Forty Days Full - An Invitation To Real Life

Forty

Days

Full

An Invitation into Real Life

By

Don Finley

© 2019 by Don Finley By BT Johnson Publishing Toll Free: 1-866-260-9563 P.O. Box 100 Battle Ground, WA 98604

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Visit the author’s website: www.lifechurchsalem.com. Visit the Publishers’ website: www.btjohnsonpublishing.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture is taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION marked NKJV. Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture marked NIV is taken from the HOLY BIBLE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ® NIV. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-938311-64-2

Printed in the United States

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Dedication

First, I want to dedicate this book to my wonderful wife, Ann, who has stood faithfully beside me through the ups and downs of life. She is my best friend and greatest encourager. It was her and the Holy Spirit who ganged up on me to finish this book and I’m grateful! Secondly, I dedicate this book to the many people who have called Life Church your home. Whether a current member or past, you have been my inspiration. Your passionate pursuit of God amidst the battles of life on this planet have lifted me up. Your stories combined with His word have taught me the principles within these pages. After more than 35 years with this body and travels to many other places, Life Church is still my favorite place to preach. You all have made it a place I call family.

Don Finley

Forward

Right from the start of reading ‘Forty Days Full,’ you can sense the pastoral ministry of Jesus coming through Don’s writing urging you on to a more abundant view of the life that Christ has for his people. I am honored to have known Don from his early teenage years and for a number of years as his pastor. The richness of the fruit of his writing comes from the roots of a godly family heritage, an artistic and humorous mind, an amazing wife and family, and a life-long pursuit of God. This book is a wonderful journey of one who has been a shepherd for all of his adult life. Don is not only an insightful student of Scripture, but a man of the Spirit. Through his delightful stories and analogies, we get a front row seat into the drama of how God transforms a human life. Each chapter presents an important thought about one’s perspective of God and more importantly, God’s perspective about us. I find his insights refreshing and even surprising as he challenges us to see that the Lord’s grace is greater, his love is beyond imagination and God is infinitely better than the best definition of his goodness. Ever the pastor, Don lays down practical suggestions as to how one can align themselves with the promises of God and journey further into a healthy spiritual life. He makes these truths easy to ingest through his practical illustrations and superb gift of storytelling. It would be hard to forget the story of he and his daughter sitting on the beach painting from one easel, she with her left hand and he with his right as an illustration of relationship and love. I am amazed at the number of statements that punctuate the book that are so worthy of being quoted and memorized…”the former slave is now the landowner”…’let

God make a covering for you…’ ‘am I made new or just a reformed convict?’

This 40-day journey opens the gate to the green pastures that the members of his church have enjoyed for decades. This is one of those books that believers need to ‘chew on’ again and again to remind them of the truths that transform the human heart. Mike Herron: Author, Speaker, Founder of Life Church, Founder of Mike Herron Ministries Houston, Texas

Endorsements

Don Finley is a forward-thinking, creative, hope-filled leader who inspires people to become what they did not think they could become. His passion to keep growing as a person and as a leader is contagious. His belief in the gospel's power to set us free inspires his life and ministry. This passion caused him to create Life Change Workshops to help people discover new possibilities through the dismantling of lies and the building of foundations of truth. In 40 Days Full , Don invites us into those foundations and releases a powerful tool for transformation. I highly recommend this. Only a very few writers have both the gifting and anointing to write a life-changing devotional. Don Finley is one of them! From personal experience of enjoying Don’s spoken messages, I was delighted to see he is one of the few who are able to make his writing just as interesting and fun as his speaking! What a rare gift! In this 40-day devotional, Don serves up in bite size pieces, a great depth of cliche-shattering, myth-busting truths about the intense love and Goodness of God. Most of us, myself included still have not fully grasped God’s love for mankind. This book lays it out so clearly, reshaping one misconception about God after another —after another! Take 40 days with this book and I promise you that your understanding of your God will be forever altered for the better. I would get this book and while you’re at it, get one for a friend! Steve Backlund: Author, Speaker, Founder of Igniting Hope Ministries

Steve Shultz: Author, Founder of THE ELIJAH LIST, ELIJAH STREAMS TV.

Our soul has a hard time showing up in dangerous environments. How can we be quiet, wait, rest or be tender if our soul has been orphaned and yet longing for a Journey through the Garden. What did relationship look like before sin? Join Don as he guides you each day to discover truth, safety and friendship with the Heavenly Father who introduces you to the Garden, where He calls your name, and you show up.

Dr. Paul Morgan: Pastor, Founder of Amplified Version Ministries

It has been my joy to know Don Finley for several years. Don and his wife Ann are two of the most real and impactful leaders I know. It is my pleasure to endorse not only their lives but this insightful book. As you read through the pages you will get to know the heart of a man who is able to merge the devotional aspects of our faith with a larger commitment to The Great Commission. Don has a healthy soul. A healthy soul can be used by God in extraordinary ways. Don transmits that health through the pages of this wonderful book. May God expand your faith as you walk through its pages.

