Kingdom Purpose Women

Where Christan Women Go to Grow in the Supernatural Word of God

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Lesson 4 – The Power and You

The reality of the power of God is an extremely exciting revelation.  I encourage you to take some time out of your busy schedule to simply ponder the immensity of that power.  Allow the Holy Spirit a quiet moment to reveal to you the greatness and importance of this aspect of God.  Let it sink into the deeper portions of your spirit.

 

God has done His part.   Because of His great power we are all here on this intricate earth, in this massive universe.  By His power, God sent His Son to redeem us from the captivity of the enemy’s hands and place us back in our proper position in the Kingdom.  It is by His power that Jesus destroyed every work of Satan and made a triumph over him.

 

Then God did something very strange.  He made all this power available to those of us who would believe.  He placed the source of this power right inside of us.  Then, strangest of all,  He limited what would happen with this power by leaving it up to you and I.

 

Now it is your turn.  Just what will you do about this power made available to you?  Will you ignore what is right there in front of you, as if it didn’t exist?  Will you pretend it is not really real as you continue living your life by only what you can see and touch?  Will you live only a natural life being beaten down by the waves of circumstance?  Will you continue doing what is easy and comfortable just because it is familiar?

 

Or, will you rise up with this amazing power God chose to entrust into your very hands and go after the enemy with it? Will you take this power and reach the lost, heal the sick, and cast the destructive demons out of broken and hurt people so that their lives may be restored?   Will you use this power to change the course of your life, your children’s lives, and the lives of those all around you, pulling them from the disillusionment and deception of the “prince of the air?”  This is the Kingdom Purpose Life that God is calling you to!   This is a new life to be lived out right in the midst of your home, your family, your work.  The Kingdom of God is amongst you.   And life in that Kingdom is truly amazing!  Let your heart join in chorus with other believers crying out, “Here I am Lord, send me!

Seek ye first the kingdom of God…

 

 

Coming soon – The Power of Speaking Teaching Series

Return to the Teaching Series page

 

Many want to embrace this Kingdom life but have no idea where or how to begin.  The next series will begin to teach you how to actually walk out this Kingdom life in your daily lives.  If you have not joined the email list please do so now!  This way you will be notified by email when new resources are made available on the KPW website.

 

 

 

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Lesson 1 – Life or Death

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live

Deuteronomy 30:19

 

Death and life are in the power of the tongue

Proverbs 18:21

 

God placed us here on this earth, but when He created us, He did not create robots.  Instead, He gave us a mind to think with and allowed us choices.  We have a “will,” which we invoke to make these decisions.

 

 Each and every human, at many points in their course of life, will find themselves face to face with the decision presented in Deuteronomy 30:19 (above).  How you respond will set a course for your life and for your eternity.  But few are ever aware when this opportunity arrives, or that they even made their choice.  Most slip through this veil of time completely unaware that anything of importance has happened.
I have set before you life and death….choose life.
Doesn’t it appear a bit silly that God actually takes the moment to tell us which choice to make? After all, anyone with a clear head will choose life, right?  Is there anyone who would purposely and knowingly choose death?
I believe God chose to give us the correct answer, not because the answer is a hard one to figure out, but because the way in which we choose is a huge challenge.  It is a challenge that reveals truly at the deepest level what our “will” really is.  And it usually happens when you are completely unaware.  God brought attention to this by stating the obvious so we would pay attention.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
Choosing life is really a no-brainer – at least in theory.  But the act of choosing life or death is found in the act of choosing the words we speak.  This is where things get difficult.  We can choose words that bring life or we can choose words that bring death.  But we will choose, because our mouths will open and a flood of words will flow forth.  And your articulation, your heart, your attitude portrayed in those words have an astounding level of power over you and the ones you speak them to – the power of life or death.
You will invoke your will – either by following your own “will”  to speak everything you are experiencing by your emotions and thereby speaking death, or by following the Spirit of God and speaking what He “wills” you to speak and thereby speaking life.
Once you begin to grasp the extreme level of importance placed on the words you speak, you are taking your first steps in learning to function in the Kingdom of God.
Lesson 2 – Weapons of Words
Go to First Teaching Series – Understanding the Kingdom
 Go to Second Teaching Series – Power of the Kingdom
Get your free downloadable copy of Power of the Kingdom eBook

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Lesson 3 – God’s Power Utilized

 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. 

