First, His
job is to give us the capacity to receive the things of God, to be able
to understand them and to have them manifested in your life.
Before we were born again, we were spiritually dead; we couldn’t receive
anything from God. I know you probably look back now and realize you did
not understand anything concerning God. I didn’t understand it. Then you
were born again and you received the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:38). And He
came in and made your spirit new. Made you come alive. Your spirit was
no longer dead. Now it was born from Jesus Christ. Now you’re able to
begin the trip to understand the Word of God. That’s what He is saying.
1 Corinthians 2:11, For what man knows the things of a man except the
spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of
God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of
the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things
that have been freely given to us by God.
He’s talking about the effect of the Holy Spirit upon your spirit, which
makes you now have the capacity to understand the things that have been
freely given. Paul was laying a foundation, be- cause he was going to
address some problems. And all through First Corinthians, he addresses
some severe problems.
Once he said, “Turn him over to the Satan for the destruction of the
flesh. There’s immorality among you, people sleeping with people they
shouldn’t be sleeping with.
(see 1Cor.5:1-5). He was starting to correct doctrine. He was implying,
“Here’s the Holy Spirit. He’s been sent to reveal the things of God, and
you’re not going to know these things without the Holy Spirit’s work
upon your born again spirit.” You see, some have taught that
whenever you are born again, you know all things. That’s just not
the case. You received the capacity to know those things, but you
don’t know all things when you become born again. The capacity is
there for the Holy Spirit to begin that teaching effort upon your life
and get across the things of God.
The first thing the Apostle Paul does is lay a foundation. The
foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not in men. So don’t be
looking for it in men. Don’t say, “I’m of Brother Rogers, I’m of Brother
Roberson, I’m of Brother Hagin.” Paul said the foundation is the Lord
Jesus Christ, and there’s only one foundation. Then, not only is that
the true foundation, but it doesn’t just stop with that. It continues.
He said to be careful how you lay upon this foundation (see 1 Cor
3:10-11). We are going to build a little more upon that foundation now.
When God called me to the ministry, there was one thing I had noticed in
the body of Christ which I did not like. I saw ministers teaching the
Word, and preaching the Word, and it sounded good. But they weren’t
laying the Word out where any of us “little dummies” (I was speaking of
myself at the time) could grab hold of these things and begin to apply
them to our lives. They were not telling me how to achieve them, just
that I ought to do them. I really wanted to change. The desire to change
was there, it still is. I want to change. I want to change into His
image. (Thank God, a man by the name of Dave Roberson came into my life
with a message to tell me how.)
There were times I would hear message after message, and it seemed that
I could not get any- thing out of it, and begin to apply it. It sounded
like a good theory, but when it came to putting “A” with “B”, and “B”
with “C”, I couldn’t grasp it. With many of these messages I heard, if
some- body asked me what the message was about, I couldn’t tell them for
sure. But it sounded really good.
I wanted to hear messages that I could apply to my life, and begin to
change; or at least have that opportunity to apply something, so that I
would at least have the opportunity to change. So I asked the Lord, “If
you’re calling me to preach and teach Your Word, then, Lord, give me
some things that these people can use. Give me some things that I can
use in my own life; and then I’ll know, because they worked in my life,
they’ll work in other people’s lives. Teach me in a way that I can teach
others.” That’s been my heart’s cry all along, that He would give me
those things.
Anyway, we’re going to lay more upon this foundation, so that you’ll
begin to be able to apply some things in your life out of the Word of
God and it won’t look so vague. It won’t just look like words on the
paper, but things you can begin to put into action. Now there’s just one
thing about this teaching. It doesn’t work if you don’t apply it. If you
don’t put it into action, you won’t get any results. You will sit here,
and ten years from now, I will drift back into the church and you will
be the same person I met today. Maybe even worse, because you know more
truth and you don’t apply it. Therefore, you slip back. See, you’re
accountable. We’re accountable for the truth that we receive. We’re
accountable for applying it in our lives.
As we hear more truth from the Word, we grow more into accountability.
