Watermelon Seeds teaching given by Don Johnson

          At Dominion Living Training Center March 15, 2008

I believe that most of you know that I like to garden.  As far back as I can remember I have always liked to get my hands in the soil, or as some call it, dirt.  I have a picture at home of me in those white short overall type pants.  I look like I was about four or five.  There I was in those silly looking pants squatting down in the flower garden.  Well enough of that.  About that age, I remember being over at the next door neighbor lady’s helping her plant some flowers.  I was so busy that the time got by and my mother came looking for me.  And I know you all know when your mother comes looking for you, you are in trouble!  We will stop there.  That was my earliest memories of gardening.         

A side step here; at times I feel old when I want to share this.   I remember World War II and the practice of air raids at school which was to climb under your desk and put your head between your knees.  I remember the days of rationing and oh yes, Victory Gardens.   My parents owned the lot next to our house so that area was our play area and it became our Victory Garden location as well.  My dad borrowed a single plow from a farmer and hooked it on to the back of the car.  Mom and dad plowed up the earth into soil so that we could make a garden out off.  This was my first experience in gardening.  They gave me a small area that I could call my own and I planted watermelon and squash.  My dad showed me how to make a small mound, mine looked like Long’s peak! He showed me how to make a little ditch around the mound to water the seeds and mine looked like the Panama Canal! He showed me how to place small indentations in the soil with my finger to put the watermelon seeds in mine looked like the Grand Canyon!  As you can imagine, my ratio of seeds to the outcome of seedlings was not that great. You are probably wondering why I am telling you all of this.  I am setting the stage for the play or I should say; how to build a strong spirit.  I will be getting to that. 

         Arizona used to be known for its excellent watermelons. I have always liked a good watermelon.  So if I wanted a good melon, I had to raise my own.  To raise your own, first you have to find good seeds.  Today they have hybridized the seeds and it is getting harder to find good unaltered seeds.  They are available but you have to know where to look for them. I have raised melons in Tucson Arizona (the best), Guam and here in Fort Collins.  In Guam the melons would burst before they became ripe because of so much moisture and the right temperature 24/7.         

Now in Fort Collins I have had to relearn gardening. Frost in Fort Collins can be as late as June. So I had to have a planting schedule. I found out how long it takes for a watermelon to grow to be ripe.  I had to start the seeds in the basement or greenhouse so they would have a long enough growing time.  Building a good garden is like building a strong spiritual life.  I’ve taken some thoughts from Tim Jorgensen’s book, Spirit Life Training.            BUILDING A STRONG SPIRIT:          

To build a strong sprit is all about giving your spirit what it likes to feed on.  There are things that your spirit gravitates towards and hungers for.  What you feed grows stronger, what you starve gradually dies.  So what does your spirit hunger for? THE WORD OF GOD           

This is no surprise, but this is without a doubt Number1.  Jesus made a choice that He would rather starve his flesh than neglect the Word of God.Luke 4:4 (NKJV) ⁴But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man

shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”The Word of God simply does something to your spirit; it imparts life, strength, and energy.  It's difficult to explain why or how it does this, nevertheless Peter says in 1 Peter 2:2 (NKJV) ^“as newborn babes, desire the pure milk

of the word, that you may grow thereby,” It gives your spirit life for growth. HEAR IT           Listen to the word.  That is the first thing that we hear after our spiritual birth.Romans 10:17 (NKJV) ^”So then faith comes

by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”          The Bible talks so much about being careful who we hear; what we hear, and how we hear.  What?  should be the Word of God.  Who? should be someone who can speak the Word with the integrity, spirit and strength of how God Himself would say it.  How? we should hear is with an attitude that knows that these are the very Words of the Creator of the Universe.  We listen with intensity and response. We write down notes.  We have so many ways to hear the word of God. There is the Bible on tape, CD, mp3, radio, TV, etc!  Good Bible teachers also help. You should be your own best preacher.  God has set in the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teacher to get the word into our spirit with the gift God has given them. READ IT           You must read the word.  This involves time without distractions.  When you read it, there will be some words that will jump out of the pages into your spirit.  The Holy Spirit will emphasize certain words strongly that will cause your spirit to burn with intensity about that truth.      WRITE IT           You must write the word.  Why?  Every king in the Bible was told to write for himself a copy of the law. Deuteronomy 17:18 – 20 (NKJV)  “¹⁸Also it shall be

, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a 

copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites.  ¹⁹And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he

may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, ²⁰that his heart may not be lifted above his

brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.” He couldn't hire someone to do it for him, he couldn't photocopy or cut-and-paste it.  There is something about taking the diligence to write for yourself the Word of God.  It gives you a sense of responsibility and intimacy with the Word that God requires.  It is a way to NOT skip over any words in a verse, and is also a tool for memorization. 

