A. Humility
"God opposes (resists - sets Himself against as a soldier in full battle armor resists the enemy) the proud but gives grace to the humble."
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (The secret to effective spiritual warfare!).
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble (means humbleness of mind, i.e. modesty) yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:6-10 NIV)
See also;
“Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.” (Dan 10:12 NIV)
“…all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.” (1 Peter 5:5 6)
God wants this move of the Holy Spirit to impart healing back into the church through the kind of ministry you're going to be establishing to have this work driven by humility and brokenness.
Those that humble themselves before God are exalted at the proper time. If you want to see the power of God move in healing, you must walk in humility before the Lord, not pride. Humility moves God!
The person who is humble before the Lord is willing to do what the Lord requires no matter what. He is not driven by circumstance, but every Word that comes out of the mouth of God.
Those who are coming for healing, restoration and salvation are coming to be touched by the Healer. When we humble ourselves before Him, it is like a hose. Pride turns the nozzle off, but humility opens it up so everything from heaven can flow through, but we direct it as the Holy Spirit leads.
We need to come to a place where we understand that the work in this ministry is not in what we do; it's in what God does through humble vessels.
We must learn the difference between independence and interdependence. We are so used to being independent and doing things our way. Independence is rooted in the fact that we think we own our life. Interdependence is rooted in the fact that our life was purchased by blood.
God wants to bring us to a place in the great move of the Holy Spirit, where men and women will realize that their life is worth giving for the lost and sick. You can't have your life and expect to pour out the power of God to touch their life.
We must come to a place where we begin to know that our life was purchased at the Cross and doesn't belong to us; rather, we are slaves to God.
There is nothing more wonderful than to serve God in this kind of work. What can you do that would be more rewarding than to see people set free?
These are the people who will walk in power because God gives grace to the humble.
Remember!: “God RESISTS the proud, but gives GRACE (favor)to the humble.” (James 4:6)
What this says to us is that this grace means that the keys to the kingdom of Heaven are given to those people who humble themselves! They will have the ability to move naturally in the supernatural anointing of God! When we begin to be transformed by the Word of God, then we will begin to walk in that kind of power.
“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.” (Eph 3:20)
The power that works in us is not our power, but rather, the power that Jesus talked about:
“All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth to the church” (Matt 28:18).
It's the power of God in us because if we are the body then we are to do the work. What employer would employ you and not give you the tools to do the job? God is no different. When He employs His people, He gives you the power to begin to move mountains and tear down strongholds and set the captive free
“Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think.” (Eph 3:20)
We don't have the ability to think big enough for what God can do through these people who choose to walk in the Spirit without measure, who will walk in resurrection power and in God’s presence, that is so powerful people will begin to see it on them.
They will walk in a church with such humility that those around them will begin to sense what true humility and anointing is.
Humility is beyond a shadow of a doubt, the most significant element of forgiveness. It is directly opposed to pride. Where pride seeks selfish gain, humility seeks selfless gain. True humility is to esteem another more greatly than your self.
To humble oneself before God in repentance is mandatory for all Born-Again Christians. The sin of pride is at the root of all evil. Self-exaltation and rebellion is what caused Satan to be "cut down to the ground."
The enemy, satan was at one time called Lucifer which means "son of the morning." He was filled with pride and said in his heart, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." (Isa 14:12-14 KJV). As a direct result, both he and his co-conspirators were thrown out of heaven. Pride and self-exaltation have no place in your life for it is God who "maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, and lifteth up." (1 Sam 2:7 KJV)
Humbling yourself before others is mandatory. It is sad when we see dissension and grievances in the church. One who was slighted by another may make disparaging remarks in return; a misunderstanding may cause anger. These all have in common one significant theme: "They hurt my feelings!" "They made me angry!" "They can’t do that to me!"