Garris Elkins: author, speaker and mentor.

I have been a pastor for close to fifty years, and “40 Days Full, an Invitation to Real Life” is one of the best devotionals I have read. Whether you’re a young Christian starting out on your exciting new faith walk or a seasoned veteran of spiritual battles, you will want to sit down, pour yourself a cup of coffee and get ready for a forty-day read that can change your life.

Garry Sigenthaler: Pastor, Speaker

Introduction

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness...” Colossians 2:9-10a NIV

This is one of the most remarkable scriptures of the New Testament. Identifying Christ's full deity carries a truck load of theological implication, but the jaw-dropping statement is that we have also been brought to fullness in Christ. This mystery of partnership in Christ is a miracle considering our dark past. How is it possible that we could be so closely connected to the fullness of deity in bodily form? This marvel is the hope of humanity and is the joy that will transform any life brazen enough to believe it! Why 'Forty Days Full?' Forty days is often associated with breakthrough in the scriptures. You can find several biblical narratives where a forty-day period precedes a season of new beginnings. It rained for forty days and forty nights during the great flood and afterward a new start was birthed for the inhabitants of the earth. The children of Israel received the revelation of God's law from Moses after he spent forty days on Mount Sinai in the presence of the Lord. Jesus began his earthly ministry after he fasted in the wilderness for forty days. Human behavioral studies have also proven it takes about forty days to break an old habit or establish a new one. Would it be worth it to commit forty days to read this book if it produced lasting change? This could be a key factor in a fresh new start to the kind of life you've always longed for. My hope is that in the next forty days you will discover a breakthrough in your daily life that will realign your journey with the promises of God. Most of us have experienced

moments of clarity while listening to a message, reading a book or watching a movie. It's like we have an epiphany of truth that could change everything if we could just bottle it up and take a sip of it each morning. But I've found that the sharpness of that new understanding dulls and fades over time as distraction and busyness fill my life. We intend to live differently, be more loving and do what God wants, but instead we experience marginal change. So where do all those good intentions go? Why do many good desires seem to slip through our fingers like sand? When it's in our heart to soar, why do we tend to trudge? This book is written as a devotional. It is intended to be taken in small bites. You could read through it quickly if you desire, but I recommend taking your time. The book is broken into four sections. Each part reveals what I believe to be key truths for living and each build upon the other. There are also daily action points at the end of each chapter. I encourage you to take the time to do them, so that you’re not just a hearer of the Word, but also a doer. For some, the concepts I share in this book may be revolutionary. In other words, they may contradict many things that you have believed or learned over the course of your life. It is not my intent to come against any church or denomination. But it is my intent to throw a bomb at false beliefs and lies that have subtly drained the life out of living. All of us at some level are a product of our environment and the influence of this broken world has left its mark on us. The environment of heaven is what we need to embrace so that the life God intended can spring up. Wherever you are on your journey, my desire is to lead the way to abundant, supernatural, authentic life. May your next forty days be a spring of life for you.

Table of Contents

Dedication……….…………………………………………...……3 Forward……………………………………………………………5 Endorsements.………………………………………………….…7 Introductions………………………………………………….…..9 Section I - God’s Got a Plan ……………………………………13 Day One - Real Life………………………………………..……..15 Day Two - Really Living…………………………………...……19 Day Three - God is Good……………………………………..…23 Day Four - The Image of God………………………..…………27 Day Five - My Job is to Believe……………………………...….31 Day Six - Restored Glory………………………………………..35 Day Seven - Searching for Greatness…………………………..39 Day Eight - The Power of Truth………………………………..43 Day Nine – Graceland……………………………………..…….47 Day Ten - Welcome to the Table………………….…………….51 Section II - Tools from the Dark Side …………….……..……55 Day Eleven - Self-Protection……………………………....…….57 Day Twelve - Shame on You!.......................................................61 Day Thirteen - The Great Cover-up……………………………65 Day Fourteen - Hide and Seek…………………………….……69 Day Fifteen – Fear………………………………………………..73 Day Sixteen - The Blame Game………………………...……….77 Day Seventeen – Deception……………………………………..81 Day Eighteen – Rebellion……………………………...…….…..85 Day Nineteen – Control……………………………….…………89 Day Twenty – Religion…………………….…………………….93