Ephesians 3:20-21

 

In Lesson 1 we learned of the immeasurable greatness of God’s power to those who believe.  In lesson 2, we understood that all that greatness of power was meant to be worked out through the church all for the glory of God through Jesus Christ.  This is an amazing thing to think about.

 

Let us now consider what this all really means.  If God is making His power available in His people in order that His work gets accomplished in His Kingdom, this indicates two things.

 

1    We do not have to ask God and then wait on help to arrive.  Since the power is within us, He has provided our help and it is sitting there ready to be put into action by our faith.   When we lay hands on the sick, they recover according to the promise of God’s word.  When we cast out demons, they must flee because against God’s power they have no choice.   We can take the gospel to others who do not know Jesus Christ, because God’s power will confirm that what we say is of God.  (Mark 16:15-20)  In this way, all the promises, provisions and protections of God are readily in place for the believer, the believer’s family, and all whom the believer comes in contact with (if they will hear and believe).

 

2    God is limited in what He can accomplish.  Yes, God uses His own power to affect things in earth and in heaven.  But the scope of work that actually gets accomplished by God is limited by our level of faith in His word (such as the above referenced scripture passage) and the purpose of our life that we choose to live out  (whether we are living to accomplish His will or our own will).  We must step out and actually use that power in order for the work to be accomplished.  If we do not, we are essentially leaving God’s power sitting unused, not at work for the Kingdom as it should be.

 

Peter exemplifies what God expects of us in the third chapter of the book of Acts.  As Peter and John approach the Beautiful Gate, a lame beggar asked for money.  Peter’s response follows:

 

But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

Acts 3:6

 

Peter understood the power of God within Him.  He said, “what I do have I give to you.”  What did he have?  Peter had the power of God, the authority of God’s word, and the promise of laying hands and recovery.  Notice that Peter did not pray for this guy and ask God to heal him.  No.  Instead, knowing whom and what dwelled inside him, He used that immeasurable greatness of power made available to him and spoke according to faith in Jesus words.  He spoke with confidence and authority, for he knew that all he was calling upon was God and His power and none of it was of Peter himself.

 

What was the outcome of this encounter and Peter’s action?

 

And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.  And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

Acts 3:7-8

 

The outcome is just as God said.  The man was healed and God received the glory, both from the healed beggar and from all who saw this man in the temple walking and leaping.  This is life in God’s Kingdom as we live out God’s will using God’s immeasurable greatness of power made available to us who believe.

 

This is both great news and a great responsibility for those who believe.  I cannot think of anything more exciting than discovering God’s power is available for us to utilize in our lives and to begin using it for His glory.  However, I cannot think of a greater responsibility laid before us than to rise up and walk it out.  It takes a commitment to a Kingdom purpose, choosing God’s will over our own.

 

Lesson 4 – The Power and You

Lesson 1 – God’s Power in People

Lesson 2 – God’s Power at Work

 

Understanding the Kingdom series

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Lesson 2 – God’s Power At Work

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. 

Ephesians 3:20-21

 

God’s power.  I wanted to know more.  The Lord brought me to this scripture passage in order to teach me about the appropriation of His power.  This is how He showed me.

 

Now to Him who is able to do what we ask.

God is able to do that which we ask of Him.  There is no reason to doubt that He is able.  Just ask. Bring Him your supplications, your requests, your needs.  He is waiting for you to simply ask.

 

Now to Him who is able to what we ask or think.

Not only is He able to do that which we ask of Him, He is able to do those things that we think of, but do not have the confidence or the faith to ask for.  He encourages us to come boldly before Him and present these things to Him as well.

 

Now to Him who is able to do more than all we ask or think.

Of all the things we ask of Him, and of all the things we think to ask even when we do not, God is able to do more than all of that.

 

Now to Him who is able to do more abundantly than all we ask or think.

Not only is He able to do more, He is able to do abundantly more!  The word abundant means present in great quantity; more than adequate; oversufficient.  Don’t you love that! Oversufficient!  Our great God is overly sufficient, more than adequate to provide for everything we need!  That’s God’s power!

 

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think.

As if the word abundantly was not sufficient to explain just how capable God is to meet our needs, Paul accentuates this truth even further.  Our God is able to do far more – way more- exceedingly more abundantly than anything that we can ask of, or think of to ask.

