Transformative Faith: Authority and Liberation in Christ

Devotional

Day 1: Speaking Life Through God's Word

Faith is not merely a passive state of mind but a dynamic force that shapes reality. When believers speak God's word over their situations, they engage in a divine partnership, actively participating in the manifestation of His promises on earth. This practice is not about ignoring the challenges faced but about choosing to focus on the solutions that God has provided. It is a conscious decision to align one's speech with the truth of Scripture, thereby setting the stage for God's will to unfold in their lives and circumstances. This act of speaking life is a powerful tool in the believer's arsenal, one that requires faith and a deep understanding of God's word. [01:02:47]

"For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'" (Romans 10:13-15 ESV)

Reflection: What situation in your life needs the transformative power of God's word, and how can you begin to declare His promises over it today?

Day 2: Divine Appointments Await

God has a plan and purpose for every encounter in our lives. Just as Jesus had a specific colt in mind for His entry into Jerusalem, there are individuals that God has prepared for us to reach out to. Walking in obedience and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit will lead believers to these "colts"—people who are ready to experience freedom and enter the kingdom of God. This divine strategy requires a heart attuned to God's voice and a willingness to act upon His guidance, trusting that He has already prepared the way for these encounters. [48:59]

"And the Lord said to Samuel, 'Obey their voice and make them a king.' Samuel then said to the men of Israel, 'Go every man to his city.'" (1 Samuel 8:22 ESV)

Reflection: Who might be the "colt" in your life that God is preparing for you to reach, and what step can you take today to be more attentive to the Holy Spirit's guidance?

Day 3: Authority to Bind and Loose

The authority to bind and loose is not reserved for church leaders alone; it is a privilege granted to every believer. With the keys to the kingdom of heaven comes the power to forbid what is contrary to God's will and to permit what aligns with it. Understanding and exercising this authority is essential for engaging in spiritual warfare and influencing the destinies of individuals, families, and nations. This authority is a responsibility to be wielded with wisdom and discernment, always in alignment with God's word and purposes. [01:01:36]

"Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 18:18 ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life or in the lives of those around you can you exercise the authority to bind and loose, and how can you apply this authority in prayer today?

Day 4: Seeing Through God's Lens of Love

Viewing others through the lens of God's love and potential is transformative. It allows believers to see beyond current struggles and to envision the God-given destiny of each individual. This perspective is crucial for standing in faith for others' breakthroughs and aligning prayers with God's heart. When believers choose to speak life into the situations of those around them, they become vessels of hope and agents of change, reflecting the heart of the Father. [56:05]

"Then the Lord said, 'Do you do well to be angry?' And Jonah said, 'Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.' And the Lord said, 'You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?'" (Jonah 4:4-11 ESV)

Reflection: How can you begin to view someone in your life through God's lens of love and potential, and what specific action can you take to encourage their God-given destiny?

Day 5: A Lifestyle of Loosing and Setting Free

The act of loosing and setting free is a continuous commitment to intercession and proclamation. It is not a one-time event but a lifestyle that believers are called to embrace. Through consistent declaration of God's word, believers engage in spiritual warfare with eternal significance. Their words, empowered by the Holy Spirit, have the power to break chains and open doors to freedom and salvation for themselves and for those God brings into their lives. [01:00:16]

"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.'" (Mark 16:15-16 ESV)

Reflection: What are the chains that need breaking in your life or in the life of someone you know, and how can you incorporate the practice of declaring freedom into your daily spiritual routine?

Sermon Summary

In today's sermon, I emphasized the transformative power of faith and the authority given to us by Jesus to bring about change in our lives, our communities, and our nation. I began by expressing a vision for New Zealand, a country that has the potential to be a prototype for nations radically transformed by the will of God being loosed on earth. I shared the story of our church's growth, which started not with resources but with a declaration of faith and obedience to God's direction.