For example, you get born again, and you get a cold or a headache, and
you lay hands on yourself and say, “Jesus, heal me.” I mean, He just
comes and heals you. Five or six years down the road, you’re slapping
your forehead over and over saying, “Heal me, heal me,” and nothing
happens except your fore- head gets red from slapping it too much.
That’s because you grew into a new area of account- ability. You began
to know more things out of the Word of God, but you didn’t apply them.
The grace which got you by when you were first born again no longer
works, because you are walking in more accountability to having
received more truth. It takes more. There’s not anything wrong with God,
it’s just that you’re supposed to be growing up.
Paul said there came a day that I put away childish things (1
Corinthians 13:11). You have to begin to apply the things that you hear.
If you don’t, you can even slide backwards in your spiritual growth,
because of the accountability.
Anyhow, Paul says to make sure that you’re careful how you build upon
this foundation, be- cause one day your works are going to be tested by
fire. The works that are not of Him, not of the Holy Spirit, not under
God’s will, those works will be burned up, because they are your own
works, by your own hand. That into which the Holy Spirit leads you, that
by which the Holy Spirit transforms you and takes you into step by step,
that will remain when tested by fire.
When the day comes and you stand before the King of kings and the Lord
of lords, you are going to know beyond the shadow of a doubt whether you
followed your plan or God’s plan. And as you’re standing there, your
wife isn’t going to be there to hold your hand. Your husband isn’t going
to be able to hold your hand. Your pastor is not going to be there to
hold your hand. You were given the Holy Spirit to teach you, and guide
you into all truth. He is called the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17)
so that you might be careful how you lay upon this foundation. So, you
can’t blame it on me. You can’t blame it on that evangelist that drifted
in every now and then, and you can’t blame it on your spouse. My
accountability is to give you the truth, whether you like the truth or
not. Once you receive the truth, the rest is up to you.
Romans 5:1-2, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we
have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in
hope of the glory of God.
If there’s one thing that you want to go after in the kingdom of God, my
friends, it’s peace. With peace, there’s less defeat from the enemy. The
peace is what enforces his defeat. He can’t do much with you, if you’re
walking in God’s peace. He doesn’t have a whole lot he can grab hold of
when we’re walking in peace. One thing I’ve been so appreciative of is
the early teaching that I received concerning peace and going after
peace. Of course, that’s the job of the Holy Spirit also, to bring us
into that peace with Him. But, we have to give the Holy Spirit access to
our lives to allow trans- formation into the peace of God.
Have Faith to Receive the Inheritance
In verse 2, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace
in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. It’s by
faith that you’re going to have access to everything that has been
freely given to you. It’s by faith that the Holy Spirit is able to work.
When we lay hands on someone that’s demonic, oppressed, or possessed,
some people have the idea that the louder you yell, and the louder you
scream, the quicker the devil comes out. That’s not true. There have
been many times that I’ve whispered in a person’s ear, and commanded the
devil to leave. And they were totally free in a split second. It’s the
faith present in which the Holy Spirit is able to operate. It’s He that
removes the demonic oppression. The faith that’s present in you is the
faith with which He has to work. The faith that is present in you gives
Him the power to work. Now, when He said, that this devil comes out
by prayer and fasting (see Matt 17:21), He was talking about
removing the doubt and unbelief from your life. When doubt and unbelief
is removed through prayer and fasting and is replaced with hope followed
by faith, then the Holy Spirit is able to come in and remove the attack
from that person. So, it’s by faith that we have access to this grace.
It’s through faith that we access this inheritance, which is by grace.
So, the access to our inheritance is by faith. You might say, “Well,
you’re trying to turn me into one of those faith people.” That’s what I
thought they were trying to do to me at times, turn me into one of those
faith people. What I found is that God is a faith God. Without faith
it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). You can call me
whatever you want. People do all the time! But, I’ll tell you this, you
might as well settle the issue in yourself, that God is a faith God. I
tell you, we could stop right here and you would have enough to dwell on
for a week.
