"Right Thinking" by Nancy Dufresne
When Brother Hagin was younger in ministry, he had an accident and injured his arm. It was while staying in the hospital that Jesus appeared to him in a vision and said:
“My best is that My people never even be sick or have an accident. But very few people ever walk in My best.
Now, there’s a number of reasons why My people get sick, have accidents, have to go to the hospital, have to be operated on, and have to go to doctors. The number one reason is because most of them don’t know what belongs to them. The number two reason is if they do know these truths, so many of them are weak in faith. The number three reason is because they are in disobedience.”
When Brother Hagin was younger in ministry, he had an accident and injured his arm. It was while staying in the hospital that Jesus appeared to him in a vision and said:
“My best is that My people never even be sick or have an accident. But very few people ever walk in My best.
Now, there’s a number of reasons why My people get sick, have accidents, have to go to the hospital, have to be operated on, and have to go to doctors. The number one reason is because most of them don’t know what belongs to them. The number two reason is if they do know these truths, so many of them are weak in faith. The number three reason is because they are in disobedience.”
(Jesus then told Dad Hagin that the reason he had this accident was because he was in disobedience, so he had gotten on the devil’s territory, and the devil attacked him.)
It’s sobering that Jesus said, “…very few ever walk in My best.” I want to walk in His best, and I know you do too!
I want to focus on what Jesus listed as cause number two. “Even if people do know what belongs to them, so many of them are weak in faith.”
Renewing the Mind
If we are to have strong faith, we have to think right. If we think right, then we will believe right and speak right – then we will receive right. If we think wrong, we will believe wrong and speak wrong – then we will have wrong things happening.
God can only work through right thinking, but the devil can only work through wrong thinking. That’s why he seeks to interject wrong thoughts into our thought life. Wrong thinking opens the door to the devil and closes it to God. But right thinking opens the door to God and closes it to the devil.
What is right thinking? God’s thoughts – thinking in line with the Word of God. Wrong thinking is thoughts that aren’t in line with the Word of God.
Romans 12:2 instructs us, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye TRANSFORMED by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND….”
What’s the remedy for wrong thinking? Renewing the mind with the Word of God – taking on God’s way of thinking.
Our greatest defense against the devil is a renewed mind. Any Christian who is in bondage is not in bondage to the devil – they are in bondage to an unrenewed mind.
Christians who fail to renew their mind with the Word of God will live harassed, troubled, and mentally beat up. But we don’t have to live that way. We are not supposed to live in mental torment and harassment while on this earth. Our lives can be transformed as we renew our minds.
Learn that every thought that comes TO you doesn’t come FROM you. The devil will speak thoughts to the mind, and we must recognize them when he does.
Fear and doubt have an offspring called worry. Recognize that worry is a flow of fear and take a stand against it. We must learn to recognize wrong thoughts – like thoughts of fear, worry, and doubt – and resist them by refusing to entertain them – refusing to turn them over and over in our thought lives.
We can’t fight thoughts with thoughts – we fight them with words. We must cast them down by answering them with the Word of God, then spending time worshipping God to help hold our attention on God and off any wrong thoughts!
We can’t make the devil leave us alone, but we can learn how to be completely untroubled by him – by not listening to him and not giving his thoughts our attention.
In a recent interview, I was asked, “What was your darkest hour?” No event has been my darkest hour. The hardest time of my life was when my mind wasn’t renewed – when I hadn’t yet developed skill at disciplining my thought life. Permitting wrong thoughts of worry and fear made life hard.
A renewed mind still gets opposed, but it just refuses to open the door to opposition and let it in. It refuses to give it attention and a place in the thought life.
Any troubling of the mind we experience is an invitation to further renew the mind and to gain greater skill at disciplining our thought lives and holding our attention on God and His Word.
Just knowing scriptures and being able to quote them does not mean the mind is renewed. The mind is not renewed until you are DOING that Word in your everyday life – casting down every wrong, troubling, worrisome, fearful, doubtful thought by answering it with God’s Word, then holding our attention on Him and His Word through worshipping Him.
Many have learned “faith lingo” and won’t confess wrong things to others – but what do you SAY TO YOURSELF? Saying it to yourself is still saying it! Pay attention to what you are saying to yourself and thinking about. Discipline your thought life. If a thought doesn’t lead you to peace, resist it, then turn your attention away from it.