MEMORIZE IT           You must learn to memorize the word.  The previous 3 steps, Hearing, Reading, and Writing are nothing if they don't lead to memorizing the word.  Every failure in the Bible was through forgetfulness of the Word. 

MEDITATE IT           You must meditate on the Word.  This involves 2 smaller steps: Contemplation and Declaration.  Contemplation is thinking intently about the full meaning, about what was heard or read.  Your spirit loves this:Psalms 39:3 (NKJV) “³ My heart was hot within me;

 While I was musing, the fire burned.  Then I spoke with my tongue:  (What does musing mean?—Meditation, Meditative state)

           Contemplation causes your spirit to ignite the meaning of the scripture with your soul.  Your memory recalls the verse to your mind, your intellect begins to understand what each word really means, your imagination begins to see its application, your emotions begin to come alive as you feel what God feels about its truth, and your will decides to take a course of action concerning it and first of all begins to speak.  Declaring the word begins to shape the spiritual world around you. You conform to the manifestation of that word. 

Jeremiah 23:28 - 29 (NKJV)  “²⁸’The prophet who has a dream, let him tell

 a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?’ says the Lord. ²⁹ Is not My word like a fire?’ says

the Lord, ‘And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?’”

                      This process of meditation is important.  If you try to speak it before you contemplate it the words will not have the effect desired even though it is God's Word!  God's Word is more than letters, syllables and sentences.  It is describing a reality.  If your soul is not wrapped around the meaning of that reality (as much as you are able to anyway), all that is coming out of your mouth is simply sounds and noises from your vocal cords.  It must be powered by a faith from your heart in the conscious reality of what those words mean.  On the other hand, it is important to speak it not just think it.  God does not just think.  He speaks and things happen.  His power will not activate unless there is a revelation of his will through word and deed. 

Amos 3:7 - 8 (NKJV) “⁷Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He

reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. ⁸A lion has roared! Who will

not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy?”  And we must know Mark also. Mark 11:22 - 23 (NKJV) “²²So Jesus answered

 and said to them, “Have faith in God.  ²³For assuredly, I say to you, whoever

 says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not

doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says” So we must do the entire process of true meditation: which is Contemplation and Declaration, to be able to release the power of God's Word. 

NECESSITY FOR SPIRITUAL LIFE           There is power in the Word of God.  We were created in the image of God by the Word of God. We were born again by the Word of God.  We are guided by the Word of God.  It is described as light, water, food, air, fire (and much more) the basic necessities of life.  Without these we die.  In the same way if we don't feed our spirit with the Word, there is no way our spirit can be strong.  But more than that it is how we put that Word into us that unlocks the full life-giving power of the Word to our spirit. WHY THE WORD DOESN’T WORK           The number one parable of Jesus was the parable of the sower. Matthew 13:3 - 23 (NKJV) Mark 4:1 - 20 “³Then

He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.  ⁴And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came

 and devoured them.  ⁵Some fell on stony places, where they did not have

much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.  ⁶But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  ⁷And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  ⁸But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  ⁹He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” ¹⁰And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak

to them in parables?” ¹¹He answered and said to them, “Because it has been

given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  ¹²For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will

have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  ¹³Therefore I speak to them in parables,  because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  ¹⁴And in

them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:     ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; ¹⁵ For

the hearts of this people have grown dull.     Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,  Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ ¹⁶But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;  ¹⁷for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets

and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. ¹⁸“Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  ¹⁹When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not

 understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.  ²⁰But he who

 received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹yet he has no root in himself, but endures

only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  ²²Now he who received seed among the

 thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  ²³But he

 who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”          

The seed represented the Word of God sent to the 4 different kinds of hearts.  If someone just carelessly throws out the seed it will land on the surface of any of those kinds of hearts.  In spirit life training you are the sower.  You know that the problem is never the word’s lack of power.  The problem is the sower’s carelessness in planting the word!  It is a stupid farmer that does not plant with focus and intensity.  Let’s be honest.  There are Bibles in so many forms and shapes all over the place.  But strong spirits are precious few!  See, it is not just the power of the Word but the power that pushes the word that makes the difference.          