Continuing with verse 2 of Romans 5, Through whom also we have access
by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in the hope of
the glory of God.
How many of you know that before you can have faith, you have to have
hope? Hope is not a bad word. I can remember a time that some around me
would threaten to beat me with a stick if I said the dreaded words “I
hope so.” You can’t have faith without hope. Hope is the first step.
Believe me folks, I’ve run into a lot of people that have lost hope. We
can’t even talk about faith, because we’re trying to restore the hope
first. We’ve got to restore the hope before we can restore the faith.
That’s part of that image that we are describing.
You have to begin to build that image, and begin to let the Holy Spirit
bring that image forth in you, that image of what He is to you and who
you are in Christ, what He has for you. Whatever image has been
destroyed, you have to begin to rebuild, you have to get that hope back!
Without that hope, you can’t even cross the line into faith. When the
Holy Spirit sees your hope cross the line into faith, then He has
something to work with and that’s when you have the manifestation of
whatever it is you need. Prosperity, healing, peace, no matter what it
is. You have to cross the line from hope to faith, but you have to have
the hope before you can ever cross over into the area of faith. It's
time we turn ourselves over to the Holy Spirit by doing things in the
Word of God to begin that journey to regain our hope and then to
turn it into faith.
Chapter 5
I can remember being told, when I first came to God, that hope was
a bad word, that I didn’t need hope, I needed faith. I later found that
my way out of something and entering into something else better, starts
with hope, but it must continue on through other steps in order to enter
into the faith neces- sary to change things. The Holy Spirit has a role
in that hope. We need to look at that process and the steps the Word
outlines to take us there.
Romans 5:3-5, And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations,
knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance,
character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, be-
cause the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy
Spirit who was given to us.
The Holy Spirit has a role in that hope. He assists in bringing you into
that place where you have hope. The Holy Spirit wants you to have
hope. So hope is a good thing. There has been a lot of wrong teaching
in the body of Christ be- cause scripture has been pulled out of
context.
I wait a long time sometimes when He gives me something, before I’ll
ever preach it. I’ll meditate on it, and meditate on it, and meditate on
it, and pray over it, and pray over it, and ask the Holy Spirit over and
over to get it clear in my mind. I want to make sure there’s not some
piece I’m leaving out that He’s trying to get across. I’ve had some
passages that it would be a year later when I finally got the revelation
on what He is talking about in the Word of God. But, it was worth the
wait. It was worth the wait, because then I had the truth, and I didn’t
have to accept straw in the place of oats.
Let me tell you something, you shouldn’t have to accept straw. I’ve
heard some preachers say, “Well, you just need to eat the oats and spit
out the straw.” I’m not called to preach straw. The body of Christ
doesn’t need me to give out straw. I’m called to give out good food.
Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?”
Peter said, “...You know that I love you.”
“Then tend to my sheep. Then feed my sheep (John 21:17).”
I’m called to feed the sheep. I’m called to feed the flock. Even though
sometimes you may not like the food that is shoveled out there before
you, at least it is good food and nourishment to your spiritual body.
Sometimes we don’t like the feed, but what you ought to refuse is the
straw.
So if you take that word glory (Romans 5:3), and be- gin to look
it up, and break it down into the Greek, and meditate on it, what it
actually means is to worship, to worship in tribulations. It’s what
you do in the tribulations that changes things, that produces, not
the tribulations themselves. This is where meditation comes in, reading
verses over, and over, keeping the verses in context with one another.
Yielding to the Holy Spirit. Meditating on the Word of God. Meditation
will give you something that you can use in your own life and begin to
change your life and effect a change on those around you.
Do you know you’re supposed to reproduce? You’re not a one-man
show. You’re not a one-woman show. You’re supposed to reproduce.
You’re supposed to be producing others. Whatever your call is, you’re
supposed to be re- producing that call in the body of Christ. May- be
you’re a nursery worker; you’re supposed to be reproducing anointed
nursery workers for the kingdom. Just like I am as an evangelist, a
preacher, and teacher (whatever you want to call me). It doesn’t
matter what your calling is. You’re still called to do the same things
in the Word of God that I’m called to do in the Word of God. Nobody’s an
exception. Now you might say, “I don’t feel called to the pulpit.”