Section III - The Power of a Spirit-filled Life …………….....97 Day Twenty One - Evidence of the Spirit…………….…….….99 Day Twenty Two – Love…………………………………….…103 Day Twenty Three – Joy………………………………….….…107 Day Twenty Four – Peace………………………………...……111 Day Twenty Five – Patience……………………………….…..115 Day Twenty Six – Kindness…………………………….……...119 Day Twenty Seven – Goodness………………………….…….123 Day Twenty Eight – Faithfulness………………….….……….127 Day Twenty Nine – Meekness…………………….……...……131 Day Thirty - Self-Control………………………………...…….135 Section IV - Welcome to the Promised Land …………..…....139 Day Thirty One - The New Creation………………………..…141 Day Thirty Two - Complete in Christ……………………...…145 Day Thirty Three – I Am A Saint.………………………..…....149 Day Thirty Four - Seated with Christ in Heaven……….…....153 Day Thirty Five – God Finishes what He Starts……….….…157 Day Thirty Six - The Temple of the Holy Spirit………….…..161 Day Thirty Seven - More than a Conqueror…………………165 Day Thirty Eight – I Am God’s Workmanship………….…..169 Day Thirty Nine - An Ambassador of Reconciliation………173 Day Forty - A Joint Heir with Christ…………………..……..177

Addendum: Promises List..………………………...………….181

Section I: God’s Got A Plan!

God is a planner. He prepares for a long-term benefit. He is able to endure a great deal of messiness in order get what He wants. Since He is eternal, He doesn’t seem to be in a hurry. He has a perspective that is so large we cannot fathom it. Our 70 to 90 years on this planet seem like a long time to us. To Him it’s closer to a blink of the eye. Yet, He is involved in the smallest detail of our lives. So what is it that God wants? It’s obvious He doesn’t want slaves, otherwise, He would not have put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden. A slave master doesn’t give free will. He demands obedience. I also think it’s obvious, that He’s not just after worshipers. Every Biblical account of a human experiencing the heavenly throne witnessed a massive throng of worshiping angels and beings already created for that purpose. So what is it that He wants? I believe that when we take together the whole counsel of Scripture, it reveals that He wants a great big family. He is a Father who wants sons and daughters who are united together in love. From my perspective, it’s seems like there could have been a much better way to get a family. The history of our world is one big, hot mess! God knows love that isn’t chosen, is untested love. He is after voluntary lovers who choose Him above all others. If there were no options, how can you know real love? If we had known nothing but safety, comfort and security, our love for God would be superficial. We don’t get to choose our parents, but the process of growing from baby to adulthood will test

and hopefully prove love. I don’t believe it was God’s plan for sin to erupt and destroy His creation, but it was His plan to give us options. It is a great comfort to knowHe has a sovereign plan for this great big, beautiful, messy world we live in. He is great enough to be in control of this whole thing without being a controller. He is strong enough to see His will accomplished in the end. He is secure enough to not be threatened by our wanderings. He is sovereign enough to finish what He started. He is enough!

Day One: Real Life

”The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10 NIV)

T he significance of John 10:10 is great because it reveals two things we really need to know. First, it identifies Jesus' purpose for us to have abundant life, and secondly, it reveals a demonic strategy to destroy life. Jesus didn't come just to die so we could meet once a week in His name. He came to bring LIFE! His substitutionary death was necessary so that life could spring up in us. All of mankind was under a death sentence until Jesus resurrected from the dead. And, the kind of life He died to bring us is so much more than your everyday, run-of-the-mill kind of life. In other words, he didn't come just so we could make it to heaven. The kind of life Jesus died for is a super abundant, superior, excessive, pre-eminent, over and above, more than necessary, super added, beyond measure kind of life. These are the adjectives you'll find if you look up the Greek definition of abundant life. I heard Joel Osteen tell this sad story of a man who traveled by boat from Europe to America? He had saved for a long time to get enough money to pay for the voyage. He only had enough to purchase the ticket for the boat ride but had no extra spending money for meals. So he packed a block of cheese and some crackers in his suitcase. He knew he would have to be careful and ration his food during the long boat journey. Every mealtime rather than eating with the rest of the passengers, he’d go off by himself and eat cheese and crackers in his room.

During the trip he made friends with a man and they enjoyed spending time together. His new friend became curious why the man would disappear during every meal. Toward the end of the journey the man asked him, “why don’t you eat with the rest of the passengers?” The man replied with embarrassment, “I only had enough money for my ticket, but I don’t have extra to buy any of the fancy meals.” The other man said, “Didn’t you know the meals are included in the price of the ticket.” Can you imagine how he felt? If he was embarrassed before, he was much more so at his loss. When I think about this man, I see this poor fellow rationing out a few crackers with a little cheese three times a day. He could have been feasting in the banquet room enjoying various food and drinks while fellowshipping with all the other passengers. This is very similar to how many Christians live their life. They have hope for a future in heaven, but today is a dismal existence. They could be feasting in the goodness of God. Instead, they only see sorrow, pain and rationing. Some choose a lifestyle of isolation as proof of their dedication to holiness. Jesus paid the price for their salvation which includes a dazzling, intimate, joy-filled life with Him and others. Their hinderance is a lack of understanding regarding the nature of God’s Kingdom now. It’s time to step up to God’s abundant table and take your place. He has everything you need to reach your full potential; joy, forgiveness, restoration, peace, healing…it’s all been paid for. Don’t be one of those people who are just happy to be on the boat. Sure, you’re going to make it heaven, but if you could have more wouldn’t you want it?