 

This created for me a new picture of my Father.  Not only is he able and capable to meet my needs and protect me from dangers, He is very eager for me to ask of Him, and trust that He is just as eager to answer those prayers.  There is nothing too big or impossible for Him to accomplish, if I would only believe and ask.

 

This really moved me.  There was such a stirring in my spirit when I saw just how eager God is to protect, heal and provide for His people.  I was so overjoyed with this revelation, that I almost missed the most important part – how He accomplishes this amazing work.

 

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.

 

Did you see it?  Please do not miss this!  All that power that He is capable of performing on our behalf is done according to God’s power – at work within us!   We are the catalyst by which He performs His power!  This is how God chose to get things done in His Kingdom.  This is why He needs us to tap into all that power He placed in us by His Holy Spirit.  He wants us to live by faith and walk according to God’s power so that He can do far more abundantly.  And since He can do far more abundantly that all than we ask or think, He wants us to ask more and think more so we can receive more and thereby get His work done in the Kingdom.

 

And what happens when we receive more?  Is all God’s power at work in us for our own pleasures?  Of course not, not if we are Kingdom minded.  Verse 21 tells us the purpose of God putting all this power in human beings

 

To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.

 

When you adopt a Kingdom mindset, setting your priorities for a Kingdom purpose, and walk in faith believing this passage, you will be bringing glory to God in the church and in Jesus Christ.  When you raise your children in this Kingdom – and they raise their children –  teaching them God’s ways, and leading them to have a heart bonded to Jesus Christ, this glory will remain in the churches throughout all generations forever.

 

God will receive His glory.  You get to decide if you are going to be a part of the process.  Jesus said He only did the will of the Father.  What are you going to do?  How are you going to live your life?  Are you ready to lay down everything and become a Kingdom purpose woman, living only for the King of Kings?

 

 

 

Lesson 3 – God’s Power Utilized

Lesson 1 – God’s Power in People

 

If you have not yet completed the “Understanding the Kingdom” series, please do not continue until you click here to begin it.  “Understanding the Kingdom” series is a precursor and a foundational teaching that will help you to properly understand all writings contained in this publication.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Power of the Kingdom – Teaching Series

Lesson 1 – God’s Power in People

 

…that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe…-

Ephesians 1:18-19

 

Most people have no doubt that God has an immeasurable greatness of power.  But few indeed have considered that such a vast amount of power has been make available to us who believe.  Please take a moment and re-read the verse above.  God’s power – a power so great that it is immeasurable – has been made available to anyone who will simply believe.

 

The passage goes on to say that this power is the same power that raised Christ from the dead (vs 20).  The same enormous dead-raising power has now been placed on the inside of you – if you believe.

 

Wow!  This is truly an amazing statement!  But as incredible as this revelation is, it does beg a question.  Why?  Why does God put such a huge amount of power inside humans who believe?

 

Every human being on this earth has a purpose in the eyes of God.  For those who do believe, God’s will is for us to be the body of Christ.  Jesus may have departed to sit at the right hand of the Father, but Jesus still has a physical body here on the earth.  Believers are the body of Christ.  He is the head, and we are His hands and His feet and His mouthpiece on earth.  We are to continue the work that He started while He was here.  Even more so, Jesus said that we were to do “greater works than these” (John 14:12)

 

But wait!  Jesus is of God.  And we are not.  We are human.  How, then, are we to do the same – or even greater – work that Jesus did if we are not equipped for such a monumental job?

 

As humans, we are not equipped.  But as Holy Spirit-filled believers, we have the immeasurable greatness of God’s power available to us.  The Holy Spirit is quite capable of accomplishing all that Jesus did.  After all, they are one.  And didn’t Jesus pray that we would be one with Him as He is one with the Father? (John 17:11, John 17:22)

 

So, the Father has placed the Holy Spirit in us along with all that power so that we are equipped to go about the work of His Kingdom.  And He did not place it in us and then ask us if we feel like using it.  No, to the contrary, He wants you to tap into it.  God expects you to tap in.  God needs you to tap in.  Because tapping into His power is the only way to be effective and functional in His Kingdom.

 

And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

I Corinthians 1:4-5

 

Paul made this statement.  Paul’s life exemplifies this use of God’s power.  Paul was not relying on human wisdom and cunning.  He tapped in to God’s power and relied on it completely.  By doing so, he was extremely effective doing the work of God in His kingdom.

 

In the 4th chapter of I Corinthians, Paul is addressing a group of people who had been sewing strife in the church.  Paul makes this statement:

 

But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.

