Monday
Who Or What Possesses You?
Read Philippians 3:12-14
This week’s “Daily Compass” has been a little difficult to write, based on my perception of the words possessed, possess, and possession, typically when we use these words it brings up negative connotations, that is usually associated with evil. There have been countless movies and music that have been produced that use these words in this manner. So wrapping my head around the fact that I am possessed by God took a minute and then I remembered that satan does not have a single original thought, he is the master manipulator and the word possessed is just another example of how he can twist and turn words and situations for his advantage. As I begin to ponder being possessed by God that is really a different way of saying I am filled by the Holy Spirit. Part of the definition of possession is stated in this manner; possession may be voluntary or involuntary and may be considered to have beneficial or detrimental effects. Over the past months we have been hearing the words that we speak shapes our lives. So I think the same rule applies here, what we allow to possess us, shapes us.
Jesus took possession because He was possessed, He was possessed by God the Father, He stated that I and the Father are one, I am in the Father and the Father is in me. In order to be possessed by someone or something you have to give yourself to it, when you have done this you will manifest what has control of your life. If you are possessed by the Holy Spirit then it should be clear whom you are following, there should be no doubt when you look at yourself and when others see you as to who you are filled with.
Jesus’ possession was apparent; He exhibited all of the attributes of the Father. Jesus walked in the Father’s love, extending mercy and grace wherever He went. Jesus did not look at the giants, even though in His day too many the Pharisees could be seen as giants, as a roadblock, Jesus did not let them stop Him from demonstrating the Kingdom and its benefits. That’s what we need to do, we need to allow God to fully possess us, and we need to take hold of His possession and walk in Kingdom power and move on to greater stuff.
Tuesday
Bondage Or Freedom; I Choose!
Read Romans 6:15-18
So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly, You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom! (The Message, Romans 6:15-18)
We have the opportunity to choose freedom over bondage every day; our choice begins with what we allow in our life or what we give ourselves to. If we speak gloom and doom into our lives we are going to receive gloom and doom, however if we seek gladness and joy then our lives will be full of gladness and joy. We need to evaluate our thoughts and actions. The same is true with sickness or health, poverty or wealth. In hearing this message I had to step back and take a look at myself, the words I speak, my actions, what do people see when they see me. Do my actions match what I am speaking? Do I really do what I say, do I really want what I say I want. Who or what possesses me. Am I free or in bondage?
Wednesday
Possession; Begins With Seeking
Matthew 6:33
The Jews were greatly mistaken in respect to the nature of that kingdom which their Messiah was to set up. They expected a kingdom like the kingdoms of this world, invested with earthly splendor; they expected to increase wealth and power to their nation, and minister to their national pride. Christ sought to free them from the illusion that they had of this kingdom they were seeking. He told them that his kingdom did not come with outward show--that it must be within men, and that it was not of this world. He would have them understand that it was spiritual, and not temporary; demanding the place of the heart, and not the pomp and pageantry, so commonly rendered to royalty. The simple idea of this kingdom is that Christ himself reigns in the hearts of his people, securing the perfect submission of the will, and the consecration of every power to himself. Thus his kingdom is within; it is invisible. It puts on no outward glare. In the hearts of men he writes his laws by his Spirit, and thus rules over them to deliver them from satan and sin, and translate them into his own kingdom of peace and love.
This is the kingdom we are required to seek. To seek it, implies that we seek to belong to it--seek to know Christ's will and to do it--seek to be recognized by Christ as one of his subjects, and seek to promote the interests of this kingdom, as all true subjects of any kingdom do, and should do if the government deserves their support. He, who truly seeks first the kingdom of God, seeks to be as really and perfectly governed by Christ now, as the holy in Heaven are. He would have Christ living and reigning within him so that every thought shall be brought into obedience. This is one of the first steps to growing up into Him to possess what God has for us.
Thursday
Move To Possess
Exodus 14:15-16
One of the most common ways for the Lord to speak, both in the Bible and today, is through dreams and visions. He may use dreams because when we are asleep our rational mind cannot interfere with our listening or seeing. They have great emotional power. Dreams and visions keep us moving to possess. Dreams and visions inspire us to reach a goal and as we are working to achieve the goal set before us we need to keep that dream and vision in front of us. Many times with our dreams or visions we want to wait until the time seems right or until things get better or until we are better people, if we wait for those things then we will never get started. I believe that when we begin moving that is when our breakthrough comes. So you may ask yourself where do I start, start right where you are! With any dream or vision there are usually many questions, but we do not seek the right source for the answers. Seek The Source! God is that source. To possess we have to know that we have a promise, we have to see our promise, and we have to have faith that we can have our promise, we have to prepare to move into our promise, we have to move into our promise and we have to fight for the promise.
Steve Backland, author of “Victorious Mindsets” says in his book “you take the kingdom ‘little by little” but you must move forward to take it. Don’t wait seek and move to take possession.”
Friday
You Become What You Crave
Read 1st Peter 1:8-10
What gives joy its quality? I don't mean merely its intensity, but its moral character? What makes joy ugly or beautiful? Depraved or noble? Dirty or clean? The answer is that the thing enjoyed gives joy its character. If you enjoy dirty jokes and bathroom language and lewd pictures, then your heart is dirty and your joy is dirty. If you enjoy cruelty and arrogance and revenge, then your heart and your joy have that character. Or the more you get your joy simply from material things, the more your heart and your joy shrivel up like a mere material thing. You become like what you crave.
Peter says that Christian joy is inexpressible and glorified. So how does it become that like that? It becomes like that because Christian joy is the joy of craving the preciousness of Jesus and the reliability of Jesus. You become like what you crave. Christians crave Christ. Therefore they become like Christ. Christ's preciousness and reliability are inexpressibly great, and so our joy is inexpressible in him. And Christ has in him all the glory of the universe and of God, and so our joy in him is a glorified joy—that is, a joy being changed from one degree to another by his glory as we are attracted by its preciousness and as we are confident in its reliability. We become what we crave and what Christians crave above all else is the glory of Christ. So our joy is "inexpressible and glorified" because it is joy in loving Christ and trusting Christ who is inexpressibly glorious.
You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation. 1 Peter 1:8-10(The Message).
The Weekender
Let’s look back on what we have learned this week and review. In reflecting it is our desire that if something that you have learned really stands out that you look at ways in which you can implement them into your situation and life that will make a difference in your life.
Who or what possesses you?___________________________________________________________
Do you express attributes of God living in you?______________________________________
You have a choice, freedom or bondage, which do you live in?_________________________
Does your life reflect one living in freedom or one living in bondage?______________
If living in bondage what are ways that you can move forward to freedom?_____________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Christ tells us to seek first the Kingdom, are you seeking the Kingdom? ____________
In what ways are you seeking the Kingdom?____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
What is your dream or your vision? __________________________________________________
Are you moving forward or are you at a standstill? __________________________________
What is holding you back?____________________________________________________________
What can you do to move forward?_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
What do you crave?___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Do you have inexpressible joy? _________________________If not; why? ________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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