Letting Go of Your Limitations

Sandie Freed

Description

Are you tired of trying so hard? Trying to live the transformed life you're called to? Trying to access God's power in order for change to happen?Instead of trying, let go. Let go of the limitations of "religion," a place of trying harder, where you never measure up. Step into God's grace. You'll be empowered supernaturally beyond your experience.What's holding you back?Ministry leader Dr. Sandie Freed helps you to identify and let go of · pressure to achieve results· pride· reliance on yourself· efforts to please God on your own· defeated attitudes· squelched passions· a hardened heart· disappointments· fear of intimacy with God In each chapter, Sandie walks with you through a Scripture story illustrating a limitation. She shares her own experiences, directs you in a reflective activity and affirms you with biblical truth. This is your field guide to letting go and finding the place of God's promised rest, where His supernatural power will be released in your life."God is in the restoration business. His desire is to restore us, heal up the brokenhearted and demonstrate Kingdom power as never before."--Dr. Sandie Freed

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 15 octobre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441263292
• Langue: English

Extrait

© 2013 by Sandie Freed
Published by Chosen Books
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.chosenbooks.com
Chosen Books is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Ebook edition created 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means for example, electronic, photocopy, recording without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-6329-2
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified AMPLIFIED are from the Amplified® Bible, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations identified NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations identified NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Cover design by DogEared Design
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
Acknowledgments 7
Introduction 11
1. The Persecutor 17
2. The Transformation of a Legalist 27
3. When the Going Gets Rough 41
4. A Dangerous Threefold Cord 63
5. Legalism vs. Faith Righteousness 79
6. Who, Exactly, Are You? 99
7. The Benefits of Being a Living Sacrifice 115
8. There Is a Miracle in You! 133
9. Power of the Tongue 155
10. Hungering for More of His Presence 173
11. The Promised Land Called Rest 191
About the Author 207
Back Ads 208
Back Cover 209
Acknowledgments
O ver the years many people have asked me how I get time to write especially since I have written more than eleven books in close to nine years. It’s not so much the time for me as much as the village required to keep me moving in a positive and productive direction!
With that in mind, I could never list all the fellow villagers who are on this pilgrimage with me as we truly seek Kingdom revelation that is both needed and yet still timely. However, I lovingly dedicate this book to . . .
Jesus Christ
. . . the One who sacrificed His life so that I might be righteous. He removed my need to be perfect, do everything right and measure up to what I think is necessary to please Him. I now know that I am righteous only because of what was accomplished at the cross.
Mickey, my husband
. . . the man God gave me. You have seen the good, the bad and the ugly, and you have remained my helpmate for over forty years. Thank you for always believing in me.
My family
. . . especially my sister, Pam Garris, who has always been the wind beneath my wings. Thank you for all of your love and support over the years. To my daughter, Kimberly, I love you. You are still the best thing I ever did.
My church family
. . . to my spiritual oversight, Bishop and Evelyn Hamon, thank you for being a mom and dad whenever no one else believed I could be used for God’s glory. You saw something in me that I could not see. Thank you for your prophetic vision and your divine direction over the last several decades! And, dear Bishop, thank you additionally for theologically reviewing all my books and writing the forewords for most of them (I know how busy you are!). Your prophetic wisdom and insight have been priceless to me over the years.
. . . to Jim and Jeannie Davis, my friends and co-laborers. I want to thank you for being loyal and committed friends for over 25 years. And, Dr. Jim, thank you for theologically reviewing all of my articles, studies and books. You both have been instrumental in introducing me to God’s grace and divine love.
. . . to Zion Ministries and Lifegate Church International, thank you for all your intercession, prayers and loyal commitments. To our new (and very anointed) assistant pastors and worship leaders, Bob and Cindy Guidry, I thank you so much for coming on board and remaining dedicated to promoting God’s Kingdom.
. . . to our leaders and intercessors, I could not have done this again without your support! You pray and believe, and therefore we witness divine results! Thank you. Words could never express my admiration and appreciation for all of you.