I Corinthians 4:19

 

Paul indicated that he could care less about the words these people were saying.  Unless the power of God was manifesting to confirm the words, he was not impressed.   Even more stunning is Paul’s statement immediately following:

 

For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.

I Corinthians 4:20

 

Did you catch that?  The Kingdom of God consist in His power! That is one of the most amazing verses in the entire Bible!

 

Look at the closing of the great commission as recorded in Mark 16:

 

And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

Mark 16:20

 

The power flowing through believers is how God confirms His Word is being accurately spoken through believers.  I have often called this to the attention of my audiences when teaching, because if God’s power does not manifest to confirm the word that I am speaking, no one sitting in that room needs to accept what I say. (“And I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.”  I Corinthians 4:19)

 

In order to live a Kingdom purpose life pleasing to the Father, you must use God’s power – a power that His son suffered and died in order to place in your hands.  It is no small deal.  He paid a great price in order to empower you sufficiently to do the work at hand.  It is time we learn how to tap into God’s power and use it for His glory!

 

Lesson 2 – God’s Power At Work

Lesson 3 – God’s Power Utilized

 

 

If you have not yet completed the “Understanding the Kingdom” series, please do not continue until you click here and begin it.  “Understanding the Kingdom” series is a precursor and a foundational teaching that will help you to properly understand all writings contained in this publication.

Click here to begin the series “Understanding the Kingdom”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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James 1: 2-3

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

 

James 1: 2-3 (NIV)

 

We know that we are to be joyful in all things.  Paul takes many opportunities in his letters to admonish us in this.  The study of Paul’s own life will reveal that he not only encouraged it, but had mastered the concept.

 

Here James supports Paul’s writings, as he bluntly challenges us to take a particular position toward our trials.  He does not suggest we grit our teeth and endure our trials, nor is he advocating simply smiling our way through trials.  Neither does he propose that we are to enjoy our trials.

 

Consider it pure joy.  This statement indicates we are to have a particular attitude toward our trials.   The trials are tough – that is the very essence of the definition of the word.  But our mind-set toward our suffering and grievousness is to be joyful.

 

Pure joy.  If our joy is pure, it means it is not mixed with anything else – not with complaining, not with grumpiness, not with fear.

 

Why would I want to do something as strange and difficult as that!

 

Because you know.   We are to recognize that the current trial will accomplish for us far exceeding benefit in the Kingdom of God.  If we respond to our natural feelings, we loose the supernatural benefits.  Some of those benefits are listed is the passage:

  • the testing of your faith
  • producing perseverance
  • perseverance finishing a work
  • maturity
  • lacking nothing for service in the Kingdom

 

You are now left with a choice that could prove the difference between a Kingdom Purpose life or an ordinary worldly life.

1. You can follow your feelings and respond to your trials the way the rest of the world does by complaining, arguing, and seeking revenge.  If you do, you will reap strife and struggle.

2. Or you can follow the Word of God, step out from your old, normal pattern, and trust that His Word is true, expecting the promises of this passage to produce the fruit of maturity in your life and your work in the Kingdom of God.  When you obey the Bible, the Spirit of God is able to work freely in your life, bringing with Him His fruits (Galatians 5:22).

 

By nothing more than your attitude, you make your choice.

  • striving and struggling on my own
  • love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness and self-control from the Holy Spirit

 

I have made my choice.  It does not mean I will enjoy my trial, or that my trial will involve less suffering.   It does mean God will see me through it because, when I follow His way, His promises can be fulfilled.  Trial by trial, I will mature in the Kingdom.  In the end, I will be complete not lacking anything for my Kingdom Purpose Life, so that my life reveals the majestic Glory that my God so undeniably deserves.  For this I rejoice greatly!

 

 

Scripture of the week is designed to assist you in renewing your mind through the Word of God.  We choose a scripture and include a short commentary so that you can meditate on them for the week.  Please do not read it once and move on.  Print it out and read it over and over during the week so that your mind can be reprogrammed (Romans 12:2) in the supernatural Word of God!

 

Other scripture commentaries by Marjorie Lou

Matthew 7: 21-23 – It’s time to be tested.

Luke 6: 27-31  –  Some of Jesus’ most challenging words.

Revelation 12: 11 – Did you know that you play a part in conquering the enemy?

John 6: 28-29 – Are you doing important work, or working in vain?