That’s not the issue. The issue is the Word of God, and the principles
in the Word of God that will change your life.
So Paul said to glory in tribulations (Romans 5:3). Keeping that
in mind that he says to worship in tribulations, he says knowing that
tribulation produces perseverance. As you walk through these
tribulations, you can’t stand and worship God—not even one day—without
producing some perseverance. Perseverance means to go after something no
matter what may try to stop you. As you stand in these tribulations,
instead of these tribulations overtaking you, you maintain dominion over
them, producing perseverance in your life. And perseverance,
character (Romans 5:4). Now we’re talking about character. We’re
talking about growing up. We’re talking about leaving behind childish
things. We’re talking about leaving behind this attitude that the Pastor
is paid and called to hold my hand all my life. And it’s a sad day when
you feel like you can trust old sinners, not even born again, better
than you can trust Christians. I’ve seen some that I could trust more
than Christians. This is very sad. He said to be a witness unto the
world. They are the world, and yet they’re being the witnesses.
Paul said perseverance produces character. You don’t have to ask for
more tribulation to have the perseverance that produces more character.
What you’re doing is submitting your soul to worship in combination
with the Word of God while you’re going through the tribulation.
This per- severance is produced in your life, and through that
perseverance then you begin to develop the character of God. Rock
solid character, that’s the kind of character I am talking about! Where
your word is good. You’re known by your word. When you make a
commitment to the church, or to someone else, they know that it is going
to be carried out, because your character has been de- veloped. We’re
talking about character, not flakiness. You’re not some person that acts
like you are out there in the “Spirit” all the time, and you are not
producing any fruit on your tree. We’re talking about character. That
you’re not lazy. That you’ve set your hand to what God has called you to
do, and where He’s called you to work.
Let me tell you something. God didn’t call you to get up every morning
and say, “I hate going to this job.” He didn’t call you to a job that
you get up every morning and say, “I dread going, and this is never
going to end.” What you need to do is begin to change the image that’s
before you. Begin to ask God to change the image, change the direction,
and provide something better. He didn’t put something in your heart for
it not to be applied. Maybe you’re some- one that works in an assembly
line, and yet you have this desire to work with plants. God put that
desire in your heart.
See, we have this idea about God that if you’re not called behind the
pulpit to preach, then you must not be called. That’s false. Be careful
how you build upon this foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see,
there are many callings in the body of Christ, and in the five-fold
ministry there are certain callings—Apostle, Prophet, Evange- list,
Teacher, Pastor, Helps, Administrations and Governments (Ephesians 4:11
and 1 Corinthians 12:28).
You might have a calling that all through your life you wanted to deal
with plants, raising plants, having a nursery. Through you’re life
you’re a witness unto the world. Well, God put that in your heart, and
yet you’re going to that old assembly line job every day. Oh, God called
me and this is my cross to bear. No, I don’t think so. What you need to
do is begin to change the image and get that image before you of what He
called you to do, to own and operate your own nursery. Begin to get that
image of the biggest nursery in the world out before you. And even
though it may not come, except step by step, at least you’ve started by
getting that image out before you instead of, “Well, I’ve got to get up
and go to work this morning. I sure hate this job.”
Now, don’t take on any condemnation. There’re lots of people in that
position, but are you going to stay that way? Or are you going to begin
that trip to change your character? Begin to remove the character flaws,
begin to put that image out before you. What has He placed in your
heart? I have one partner in a church in Kansas, and God has put in her
heart to raise and show horses. Through that, she is making money for
the gospel. They are financing the gospel. They have helped finance more
than one of the trips to minister in Peru. Well, she has horses and
donkeys you know, and God can always use a donkey. Ha! Ha! Another
partner is a farmer and has used his farm to finance the gospel. What is
it that He’s placed in your heart?