All of this is self-centeredness. The unholy trinity of me, myself, and I can be our worst enemy. I have seen bitter squabbling result from one church member sitting in somebody else’s usual pew! Even more unbelievable was when a friendship was virtually dissolved between two women because one spoke to another woman in the church before greeting the friend!
I’m sure you can think of many such instances yourself. Pride is usually the cause of most dissension and disputes in the church. We get our feelings hurt because we are a proud and arrogant people.
Humility is an acquired behavior resulting from the old nature being put to death and becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor 5:17)
After teaching the disciples one day, Jesus was asked who would be the greatest in heaven. He called a child to His side and said,
"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 18:3-4).
Becoming a Christian required that you had to accept the fact you were a sinner and to repent of your sin. By doing that, you were humbling or submitting yourself to God, acknowledging that you needed a Savior because you were incapable of saving yourself. Children know that they can’t care for themselves and that they need another to care and provide for them. Humility is the acknowledgment of that need.
When you acknowledge by your words and in your behavior that you really do need the help of others, you humble yourself "like little children." When teaching young church leaders how to grow in grace, Peter wrote,
"Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5)
Each day when you get dressed, you make a conscious effort. In the same way, you must take deliberate action on a daily basis to clothe yourself "with humility toward one another." By doing so, you will learn obedience and submission.
The greatest example of humility can be found in Jesus:
"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!" (Phil 2:6-8)
Jesus set aside His divine glory to take the form of a servant. He voluntarily accepted temptation, suffering, and death in order to understand and identify with each one of us.
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (2 Cor 8:9)
Jesus "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matt 20:28)
In the great prayer of intercession for every Born-Again Christian, Jesus requested of the Father,
"Glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began." (John 17:5)
This request was made in great humility so that the glorious condition He held prior to coming to earth would be restored. When Jesus chose to become human, He chose not to rely on His awesome and glorious majesty so that when He was "lifted up from the earth," He could "draw all men" to Himself (John 12:32). Jesus had to suffer humiliation in order that we could be forgiven.
B. Lay down your life
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13-14 NIV)
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:16 NIV)
We must come to a place where we make the divine exchange for the anointing. What you are doing is emptying your life. It's like a pitcher of water. You can't pour something into it when it's already full. When it's full of us, where is the room for God to pour in? When we make this exchange, we are pouring out some of us, so He can begin to pour in a measure of Him.
We pour out through rightly dividing the Word, and giving of ourselves and our time so we can begin to receive what God has. We need to make the exchange for the anointing so the anointing will begin to increase. The more you give the more you get.
C. Serve Others
"Well," they said, "we'll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks." 58 So they called Rebekah. "Are you willing to go with this man?" they asked her.
And she replied, "Yes, I will go."
59 So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away with Abraham's servant and his men. The woman who had been Rebekah's childhood nurse went along with her. 60 They blessed her with this blessing as she parted:
The promise:
"Our sister, may you become the mother of many millions! May your descendants overcome all their enemies." (Gen 24:57-60 NLT)
D. Repent of Your Sins
“Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15 NIV)
Repentance is most often thought of as ceasing to sin, doing penance, and turning around and going the opposite way. Many think that repentance is how you measure up to the high standards of God. It’s their way of saying, “I'm deeply sorry, and I promise to never do it again.”
Webster's Dictionary defines the word repent: 1) to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life; 2a) to feel regret or contrition; 2b) to change one's mind.
The first definition is what many believe that Jesus taught - that only people who repent (stop sinning and change their ways) will enter into the kingdom of God. Actually, many on-Christians do this all the time as they realize it will benefit their lives. However, the word “repent” in the New Testament means to change one's mind or purpose for the better, to think differently about or reconsider what you are doing or what you have done. It does involve turning from sin but most importantly it means turning to God. It’s not about working your way into heaven.