In the past I have used many bibles, but the New King James Version to me has the power that pushes the Word and to me that makes a difference.  IT IS LIKE THE TYPE OF SEED THAT I SELECT TO GET THE BEST WATERMELONS. HOW IT GOES IN IS HOW IT WILL COME OUT!          

 It is where and how I sow the seeds that makes a difference in receiving a harvest in the fall.  The seedlings need protection from invaders. Weeds come up as quick as the seedlings.  They have to be weeded. They need to be cultivated. Then after they produce runners with large leaves they are pretty much able to protect themselves from weeds and small invaders.  This is the same with us with the word. How intensely do you hear it?  If you listen to nice, story telling preachers who are not intense that Word will go in one ear and out the other.  How intensely do you read it?  How focused are you to catch that key scripture and write it down?  How intense are you to memorize it?  How intensely do you contemplate and boldly declare the Word?  Intensity in the sower will  prepare the soil of the heart.  It will shatter the hard heart of unbelief and carelessness.  It will drive the seed deep enough that it will be remembered in the time of trial.  It will burn out the weeds of distractions, and shape our habits to consistently apply that Word.  THEN it will produce results.  It is only how the Word is sown that will unlock your spirit’s life and power. 

HEAR IT,   READ IT,   WRITE IT,  

MEMORIZE IT                   And    MEDITATE ON IT

 Doing all of this will Help Build a Strong Spirit

Teaching at DLTC 2-23-08 by Billie Johnson         

As believers we need to think about what we have with Christ.  Too often we accept what the church teaches without examining it.  Let’s examine what we really have with God through Christ.  When we bought our business we had to have a legal document that gave the particulars of who was buying and who was selling and the privileges and responsibility of each.  A legal document is much like a covenant. We don’t talk much about covenants today but it is an agreement only more serious and is a legal document also. It takes at least two parties to make a covenant. When I read about Abraham and God making a covenant I didn’t really understand what it was all about.  The cut open sacrifices, the flame going down the middle, what was that all about?  Let’s look at Genesis 15:7-19 ⁷Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.”⁸And he said, “Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”⁹So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”  ¹⁰Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. God was setting the stage for a covenant-cutting ceremony. The word ‘Cutting’ covenant’ was used because the animals were split open. We know that a covenant requires a sacrifice of blood and this is shown here.  There are places in the Middle East where this is still done today. In order to make this covenant God humbled himself to accept an inferior role.  There are ancient records that indicate the inferior party would walk between the bleeding pieces of split animals, and take an oath of loyalty to his superior.   They would say “May the gods do so to me as I have done to these animals if I do not fulfill the terms of this covenant!” 

Back to verse 11:  ¹¹And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.¹²Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. ¹³Then He (God) said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. ¹⁴And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. ¹⁵Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites (the people that lived in Canaan) is not yet complete.” This is a prophecy from God to Abraham about what will happen to his descendents for 400+ years.  Verse 17:  And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.  The words, ‘a smoking oven and a burning torch’ are just a figure of speech.  This was God himself, the glory of God the Shekinah that passed through the pieces of the animals.   ¹⁸On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land.  God’s oath was unconditional and unilateral.  There was nothing required of Abraham except to believe.  This covenant is a model for the New Covenant in Jesus Christ.  God again was the one who was unconditional for us.  We only have to believe. The main two covenants we’re concerned with are the Abrahamic Covenant and the New Covenant.  Jesus said, “This is the new testament, the new covenant in my blood.”   He was making a new covenant.  We’ve seen how Abraham made a covenant.  Abraham’s covenant involved a relationship with God. Our covenant also involves a relationship with God through Christ. Galatians 3:29 if you are in Christ then are you Abraham’s seed according to the promise.   Gal 4:3 ³Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. ⁴But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” We are sons of God not just children, children don’t have authority; grown ups do.  We need to grow up and use the authority that God has given us.   Too many times we have an Old covenant mindset which comes from the Old Testament.  We think “God is out there somewhere” and we recognize that we lack something.  We think we have to have more of God, more of the Holy Spirit, etc. We feel we don’t have what we need.  We need more money or a better job.  A New Covenant mindset tells us that we do have everything we need.  We are complete and perfect in Christ. We must begin to walk out these things that have been put in us.  One difference between an Old Covenant and the New Covenant is that we change our thinking so we are walking as a New Creation.                   