There is a parallel between us and the Hebrew slaves of Egypt. God delivered His people from Egypt and He wanted to

completely set the Israelites free. He didn't want them always looking over their shoulder, wondering when Egypt would be coming to recapture them. So He decimated they’re economy with plagues. It would take a decade to recover from the destruction of their livestock and farms. The last plague killed all their first born. It would take a generation to recover. God's final blow was the complete destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea. Egypt was so completely crippled it would take more than 100 years to recover. Thus, the back door of their deliverance was closed. The Israelites could not go back. He was sending them to a land of plenty that He had prepared for them. But, because of their unbelief and small thinking they refused to enter the land. They had just seen God decimate the greatest army in the world, but they could not see themselves beating a few Canaanites. You can take the slave out of bondage, but if you don’t stop thinking like a slave, you'll never leave the prison cell. For forty years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness just a few miles from the promised land. They were free. They were a united people chosen by God. But they could not experience His promises due their unbelief. It reminds me of cheese and crackers on a boat. So here we are in the middle. God's got a plan and so does our enemy. There are invisible forces at work in your life, both for good and for evil. You are being influenced whether you admit it or not. The next forty days I want to help you win the battle here on earth...with style! David discovered something about God. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...” Psalms 23:5a (NIV) This is the nature of life in this darkened world. Banqueting when our enemy wants us starving. How frustrating it must be for the minions of hell who once tasted of the goodness of God. We get to feast on the delicacies of God's table while they watch in rage and envy. I

believe the principles in this book will transform not only your today, but also your tomorrow.

Happy Feasting!

Activation

Let’s begin this process with thanksgiving. Write a list of everything you are thankful for. Make it as long as you can. We enter His gates with thanksgiving.

Day Two: Really Living

“I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of .” (John 10:10b MSG)

J esus declared His purpose to give us this abundant life. Growing up in church was an interesting paradox for me. The Church was a place that fueled and encouraged my love for God. My parents were great role models and taught me to love Jesus. There are so many people who sowed good seed into my life. For this I am eternally grateful. But, along with the good there were things that didn't make sense. Some people seemed to love misery, as if it were some sort of merit badge worn by the super holy. In fact, it seemed like some celebrated death more than really living. Their future home in heaven was on their minds more than the life God had given them now. Happiness was to be avoided because that's what the world sought after, while we Christians pursued joy. Even now I have a hard time understanding the difference. Yes, I know the teaching, happiness is based upon circumstances and joy is the inner abiding of the Holy Spirit. It seemed to me that unbelievers lived with a continual 'yes,' which meant they could do whatever they wanted, while Christians were instructed to live with a perpetual 'no.' It was as if God could not trust us to live freely and joyful? This contradiction was not consistent with what I read in the Bible. To me, I want both happiness and joy in my life. In fact, the word blessed means happy.

To really understand the purpose of Jesus we must go back to the very beginning. Genesis, the book of origins, reveals so many treasures for those who will look deeper. The world that God created for Adam and Eve reveals the nature of God and His purpose for humanity. Eden is God's idea of what life should be like for you and me. There are so many adjectives that could be used to describe what life would be like in Eden. Beautiful, plentiful, adventurous, stunning, loving, exotic, simplicity, peaceful, secure, exciting, warm and the list could go on. And... they were both buck naked! Wow! God creates this whole planet, then made the most beautiful garden ever seen and then gave it to two people. This is what abundance looks like when God has His way. I'm confident there was no line drawn between joy and happiness. When I ask people to describe what this world was like they often use terms like, 'No fear' or 'No shame.' This is inaccurate because before the fall they wouldn't even know the meaning of the words shame or fear. It was non-existent. They would have no reference point to understand their meaning. We have lived with the negative effects of sin our whole lives and can't imagine life without it. I believe that everyone living on the planet falls into one of two categories. They're either getting ripped off by lies or they are experiencing the good life. Yes, this sounds very simplistic, but let's not qualify it yet. Of course, there are troubles we will face in this world, but let's keep our focus for now on the big purposes. There are two paths we face and John 10:10 reveals them in the extreme. The will of the devil and the will of Jesus. The kingdom of darkness has cooked up a plan for your life. It is a very specific scheme that will result in the loss of every good thing God has given you or made available to you. The spiritual forces of darkness hate all that is good and seek to destroy it. Feeding from his menu results in death and