Ephesians 1: 18-20 – Do you know the immeasurable greatness of God’s power?

James 1: 2-4  –  Steps to rejoicing in your trials.

Matthew 14: 28-31 – Jesus is not the only one who walked on water!

Romans 10: 9 – Is Jesus a true master?

John 13:34-35 – Do you have this mark of a true believer?

 

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Matthew 7: 21-23

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Matthew 7: 21-23

 

Many years ago, this passage of scripture completely arrested me.  It stopped my mouth.  It stopped my witness.  It stopped my confidence in myself that I was really His.

 

Why?  Because of the particular people Jesus is speaking to.  Listen to their resume:

  • They called him Lord
  • They prophesied in Jesus name
  • They cast out demons in Jesus name
  • They did mighty works in Jesus name

 

This sounds like the mark of a true believer.  As a matter of fact, the great commission as recorded in Mark 16 identifies some of these as signs that will follow those who believe – casting out demons and doing mighty works (the mighty works are named specifically in Mark).  Certainly, most of us would assume that anyone performing such deeds would not only belong to Jesus, but would be a kind of super-spiritual highly-mature Christian that we would all be amazed with.

 

Jesus was not amazed nor impressed.  To the contrary, He commanded them to depart from Him as He pronounced them as “workers of lawlessness.”

 

This whole passage left me in a great quandary.  The scale by which I measured people’s spiritual maturity had been completely destroyed. And I was left without a measuring stick.  If the people in these verses were not good enough to enter the Kingdom, what chance could I possibly have?

 

It took a long time for the Holy Spirit to reveal the meaning of this passage to me.  I supposed He had a lot to clean out of my corrupted way of thinking.  I felt like I was hanging on the very precipice of destruction.

 

In His perfect timing, He so carefully and gently showed me that it is not the great and might works of men that secure for you the Kingdom.  It is the great and mighty work of Jesus Christ and Him alone!  No work of man -no matter how great – makes him eligible!

 

The clue was in the final statement when Jesus declares them as “workers of lawlessness.”  I began to see that, for all their big works, they were not relying on Jesus for their very righteousness.  They may be speaking Jesus’ name, in which case the demons must bow the knee, but they were not themselves fully depended on Jesus as the restitution for their sins.  They were depending on their own great works being good enough to get them in.  As impressive as they seemed to other men (and to their own selves), these people were simply not His.  They were still guilty of their sins.  On the day of judgement, they will be shocked!

 

This revelation shook me to the core!  The thought of ever hearing those words, “Depart from me!” was terrifying.   I began to test myself and be sure I was in the faith as Paul admonished in II Corinthians 13:5.  What did I really believe about my salvation?  Was I really His?  Just what was I relying on for my salvation?   Was I praying enough?  Was I at church enough?  Did I read my Bible enough? Was I fooling myself with a big dose of puffed-up religious piousness?

 

God revealed to me that none of these “works” were sufficient to counter-balance the sin in my nature.  Although good works are good to do, they did not erase the guilt of the wrong things in my life.  There was absolutely nothing I could do to rid me of the consequence of sin.

 

Only Jesus could save me from this hopeless situation.  At the cross, Jesus gave me His perfect righteousness and I gave him my sin and guilt.  All I needed to do was believe and be obedient to follow Him as He led me into this truth.  Because of His great love for me, I was spared such a tortuous moment as to hear, “Depart from me!”

 

I encourage you to do the same.  Test yourself and be sure that you are standing on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ and not on that of your own religious works.    Better today than on the day of judgement!

 

 

Scripture of the week is designed to assist you in renewing your mind through the Word of God.  We choose a scripture and include a short commentary so that you can meditate on them for the week.  Please do not read it once and move on.  Print it out and read it over and over during the week so that your mind can be reprogrammed (Romans 12:2) in the supernatural Word of God!

 

Other scripture commentaries by Marjorie Lou

Luke 6: 27-31  –  Some of Jesus’ most challenging words!

Revelation 12: 11 – Did you know that you play a part in conquering the enemy?

John 6: 28-29 – Are you doing important work, or working in vain?

Ephesians 1: 18-20 – Do you know the immeasurable greatness of God’s power?

James 1: 2-4  –  Steps to rejoicing in your trials

Matthew 14: 28-31 – Jesus is not the only one who walked on water!

Romans 10: 9 – Is Jesus a true master?

John 13:34-35 – Do you have this mark of a true believer?