As I taught on the New Creation last month we learned that our spirits are created new when we are born again.   That new spirit needs to percolate down into our mind and will and emotions.  We start to do the works that Jesus did.  Those works are not for us but for the glory of God.  He is glorified by us healing the sick, casting out demons, and telling others about the good news of what Jesus has done in us.                     

Recently I had to go to the dentist to have my teeth cleaned.  I’ve used the same dental hygienist for many years.  Pam was busy scraping and cleaning when one of the office persons came in and said here’s a message for you, Pam.  She finished the area she was doing and then read the message.  I believe she is a Christian but I don’t know how deep her walk is with the Lord. She exclaimed, “O my God!”  I asked what was wrong.  She said that one of their best friends had just died.  He was her husband’s very best friend.  I immediately put my hand on her arm and asked if I could pray.  She didn’t say no, so I asked the Lord’s comfort and help for her in this time and prayed for her.  She was quiet after I prayed and continued to clean my teeth.  After a bit she excused herself to go and blow her nose.  She came back and said the tears were interfering with the mask she had on.  She then started to talk about this John who had died.  She said he was of Catholic background but didn’t believe the Bible.  He thought it was just something someone had made up, just myths.  He was a good person and always gave to others though.  She said he recently had been studying Buddhism. She said her husband was also searching like John was and was very much like him in thought. She continued to talk and of course I just listened as her hands were in my mouth!  When I could say something I said that Buddha didn’t rise from the dead.  Later in the conversation I said there was proof of Jesus being raised from the dead.  She listened and hopefully she had some information to give to her husband.  Several years ago I would never have thought to have a conversation like that but because I have continued to grow and renew my mind I was bold enough to say something, praise God.  He was glorified through that conversation. Some people think that we have to work our way into heaven as this John must have because he did good things.  But we know that we are made righteous by our faith.            

Let’s take a look at faith for a minute.  Galatians 3:7-14. ⁷Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” ⁹So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.  We like Abraham are blessed through our believing God.   It’s not just Abraham’s direct bodily descendents that are to be blessed but we know that the Jews believe that.  It is those who believe in God like Abraham did, through faith.            ¹⁰For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”  This tells us that we are unable to keep the whole law.  If we mess up on just one part we have sinned in all of it.   ¹¹But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” ¹²Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”¹³Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us ¹⁴that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. What is the promise that Jesus would give the Gentiles (us)?  It is of course that we receive the Holy Spirit through our faith.  We can’t do it any other way.  We can’t work our way into heaven.  Jesus was not only our New Covenant maker he was the one who took all the curses recorded in Deut 28 with him as he hung on the tree so all those curses are not applicable to us.   There are blessings recorded there as well as curses but read them sometime and think about what our Lord did for us! As I mentioned before we have to grow up into the Word of God.  We renew our mind as we grow up.  Our spirits don’t grow.  It is our mind, our soul that grows up. That new recreated spirit is perfect.  That new spirit happened when we got born again.  Now our work is to get our mind to line up with our spirit. As we take the promises of the Word, we start to walk them out and we become partakers of his divine nature, II Peter 1:4.  We have that divine nature in our spirit but we have to get our souls lined up with them.  You see someone sick and your will steps forward and yes, God wants me to do this. The soul is recognizing what needs to be done through the mind.   Then you lay hands on the sick, that’s using your body to bless someone with power from God.  This is lining your soul and your body and your

OLD COVENANT MINDSET COMPARED TO NEW COVENANT MINDSET 

   Heb 11-3  ¹God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ²has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.” God spoke through the prophets to the fathers, patriarchs under the Old Covenant.  But in these last days He spoke through His son, Jesus.  He is still speaking to us because we are still in the last days. 

 II Tim 3:16 ¹⁶All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  Scripture is given for our benefit  we know that but we’ve got to use it.  Heb 1:3 also says that Jesus is the “brightness of his glory.”   He is the express image of God’s person.  God’s person is really His character so Jesus is the perfect reflection of God’s character.  He perfectly reflected God’s character to us.  We are to reflect Jesus! 