destruction. You might ask why anyone would want to eat something cooked in that kitchen? It's because our enemies’ number one tool is deception. He's an expert liar. Mankind's understanding has been clouded by the deceitfulness of sin. These deadly factors work together to become the perfect storm for humanity. People are living their lives in total oblivion to the destination of the path they are on. We also can't discern who's really living by whether or not they go to church. Scores of church attenders live a life so bound by lies that outsiders see them as more miserable than themselves. The good life is not measured by what you have, but rather by who has you. Are you captivated by Christ? Real Life is not measured by the amount of good or bad things that happen to you. We all get our fair share of pain from this world. Life flows from connection. Our connection with Jesus is first because He is the source of life. Life also flows from our connection with others. We are incomplete by ourselves. It is in relationship that we find abundance. When you consider your past can you see the remnants of broken relationship and burnt bridges? Instead of saying good riddance, I want you to see them as lost opportunities. If life flows from connection with others, then your enemy was able to cut off a flow of blessing. Please don’t receive this as me seeking to pile regret upon you. This is an opportunity to begin thinking in a new way so that you can return to the path of life.

Activation

Today, let’s do what I wrote about earlier in this chapter. Ponder with me what the garden of Eden was like before sin.

Make a list of one-word descriptions. Meditate on this list, because this is what God wants for you.

Day Three: God is Good

“ You will not certainly die ,” the serpent said to the woman. “ For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil .” Genesis 3:4-5 NIV

T he first temptation was targeted at the nature of God. "God is holding back good things from you. He's limiting you. He's not good. He is a liar." Eve allowed the serpents questions and accusations to take root in her heart. She came into agreement with a liar. She was deceived. At the core of all sinful behavior there is still this lie that plagues humanity. “God is not good!” In the last chapter, we discussed God's plan of abundance for Adam and Eve. He gave them a whole planet! There life was overflowing with good things that God had freely given them. It is a ludicrous lie in light of all that they had. It's like a mild headache ruining a perfect day. Deception has the ability to blind you of all that is in front of you so that all you see is something wrong. This lie continues to influence the minds of believers and unbelievers. The auditorium at Life Church was packed wall to wall with mostly young people grieving the death of a recently graduated classmate. She had died from an overdose of bad heroin. Many, including her father, were asking the questions, "why would God take a young person still in the prime of her life? Why would God do this? How could this be His will?" I had met with family and friends trying to guide them through this tragic event. It was my job to officiate the memorial service, so I chose to confront these misconceptions. I stood before them

and said, "It was not God's will for her to die. God did not kill her. God's will is not always done on this planet. That is why she died. People make bad choices and we're grieving the consequences of those choices." You could almost feel the air rush out of the room. Even some of you who are reading this are questioning my theology or authority to say such a thing. For many, this is in direct contradiction to what they'd been taught in church or heard in popular Christian music. In fact, even the world will tout this ‘God is in control of everything that happens’ mind set. It's amazing how many bad things are blamed upon God. Natural disasters resulting in the loss of thousands of lives is called an 'act of God.' Really? A child dies due to a tragic accident and people call it the 'will of God' or ‘God just wanted to take them home.’ If He were truly responsible for all the death in the world, He would be a serial killer. There is a serial killer loose on the earth and his name is Satan. We must remember who introduced death into this world. We did! Adam and Eve came into agreement with a lie from the serpent about the nature of God. Their act of rebellion brought death upon humanity and a curse upon the earth. God had warned them it would happen, remember, ‘You will certainly die.’ The only thing He'd ever given them was life, blessing, love and a future. Death was not His plan and it still isn't! In fact, death is the last enemy to be destroyed. Death is our enemy, not our friend! The miracle of God is that He is able to turn even death into something Good. Paul said, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21 NIV) God receives those who die in the Lord, so that He can give us what He planned for us from the beginning, everlasting life.

If I were to ask the majority of Christians if God is in control, most would say yes. But, to say that He is in control could mean that he is a controller, but He is not. A better way to say it is that God is in charge, in other words He's sovereign, but He's not in control of everything that happens on the earth. When it comes to my everyday life, He highly values my freedom. I get to choose my own path because He gave me that right and because He is good. We are not here to act as His robots, but to display what freedom looks like to a world controlled by sin. We start by praying 'let your kingdom come, let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' This is part of our daily prayer because there are so many things done against the will of God. We’re asking God to extend the rule of heaven to earth. The reason we're here is to live with heaven in our hearts and demonstrate His will on earth. This statement is filled with so much truth. After 30 years of working in full-time ministry, I have encountered this root issue. So many people are angry with God. It’s not what they say on the surface, but it’s what they deeply feel. Most won’t admit it in a church gathering, but in their daily life there is a deep-seated resentment against their Creator. They are experiencing pain because of a loss. The loss of a loved one. A loss of physically ability due to sickness. The loss of a relationship. The loss of a desire or a dream. A loss of hope for a better future. The memories of what was or could have been haunt them. In these places of pain, the accuser is always ready to point the finger at God. Our bad doctrine confirms it. “God is in control and if He wanted to, He could fix the problem, but He won’t.” His accusation has a landing place because they A.W. Tower said, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

