Bashan Ministries Preparing the way - A Question Of Identity

Many people have problems in life that are nothing other than a poor self image, or a Question of Identity.
This is by no means something new. It is as old as time itself.
For many people it is a major crisis situation that is as crippling as a debilitating disease. It can rob someone of their joy. It can cause much heartache for loved ones. It can induce physical illnesses and it can stop anyone who succumbs to it from entering into the provision, blessing and work of God.
If you have this problem, read on.

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him. Romans 12:1-3.
You can adopt a biblically based identity by changing the way you think and speak. What you say, will determine what you will become. This is much more than merely having a positive manner of speech. Anyone can do that. Positive affirmations are great and wonderful things that many people from diverse backgrounds and persuasions have, but there is much more to it than merely saying good and inspiring things. Athletes can hype themselves up with such statements. The business world, particularly enterprises that advocate sponsorship into businesses that seek people wanting to supplement their incomes, those who would like to work from home or hold various presentation style parties where product orders are taken conducts a wide range of meetings all designed to stimulate whatever it is that they want stimulated.
The positive affirmation is a common denominator. I am sure you have come across some of them. I did. I was in them too.
These things may or may not have varying success but what is more important is the real success story of your life. You are a winner. You are the victor. You are the conqueror. You do have a bright and rosy future. The determining factor is in getting from where you are now to where you want to be later.

One of the ways to do this is to see you the way God sees you.

I once had a tremendous inferiority complex. I often felt so bad about my skinny appearance, or my pimples, or my lack of this and that. I often felt so ashamed, afraid of people, angry or exasperated with myself that it almost wrecked my life. I could not hold a meaningful conversation with others and was often left out of many things as a result. Sometimes I cried with the sheer frustration of my supposed inadequacies, self-consciousness and inferiority complexes.
One day, I met Jesus and my whole life was turned around. I had been given a fresh start and once I started to see what God had done for me and where I stood with Him, my whole approach to everything in life changed.
The day came when I could look at the man I saw in the mirror and confidently say, I like you! You are a good man. You are a success. God loves you. I love you. I could never do that before.

The change came when I did several things.
I started by seeing what God did for me and began to accept it. I saw in the word of God who I was and what He a said about me. I saw in the word of God where I stood and I saw in the word of God what I could do and become. I identified with all that God said about me in His word. If it was there, I believed it and lived it.
I asked God for understanding and to give me scriptural evidence of what I now felt in my spirit and He honoured that prayer. What I have learned and experienced has transformed my life. I share some of these things with you, knowing that it will help and bless you.
Robert.

When Paul wrote to the Church, he instructed us not to have too high an opinion of ourselves. Pride and ego are problems that stemmed from Lucifer.
We see in scripture that Satan was once a very beautiful being. He was an angel. He is now a fallen angel, but you and I are Sons of God! Satan knows this and hates us, but do not ever forget that he is already a defeated created being, whereas you and I are blood washed adopted sons of the living God!
Never... ever give him credit in any form whatsoever. He is under your feet according to Romans 16:20.
The bible speaks of the devil this way-
Your pride has been brought down to Sheol along with the music of your harps. Maggots are spread out {like a bed} under you, and worms cover you. How you have fallen from heaven, you morning star, son of the dawn! How you have been cut down to the ground, you conqueror of nations! You thought, "I'll go up to heaven and set up my throne above God's stars. I'll sit on the mountain far away in the north where the gods assemble. I'll go above the top of the clouds. I'll be like the Most High." But you've been brought down to Sheol, to the deepest part of the pit.
Isaiah 14:11-15.
When Jesus said that He saw Satan fall like lightning fall from Heaven in Luke 10:18, please look on this as the time in which he was expelled from Heaven. He was kicked out because of his pride and is still as proud as ever.
Paul's letter is thus very important for two reasons. One is to warn us not to become proud and arrogant, egotistical and power hungry, but the other reason is to have a correct Godly self-opinion. Know who you are. Know where you stand in the economy of things. Know your Kingdom rights and privileges, responsibilities and limitations, but above all acknowledge that you are a son of the living God (no gender implied) who is a joint and equal heir of all things in Jesus Christ with the Blessing of Abraham as your inheritance.