What is it that you’re getting up every morning dreading? Is it so bad
that you need to go to church to get that oppression off your life,
because you sinned that morning by getting up and complaining,
murmuring, and grumbling about the job that you hate? Do you know that
when you murmur, complain, and grumble, it doesn’t even have to be about
the Pastor, you still have sinned?
When you’ve sinned, you’ve opened up that door, and that’s where that
oppression comes. Then you have to come to church on Wednes- days, and
make sure that you get there, even if you have to crawl there, in order
to get that oppression off of you. Then make it till Sunday morning to
get the oppression off of you again. So you end up in that cycle, coming
to church to get oppression off of you, not making any advancement in
the kingdom of God.
Maybe you need to take a look at the image. Do you still like
me?
People spend fifty to sixty years working the same old job that they
hate. They end up retiring, but dying a year later. If they know God,
they go to heaven. They probably went home early and didn’t even get to
complete their course. Maybe never ever being in the will of God.
Murmured and complained for fifty years, if they made it that long. Just
because they didn’t begin to make the changes necessary in their life.
All I’m saying is, let’s begin to look at what you’re doing. Begin to
make the change. It starts with the image that’s before you. If you have
it in this heart of yours to become a building contractor, to build
houses, and you’re over in Tulsa working in a steel mill instead, you
need to get before God and repent, and begin to change that image. That
desire didn’t get into your heart by accident.
I have in my heart to preach to the entire world. I have in my heart to
teach things like this to the body of Christ, so they can stop where
they are and begin to make changes. That’s what consumes my life day
and night.
God puts desires in our hearts. And if you slide way back and never
develop the image and never make the steps necessary to get yourself
over into His will, even if it takes a little time, then you’re going to
end up going to heaven never finishing your course. You might have lived
out your life, but I’m talking about finishing His course that
He has for you.If you have it in your heart to build houses and
you’re in a steel mill, then you need to look to God and say, “Help me
to change this.” It starts with that image change on the inside.
Once you have determined God’s direction, then you’re able to stand
through all kinds of things that hell throws at you. Now you are called
to run the race and complete the course. All because you took the time
to
make a change in your life with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Maybe you have heard the old saying, “You can give a man a fish and feed
him for a day, but you can teach him how to fish and feed him forever.”
Such are the things of God, especially the things we talk about in this
book.
One thing we must first establish is in Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday, today, and forever. Whatever God said through
Jesus and His Holy Spirit back then still applies today. You have to
believe this, my brother and sister. The Word of God is true and has not
changed.
Line Up Your Words with God’s Word .Our life is different, it needs to
change; our circumstances need to come in line with God’s word, to how
God sees things. Maybe there are things in your life that you would like
to see changed. We must deal with the circumstances in our life. But we
do not have to deal with them the way the world deals with them. The
Word of God says in Hebrews10:20 that we as born-again believers are
now in a new and living way.
What if we could change the direction or the out- come of our
circumstances? There are truths in the Word of God that will do just
that. So if we can teach you about how to use these truths, then we can
teach you how to fish, so to speak.
God intended, at the cross, for everything we would ever need to be
freely given by His grace. That means we can’t earn one bit of it, He
freely gave it all. John 19:30 tells us, When Jesus had received the
sour wine, He said, “It is finished,” and bowing His head, He gave up
His spirit.
Everything we would ever need—body, soul, and spirit—was done and given
at that time. That is how God looks at it now. Through His eyes it’s
already given, already done. So if we don’t have a need fulfilled in
the natural, it’s not because God has not done it.
Jesus said in Mark 11:23, “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says
to this mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea and does not doubt
in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he
will have whatever he says.”
This shows we also have an important part to play in His
plan.You have to change how you think about things. You have to change
the image or how you see things. Maybe you are like some of us who have
been taught or sensitized into some belief for many years. Maybe you’re
convinced that God does not heal any more and you have to live with your
circumstances all for the will of God.
For one to believe this thought, “I have to live with my cross, bear it
for God’s glory,” is accusing God of not doing enough. It’s giving God
glory for putting poverty, sickness and death in your life, when God in
His goodness and mercy would never do such a thing.
