Growing In God with Gary Hargrave

Growing In God Podcast
Program Number: GIG #294
Title: Our Gratitude for Christ in Us
 
Web Description: It is a tradition in Christianity to recite a confession of faith. But our greatest confession of faith is our expression of gratitude for all that Christ is in us. We can only be grateful for something we have received. And we have received Christ, in whom we are rooted and grounded and growing up in everything God has for us. What greater reason is there to be overflowing with gratitude?
 
Show Notes: Gratitude is an emotion that is foundational to our walk with God. According to Colossians, we should be overflowing with gratitude. But do we really understand what gratitude is and why we need it? Gratitude by definition is a feeling you have after you receive something. You are grateful for what you have already received. You are not grateful because you are hoping or believing to receive something. And the reason we are overflowing with gratitude is because we have received Christ and He is in us.
 
We have received the One in whom the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form. We have received the resurrected Christ who, by the removal of the flesh in a circumcision made without hands, has raised us up with Him. We have received Him who is the head over all rule and authority and who has made us complete in Him. Is it any wonder that we would be overflowing with gratitude? Yet in the process of walking with God, we are easily distracted from what a walk with God is all about.
 
The reason we walk with Him is because He is living in us. As a result, our growth and maturity are about walking with Him into greater and greater manifestations of the fullness of Christ. The very purpose and drive of the Father in reconciling us to Himself through Christ is to dwell in His people. And He is always leading us toward that goal. What gratitude we should live in that God daily is working and growing and dwelling in our hearts! We should be overflowing with gratitude, finding ways to express that every day, because that is what connects us with the power of Christ living in us.
 
Key Verses:
 
•       Colossians 2:6–12. "As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him … overflowing with gratitude."
•       John 14:17–23. "My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him."
•       Galatians 2:20. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."
•       Philippians 2:8–11. "I count all things to be loss … that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection."
•       Ephesians 3:14–19. "Know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."
 
Quotes:
 
•       "We have received Christ Jesus our Lord into our lives, and we are to walk in Him because He is living in us."
•       "We are overflowing with gratitude because Christ is in us and He is established in us and we are being built up in Him."
•       "I think many times it really escapes us that God is driven to dwell in us. Christ came to reconcile us to the Father, and Christ said that He would dwell in us and that He and the Father would come and take up Their abode with us."
 
Takeaways:
 
1.    Christ is in us, and we need to live in gratitude because as we express that gratitude, we confess and believe that we have received all that He is.
2.    Living daily in a state of overflowing gratitude connects us with all the power and authority of Christ living in us.
3.    We should be overwhelmed by the reality that God is driven to dwell in and among His people, and He is always moving us toward that goal.

Growing In God Podcast
Program Number: GIG #293
Title: Faith Is Spiritual Gravity
 
Web Description: When you wake up in the morning, you do not expect to lose the force of gravity and float off into space. Gravity is always there and always working. Likewise, you should not think of faith as something that you lose and try to get back. Just like gravity, faith should always be there. Do not pump up your faith at times when you need it. Just keep growing your faith at all times.
 
Show Notes: We tend to think of faith as something we apply in the moment if we want to see something happen or need an answer to prayer. A better concept of faith is illustrated by the force of gravity. Gravity does not turn on or off according to momentary needs. It is always active as a permanent part of our lives. And that is what our faith should be. Of course, faith can trigger a miracle. But that will not happen because you build up your faith at that moment. It happens because you have grown to a level of faith in your walk with God.
 
Faith grows. It is tested and tried. It is something dwelling in you because you have exercised it consistently in your walk with God. Faith is that which makes the unseen visible. Faith is what God moved in when He spoke the Word that created the universe, making things that are seen out of that which is invisible. God is invisible, and yet Christ visibly manifested the Father into the earth on a continual basis. He did not pump up some faith when someone needed a healing. He simply let the Father impact the physical realm through Him. And people were healed by their own faith in Christ.
 
If we want to measure our faith, then Christ is our example. His faith was in the Father dwelling in Him, and He manifested the works of the Father. And so our faith is not what we manage to pump up now and then, but rather it is the faith that Christ and the Father are dwelling in us by the Holy Spirit. Faith is a state of being that is constantly manifesting in the world the works of the Holy Spirit. Faith is what we keep appropriating until we are filled up to all the fullness of God, and out of that fullness the Kingdom of God will become more and more visible.
 