The Devil is set in his ways. God created him as a beautiful being, giving him complete freedom of will, which he exercised.
You too have freedom of will. The choice processes you make in life will determine your eternal destiny and always remember that God will not violate your freedom of choice. Many times in scripture, He tells us to exercise this right, saying to make a choice. Sitting on the fence is not an option. There is no neutral zone. You belong in one camp or another, regardless of opinion or feelings, sentiment or religious views. Either you belong to God, having been blood washed and redeemed with your sins forgiven and adopted into the Kingdom, or you are in the Devil's camp. The bible is very clear on these issues.
Satan exercised his right of self will and chose unwisely. He wants to usurp the throne of God. He cannot do that of course, so has applied strategies to keep us from entering into what he can never possess.
One way of doing this is to lie to us and to steal truth from us, for if we do not know the truth, we are doomed to failure and its ultimate destiny.
One way of achieving this is to either make us feel as he did... proud and self-opinionated, which leads to problems or to apply the reverse psychology by getting us to think that we are not worthy, not good enough, unwanted, unloved, insignificant, weak and powerless, unable to do a thing in life, with no hope of a future... all lies!
It is a strategy Satan employed from the beginning and continues to apply.

For those of us who have seen what God says, we are not ignorant of the Devil's devices and once we apply this truth, we overcome. We do that by the word of God. We do that by applying the blood of Jesus. We do that by the confession of our mouths and we do that by our testimony.
The following reveals the truth...

In the Image of God

Just Like God

We are special to God! Created in His image and likeness, we have the privilege and ability to accept His free and lavish gifts as a matter of choice. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this. Psalm 139:14.
When God created everything that exists, He declared that the results were good. We see this in Genesis 1:4,10,12,18,21,25.
He then created man and something was different! On the Sixth day, He declared it Very Good! See Genesis 1:31.
To have a correct opinion of yourself, you must see and understand that you are indeed unique and special... a man or woman who looks like, acts liks and talks like God! Wow! Let this sink in for a moment, because this is a profound truth that will liberate you! This is why the Devil hates you and why he is trying to put you down!
Look again at what God did-
Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.” God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the animals of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.” It was so. Genesis 1:26-30.
You are designed to be blessed!
You are designed to be fruitful!
You are designed to multiply and fill the earth!
You are designed to subdue and have rulership!
The Hebrew language described man as being fashioned as if poured into a God-shaped mould... a statue or a carbon copy!

God did something wonderful. He squeezed a lump of clay and made a statue that looked just like Him and blew hard into it to produce life. It was just as if the first thing this being saw was God's face inches away from his own!
Little wonder that the Devil is jealous of you... yes... jealous of lil'ol'you!

Hallelujah. Give a shout. You're special.

The First Adam

God had created Adam in His image and likeness with the power of speech and self determination. No other being, whether fish, birds, mammals, reptiles or whatever has such ability. All of nature's creatures act by instinct. They possess a degree of intelligence, but nothing like man, to whom God gave delegated authority to rule and reign as absolute lord over planet earth. It is as if Adam was god (with a lower case) to which Jesus alluded in John 10:34. See also Psalm 82:6.
We are told that God planted a garden in which He placed man. And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Genesis 2:8.
There are two interesting words there. One is Planted! When someone makes a garden, it is not usually simply thrown together in any haphazard manner, but deliberately designed beforehand with a specific design or intention. God had a plan! He did not simply throw seed out any old how, but had a specific intention, deliberately choosing the pattern and design and then put the man whom He had formed there for a specific plan and purpose.
The second word is Formed. The Hebrew word is Word: ‏יָצַר‎ or yāṣar, which describes an act of squeezing something into shape or a deliberate form as a potter does with clay. We come from the elements of God's creation, minerals and salts of all kinds that are deliberately gathered together, to be mixed with water and squeezed into a pattern or shape... a God shaped shape called man.
Previously in chapter one, several different words are used, signifying intent or plan. One word in particular is Create, used when we are told that God created man in His image and likeness. This word is ‏בָּרָא‎ Bārā' and in the context of this message, it means that God made something that was unprecedented. It was so unusual... so breathtaking that it caused the angels to marvel.

Hebrews 2:5-8 says-
He didn't put the world that will come (about which we are talking) under the angels' control. Instead, someone has declared this somewhere in Scripture: “What is a mortal that you should remember him, or the Son of Man that you take care of him? You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor. You put everything under his control.” When God put everything under his Son's control, nothing was left out. However, at the present time we still don't see everything under his Son's control.
The translators gagged at this. As with the angels, they could not comprehend the enormity of what God had done. The original texts state that God made man a little lower than the gods and could not comprehend it, inserting Angels instead. Please notice that we are not God's... but as gods. Notice the use of the lower case.
This fact is what made the devil madder than before... more envious, with jealousy oozing from him and he immediately plotted against it. He always does this as we shall see latter.

