- Play:
- Song Name: Session 4 - Brian Nish - The Road to Freedom - The Fathers Heart Conference
- Artist: Elijah Anointing for Northamptonshire
- Album: Fathers Heart Conference
- Year: 2013
THE ROAD TO FREEDOM
AND HEALING FOR THE HARVEST
INTRODUCTION
Personal Testimony – father/step father/drink/occult/searching
We’re all on a journey to wholeness, and there’s none of us there yet!
But, if we are to achieve lasting breakthroughs from the wounds and hurts in our lives we must take responsibility for our lives
We need to move from being ‘victims’ to being ‘victors’.
Suffering can make us ‘bitter’ or ‘better’.
Victors choose to become ‘better’ – victims choose to become ‘bitter’.
To maintain lasting breakthroughs we need to live a lifestyle of FAITH and FORGIVENESS and know how to DEMOLISH STRONGHOLDS
FAITH (Mark 11v22-24)
Living a life of faith keeps us at the VICTOR end of the spectrum.
Definitions of Faith:
“NOW faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11v1)
“Faith hears the inaudible, sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible”
Have faith in God
What is your image of God?
A big policeman in the sky? – OR – A loving Father?
How big is your God?
The same size as you? – OR – The Sovereign Lord God Almighty?
Have faith in God’s Word
We cannot separate God from His Word. God and His Word are one.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1v1)
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom 10v17)
Exercise your faith
Faith contains three ingredients: (1) Believing in our heart (2) Confessing with our lips (3) Corresponding actions (doing what we couldn’t do before)
Faith is like a muscle, it needs exercising
Speak to the mountain (by faith). This speaks of anything in our lives which is a problem or obstacle, and blocks our vision of the future
Receive the answer to your prayer (by faith) (Mark 11v24 “received”)
Thanks Father you now have the answer (by faith)
Where appropriate ‘act accordingly’ (by faith)
FORGIVENESS (Mark 11v25-26)
Forgiveness is the most important thing we can do, if we want to remove the blockages that prevent the Father’s love from filling our hearts, and overflowing to others
What forgiveness is not
It is not saying that the other person was right
It is not saying that what the other person did doesn’t matter
It does not mean you have to restart a relationship with that person
It does not mean that you automatically trust someone again and allow them back into your life to hurt you again
What forgiveness is
It is renouncing retaliation, giving up the right to hit back
It is tearing up your IOUs, what you feel people owe you
It is giving a gift that people don’t deserve
It is speaking a blessing over the other person’s life
We forgive by faith not feelings
If we want Father God to heal and restore our souls then we need to exercise our faith and release forgiveness to others
Who do you need to forgive?
Don’t forget to forgive yourself!
Choose forgiveness as your lifestyle!
Max Lucado – “Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free – and then realising that you were the prisoner”
Personal Testimony – ‘Field of Dreams’
DEMOLISHING THE ORPHAN STRONGHOLD (2 Cor 10v4-5)
What is a spiritual stronghold?
A spiritual stronghold is any wrong way of thinking that the enemy uses to exert control over a person, a family, a community, and even a nation
The enemy wants believers to think like orphans and not sons and daughters:-
Orphans Sons/Daughters (PowerPoint)
Insecure Secure
Guarded Open
Mistrustful Trusting
Rebellious Submissive
Resentful Forgiving
Controlling Releasing
Self-Rejecting Self-Accepting
Ashamed Significant
Despairing Hopeful
What is the orphan stronghold? (PowerPoint)
The orphan stronghold is a mindset based on the following lies:-
• I’m all alone
• No one cares about me
• I can trust no one
• I have to go it alone
• I’m not worth loving
• My value is in what I do
• I have no real purpose
Believers can be held captive by these ungodly beliefs to the extent that they claim to be children of God on a Sunday – but live like orphans on a Monday – and throughout the rest of the week
Where do these lies come from?
Lies come from Satan, who is the original orphan and is also the father of lies (John 8v44). The original orphan tries to keep us in an orphan state by lying to us
How do these lies enter?
When we are wounded, or have a negative experience, we can start to believe lies - and these lies can affect our behaviour and lead to negative expectations about our future
For example, what was the lie, or lies, you started to believe when you were wounded by your father and/or mother?
Remember, Satan, the original orphan wants us to think like orphans – and not like royal sons and daughters
How do we demolish the orphan stronghold?
(1) Through an encounter with the Father’s love
“There is no fear in love. Perfect loves casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4v18)
Logic cannot displace our pain – only love can
Only a positive experience can displace a negative experience. This experience may be instant or gradual or come by revelation
(2) Through believing and confessing the truth of God’s Word
“…and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make your free” (John 8v32)
Write the lie down on a piece of paper. This makes it blunt and clear.
Write down the truth on another piece of paper.
Now throw away your first piece of paper – and renounce and break off the lie – in Jesus name
Then speak the truth of God’s Word into your life for the next 30 days, so that it becomes part of you
Summary of steps to demolish the orphan stronghold (PowerPoint)
No 1: Confess the orphan stronghold in your life
No 2: Pray for the healing of the root wound
No 3: Forgive those who have hurt you
No 4: Renounce the lies and ungodly beliefs
No 5: Exercise your spiritual authority
No 6; Ask for an experience of the Father’s love (instant/gradual?)
No 7: Continually confess the truth of God’s Word in your life
Satan’s Lies Father’s Truth (PowerPoint)
I am worthless I am Father God’s royal child
I am a mistake I am created by Father God
I am an accident I am here by appointment
I am ugly I am Father God’s work of art
I am hopeless I am hopeful in God’s future for me
I am shameful I am precious and honoured
I am all alone I am never abandoned by God
I am without purpose I am here on Father God’s mission
So what is Father God’s mission?
FATHER GOD’S MISSION
Jesus said “I must be about My Father’s business” (Luke 2v49)
What did Jesus do when He walked upon the earth? “…He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil…” (Acts 10v38)
As God’s sons and daughters we need to get involved in ‘The Family Business’
Therefore, our personal healing isn’t the end result. We are healed by Father God’s love, so that we in turn can share His love and bring healing to others, because this is ‘The Family Business’!!!
In other words, WE ARE HEALED FOR THE HARVEST!
We also have a particular responsibility here in Northamptonshire to respond to the prophetic words about the Elijah anointing. This is the particular branch of ‘The Family Business’ that we are to get involved in!
Here in the Northampton Branch we are to share the Father’s love with others “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and children to their fathers” (Mal 4v5-6) - pursue love and unity as led by the Holy Spirit - stand up for truth and righteousness - and look to demonstrate the supernatural provision and power of the Kingdom of God – amongst other things
FINALLY (PowerPoint)
Some final confessions:-
“God loves me and accepts me – I love and accept myself”
“God likes me – I like myself”
And remember, there are many unplanned pregnancies – but there are NO unplanned adoptions!
We were INDIVIDUALLY CHOSEN by God to become part of His family – what amazing grace and love!