LOVE YOURSELF
“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Luke 7:41-47
A blog from Global Awakening
Experiencing an extravagant love for God and for others is birthed out of a sense of extreme gratitude for God’s grace and forgiveness. In a world saturated with self-care and self-love tools that will ultimately leave you still feeling empty, the key to truly loving yourself is not found within oneself but in the Person of Jesus Christ. Therefore, as a Christian, learning to love oneself is not about self-focus, but about Christ-focus. It starts with receiving forgiveness from God and allowing His love to transform your self-perception. When viewed through the lens of Jesus’ perfect love, you will actually begin to fall in love with who He created you to be! Continue reading “LOVE YOURSELF”
THE WORD WORKS
“For the word of God is living and powerful”
(Hebrews 4:12)
We are empowered to change ourselves from the inside out, not by trying harder. The word of God indeed is powerful and can:
Make us free
Cause us to walk in righteousness and power
Create success and prosperity
Consider this verse:
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8:31-32).
There is a progression revealed here:
Choose to abide in His word – think it, meditate in it, speak it, memorize it.
This abiding will lead to knowing the truth – having revelation, feeling it, being intimate in it.
This knowing of truth will make us free – It is revelatory truth working in us that brings freedom (first in our emotions and then in our experience).
extract from a blog by Steve Backlund
Encounters with God are intended for more than you!
Kris Vallotton poses the question …. “Did you know that your encounters with God were intended for more than just you?”
He goes on to say … within our Bethel community, when we talk about “God encounters” or “encountering the Holy Spirit,” it’s often to describe the transformative experiences believers have with the Lord. Yet, sometimes, we’ve limited these encounters to physical manifestations, overlooking the profound internal work He accomplishes within us.
For years, I grappled with whether I was genuinely encountering God or not. I observed others around me experiencing the Lord through what appeared to be powerful, physical encounters—falling down, being slain in the Spirit, and rolling over in uncontrollable laughter. However, my experiences with God didn’t manifest in this way. There were no physical sensations or overwhelming emotions. Yet, the truth is, I’ve encountered God ever since my salvation; He has met and ministered to me in ways that transcend physical manifestations of His grace. And I assure you, the same holds true for you!
If you’ve given your life to Jesus and been transformed by His grace, you are living under an open Heaven, crafted for the Presence of God. He is eager to encounter you! Moreover, a beautiful consequence of encountering God is becoming a conduit for others to meet Him as well.
Overcoming a poverty mindset
Blog by Steve Backlund 05.02.2024
The “poverty mindset” (or poverty spirit) is rooted in the victim mindset and focuses on:
1. What we don’t have
2. Our apparent inability to be blessed
3. Other people as the source to meet our needs
4. The reasons we are at a disadvantage in life
I remember reading in the 1990’s Harold Eberle’s Developing a Prosperous Soul, I was surprised at how much of a poverty spirit was embedded in me. During that season, the Lord was taking me from a lack mentality to an abundance mentality. I realized that there was no way I could fulfill the Great Commission in Matthew 28 (of going into all the world) if I was lacking in energy, health, wisdom, finances, favor, protection, love, spiritual gifts, or power.
Psalm 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not lack.” In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come to give life and life abundantly.” These are strong verses to help convince us to embrace an abundance mindset, but today, I want to discuss this poverty mindset that plagues so many of God’s people.
In 2 Kings 4:1-7, there is a story of a widow who was in debt. The creditors were coming to take her sons to pay off the debt. The prophet Elisha asked the widow, “What do you have?” She said, “Nothing, but a little oil.” As she was in Elisha’s presence, her thinking started to change.
One of the purposes of prophetic ministry is to move us from a poverty mindset to an abundance mindset. It helps us take our eyes off what we think we don’t have to see what we actually do have. It happened to the widow. God supernaturally blessed what she had. It paid off the debt and she lived off of the rest. I believe it will happen to you too.
In order to move past the poverty spirit, it will be helpful to identify how it manifests in our lives. Continue reading “Overcoming a poverty mindset”