These words and thinking patterns over the years caused an image of
living with poverty and sickness. It caused you to believe that God put
this lack in all areas on you for His Glory. It’s going to take a new
image to start believing correctly, and then change your circumstances.
This new image must be formed the same way the old image was formed that
led you to doubt and unbelief.
God formed the earth and everything in it with
His words.
Hebrew 11:3, By faith we understand that the worlds were framed
by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of
things which are visible.
Getting a new image in you and seeing how God sees things will take new
words. It will take you speaking God’s words. Only then will doubt and
unbelief begin to change to faith and believing in your heart. The word
of God which you begin to speak begins to build an image of truth. What
once was fact now becomes truth all because you begin to say what God
says about your situation. You are building an image of truth with His
words which is Truth. But it takes time, patience and endurance.
Here in Oklahoma, all of our big lakes were made because of dams. So
where we live, a dam was built on the Illinois River to create Lake
Tenkiller and produce electricity for the area. There are gates on the
dam that, when opened, allow the water to come pouring through. The
water turns the turbine which, in turn, generates the electricity.When
the dam is finished and the city is ready for electricity, the workers
flip the switch. The gates open and there is no power. Oh no! There is
something wrong with the dam. So they go around and look at the
reservoir and find that the water level is not high enough to go through
the gate. The reservoir did not have time to fill up after construction
had stopped.
In the same way that you have to get the water level high enough to go
through the gates of the dam to have enough power to generate
electricity, you have to have enough of the Word in your heart for the
Holy Spirit to be able to produce the power on your behalf. When you
start, it’s going to seem like you are doing no good—powerless. Do you
think after the first day or the first week your heart, your reservoir,
is full of the word of God?
Jesus said that it is out of the abundance of the heart that the
mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). When the pressure is on, the mouth will
always speak what is in the heart. So how do we change this? I know
that you are probably wondering, how do I start that process of change?
I am so glad you asked me that question. If I were the one who had an
infirmity or was on a death bed, I would begin to look toward God and
say this, preferably out loud, declaring:
Father, you
gave
me
life
abundantly said
it.
You
gave it
to me,
and
You
do not
lie (See
Titus
1:2,
John
14:6).
You
said I
can have
what
I asked for (See
John
14:14).
“Thank you,
Father,
that you
healed me
2000 years ago.
Thank
You,
Father,
that I
am healed. Thank
You,
Father,
that I
am healed. Thank
You,
Father,
that I
am healed.
Thank You, Father,
that I am healed. I am
healed. I am healed.
I am
healed.
You
see me
healed, so I see me healed
(See 1
Peter
2:24).
“I have
abundant life.
I have
abundant life. I have
abundant life. I have abundant life!”
Make this confession out loud. Say this over and over and over again.You
ask, “For how long?” As long as it takes for the manifestation of your
healing, or whatever lack it is that you have, to come forth. Remember,
God does not need to be convinced. You are building a new image of how
God already sees you. You are just saying what God says about your
problem, changing that image and moving from doubt to believing. It
doesn’t matter whether its finances or healing, you use the confession
of God’s word to get a new image and build your faith to walk out of
your circumstances.
We began with an old saying and now we will end with this. In this book
you are given the Word of God for changing your image for all areas of
your life; but there is just one problem, it will not work for you if
you do not use it. My prayer is that I have taught you how to catch a
fish.
The following pages contain scriptures and con- fessions that will, if
applied, change your life, or you may look up your own from your own
Bible.
Please be blessed by this book and pass it on.
Crucified with Christ
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I
who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself
for me.
Matthew 16:24-25 If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
John 12:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls
into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces
much grain.
I am Crucified with Christ. I am dead to self.
(also see Romans 6:6 and Colossians 3:3)
Wisdom
Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon me, The Spirit
of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
Ephesians 1:17-18 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened;
that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches
of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
Colossians 1:9 Ask that you may be filled with the knowledge
of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Luke 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your
adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.