The devil imitates how God works. When God speaks to you, there’s an influence you sense called the anointing – that anointing helps you to receive what God is saying. When the devil speaks, he also sends an influence – you can feel what he suggests – feelings of fear and thoughts that try to race. They can seem real and true, but don’t believe what you feel.
Your thinking affects your faith. You can’t develop strong faith without renewing your mind. A renewed mind AGREES with the faith in your heart instead of arguing with it.
Right thinking closes the door to the devil and opens the door to God. So, keep renewing your mind, keep growing your faith, and live days of Heaven on this earth.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace (uninterrupted peace), whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3).
"Faith & Righteousness" by Nancy Dufresne
To receive miracles, to receive healing, and to minister that flow to others calls for faith – the God-kind of faith. Romans 12:3 tells us, “…God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” At the new birth, God put in every man the beginning measure of faith – we have a measure of the God-kind of faith. But we are the custodians of that faith – we determine what happens to it – whether it grows or not. We are to cause it to grow by feeding and meditating on the Word, then release that faith through our words and actions. Faith comes by hearing, but it’s not released by hearing – it’s released through words and actions.
“Our greatest defense against the enemy is a renewed mind, including renewing our mind that we are righteous.”
To receive miracles, to receive healing, and to minister that flow to others calls for faith – the God-kind of faith. Romans 12:3 tells us, “…God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” At the new birth, God put in every man the beginning measure of faith – we have a measure of the God-kind of faith. But we are the custodians of that faith – we determine what happens to it – whether it grows or not. We are to cause it to grow by feeding and meditating on the Word, then release that faith through our words and actions. Faith comes by hearing, but it’s not released by hearing – it’s released through words and actions.
Faith is how we conduct business with God. Faith is the great conductor of God’s power. Faith converts the Word to power. Faith is the pipeline that God’s power flows through to reach our need. We must protect our faith so that we can keep moving with God and receive from God what He has already made ours. It’s only by faith that we can “live as rich as we are.” So, we must deal with things that try to hinder or rob us of faith.
Jesus asked, “When I come back will I find persistence in faith?” That’s what He’s looking for, for that’s what He needs so He can work.
One of the things that hinders faith is CONDEMNATION. Sin-consciousness – living conscious of past sins, faults, failures, and weaknesses – produces condemnation. It focuses on the flesh and the natural side of man, instead of focusing on who we are in Christ and on our spirit and all that’s contained in our spirit.
Any sense of condemnation shows us that further renewing of the mind is called for. The receiving of miracles and healing power is hindered where there is condemnation. Condemnation doesn't just destroy someone’s self-image – how they see themselves – but it destroys their ability to receive from God. Condemnation turns us sin-conscious instead of being righteousness-conscious.
Condemnation hinders faith; therefore, it hinders us from receiving miracles, healing, and answers for our life. It causes us to draw back; it hinders the flow of our faith – and it takes faith to conduct business with God.
But Romans 8:1 tells us, “There is therefore NOW no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” The timeline to the end of condemnation in your life is NOW!
Romans 14:17 tells us, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Righteousness, peace, and joy is the flow of the Holy Ghost. This is the flow of God, and this is the flow God moves in. God doesn’t move in the flow of fear, worry, doubt, or condemnation.
We won’t walk in peace and joy unless we renew our minds to the truth that Jesus has made us righteous – right with God. Jesus made us righteous. We aren’t righteous because WE did everything right – we are righteous because JESUS did everything right.
First John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When we sin, we are to immediately confess it so that our own heart won’t condemn us and so we keep the door closed to the devil. When we confess it, the Blood cleanses us. The Blood makes it as though we never missed it. How bold would we live if we knew we had never missed it? That’s where the Blood puts us.
Condemnation comes to rob us of that boldness of faith. To live under sin-consciousness and condemnation, we have to FORGET the Blood.
For condemnation to work against us, we have to fail to forgive ourselves – not having faith in I John 1:9.
Mark 11:25 instructs us, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any…,” because unforgiveness will keep your faith from working (vs. 23 & 24). Condemnation comes from not forgiving yourself or forgetting that you were forgiven when you confessed your sin.
Romans 5:17 (AMPC) reads, “For if because of one man’s (Adam’s) trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the FREE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS [putting them into right standing with Himself] REIGN AS KINGS IN LIFE through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).” No wonder the devil attacks our righteousness through condemnation – for walking in our righteousness is how we REIGN IN LIFE over him and over all opposing circumstances.