The Keeper Of The Garden

We often gain a false or incorrect impression of things, often by lack of understanding or revelation, or by how religion has mixed things up. The garden was a beautiful place. It can be looked upon as an image or a type of Heaven and this is where God put the man. Look carefully-
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Genesis 2:15.
Notice my emphasis. God took the man and put him into the garden. The words used are strong, perhaps suggesting that God created the man somewhere else and then picked him up and put him down into the garden.
Later we see that Adam gave names to all of creation on this wise-

And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field... Genesis 2:19-20.
He placed Adam in the Garden, but caused the animals to parade past Adam as if in a procession and stood back to see what the man did.
He had previously given Adam delegated authority to rule and reign on the earth and this was Adam's first act of rulership!
Adam was God's Vice-regent on planet earth. He was the man! He was in charge. He was in charge!

Look now at something powerful. God had put Adam inside the garden with specific instructions. Other than fulfilling them, he was in total control over the planet. God's requirements were to have dominion; to multiply; to be fruitful; to RE-plenish the earth and to tend the garden. The only negative command was not to eat the fruit of one tree! Look at this further.
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Genesis 2:15.
Adam's job was simple. It was to... Live well and prosper, and keep the Devil out!
As a husbandman whose labor was sweet, simple, easy and of no burden, Adam had to be a keeper of the garden. He did not have to engage in hard labor and eat by the sweat of his brow. The hardest work he had to do was to reach out and pick one piece of fruit when he was hungry!
He did however have to keep the Devil outside...

The Hebrew word for Keep is ‏שָׁמַר‎ Shāmar.
It means to guard, watch, observe, keep, preserve and act like a Watchman. It describes the act of hedging something about as with thorns.
It meant he had to guard and to protect the place.
It was not a difficult task, because God had made him to be lord on earth! He had the power and the authority to do this.

Did God Really Say That?

Somehow... the Devil got in! Adam had basically failed before that snake got to Eve. The enemy was supposed to have been kept out of the garden, but in some way... somehow, he crept in and started to talk! I suppose that it does not really matter how. The important thing to know is that it happened.
All you need to do in your own life is to keep that hedge of thorns around you as Adam was supposed to have done.
If you do not, then this is where those negative things start! This is where all of those insidious thoughts and negative things I spoke of at the beginning of the page germinate.
The Devil starts to whisper his lies in your ears. The snake was more clever than all the wild animals the LORD God had made. He asked the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must never eat the fruit of any tree in the garden'?” Genesis 3:1. Did God r-e-a-l-l-y say that? Are you sure? What if...?
Listen now! God had just told the man... not the woman not to eat that fruit!
How did the serpent know what was said?
Why did he come up to the woman and not to the man?
Where was Adam? He should have told that slimebag to stay out and not let him near his wife! He should have told Eve, Don't listen to those lies. Devil... get outta here now, or I'll stomp you into the ground.

As I look at this, it seems obvious to me that the mam had already abdicated his throne in his heart and all the devil had to do was to obtain the title deeds. The more he spoke to the women, the more she doubted what God had said. It continued unabated until she listened to the lie rather than the truth. Does it matter if it was an apple or a grape; an orange or a watermelon? The issue is that the word of God was questioned.
When you doubt the Word of God... when you question its veracity... when you are not sure of its absolute authority; you will fall for anything and believe a lie. At that point in life, you are doomed to fail and this is when the evil starts to play games in your mind. He drops a seed of doubt then runs to let you stew in your own juice.
What you can do about it is a matter of personal choice and the following information will help you.

We Have A Champion

When The Tempter Comes

The bible teaches us that Jesus was just as human as you and me, but He never sinned!

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16.
He was exposed to the same things that you and I have to deal with... including the doubts and such things that can cause us to lose heart... doubts of our role relationship with God and doubts of your very worthiness to even exist. Never think for a moment that He was able to do what He did because He was God. He came here as a little human baby, born under a cloud of doubt of His very legitimacy. Many people thought that He was in deed illegitimate. Many people thought that He was mad. Many religious people thought that He was possessed by the Devil.
I was having a little pity party one day about how I was being treated by my peers in the church and the Lord softly told me, Welcome aboard Son. They did it to me and they will do it to you! We are not immune from such things, but how we handle them is what matters most.

I want you to see that Jesus had to go through the same stuff you are going through and He won! Our Champion won and showed us how we can win too!
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit as he left the Jordan River. The Spirit led him while he was in the desert, where he was tempted by the devil for 40 days. During those days Jesus ate nothing, so when they were over, he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread." Jesus answered him, "Scripture says, A person cannot live on bread alone." The devil took him to a high place and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant. The devil said to him, "I will give you all the power and glory of these kingdoms. All of it has been given to me, and I give it to anyone I please. So if you will worship me, all this will be yours." Jesus answered him, "Scripture says, Worship the Lord your God and serve only him." Then the devil took him into Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest part of the temple. He said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, jump from here! Scripture says, ?He will put his angels in charge of you to watch over you carefully. They will carry you in their hands so that you never hit your foot against a rock.'" Jesus answered him, "It has been said, 'Never tempt the Lord your God.'" After the devil had finished tempting Jesus in every possible way, the devil left him until another time. Luke 4:1-13.