Righteousness
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
1 Corinthians 1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for
us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared
to all men,
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should
live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.
Peace
Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy
Spirit.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion but of
peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
1 Peter 3:4 let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the
incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very
precious in the sight of God.
2 Timothy 2:24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be
gentle to all, able to teach, patient.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long
suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness,
self-control. Against such there is no law.
Humility
Proverbs 22:4 By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and
honor and life.
1 Peter 5:5-6 God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may
exalt you in due time.
Mercy
Psalm 25:10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, to such as
keep His covenant and His testimonies.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of
my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Truth
John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free.”
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present your- self approved to God, a
worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth.
John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
Psalm 86:11 Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite
my heart to fear Your name.
Proverbs 4:22 The Words of God they are life to those who find them,
and health to all their flesh.
3 John 1:2 I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in
health, just as your soul prospers.
Psalm 103:3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your
diseases.
1 Peter 2:24 Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree,
that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose
stripes you were healed.
Nehemiah 8:10 Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life. In Your presence is
fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures for-evermore.
James 1:2-3 Count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be
glad in it.
Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has
been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
1 John 2:5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is
perfected in him.
Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more
and more in knowledge and all discernment.
Marriage
1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding,
giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs
together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
Philippians 1:27 That you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind
striving together for the faith of the gospel,
Ephesians 4:23-24 My mate and I, are re- newed in the spirit of our
mind, 24 and we put on the new man which was created according to God,
in true righteousness and holiness.
Philippians 4:19-20 And my God shall sup- ply all your need according to
His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Ecclesiastes 5:19 As for every man to whom God has given riches and
wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and
rejoice in his labor — this is the gift of God.
Deuteronomy 8:18-19 And you shall re- member the LORD your God, for
it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His
covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Proverbs
10:22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no
sorrow with it.
Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it
shall not re- turn to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
1 John 5:14-15 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him,
that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15And if we
know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the
petitions that we have asked of Him.
Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that
works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all
generations, forever and ever.
Deuteronomy 8:18 And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He
who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant
which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Isaiah 66:12 Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the
glory of the Gen- tiles like a flowing stream. Then you shall feed; on
her sides shall you be carried,
According to your word Lord, I command and call forth, and lay hold of
the minimum monthly income of $ . (Personal, Business,
Ministry)
Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything except to love one another.
Deuteromony 28:12 The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the
heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all
the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not
borrow.
I call myself free from the bondage and slavery of debt; and
whom the son sets free, is free indeed.
Regarding this passage of scripture, 1 John 4:17 kjv …as He is, so are
we in this world. The Holy Spirit said to me, “Understand what John
meant by that. He meant that as Christ is, so are you, while you are
still living in your mortal body.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 kjv But we all, with open face beholding as in a
glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory
to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Jesus, I see you as in a mirror.
As you are, so am I.
You are the son of God.
I am a son of God.
You are Holy.
I am Holy.
You are sanctified from this world.
I am sanctified from this world.
You are righteous.
I am righteous.
You are raised from the dead.
I am raised from the dead.
You have already been crucified.
I am crucified to the world.
You have already died to sin.
I am dead to sin.
Sin has no dominion over You.
Sin has no dominion over me.
You live in the Father’s love.
I live in the Father’s love.
You are the King.
I am a king.
You are the High Priest.
I am a priest.
You have all authority in Heaven and Earth.
I have authority in Heaven and Earth.
You are anointed with the Holy Ghost and Power.
I am anointed with the Holy Ghost and Power.
You and the Father are one.
I and the Father are one.
The Holy Spirit performs what you say.
The Holy Spirit performs what I say.
You do the will of the Father.
I do the will of the Father.
All things are possible to You.
All things are possible to me.
You clearly hear the words of the Father.
I clearly hear the words of the Father.
You see what the Father is doing.
I see what the Father is doing.
You do what the Father does.
I do what the Father does.
Angels hearken to Your voice.
Angels hearken to my voice.
All things are yours.