Isaiah 54:13-15 reads, “And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake” (because you are righteous and you forbid it).
We are to be established in righteousness. That means that we are to build in our spirits and into our thought lives that we are righteous. We are to reject and cast down accusing thoughts, believing that the Blood has cleansed us from all unrighteousness when we confessed it. When we are established in our righteousness, we will be far from oppression, fear, and terror – we will forbid their entrance into our thought life and into our heart. When we are established in righteousness, peace and joy will be our flow because being righteousness-minded closes the door to fear.
Our greatest defense against the enemy is a renewed mind, including renewing our mind that we are righteous.
Righteous, peace, and joy is the flow of God’s kingdom (Rom. 14:17). That’s the flow that belongs to us, even while we are on this earth.
"Love Does Something" by Nancy Dufresne
John 3:16 reads, “For God so LOVED the world, that he GAVE his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Look at the two words in this verse – loved and gave. Love is something we DO, it’s not simply a feeling of affection, but love takes on the substance of DOING. The God kind of love is always connected with an action. Love is an action word, not simply an “emotion” word.
John 3:16 reads, “For God so LOVED the world, that he GAVE his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Look at the two words in this verse – loved and gave. Love is something we DO, it’s not simply a feeling of affection, but love takes on the substance of DOING. The God kind of love is always connected with an action. Love is an action word, not simply an “emotion” word.
God’s own love is IN us. It came in us at the new birth, so we don’t have to pray for it, but we must develop it and yield to it, allowing it to flow. That love flows out through what we DO.
What will love DO? What are love’s actions?
First, let’s look at love’s actions toward God:
Love spends time in the Word – we can only know Him through His Word, not simply through feelings & emotions.
Love prays – we are to spend time in fellowship with God, for He longs for the fellowship of His children.
Love fulfills God’s plan – we want His plan for our lives, not our own.
Love obeys God – we obey His Word, and we obey what He’s dealing with us about by His Spirit.
Now let’s look at love’s actions toward others:
Love serves one another – we are interested in each other.
Love treats others right – we do what’s right by them.
Love prays for one another – the situations of others matter to us.
Love fulfills our place and function in the Body of Christ – doing our share of work in the local church, in the church family.
Love is generous, it’s a giver – it gives of its time, finances, and resources.
We are not saved by works, but after we are saved, works are everything – they are the fruit of our life. The Word tells us that we are known by our fruit – the fruit our lives produce.
“Love is a LABOR – it’s a work we do – it’s not just feelings and emotions.”
Ephesians 2:10 (AMPC) reads, “For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may DO THOSE GOOD WORKS which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].”
Hebrews 6:10 tells us, “For God is not unrighteous to forget YOUR WORK and LABOUR OF LOVE, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”
Love is a LABOR – it’s a work we do – it’s not just feelings and emotions.
Second Corinthians 5:10 (AMPC) reads, “For we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive [his pay] according to what he has DONE in the body, whether good or evil [considering what his PURPOSE and MOTIVE have been, and what he has achieved, been busy with (how we spend our time), and given himself and his ATTENTION to accomplishing].”
These verses are talking about works that spring from love – love actions. Love has right PURPOSE and MOTIVES as well as right actions. We don’t want our purpose and motives to be about US, but about God, His plan, and being a blessing to others. We are to carry the mindset that we are on this earth to fulfill God’s plan and to be a blessing to others.
According to this verse, love has its TIME and ATTENTION on the right things. Our love for God is demonstrated in how we spend our time.
James 2:17 & 18 reads, “Even so faith, if it hath not WORKS, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith BY MY WORKS.”
Faith is a work! Our degree of works reveals our degree of faith. So, just as faith without works is dead, love without works is dead. Faith works by love – our faith is fueled by our love. But if our love is void of actions, then it’s dead, so our faith will lack the fuel of love it needs to operate.
Words of love and longing toward God that are empty of love actions are grieving to Him. We are to love Him and long for Him with our actions and not just with our words. An affection and a feeling of love toward God is best expressed through actions, not just words and good intentions.