Key Verses:
 
•       Matthew 9:27–29. "It shall be done to you according to your faith."
•       Hebrews 11:1–3. "What is seen was not made out of things which are visible."
•       Hebrews 11:1 (KJV). "Faith is the substance of things hoped for."
•       John 14:16–21. "You will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you."
•       Romans 8:11. "If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He … will also give life to your mortal bodies."
•       Ephesians 3:13–19. "Know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."
 
Quotes:
 
•       "When we see the created world around us, we see the result of faith—the faith that God moved in when He spoke the Word that created all things throughout the universe."
•       "We need to have a faith that the Kingdom of God surrounds us, is in us, and is to manifest before us on a visible level. And the emanation of that faith must be constant."
•       "We need to build our faith and grow our faith surrounding what the Word of God has said already is. In other words, it is a reality in the realm of spirit, but we need to see it manifest in this visible world."
 
Takeaways:
 
1.    Faith is not something temporary that we exercise only at the moment we need it. Faith is actually like gravity, which is manifesting in our lives all day long.
2.    Faith is not something we pump up because it has gone flat. It is something we build and grow in a consistent walk with God.
3.    Faith is that which makes the unseen visible. And for the Kingdom to manifest daily in our world from the invisible realm requires a faith that is daily manifesting in our lives.

Growing In God Podcast
Program Number: GIG #292
Web Description: With AI there will be new levels of deception and persecution directed against the people of God. That is why we as Christians need to grow into new levels of maturity, wisdom, and understanding by the Holy Spirit. We must have the mind of Christ that does not judge by what our eyes see and our ears hear in the natural realm. Instead, we are to see and hear in the spirit realm what Christ is disclosing to us from the Father. 
 
Show Notes: Artificial Intelligence (AI), like any other technology, is controlled by humans, meaning it has the potential to be used for good and the same potential to be used for evil. AI is already being helpful in many areas. But its greatest negative impact will come from its ability to affect our perception in ways that were never possible before. It will be increasingly difficult to know if what we are watching is real or not.
 
Using AI, individuals can be made to appear to be doing things and say things they would never do or say in real life. This would be a powerful means of persecution against Christians if they are realistically portrayed as saying things they never said. So the power of AI to distort our perception is very real. And we are faced with the fact that our natural senses will not give us the true understanding of what is happening in the world. We need to reach into a spiritual maturity that allows us to judge, make decisions, and understand things from a different perspective.
 
Yeshua (Jesus) did not judge by what His eyes saw or His ears heard. Now more than ever we need to grow up in Christ and have those same attributes. We can no longer afford to be children who are carried away by the trickery of men in craftiness and deceitful scheming. There must be a maturing of the Body of Christ until believers begin to know and understand and see by the Spirit of God. We cannot passively walk with God today. We need to leave our infancy and partake of the solid food of the Word that will mature us into what God wants us to be to this generation.
 
Key Verses:
 
•       Isaiah 11:1–3. "He will not judge by what His eyes see."
•       Malachi 3:14–18. "You will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked."
•       Isaiah 5:20. "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil."
•       1 Corinthians 2:14–16. "A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God."
•       John 5:19. "Whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner."
•       John 8:26. "The things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world."
•       Hebrews 5:12–14. "Solid food is for the mature, who … have their senses trained to discern good and evil."
•       John 8:31–32. "If you continue in My word, then … you will know the truth."
•       John 16:12–15. "When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth."
•       John 14:16–21. "In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you."
•       Ephesians 4:10–14. "We are no longer to be children … carried about by … the trickery of men."
•       Ephesians 4:17–25. "No longer just as the Gentiles also walk … being darkened in their understanding."
 
Quotes:
 
•       "It's time for us as believers to know how to walk in the Spirit, be taught by the Spirit, and receive the impartation of the mind of Christ from the Spirit so that we might be those who do His will and are free from the lies and deception of this age."
•       "There must be the solid food that begins to be given to the Body of Christ to mature them. And through the practice of their walk in the Spirit, they're going to be trained again to discern good and evil."
•       "People are realizing they must take a stand. They must stand up. They must speak up. And that is important for us to do. When God sees this move of His people, it says that He is going to spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him."
 
Takeaways:
 
1.    AI is a technology that has great power to deceive. That is why we need the maturity that is not moved by the craftiness and deceitful scheming of men.
2.    Satan's great determination is to bring all humanity into deception and drive them away from God. And so we need to reach into the Holy Spirit for a greater impartation of the mind of Christ.
3.    Let us stand up and speak the truth in love, trusting in the covering, protection, and salvation promised for those who fear the Lord in this day.