Repentance toward God will result in good morals and good behavior but you can’t measure true repentance by the absence or presence of good morals and behavior because anything short of perfection is unacceptable to God. In other words no matter how hard you work at trying to live a truly “repentant” life by behaving well and living “morally” you can never live up to being perfect and acceptable to God. It’s not about trying to prove your love to Him “but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10 NLT).
To repent is to fully surrender and let Jesus live His life through you by accepting that there is nothing within you apart from Him that can make you acceptable. What truly matters is “whether we really have been changed into new and different people” (Gal 6:15-16 NLT).
I have shared in previous chapters that God forgave all of your sins -past, present, and future -once and for all on the cross. Repentance is putting your trust in God instead of in yourself. It is about trusting Him and believing that He has forgiven you for your past, present, and future failures.
In the story of the Prodigal Son, we learn that the lost son “finally came to his senses” and decided to go home to his father and repent by saying; “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.” The lost son hoped that “his father would take him back.” even if only as “a hired man.”
Yet, even before the lost son had a chance to give his pre-planned “I’m so sorry” speech, “while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” The father, the one he had rejected and disgraced, had never stopped loving him passionately and unconditionally. He showed his acceptance and mercy before ever hearing his son’s words of contrition. The father knew that his lost son had finally come to the place of dying to self and now, by returning, had “come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'" (Luke 15:11-16:1 NLT).
Repentance must take place before you can be reconciled with God.
"Except you repent you shall all likewise perish." (Luke, 13:5; cf. Matt., 12:41)
E. Offer a Contrite Heart
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart -- These, O God, You will not despise.” (Ps 51:17 NKJV)
“For thus says the High and Lofty one Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isa 57:15 NKJV)
“For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist," Says the LORD. "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.” (Isa 66:2 NKJV)
“Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." (Luke 20:18 NIV)
1. Contrition
The word contrite is only found in four Bible passages (Ps 34:18; 51:17; Isa 57:15; 66:2). Etymologically the word implies a breaking of something that has become hardened. To be contrite is to be broken, crushed, and pulverized into little pieces, setting you free from rebellion and resistance to His will. The Bible says that “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps 34:18 NIV)
Contrition is that humble spirit that says, I am nothing and He is everything. It is that inner brokenness that weeps over sin and sinners. This breaking doesn’t come about as a result of apologetic sorrow for a wrong committed or remorse of conscience, or fear of hell; it is experiencing the pain and sorrow of brokenness caused when you stand naked and exposed before the one “whose name is holy” and recognize it is He who has been grievously offended. The Bible says that not only does God “live in a high and holy place”, but also with “him who is contrite and lowly in spirit”. Having a contrite heart means there is the absence of personal pride and the absolute exaltation of God and His will. It is recognizing that your righteousness is “as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isa 64:6 KJV). God promises to esteem the one who is humble and contrite in spirit and to revive their spirit and heart (see Isa 57:15).
Having a contrite heart does not come by force of will. It comes to the one that “trembles” and has a reverence for God’s Word (Isa 66:2). When you obey His Word you prove you love Him;
"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." (John 14:21 NIV)
When you repent with a contrite heart, God “will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.” He will give you a “new heart and put a new spirit in you;” and He will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ez. 36:25-27 NIV).
This is the only way that you will be able to love God with your whole strength (Luke 10:27). Brokenness will lead you to hatred and horror for sin and will grow so strong that you will desire with all your heart to stop sinning.
God desires that all men would “be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim 2:3-4 NIV.” Salvation is conditional and comes about only “if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9 NIV). He passionately wants you be converted and return to Him “with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity” (Joel 2:12-13 NIV).
a. The Pierced Heart
The Holy Spirit will pierce your heart and focus on what needs to be put to death in you.
2 "But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.” (Mal 4:2-3 NLT)
“But for you, sunrise! The sun of righteousness will dawn on those who honor my name, healing radiating from its wings. You will be bursting with energy, like colts frisky and frolicking.”(Mal 4:2 Msg)
29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. (Rom 2:28-29 NAS)