have believed a lie about the very giver of Life. Our Father grieves at our pain and loss, while the thief continues to steal away our hearts with unbelief. Answer the question. What does come into your mind when you think about God? It’s so important to know that every good thing that has come into your life is from God. It has been His plan from the beginning to bless you. He is a good Father who gives good gifts to his children. There is no true goodness apart from Him. We are in the middle of a war. It is a fight for the truth. When we can settle with confidence the goodness of His nature and discover His desire for our best, we'll be able to overcome the lies of our enemy. We will reverse Satan’s plan to separate us from our Creator and be able to say with confidence, God is good!

Activation

Today, I want you to think of something or someone you’ve lost and remember the pain. Ask Jesus where He was in that moment and what He was thinking. Write down what He says.

Day Four: The Image of God

Then God said , “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27 NIV O ne aspect of the first temptation was an appeal at our desire to be like God. The serpent said, "you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:5) But we were already made to be like Him! It was a hidden plan of our enemy to pervert our innocence. The result of Adam and Eve’s failure was the introduction of sin and death. Our likeness to God was marred by the effect of sin. It’s as if we became disfigured from God’s original intent. But even a person who is far from God, living in rebellion and selfishness, is still created in God's image. No matter how far away we stray, there will always be a remnant of His nature in all of us. It is so interesting how the imprint of our parents is deeply ingrained in our psychic. I am the third of four brothers. We are each very unique in our personalities. Our career paths reveal diverse interests and abilities. But there is an undeniable resemblance, internally and externally, to our mother and father. My father was a man who loved projects. He was always working on something. It could be anything from building a small model boat to a complete house renovation. In fact, most of the years of my childhood our home was is a state of partial

remodel. This was a point of contention with my mother. I remember her saying things like, "Do we always have to live in a half-done project?" In our own ways, each of my brothers reflect his love for a project. I often find myself walking around my house trying to decide which of the many projects in my head is next on the list. Diving into the next renovation is something I look forward to, just like my father. It is the same way with our Heavenly Father. There are indelible things from Father God that are imprinted upon us all. We can try to deny it, but His fingerprints remain. God has always had a plan for humanity. Consider the scripture; “let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness...” Notice God is speaking as “us.” I believe this is the first evidence of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God in Himself is a family. He is a triune being. It is clear that the creation of humanity was a family expansion plan. Throughout scripture we are called the sons and daughters of God. It’s also important to note how we are different from anything else created. His plan for us was to, like Him, rule over the rest of creation. Like a father giving the keys of the family car to a teenager, God gave authority to Adam and Eve. We’ve been invited into the family business and it’s clear that God wants a very big family. He’s got more than enough love to go around. Inside all of us is a reflection of our Heavenly Father. The late-night talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel is a strange, but funny example of this reflection. Jimmy loves to make fun of the reality TV show 'The Bachelor.' His jokes confront the idea that this show is a great method for finding true love. At the end of the season the Bachelor has narrowed the field of twenty beautiful women down to three. He is given the opportunity to take each of them to bed for a night. The Bachelor tells each girl

he loves her and then spends an intimate night alone with her, the camera men, the directors and millions of TV viewers. Jimmy laughs that some people cry at how beautiful it is. Even to a worldly man and his audience, it is obvious this is not the way to find your one true love. If there were no imprint of God, this could be a great way to get married. But we all know it's not. Most of the contestants know it and are just actors playing a part. The happy couple at the end of the season almost never stay together. It is Human nature and it is God’s nature to want exclusivity in love. Two characteristics that reveal His imprint is the desire to love and be loved and the desire to live for a great cause. These two desires are deeply imprinted in every person on the planet. It's true they are not evident in everyone's life. Many people spend a lifetime burying these desires. Experience has taught them to run from them. But, everyone in their innermost being has a longing to know love and to make a difference. You'll find so many songs dance around these themes. They rise up from somewhere deep inside us. The song writer identifies the need and we respond with emotional agreement. Children in their innocence reveal these basic desires in the way they play. They all want to be great! They want to be Superman, Spider-Man or Batman. No kid ever wanted to be Accountant-man. I mean no offense to the bookkeeper and accountants of the world. This is one way to get in touch with our longings, if we can remember what we wanted as kids. What is it that you wanted? Have you been robbed of fulfillment by loss or disappointment? Try to remember what you wanted as a child and you'll start the journey of discovery. Knowing the nature of God can reveal a lot regarding what our life should look like.