. . . and a very special thank-you to Paula Bledsoe, who does all of the original personal editing (and is my personal assistant). Endless hours have been spent editing and re-editing, organizing and re-organizing, scheduling and re-scheduling . . . and tracking my airline flights.
. . . to my Chosen Books family. Goodness, how could I come up with enough words to thank my family at Chosen Books? I am so thrilled, honored and humbled to work with one of the best editorial directors ever Jane Campbell! Oh my goodness, what a gift she is to the Body of Christ. And a special thanks to Ann Weinheimer, my personal editor who worked with me to perfect this book before print thank you! I love you and how you make me look good on paper! You are such a gift to me. Still, there is so much more to this Chosen Books team and their various departments that are too long to list but you know who you are. Thank you so much for including me in your family!
We are doing His divine will together to establish His Kingdom on earth!
Introduction
G od’s plans for His servants follow many avenues. Some avenues seem to resemble previous ones traveled; others challenge us with new twists and turns. Yet as we journey with purpose, we are fulfilling destiny all to bring glory to God.
The word purpose means “the reason something exists.” Mankind as a whole was created in the image of God with the purpose of multiplying and subduing (taking dominion over) the earth. God also created each of us individually for a specific purpose, and we exist to fulfill that purpose.
Our greatest purpose, of course, is to give God glory . In fact, He desires to “show us off.” But He also desires for us to show Him off to the world. God is a good God this book will always point in that direction. God is love; love cannot be separated from Him.
As we journey together, we will explore the power of God and learn how to experience it today. We will become more aware of what it means to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who was victorious in His original purpose: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8 KJV ).
The Greek translation of purpose reveals that it is connected to the word tupos (pronounced too- pos) meaning “model or imitation.” This shows us clearly that Jesus, who destroyed all the works of the devil, came as a model for us to imitate. I am not a person who uses my magnifying glass to search for demons under every bush, but when the Lord reveals hidden mysteries with the intent to set captives free and imbue us with His power, I am on it!
Yet even as we embrace our purpose and the loving plans of our Father for our lives, too often it seems that we are held back, bound by limitations in our own hearts and minds. We believe that God’s transforming power is available, but we cannot grasp it. The Church today is often little help, for she has become anemic in demonstrating the Kingdom of God on earth.
This is nothing new. The apostle Paul spoke to this situation after his ministry on Mars Hill, where he confronted a city that prided itself on its mental prowess. The Greeks took pride in their knowledge, and the work of the enemy today is leading Christians to follow this same path.
That is why I have chosen to begin our study the first few chapters by using the life of Paul as a framework for breaking free from our limitations. Paul, once the brilliant persecutor of Christians, was transformed into the Church’s foremost missionary of the Gospel. He taught how legalism and intellectualism, particularly as they are based in pride, rob the Church and limit her effectiveness against evil. Then we will look at the disciples’ failure to grasp a powerful message because their minds were not renewed. We will explore Jeremiah’s call and the power of our words.
It is my heart’s desire to experience God’s supernatural, transforming power in my life today, and I am certain that you feel the same. In this book, therefore, I examine many limitations that keep us from enjoying the freedom that Christ died to give us. In order to let go of these limitations some self-imposed, some pressed upon us we will battle many spirits: legalism, intellectualism, Pharisaism, judgmentalism, religion, self-righteousness, guilt, shame. All of these dangers are easily identifiable in the lives of those God has transformed, as we will see in many scriptural examples. It is a question of purpose. Any life goal we try to achieve apart from the saving grace of Jesus will end in death no matter how noble it may sound. Only the resurrection power of Jesus can change us into His likeness. Out of death and into life.
As we explore together, we will take a deep look into our hearts and examine our motives. We will ask ourselves such questions as: Am I experiencing the power of God in my life? Am I qualified to demonstrate God’s power? Am I struggling with shame and guilt, and do I, therefore, believe I am not worthy of God’s using me and mantling me with His power? Do I really believe God is good and that H