Please notice several key factors that may be common to all of us.

Jesus was tempted, but He never sinned. Being on he receiving end of temptation is not sin, but yielding to it becomes sin.
This happened immediately after something great had happened. He had just been baptized; the Holy Spirit came upon Him and God the Father had given His seal of approval. Sometimes the devil comes in immediately to steal the seed sown in your life. There may also be occasions when all hell seems to break loose just before your breakthrough. If you have just received a word; a promise; a prophecy and the like from God, do not be surprised if the evil one immediately swoops down to try to steal that precious seed.
On every occasion the Devil tempted Jesus, the Lord merely quoted the word. Herein is your key to success.
The Devil wanted to take preeminence as usual, to take the worship rightfully due God for himself.
The Devil attacked through the weakest point, which at that moment was physical weakness and hunger.
The Devil said that the kingdoms of the world were his. He was right for Adam had given them to him. The kingdoms of this world refer to dominion and rulership... not ownership. The world system is what he owns, but he does not own the world.
The Devil tempted Jesus with an opening statement... IF. He casts doubt on the word of God to you. He wants you to start wondering and questioning things... to become unstable... to make you start thinking negatively about ourself and what God is to you. That... is all he can really do, you know.
The Devil left Jesus for a season, which means that he never stopped trying.

Jesus won... all the time and He won by conforming to the word of God. He did not listen to the lies; the gossip; the bad reports; the facts about things but listened to what God said about things, then did what the word said. He heard the gossip and slandering of course. He heard the bad reports like Lazarus is dead, but knew what God's word had told Him!
The facts might tell you that you have a physical ailment because of the symptoms, but facts are not always truth. The truth in this instance is that By the stripes of Jesus... you are healed.
Whose report do you listen to?
To defeat this junk in your life... do what Jesus did and speak to the mountain of fear, doubt, negativity, lack, poverty, insecurity and insecurity right now.
You're not alone. Jesus did it. So did others. If they did it...so can you.

After being pressed about by the Devil, tormented in mind and weak in body, the bible says that Jesus emerged triumphant... full of the Holy Spirit and power and went straight to work! He went to church and quoted Isaiah 61:1-3 and then said... I'm the one!

Get a word and start speaking it. Jesus did!

When Your Identity Is Questioned

We have just seen that the tempter tries to undermine your authority and self confidence, but remember that he is a con man and always a liar. If he cannot trick you, he has lost. You may be able to withstand a direct frontal assault so to speak but he can try to get at you through others, especially those you think should understand and be with you. I have found that this happens more often that some of those who I thought I could rely on are the ones who let me down most... even in the church!
This is not being critical. I love the church and the ministry, but we are all still human. If we have not yet had a revelation on something, we simply do not know better. After all, we can only walk in the present light we each possess, but if God has revealed something to you, then there is no excuse!
Jesus faced this in His own ministry. His own family thought that he had lost the plot. Jesus had brothers you know. Mary married and she and Joseph had their own family, but Jesus...? There was a cloud over His legitimacy. Mary was pregnant when she married Joseph and people gossip!

This started from day one in His ministry. I just shared how He preached in the temple, using the text of Isaiah 61. Look again at this.

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?".
Right in the church on His first publicly recorded sermon, serious attempts were made to make Him wonder about His calling and validity. They said, Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to preach? Jesus... you are deceived. You are mad.

I've been on the receiving and of that stuff folks and it does hurt! It does make you stop for a moment, but never yield to that, for it is designed to make you want to quit!
Look again at questions on His authority and self-esteem.
Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?" But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John ? was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'From men'" ? they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know. "And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." Mark 11:27-33.

Never think that the devil does not believe in the authority of Jesus Christ. He does and he has always challenged God's authority, so is it any wonder that he challenged man's authority in the garden of Eden or the authority of Jesus in the wilderness? Adam and Eve did not handle things correctly, but Jesus did!
The First Adam failed, but the Second Adam proved that it can be done. He never went about proving a thing and neither do you. God will vindicate you. His word will vindicate you. I know from personal experience that this is true! If you honour God... He will honour you.
You do not have to prove a thing, even if it looks bad, for in so doing, you may only add fuel to the fire and achieve nothing.
Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Samuel 2:30.

Sadly, because people do not know the truth and apply it, far too many of God's people have suffered unnecessarily from an identity crisis for six thousand years, but things have changed. After you finish reading this study, you will know the truth. You will know that God really does say about you and then be able to make a quality decision if you so wish to be freed from this thing once and for all.