Activation

Remember what you wanted to be as a child. Yes, I know some of those things are unrealistic, but what do they reveal about your inner desires? Write down what you really want out of life.

Day Five: My Job Is To Believe

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:28-29 NIV)

B elieving in Jesus comes as a package deal. Belief is not just considering Him a great guy who said some crazy things. By believing in Jesus, the one the Father has sent, we also accept and believe in the work that He came to do. You cannot separate the two. To believe in Jesus is to align yourself with His death and resurrection. This finished work of Christ carries with it the promises of the New Covenant. So if there is a work to do it is to make every effort to grasp by faith all that is now mine because of Him. This is job one. The Jews were asking what price they had to pay to obtain eternal life. Jesus was letting them know that belief is where it all begins. When Jesus began His ministry He declared, “Repent! For the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” What is he asking you to do? Stop doing bad things? Change your ways? Turn around? That is what most of us associate with that word, but that is not what it means at all. The actual Greek meaning of the word repent is, “To think in a new way, change your mind or reconsider.” So much of traditional religion is focused on adjusting our behaviors. “I'm doing bad things, so I must therefore stop doing those bad things and start doing good things.” This is true when you consider a transformed life, but it is a secondary factor to the way of Christ. To believe in Him and the work that He accomplished must precede any focus on exterior

conditions. I've heard it said that religion is form without power. Changing behavior without the power of the Holy Spirit is like telling someone to drive to the store without any gas in the tank. To start a transformation with an emphasis on behaviors is like trying to tell a pig not to roll in the mud. Without the power of a changed identity, a pig will always roll in the mud. Our belief in the work of Christ is that He came to make all things new...even me!!

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV)

Jesus didn't just take my sin upon himself... He became sin for me. There is a dramatic difference! He became the embodiment of sin. The last time the holy had become sinful was with Adam and Eve. When Jesus became sinful even the creation reacted to the contradiction—there was thunder, lightning and an earthquake. But sin could not contaminate Him, and death could not hold Him. In His death he destroyed both sin and death. He burst forth into the gates of hell and took from Satan the keys that held all humanity captive. God demonstrated in both earth and heaven that holiness is more powerful than sinfulness. In the same way we don't take on righteousness - we become righteousness. Righteousness is gifted to us. We get what Jesus got—rightness with God. Jesus is the first born of a new breed of humanity—the righteousness of God. It is impossible by human effort to accomplish what Christ already did. I've been made righteous by His extreme generosity! Jesus didn't just pay a price we didn't have enough money to pay. He changed our nature.

It’s like He gave us super-human powers. We can now participate in the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)

In a world that runs on works and wages, Jesus communicates a higher value. The Jews were asking, what do we have to do to satisfy this demanding God? Jesus was not saying there's not work to be done, but was revealing what has always been the path to the heart of God. True lovers of God have always found the way through faith. Our beliefs are the foundation under everything we do. Our actions and behaviors may look good on the outside, but without the right underpinnings they may be just dead works. Some say, 'seeing is believing' (I've got to see it to believe it), But the truth is believing is seeing (my reality will be changed if I can see through the eyes of faith). Then the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.” Joshua 6:2 NIV Joshua had an encounter with God. When the Lord told him Jericho was delivered into his hands, the city was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. God was asking him to see something that had not yet happened. At that moment it seemed like an impossibility. They were not a people used to war. They had no siege engines. There was no way inside the city and this was the first city they would face in the promised land. Joshua was told to see something that could not be seen. This is what we face when a history of failure is stacked against us. Jesus is asking, "What do you see?" Believing in Him and His promises will require the same kind of faith that Joshua embraced when he trusted God to do a miracle.

Today’s Focus

Ask God to show you what you cannot see. Throughout your day, declare what you want to happen in every impossible situation you face. Begin to speak of things that are not as though they already are.

Day Six: Restored Glory

“Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.” (Acts 3:21 NIV)

P art of God's plan is the restoration of all that was lost, and then some. The Bible has two book ends. The first two chapters of Genesis showGod's intention for humanity. He built a world for us, for our provision and for our enjoyment. It was designed as a place that He could have relationship with man and there were daily visitations. It was like an everyday revival when God showed up. Adam was also immediately invited into a partnership with God. God created the animals, then Adam named them. I can only imagine the delight of God as Adam would drum up creative names to describe God's artistic flair. This harmony between God and man has always been His intention and we are the object of His vast love. In the fall of humanity, God lost so much more than we did. If you've ever been estranged from a child who walked away, then you know the painful intensity of love denied. He is a Father with an infinite supply of love that has been denied by the billions of His children who would not return that love. We cannot fathom the measure of His loss. It is for this reason He sent His own Son, part of Himself, to pay the price we were incapable of paying. His passion and longing are for the restoration of what was lost...you in all your glory!