All things are mine.
You walk in the light.
I walk in the light.
You are pure.
I am pure.
You do only righteousness.
I do only righteousness.
You love the Father.
I love the Father.
You love me.
I love you.
You love people.
I love people.
You live forever.
I live forever. I am from above!
My citizenship is from Heaven! Satan has nothing in me!
I am born of the Spirit!
I am a product of creation, not the law of Genesis. I love
righteousness. I hate iniquity. I hate sin. My “meat” is to do the
will of Him that sent me.
IN CHRIST
I have been declared “just” in the sight of God. I am redeemed by grace
alone. I had nothing to do with it. I didn’t pay the price. It was free
to me. Jesus paid a terrible price to redeem me. Redemption means I have
been cleared by payment. Jesus took my guilt and paid the price in full
with his own blood. I am justified because of payment in full. No
accusations against me have any legal standing before God.
Romans 3:24 kjv Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
I am free from condemnation. I am in Christ Jesus. I no longer walk
after the fallen nature of the flesh. I now walk by the righteous
natureof Christ Jesus. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
emanating from my reborn spirit cancels the curse and has made me free
from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2 kjv There is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death.
IN HIM
In him I live, and move, and have my being. What a vast storehouse of
power! In Christ my Savior and Lord I have life! energy! Strength for
impossible tasks!
Acts 17:28 kjv For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as
certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
The life of Christ is my life. The life of God is in me because I am
born again. His life in me is my light. His life in me lights my way.
John 1:4 kjv In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Christ was made to be sin, even though he had never committed sin. I was
made the righteous- ness of God in him, even though it was not me who
lived a righteous life. Jesus was made to be sin. I have been made
righteous. I am the righteousness of God in him.
2 Corinthians 5:21 kjv For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew
no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
God chose me to be in Christ before the foundation of the world. In
Christ I am holy and with- out blame before him in love.
Ephesians 1:4 kjv According as he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him in love.
I do my Lord’s sayings and the love of God is perfected in me. I know
that I am in Him. I walk even as he walked. I live as he lived.
1 John 2:5-6 kjv But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is
perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6: He who says he
abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
I have an anointing from God that lives within me. Concerning those who
would deceive me, I have no need that any man teach me. The anointing
teaches me all things, and is truth, and no lie. As that anointing has
taught me, so shall I live in him.
1John 2:26-27 kjv These things have I written unto you concerning them
that seduce you. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him
abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same
anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and
even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
I have confidence that when I ask anything according to His will, He
hears me. Because He hears me when I ask, I know I receive the answer to
the petitions I have desired of Him.
1 John 5:14-15 kjv And this is the confidence that we have in him, that,
if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we
know that he
hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we
desired of him.
The Son of God has come and given me an understanding, that I may know
him that is true. I am in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus
Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
1 John 5:20 kjv And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given
us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in
him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God,
and eternal life.
Christ is my high priest of the good things that have come, by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of
this world; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own
blood He entered in once into the Holy Place in Heaven, having obtained
eternal redemption for me.
Hebrews 9:11-12 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to
come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,
that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and
calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for us.
I have boldness to enter into the holy of holies by the blood of Christ,
in a new and living way which He has originated for me, through the
veil, that is to say, His flesh.
Hebrews 10:19-20 kjv Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into
the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he
hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
I walk in the light as He is in the light. I have fellowship with the
believers and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses me from all
sin.
1John 1:7 kjv But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin.
I have been justified by faith. I have peace with God through my Lord
Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1 kjv Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
I am dead indeed unto sin. I am alive unto God through Jesus Christ my
Lord.
Romans 6:11 kjv Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I am not a slave, but a son. Since I am a son, then
I am also an heir of God through Christ.
Galatians 4:7 kjv Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and
if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
I refuse to worry about anything. I pray about everything and with
thanksgiving I let my requests be made known unto God. The peace of God,
which passes all understanding, keeps my heart and mind through Christ
Jesus. I am constantly at peace.
Philippians 4:6-7 kjv Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all un-
derstanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
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