Who The Heck Are You?

Acts 19:1-12 tells us about Paul’s visit to Ephesus where he found some disciples of Jesus. He asked them if that had received the Holy Spirit and they knew nothing about Him. Paul then asked about baptism and all that they knew was the baptism of John, which was the message of repentance. They were then baptized as believers and the Holy Spirit came upon them. They spoke with other tongues and also prophesied. You can see more about this by clicking here >>>.
Paul stayed there for three months and ran into religious folk who opposed him in all sorts of ways. Little has changed to this day, so what I am sharing with you may describe what you are experiencing now.
Paul severed relationships with those people and continued on with his ministry there for two years. The bible says that God wrought some extraordinary miracles through his ministry, making me think that if there are extraordinary, there must be ordinary miracles—if one can call a miracle ordinary!
What happened next is where I want to take you.

Acts 19:13-17 describes how certain religious people practised exorcism (the casting out of evil spirits), but there is a problem. They had seen Paul do this and tried to mimic him. They tried to cast the things out by saying, We adjure or charge you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches to come out! The Name of Jesus is great and mighty, causing every knee including evil spirits to bow to Him according to Philippians 2:9-11, but it is not a magic wand that can be used indiscriminately. Those who have delegated power of attorney can use it, but if you do not have that right or privilege you cannot!
They had heard about Jesus, but they did not know Jesus. They had no intimate relationship with Him and there are many people like that in churches today!
There were seven men who were sons of a man called Sceva who tried this and it backfired on them! All seven tried to command one evil spirit out of a man and it responded, saying, I know who Jesus is. I know who Paul is. I also know Peter, or James or John, but who the heck are you? That evil spirit violently attacked them.

When Jesus was walking down the road, evil spirits saw Him and cried out in fear. Even in the early days of His ministry, they recognized Him, but He forbade them to speak. See Mark 1:34.
We need not fear them, provided we are in right relationship with the Lord. He has delegated His authority to us, stating that we can cast those things out in His Name, but I want you to see that we are known in the dimension of the spirit.
When God told Moses about the Passover in Exodus chapter twelve, He said that the shed blood had to be personally applied to each and every home so that when He saw the blood, He would pass over the home. God is looking for the Blood friends. It is the precious blood of Jesus who was our Passover Lamb. If that blood has been personally applied to you, there is a mark on you that every spiritual being can see.
The day you repented of your sin and invited Jesus into your life... you became a marked man or woman.

Jesus I know. Paul I know. Robert I know. (your name).............. I know. There is no need now for you to have feelings of insecurity or not being worthy. Isn't that great news?

You're Not The Only One

So you think that you are special and that you are the only one with problems—you think that you are a nobody and that God could never possibly want you or use you for anything? What could I do? I do not know enough! I am not qualified! I’m too fat or too thin; too tall or to short.
Think again. You could be just the right person in the right place at the right time, even if it is only to hold someone’s hand or let them cry on your shoulder for a moment. I mean… anything is possible with God if you can only believe.

Jesus told us in Matthew 10:29-32-
Are not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's leave (consent) and notice. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, then; you are of more value than many sparrows. Therefore, everyone who acknowledges Me before men and confesses Me [out of a state of oneness with Me], I will also acknowledge him before My Father Who is in heaven and confess [that I am abiding in] him.

God cares enough for you to keep a running total of how many hairs are on your head and if one falls, He not only readjusts the count but knows which one fell out!

What I want you to see also is that if you are in a covenant relationship with Jesus, He will talk about you to the Father! Imagine that! Imagine the two holding a conversation and Jesus notices you… yes YOU and tells the Father, See Robert (or your name) over there? He’s one of Mine. He is special to Me.

Come on now. Think about that.
How about Lazarus? John chapter eleven describes him in fine detail. He is called a Certain man… who had a sister called Mary and a sister called Martha and they lived in Bethany and Jesus loved them. How detailed is that? Don’t you think that God knows your name and address? Of course He does.

Well, Robert, God couldn’t use me, cause I’m…

Quit that now!

Moses was a stutterer and God used him!
Gideon was not the greatest warrior but God used him.
David was a puny pimply-faced boy that his own family despised, but God chose him.
Noah was a drunk, but God used him.
Sampson was a womaniser but God used him.
There was a certain man fetching water and we do not even know his name but Jesus knew him and he was the man who helped Jesus eat the last supper.
Philip was having a revival, but God sent him to one man.
Saul was a murderer, but God chose him, changed his life and name and this man gave us most of the New Testament.

I could continue, but like Esther… you could be the very person God is looking for at a special point in time for a specific task that no one else on the planet could do.