The other book end is the last two chapters of Revelation. Here we see at the end of the age, after our enemy has been

destroyed, God does more than just restore what we had from the beginning. There is a joining between heaven and earth. The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, descends and becomes God's dwelling place. "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." (Revelation 21:3 NIV) For those of you who had hopes that you'd get to float about on pillowy clouds in heaven...sorry! That is not what will happen. There will be some flying around in the process, but we get to stay here where He planned us to be in the beginning. It will be a new heaven and new earth, but it's still earth...restored! There will no longer be visitations, but there will be a habitation. Earth will be His home with us! We the bride will be married to Jesus in a holy union that makes official our status as family members. The glory that God always intended for us will be restored as we become His very own sons and daughters. Wow!!!! Before you fully set you sights on heaven, and then settle into your old ways in the here and now, you need to understand something very important. God wants you to start living like heaven is already here. When do you think eternal life is supposed to start? Eternity doesn't have a starting point and an ending point. When I enter into the Life that flows from the Author of Life, I am joined with His eternal ways. There is a way of life that has existed for eons past and will continue for eons future, forever without end. It is not possible for me to take God's light into my life and not become brighter. If I choose to remain dull by putting a basket over me to hide the light, that is still my choice, but why would I?

Saint Iraneous said, "The glory of God is man fully alive." There is a glory of man that was lost. Nowwe are changed from glory to glory as the truth of Christ' work restores all that was taken. God's plan is that now, in this life, His children will become glorious. What greater victory could God plan, than to have His sons and daughters shining brightly in a world still clouded in darkness? Yes, heaven will be glorious, but let’s live as if we’re already there. Because we are already seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.

“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.” (Romans 8:19 NIV)

Today’s Focus

Consider some things that you have lost in this life. Let your prayer focus be on asking God to give back what was stolen from you.

Day Seven: Searching for Greatness

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…” Matthew 20:25c-26 NIV esus didn't correct His disciples for wanting to be great. He merely redirected their understanding of greatness. Worldly greatness is a fight to reach the top of the pile. The ambitious often leave behind many casualties in their lust for more. Once they are on top, they must defend their position with a duality of pride and insecurity. Jesus reveals a greatness that is the antithesis to this dog-eat-dog world. The Kingdom of heaven values servanthood. Christ came to the earth not to be served, but to serve, even to the point of giving His life for us. He became the greatest human to ever live. The effects of His life sent shock waves across the globe and the world has never been the same. Those who seek the greatness that Christ taught are continuing to change the world. There are many religious people who have no idea what Jesus was talking about. Too often the church has become obsessed with keeping people humble. The fear of pride keeps everyone from thinking great thoughts. Once, I heard a radio preach chastising people who were celebrating how great numbers of people were getting saved across the world. He called it nothing compared to what the ‘two witnesses’ would one day do. His position about future eschatology could not allow him to celebrate the great things God was doing now through his people. What a tragedy. In the movie 'Sister Act' one of the

older nuns was complaining about the modern comforts afforded the younger nuns while she remembered and relished the 'good ole days.' She says, “We didn’t have electricity...cold water...bare feet...those were nuns! It was hell on earth. I love it!“ To her greatness was measured by how much you could suffer. Mark 16:15 instructs us to "...Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Somehow, many have forgotten that 'gospel' means 'good news.' A lot of things I hear called gospel isn't good news at all. The good news is that God still loves us and was unwilling to leave us in our unredeemed condition. Christ came to die so that we can be redeemed, restored and filled with God. He sees greatness in us and would not allow it to be wasted. God placed the value upon us by the price He was willing to pay. His own Son was deemed worth sacrificing to gain what had been lost in us. He was willing to give up the most precious One in the universe so that we could become great...again. Yes, we were all born to be great and there is greatness in everyone. God has a purpose for every man. We should be calling forth eternal destinies. We have spiritual insight into the unseen things. Let's not give too much credit to the enemy and sin. We should trust that the power we have is greater than the powers of darkness. Everything that comes from the kingdom of darkness is an imitation of the real thing. We have what is real. We are the real thing through the power of Christ at work in us. I get my hair cut at one of those inexpensive chain salons. It’s like ‘bring a blessing’ roulette. I never know which stylist I’m going to get, but they are my captive audience for 15-20 minutes. There is this one gal who calls herself a backslidden Baptist. Rather than preach at her I've enjoyed talking about my freedom in Christ and encouraging her in her gift. She usually