THE Kingdom of God TAKES IT BY FORCE pt 2

THE Kingdom of God TAKES IT BY FORCE

A.   Man was created to have dominion and establish the Kingdom of God on earth.

1.     Satan wanted to be like God and he was cast out of heaven because of his desire (Isaiah 14:12-15).

a.     Man has authority in the earth and dominion over angels              (Ephesians 1:22; Psalm 8:4-6).

b.     Man was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26, 27).

2.     Man was created to share in God's dominion. Eventually the Kingdom of God will be turned back over to God (1 Corinthians 15:24).

3.     Man has authority on earth.

B.   God's kingdom is within you (Luke 17:21).

1.     Your heart is the soil that receives the seed of God's Word.

2.     If you are lacking something in your life (prosperity, healing, deliverance), "grow" it by planting the Word of God in your heart.

3.     God's blessing is the "fertilizer" that grows the Word you have planted in your heart.

4.     The Believer's job is to protect what has been planted in his or her heart.

a.     Guard your eyes and ears and monitor what comes out of your mouth; don't speak words that are contrary to the Word of God.

5.     Whether or not a person dominates in the Kingdom of God is determined by the type of seed planted and cultivated in his or her heart.

C.   Satan uses the Kingdom of God system of seedtime and harvest to try and exert his will in your life.

1.     Satan tries to invade your heart with his words.

a.     He will use your eyes, ears and mouth as entry gates to get his words in your heart.

2.     Don't let the world seduce you into thinking that words don't matter.

3.     The battle is over the type of seed you allow in your heart.

D.   The Christian's weapons against the enemy are not carnal, but spiritual. Cast down negative thoughts and tear down strongholds by speaking the Word of God (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

1.     Strongholds are fortified "houses" of thoughts that have been nourished over long periods of time.

a.     Strongholds will cause you to tell yourself, "This is just who I am and I can't change."

b.     Words produce thoughts, which produce images that form the blueprint for construction of those images in your life.

c.      Desires are created by the things on which you focus your attention.

                                                                               i.            Lust is an intense appetite or desire.

                                                                             ii.            Turn away from desires that go against the Word of God                (1 Peter 2:11).

                                                                          iii.            If you allow yourself to develop an appetite for something apart from the Word of God, you create another war for your soul to fight; why create a new battle in your life?

2.     Don't fight ungodly thoughts with positive thoughts; speak the Word of God to cast them down.

3.     Become a good "custodian" over your thought life.

4.     Train yourself to capture ungodly thoughts.

5.     Hold on to the prophetic word that has been spoken over your life                     (1 Timothy 1:18, 19).

a.     When you stop holding on to the Word of God, your faith will become shipwrecked.

6.     Jesus won battles by speaking what was written in the Word of God      (Matthew 4:3, 4).

a.     God is not the tempter; Satan is.

b.     God doesn't pressure people to do things. He allows us to make decisions of our own free will.