Hebrews 12 tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, all of them are cheering us on. You can do it. You are not alone.

What You Can Do

What is probably the most important part of this page is what follows. I want to share a few points about what you can do when you start thinking all of those negative things about yourself. The bible talks much about the power of the word of God in our mouths. The word of God is creative. Everything in existence was created by the spoken word. In Genesis alone we repeatedly see the phrase And God Said. When God said something it happened and it will always happen. I did some research and the word Speak has around 1450 occurrences. What you say must be important.

The Power Of confession

On the Isle of Patmos, John said
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, power, kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah have come. The one accusing our brothers and sisters, the one accusing them day and night in the presence of our God, has been thrown out. They won the victory over him because of the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. They didn't love their life so much that they refused to give it up. Revelation 12:10-11.

Please understand that the Devil is the one who brings accusation against you. Don't give him anything to work with! How do we do that?

Think for a moment about how God took your out of one kingdom and translated you into the Kingdom of His Dear Son. If you haven't had this experience yet, simply pray the sinner's prayer on my salvation pages. Once we were in darkness, but now we are in the light. Once we were lost, but now we are found. Paul explained-
So I tell you and encourage you in the Lord's name not to live any longer like other people in the world. Their minds are set on worthless things. They can't understand because they are in the dark. They are excluded from the life that God approves of because of their ignorance and stubbornness. Since they no longer have any sense of shame, they have become promiscuous. They practice every kind of sexual perversion with a constant desire for more. But that is not what you learned from Christ's teachings. You have certainly heard his message and have been taught his ways. The truth is in Jesus. You were taught to change the way you were living. The person you used to be will ruin you through desires that deceive you. However, you were taught to have a new attitude. You were also taught to become a new person created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. So then, get rid of lies. Speak the truth to each other, because we are all members of the same body. Be angry without sinning. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the devil any opportunity {to work}. Thieves must quit stealing and, instead, they must work hard. They should do something good with their hands so that they'll have something to share with those in need. Don't say anything that would hurt {another person}. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you. Don't give God's Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you. He has put his seal on you for the day you will be set free {from the world of sin}. Get rid of your bitterness, hot tempers, anger, loud quarreling, cursing, and hatred. Be kind to each other, sympathetic, forgiving each other as God has forgiven you through Christ. Ephesians 4:17-32.

The way to overcome is by your faith confession and I am not talking about merely mouthing off positive affirmations?anyone can do that. Athletes hype themselves up before the game or match by saying such things. I talking about saying what God has said!

This is how you overcome. Argument and debate will bring you down! The Devil cannot do a thing against what God has already declared, so your task is to find you what God said and then say the same. This is the word of your testimony.

Before I continue, I want you to look at Job. Religious teachings fail when it comes to such matters. Job's problems were self-induced. He got what he confessed. Peter tells us that the Devil is wandering around looking for a foothold. If you do not give him one, he is sunk... so don't!
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith. 1 Peter 5:8-9.
Please notice that he is NOT a roaring lion but a powder-puff pretender trying to con you. He is looking for someone who does not know his Kingdom rights and we are told to resist him! If he is as powerful as some people say, that we cannot resist him. In fact, James says that he will Flee from you! He says to firstly submit to God, then to resist the Devil and then the devil would flee from you. The way you resist the Devil is by saying God's word at him! Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:7-8.
Our part is to draw close to God; to submit to Him; do all we can to live right before God and then to tell the devil to get lost!

God never tempts you! Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James 1:13-15. Most times we open the door to the problem ourselves.

According to James 4:7-10, There are certain steps we have to take to ensure victory.

Submit yourselves therefore to God
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners
Purify your hearts, ye double minded
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

As for brother Job, let us see what happened.
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who [reverently] feared God and abstained from and shunned evil [because it was wrong]. Job 1:1.

Firstly, God thought he was a good man. Job had a testimony that he pleased God. There was only one shortcoming however and it was found in his family. Job's sons did not walk as he did and Job permitted it!
And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very great body of servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East. His sons used to go and feast in the house of each on his day (birthday) in turn, and they invited their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of their feasting were over, Job sent for them to purify and hallow them, and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed or disowned God in their hearts. Thus did Job at all [such] times. Job 1:2-5.

He was rich, but his sons caroused without restraint, so Job made sacrifice every day just in case they sinned against God. He left a door open for the Devil to come in. He could have prevented it from the beginning!
Look carefully!
Now there was a day when the sons (the angels) of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and accuser) also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, From where did you come? Then Satan answered the Lord, From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it. Job 1:6-7.