I then connected this to the theme of the year, "the one," focusing on the individuals God places in our lives for us to reach out to with His love and the gospel. I recounted the story of Jesus needing a colt for His entry into Jerusalem, highlighting that just as Jesus had a specific colt in mind, there are specific individuals God has prepared for us to reach. I encouraged the congregation to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's guidance to find and free these "colts" from whatever binds them.

I shared a personal testimony about my son, who struggled with addiction but was set free and transformed by the power of prayer and the declaration of God's word over his life. This led to a broader call to fight for our families, to declare God's promises over them, and to stand in faith for their salvation and freedom.

I also spoke about the authority we have in Jesus' name to loose and bind, to set free and to establish God's kingdom on earth. I declared a revival in Auckland and prophesied a season of harvest for our church and the nation.

I concluded by inviting those who have not received Jesus or who have strayed from Him to come back to His love and forgiveness. I led the congregation in a prayer of salvation and commitment to follow Jesus.

Key Takeaways

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Sermon Clips

"We started to walk around the house saying our son's a history maker, a world shaker. Our son's a man of God. He's gonna be a godly husband, a godly father, a godly businessman, a godly pastor. All the things that I felt in my heart since he was born. And so we started saying those things because God can't bless it until you stop cursing it. And so I'm saying those things, we just declared God's word over our son." [56:48]( | | )

"For eight years I prayed and nothing happened. But when I started loosing the word of God over my son, praying God's will, praying God's word, praying the promise, not the problem, about eight weeks into it, he was playing university basketball. He hadn't been to church four or five years, and he wanted to date a pretty cheerleader." [57:31]( | | )

"The problem was there was a man of God that Sunday. The man of God interrupted his message and said there's someone here who's running from God with a broken heart, you're fighting addiction, your family's been through trauma, and tonight Jesus Christ is going to set you free. Tonight you're getting loosed. The moment he said that, my son who was disinterested fell on the floor." [58:38]( | | )

"Instead, fight for your families. Nehemiah said in chapter four, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid of that nonsense. Don't be afraid of the critics and the hostile resistance. And he said this. Look to God. Remember the Lord your God, great and powerful, and fight for your families. Fight for your brothers and your sisters, your sons and your daughters." [59:43]( | | )

"Declare God's word over them. Tell the devil he can't have them. Prophesy, pray. Let God's promises be so powerfully spoken that it drowns out the sound of the problems, the noise of the devil, and the fear the enemy is trying to bring you concerning that person or event. Loose the colt and bring it to me, Jesus said." [01:00:53]( | | )

"I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto you... Now he's talking to Peter, who he's surnamed Peter, Petros, a small rock. I will give unto you that he is to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven." [01:01:36]( | | )

"We declare Auckland is having revival, that the greatest season of harvest that Life.Church has ever seen is going to happen in these next five years. Lord, we declare from the north, south, east, and west, every campus, the north, the south, the east, the west campus, the Tonga campus, we declare revival in all your regions, your cities, your churches, your families." [01:02:09]( | | )

"Thank you, God, for all you've done, but we loose and declare and prophesy and pray for the greatest thing that God would do to begin. Thank you, God, for this beloved, very spiritual country. If there's any country in the whole world that can be an example of a discipled country, a transformed country, it is New Zealand, the beautiful people of New Zealand." [01:02:47]( | | )

"But it's not a weapon until you add your voice to God's voice. And so when you say it, it becomes a sword. When you declare it over your family, I had a doctor this year, 20 years, this year I was diagnosed with stage four cancer and given a pretty dire prediction about the outcomes of it, and I could barely, I was in his office, and I could barely speak." [01:05:25]( | | )

"God did it when they said it, when they put God's word in their mouth, God's will was done in their life. And something happens when we see people rightly and declare over them the will of God, what God wants for them, not where they are, but what God wants for them. Their purpose, their destiny, their calling, their freedom, their salvation." [56:05]( | | )

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