Obedience is the flow of love He desires. We are not to just be BUSY doing natural work, but we are also to take actions toward our spiritual progress – including spending time in the Word and prayer. As we take time to pray and study, and we lay aside the carnal, natural things and the wasting of time, we are showing our love through our obedience. We work at our profession, we raise our family – and those are good and right things to do – but we are to do those things from a FULL spiritual place. We aren’t to neglect the spiritual life in carrying out our natural responsibilities.
The strength God gives is for the DOING. Love is the doing. Without the doing, love never reaches its highest flow and expression. Love that stays only in the form of longing is never fulfilled. Longing must move to doing. Love rightly expressed is a doer. Nothing is benefited from only longings of love. Longings of love must become actions, or else love dies unborn and unfulfilled. Love turns us into a doer. Without doing, love misses the mark. It falls to the ground without accomplishing its goal and without hitting the target. Love acts, so the more your love grows, the more your actions should grow. Growing love produces a growing amount of actions.
Love asks, “What can I DO for you?” Love is void of ease and convenience – it’s not looking to give itself a life of ease. When God sent Jesus to pay the price for us, that was not easy or convenient. But love will inconvenience itself, for it LONGS to do for another. A life lived in leisure and pleasing of self is void of the depth of the flow of love that springs from God. Carnal things quench the flow of love’s deep waters.
If you love, do! Love is not expressed best through words, but through the doing. As you DO, love is made known, love is seen, love is expressed. Love grows and is fortified in the life of the doer.
How many times have people with good intentions told us what they were going to do for us, but never did it? People don’t need to announce their intentions of love – just DO them.
A love that is only spoken is selfish. It is looking for gratification without price – the price of DOING. Pay the price of love – do! Doing is that price. Don’t just speak love, but DO love. Don’t look for the fulfillment of love without doing.
Frustrated love is a spoken love that is empty of right actions. Our longings, words, and desires of love toward God will die unborn until there are actions. Without actions, we will be frustrated in our love toward God. We long to have that love gratified and satisfied, but it can’t be without actions.
We love Him to the measure we OBEY Him. When we don’t act on what’s in our heart, we don’t love God as we ought. When we don’t obey Him, it’s a love issue – not just a faith issue – but a love issue. If He tugs on us to pray, but we don’t, it’s because we don’t love Him as we ought – it’s not about having time. If He tugs on us to study, and we don’t study, it’s because we don’t love as we ought. We don’t love in deed – we only love in words.
Love without doing is a love that dies unborn – doing brings love to life. Without the doing, love has no life – no way to express itself.
God’s heart can be grieved by our love that has no doing – it’s a love that never comes to fulfillment. The lack of doing robs love of power. If we love Him, DO. If we love Him, SHOW Him. Love words that are empty of doing will TIRE God. They put off a displeasing sound in His ear.
We can’t just “lap up” and receive His blessing while setting aside and laying down our “love” responsibilities. Show Him something! He takes no pleasure in words that are empty of doing.
A love empty of actions is a wasted love. We are to fill our “love” words – fill them with doing. We are to fill our life – fill it with love actions – then we will live fulfilled.
“Living full” doesn’t just come from God and what He can do for us, but it comes also from what we DO for Him and with Him. We are to put feet and hands to our words of love – DO! Not just “BUSY” doing – but the doing that comes out of our hearts of love – including our time in the Word and prayer.
Love is a producer. It will produce much fruit. We can’t just be content with the fruit we HAVE produced, for in His plan there’s more fruit we are called to produce.
The STRENGTH God gives is for the DOING! If we lack strength, is it because we lack DOING? His strength is experienced by the DOER. We are to do, produce, act – and as we do, His strength will meet us and empower us, and He will enable us to fulfill all that His plan holds.
We are to fill up our love with doing, and His love will FILL us. We are to live a FILLED life, but a filled life doesn’t flow from an empty love that doesn’t DO something. We are to fill our LOVE with doing and our LIFE will be filled – filled with Him – for He is our example of doing, He is our example of love. “God so LOVED the world that He GAVE….”
Our love is to be full of doing, bearing much fruit. DO, and be filled with love! God’s own love is IN us, we don’t have to pray for it, but that love can only flow out through what we DO.
First Corinthians 14:1 (AMPC) instructs us, “Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, YOUR GREAT QUEST]….”
We are to make the development of this love our great quest. We are to grow in love and develop the love of God that’s in us. We develop that by what we DO.
No matter if we have fallen short of these things in the past, we can make corrections – we can grow and develop in this love walk.
We choose to make it our great quest!