Notice how the Devil, who is called the adversary and the accuser, came strutting his stuff. He was looking for an opportunity to wreck someone's life and Job gave it to him! God did not! By his own admission, he said that he was walking around like that powder-puff lion Peter mentioned earlier, looking for someone who had left the door unlocked!
God did not do a thing. He never wanted Job to go through his dramas at all, but by his own actions and words, Job had given Satan legal grounds to bring accusation against him.
In fact, if you study this incident carefully, God was not very happy with the Devil by being there. You or I would have said, Satan. What do you thing you are doing here? You have no right. I did not call you here. I think that God held the same viewpoint. Satan merely had to say, Job invited me and God had to concede that. Job had confessed his troubles before they came-
"When my food is in front of me, I sigh. I pour out my groaning like water. What I fear most overtakes me. What I dread happens to me. I have no peace! I have no quiet! I have no rest! And trouble keeps coming!" Job 3:24-26.
Perhaps you now see the vital importance of maintaining a proper faith confession.

Jesus said-
The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45.

Proverbs 6:2 says You are snared with the words of your lips, you are caught by the speech of your mouth. Careful study reveals that what we say is of vital importance. There are at least fifty-two occurrences in Proverbs alone. Here are a few examples. Pro 12:14; Pro 13:3; Pro 16:10; Pro 18:4-7, 20; Pro 21:23. This now brings us to what you can do to produce the change you want in your life.

Scripture References

There are hundreds upon hundreds of scriptures that give us guidance and correction, direction and advice, assurance and comfort and i cannot list them all here. The following is a small selection that I have chosen, with the belief that they will speak to your heart.

… you will be a beautiful crown in the hand of the LORD, a royal crown in the hand of your God. You will no longer be called Deserted, and your land will no longer be called Destroyed. But you will be named My Delight, and your land will be named Married. The LORD is delighted with you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a woman, so your sons will marry you. As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:3-5.

Can a woman forget her nursing child? Will she have no compassion on the child from her womb? Although mothers may forget, I will not forget you. I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Your walls are always in my presence. Isaiah 49:15-16.

… may his blessings and peace be yours, sent to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every blessing in heaven because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault—we who stand before him covered with his love. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to! Now all praise to God for his wonderful kindness to us and his favor that he has poured out upon us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. So overflowing is his kindness toward us that he took away all our sins through the blood of his Son, by whom we are saved; and he has showered down upon us the richness of his grace. Ephesians 1:1-6.

The King James says it this way… he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:6.

What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he's up to. But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. 1 John 3:1-2.

Dear children, you belong to God. So you have won the victory over, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4.

God lives in those who declare that Jesus is the Son of God, and they live in God. We have known and believed that God loves us. God is love. Those who live in God's love live in God, and God lives in them. God's love has reached its goal in us. So we look ahead with confidence to the day of judgment. While we are in this world, we are exactly like him {with regard to love}. No fear exists where his love is. Rather, perfect love gets rid of fear, because fear involves punishment. The person who lives in fear doesn't have perfect love. We love because God loved us first. 1 John 4:15-19.

If you believe that Jesus is the Christ—that he is God’s Son and your Savior—then you are a child of God. And all who love the Father love his children too. So you can find out how much you love God’s children—your brothers and sisters in the Lord—by how much you love and obey God. Loving God means doing what he tells us to do, and really, that isn’t hard at all; for every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him. But who could possibly fight and win this battle except by believing that Jesus is truly the Son of God? and we know he is, because God said so with a voice from heaven when Jesus was baptized, and again as he was facing death—yes, not only at his baptism but also as he faced death. And the Holy Spirit, forever truthful, says it too. So we have these three witnesses: the voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the voice from heaven at Christ’s baptism, and the voice before he died. And they all say the same thing: that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 1 John 5:1-8.

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: Colossians 2:10.

I thank my God for all the memories I have of you. Every time I pray for all of you, I do it with joy. I can do this because of the partnership we've had with you in the Good News from the first day {you believed} until now. I'm convinced that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus. You have a special place in my heart. So it's right for me to think this way about all of you. All of you are my partners. Together we share God's favor… Philippians 1:3-7.

But you, O LORD, are a shield that surrounds me. You are my glory. You hold my head high. I call aloud to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep. I wake up again because the LORD continues to support me. I am not afraid of the tens of thousands who have taken positions against me on all sides. Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! You have slapped all my enemies in the face. You have smashed the teeth of wicked people. Victory belongs to the LORD! May your blessing rest on your people. Psalm 3:3-8.

I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13.

My God will richly fill your every need in a glorious way through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19.

God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) 1 Thessalonians 5:9.

God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7.

He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them. Hebrews 7:25.