          Better promises / New Covenant           

Hebrews 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.” It seems like there are two god but there are only one. The Old Testament didn’t reflect all of God’s character but it reflected the justice and holiness of God.  God had to deal with man based upon how a just and holy God had to deal with fallen man whose sins were not dealt with.  Man was allowed a connection with God by having his sins atoned or covered.  But God couldn’t deal with sinful man the way He wanted to because man’s sins separated him from God.  BUT in the New Testament (Covenant) God was able, through Jesus to treat man like He wanted to.  Once Jesus came and was resurrected, and man received the Holy Spirit, God could treat men like they were innocent because Jesus was there to bear the penalty for their sins.  Through the Holy Spirit we have an open access to God

.  Heb 8:6 says ⁶But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.”  We need a New Covenant mindset to operate in New Covenant.  It is hard to try to operate in the New Covenant with Old Covenant mindset using the Old Covenant rules and regulatins.  Many Christians try to do this.  We have done it too but are realizing we need to change how we think, talk, and act.

 An Old Covenant mindset is always looking for God to speak through another person.  Do you have a word for me? In the Old Testament it was usually the prophet that spoke for God.An Old Covenant mindset will always be trying to earn or deserve God’s blessings rather than believe that everything we get from God, we get by grace.An Old Covenant mindset person will state that they do things by grace but will prove that they believe everything is by works by how they do things and how they talk.  An Old Covenant mindset will be afraid that God is either mad at them for something or will get mad at them if they mess up.  So they are afraid to try anything.  They are afraid to do anything without an express leading to do so.  Some preaching has been from an Old Covenant mindset so some teaching from the pulpit is: Don’t do anything without permission or you will get in trouble. Many people want God to tell them specifically what to do and when to do it, rather than realizing that God has already told us what to do and gave us examples of how to do it in the New Testament in Jesus!   We just need to put what we learn into practice.  Specific things we may need will be given as we go and do. As I have been used in prophecy I usually ‘see’ the words or a phrase in my mind and as I speak it out then more comes.  So God supplies more as we step out and speak or do what he says. It’s the same thing in the walk of faith.Here are the contrasts:         

Old Covenant                                     New Covenant

Find God, see what He’s doing.          God is in you all the time 

The battle is the Lord’s.                      We have weapons; we do battle 

 Here’s the plan, Lord, bless it.             He will bless whatever we put [our hand to, in accord with the Bible]

I am a God chaser.                              God is chasing us – he has found us  Don’t know what God wants to do      He’s told us in scriptures

Pull God down                                   God is in us, Holy Spirit has been [poured out]

Ask the Holy Spirit to come                 He is IN us, has come already

Is a shadow                                          Is the real thing.  It’s NOW

The Holy Spirit doesn’t need to come or fall, He has been poured out and is in us and works thru us.  We are co-laborers with God.  Sometime we hear a great sermon based on New Covenant thoughts and then get up and sing a song that is filled with Old Covenant thoughts like trying to call God down or pleading with the Holy Spirit to come.   Some of our songs try to blend Old Covenant mindsets with New Covenant mindsets.  We need to be aware of what we are saying and singing.  I used to sing Come, Holy Spirit, but now I can’t do that ‘cause I know He is in me already.  One of the songs we sang tonight had the words, “I’m desperate for you” and we changed them to “I love you, Jesus” because we have him.  We shouldn’t be desperate for him.  He is in us already!  Yes, unbelievers can be desperate for him but as believers we are not desperate.  It’s like the old contract or guarantee that Don talked about.

Lord, what do you say about our New Covenant? “Yes, I have a New Covenant for you and you are in IT. The Old has been replaced.  When you replace something you don’t need to use it any longer.  You have outgrown it like a garment.  But don’t give it away, it can still be used as a background, a history but not the living document that you need.  My Spirit will direct you since you have direct access through Him.  Continue to grow and stretch your spiritual muscles!”  I will, Lord.

How are some of the ways we can continue to grow in our New Creation life and New Covenant way?  JGLM has a new State Director for the state of Wisconsin whose name is Timothy Jorgensen.  He has written a book which Curry Blake recommended to us.  We got the book which is called Spirit Life Training.   It is an awesome book.  I’d like to share with you some of his ideas.  He is able to put into words what we do but often we are not able to articulate what we are doing.

Here are a few things from the book.   He mentions that there are barriers to growing up in our spirit life.  The number 1 barrier is not wanting to take direction from someone else – and that may be God himself!  If a person can take direction they can get past the barriers to:

 1. Train the emotions: For many years I lived in my emotions. I didn’t know that I could train them.  David talks to his emotion in Ps 42:5 “Why are you cast down O, my soul? And why are you disquieted within me. Hope in God for I will yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”  We need to speak to our emotions and tell them what we want them to do, stop being full of fear – I will not be afraid. We make the choice of what emotions we allow to dominate our thoughts! As I told about our friend we prayed for.  She needed help to get out of that fear. Sometimes others can help us.