I will put my teachings inside them, and I will write those teachings on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will each person teach his neighbors or his relatives by saying, ‘Know the Lord.' All of them from the least important to the most important will all know me because I will forgive their wickedness and I will no longer hold their sins against them.” Hebrews 8:10-12.

I’ve blotted out your sins; they are gone like morning mist at noon! Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free. Isaiah 44:22.

I bless the holy name of God with all my heart. Yes, I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me. He forgives all my sins. He heals me. He ransoms me from hell. He surrounds me with loving-kindness and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! He gives justice to all who are treated unfairly. He revealed his will and nature to Moses and the people of Israel. He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve it; he is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love. He never bears a grudge, nor remains angry forever. He has not punished us as we deserve for all our sins, for his mercy toward those who fear and honor him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic to those who reverence him. For he knows we are but dust and that our days are few and brief, like grass, like flowers, blown by the wind and gone forever. But the loving-kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to those who reverence him; his salvation is to children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant and remember to obey him! The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything there is. Bless the Lord, you mighty angels of his who carry out his orders, listening for each of his commands. Yes, bless the Lord, you armies of his angels who serve him constantly. Let everything everywhere bless the Lord. And how I bless him too! Psalm 103.

What Do You See?

By way of conclusion, I want to ask you a pertinent question.

What do you see?
Look in a mirror for a moment and ask yourself that question, What do you see?
God asks such questions. He asked three prophets, Amos, Zechariah and Jeremiah what they saw. What you see, or how you see things often determines what you become.
Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. And the LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Amos 7:8.
Why did the prophet not see the wall?
Sometimes we do not see the full picture, or only see what we want to see!
The angel who was speaking with me returned and woke me up as one might wake up someone who is sleeping. He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a solid gold lamp stand with a bowl on top and seven lamps on it. There are seven spouts for each lamp that is on top of it. There are also two olive trees beside it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” Zechariah 4:1-3.
Zechariah saw many things, but did not know what they meant. The angel asked him if he understood what it meant and explained its significance. Zechariah 4:4-14.
Sometimes we need help to understand what we see. I am not speaking about the interpretation of dreams of visions, but in the ability to simply see things that are often right under our noses. We sometimes cannot see the wood for the trees and when it comes to matters of our self-acceptance, we see problems or deficiencies that are often imaginary.
Jeremiah saw himself as a weak man that God could never be interested in. Gideon put himself down when the Angel of the Lord visited him, but he did at least recount the covenant promises of God asking why they did not seem to be evident any longer. He was not prepared to accept the status quo, despite his personal inadequacies and that was the strength God saw, calling him a mighty valiant man and a mighty warrior. David was disdained by his own family, But God looked past all that to see into his heart. It is all a matter of perception.
Jeremiah testified-
The LORD spoke his word to me, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart for my holy purpose. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”
Stop right there. God had spoken! He stated that He knew the man inside out and thought that he was quite able to fulfil his role in life. Jeremiah wasn’t looking at the right picture of himself, replying,
I, Jeremiah, said, “Almighty LORD, I do not know how to speak. I am only a boy!”
He as good as told God that He didn’t know what He was doing and was reprimanded.
But the LORD said to me, “Don't say that you are only a boy. You will go wherever I send you. You will say whatever I command you to say. Don't be afraid of people. I am with you, and I will rescue you,” declares the LORD. Then the LORD stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. The LORD said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. Today I have put you in charge of nations and kingdoms. You will uproot and tear down. You will destroy and overthrow. You will build and plant.” Again the LORD spoke his word to me and asked, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I answered, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” Then the LORD said to me, “Right. I am watching to make sure that my words come true.” Jeremiah 1:1-12.
My friend, God if God has said it, He will make sure that it happens. What you need to do is get on side with Him.
All three of these men were prophets of God. Like you perhaps, they heard the voice of God. Listen to Him. He thinks that you are great! Pause for a moment again to think how unique and wonderfully made each and every one of us are. Throughout the entire creation of the universe, there is not another you, to be found. God told Jeremiah that He knew him before he was formed. Jeremiah 1:4-5.
Psalm 139:13-14 says-
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works.
You are a marvellous work of God.Believe it or not, that is a fact and a profound truth.
Look closer at the significance. According to the Hebrew, you are a marked person. The words are ‏פָּלָה‎ or Pālâ, which means be distinct or marked out—a certain one, set apart and discriminated towards. You are a wonder. You are wonderful, or an incomprehensible, wondrous work.
Never, ever think that you are not special and precious, wanted, useful and desired, because you are a living, walking, thinking, breathing miracle of God. That is also one of the meanings.
Now, when you look again in the mirror, start to see things from God’s perspective, not your own, as one of God’s great masterpieces. It will make a difference to your life and will set you free. It is all a matter of perspective or a question of identity.