2. Deal with memories: Is 43:25 “I, even I, am He who will blot out our transgressions for my own sake; and will not remember your sins.”  God remembers his word.  We need to remember it also. We can cry out to him for good memories!  He can help us replace the bad memories and have a clean slate to do his works. God doesn’t remember it why should we?

3. Use your sanctified imagination:   Some would say the imagination is of the devil. But we can use it for God. We can use our imagination to prepare us for those things that God wants us to do.  Heb 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Imagination and Faith work closely together.  Athletes train by using their imagination to see every move to be perfect.  We can train our souls to be aware of what the Spirit is telling us and to do it.  Example:  I saw in my mind a car crash but didn’t tell Don about it.  It happened almost like I had seen in the spirit.  If I had been aware of how much the imagination can be used in godly ways I would have told him and we could have prayed against it.  I believe God was telling me to be aware but I missed it by not accepting what I saw in the spirit or in my imagination. We can use it in godly ways.    

4. Accept what your intelligence doesn’t understand yet:  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths.”  We need to learn to ask God questions and then to listen to his answers.  It can be as simple as asking his help in getting from one place to another.  Don has experienced this. When he was traveling in Colorado Springs and didn’t know the place he was to go to.  He asked the Lord for directions and kept listening and turning when he said turn until he reached a place where it seemed to his mind that he had gone too far.  He stopped and phoned (this was before cell phones) and found out if he had continued to listen to what God was saying he would have reached his destination without having to make that phone call. God can give us information.

5. Make your flesh (body) obey you when it is distracted, tired or hungry!    Your body is not king over you! But too often we live like it is.  Luke 16:11 paraphrased says that if you are not faithful in natural things God can’t trust with you true spiritual riches.  Jesus’ first temptation in the wilderness was for the body – he was hungry.  Satan said make these stones into bread.  We need to learn to command our bodies to be obedient to our will.  We are in charge not our body. When I was working and had get up even though I didn’t want to. I wanted to stay in bed longer.  I used to say, “O.K. leg move I’m getting out of bed right now!”  We do this even more so in healing when we speak to an organ and tell it to be well.

6. Force you Will to take control of your being:     Your will uses the two most powerful words in the language:  YES and NO.  You choose who you will be obedient to:  God or Satan.  ”Therefore submit (your will to God).  Resist the devil (with your will) and he will flee from you.” James 4:7.  How do we strengthen our will?  Use the word of God to make your will stronger: David said, “I WILL bless the Lord at all times and his praise SHALL continually be in my mouth!” Talk to yourself.  Use your mouth to declare what you decide to do:  I WILL not focus on negative thoughts.

7. Praise God with all your energy:     Your spirit knows the way to God, release it.  Sometimes you have to do it through a shout, a declaration, through the movements of your body in dance in singing.  “With my soul I have desired you in the night.  By my spirit within me I will seek you early;” Isa 26:9a  Praise God with abandonment.

8. Pray in the spirit loud with all your heart and vocal expression:     As John G. Lake said, pray in the spirit loud and long.  “For he who speaks in tongues does not speak to men but to God,” Let the words pour out like living water from the midst of you. Make them loud, it revs up your spirit.  Let your emotions also be a part not just saying the words. As I speak I let the emotions come out.  [Spoke an example of tongues.]  Put your emotions in it, use vocal expression in tongues.  

9. Say NO forcefully to the devil:     Use your will to react forcefully with a “No, Satan, I refuse that pain that you are trying to put on me.”  NO, I will not accept those thoughts of fear.  I choose to look at the bright side.  Paul said, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful.  All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any,” I Cor 6:12. Once in a while I have tingling in my hands. When it first happened I was scared stiff.  I’ve found out that this is because of a pinched nerve in my neck and I can massage it out.  This happened the other day and I immediately said, “No, Satan, you are not going to do that to me again.”  I commanded it out and massaged my neck and it went away in a few minutes.  

10. Say Yes freely to God:     Yes, Lord I will do what you tell me to do.  Yes, I will glorify God in my body by keeping it in good shape.  Yes, I will exercise it so it can be free to be able to help to touch others for God.  Yes, I will not eat those things that my body can’t take.  Yes, I will keep my body pure.  All these are saying yes to God.           

He goes into more detail of course but the book is very readable and easy to comprehend. This is a training center so I’m suggesting a resource that you can get.