Growing In God Podcast
Program Number: GIG #291
Title: Preparation for Purim
 
Web Description: As Christians we need to see the significance of Purim for us. Satan is working as much or more today to thwart God's plan as he did when Esther and Mordecai faced the annihilation of their people. The purification and preparation they went through, which reversed the edict of destruction and made them the ones who brought victory, are exactly what we require.
 
Show Notes: Why should Christians celebrate Purim? What does it have to do with us? It has everything to do with us. If Haman's plot to kill all Jews in the Persian Empire had happened, the line of Christ would have been destroyed. Yeshua (Jesus) would not have been born in Judea; there would be no Christianity and no return of Christ to reign as King in the earth. So Purim is very relevant to us, as are its lessons for us today.
 
Before becoming queen, Esther had to undergo twelve months of purification. And there needs to be a cleansing and a purity on us that enables us to come boldly before the throne of grace and stand in the presence of God. As queen, Esther knew she could die if she came into the king's presence without his invitation. And if we want God to move today, then we must humble ourselves, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways as we read in 2 Chronicles 7.
 
At this time of Purim, we see satan working to annihilate the Jews and Israel just as he did in Esther's day. What is happening in the Middle East right now absolutely impacts the plan of God, the Kingdom of God, and all that we stand for as believers. Purim celebrates the fact that Mordecai and Esther had the king's signet ring and carried out his decree. And if we are to carry out the will of God in the earth, then we must be the purified vessels who can wield His signet ring in righteousness, justice, and honor. Let us prepare our hearts to come before the King today.
 
Key Verses:
 
•       Esther 3:8–11. "If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed."
•       2 Chronicles 7:12–16. "[If] My people … turn from their wicked ways, then I will … forgive their sin."
•       Acts 1:9–12. "Jesus … will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."
•       Esther 2:12. "Twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their beautification were completed."
•       Esther 4:11. "I have not been summoned to come to the king."
•       Hebrews 4:16. "Draw near with confidence to the throne of grace."
•       Esther 5:2–3. "The king said to her, 'What is troubling you, Queen Esther?'"
•       Esther 7:10. "They hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai."
•       Esther 8:8–11. "The king granted the Jews … the right to assemble and to defend their lives."
 
Quotes:
 
•       "The ultimate victory that came was not because of what the king did. It's because of what Mordecai and Esther and the people did in rising up to save their own lives."
•       "If we're going to celebrate Purim, one of the things we must have is this purification drive and preparation drive in our hearts because it's about us."
•       "What He's looking for is that His anointing would rest upon the Body of Christ to move in the earth today, to see the kingdom come and be established, and the things that need to be dealt with, dealt with in all righteousness and justice."
 
Takeaways:
 
1.    Purim shows us satan's persistent attempts to destroy the Jewish people both to prevent the birth of the Messiah in the past and to hinder His Kingdom today.
2.    Purim shows us our need for purification and preparation to come into the presence of God.
3.    Purim shows us our need for humility and repentance to be God's prepared instruments that will execute His will with righteousness and justice.

Growing In God Podcast
Program Number: GIG #290
Title: Purim—Anticipating Instant Change
 
Web Description: We can look at what is happening in the world today and feel like darkness is taking over; everything is getting worse and nothing is going to change. But the Scriptures give us a different picture. The Scriptures show us that things can change in an instant, and the story of Esther is a prime example of that. As we celebrate the Feast of Purim this year, let us anticipate that when we come before the King in our intercession, He will reverse the plot of destruction against God's people and turn our mourning into rejoicing.
 
Show Notes: The book of Esther records that the Jews established the Feast of Purim "for themselves and for their descendants and for all those who allied themselves with them." It was established so that all generations will remember how the annihilation that was determined and already set in motion was suddenly reversed. In an instant their mourning, sorrow, and fear of destruction were changed into a celebration of gladness and a holiday of feasting and rejoicing.
 
The Feast of Purim therefore is a celebration of instant change. When we celebrate it, we remember that no matter how bleak things are, everything can change in a moment. What could be bleaker than the plot for complete annihilation of the Jews in the time of Esther? Yet the reversal of that plot has been passed down to us as a remembrance that if we enter the presence of the King and bring our need to His attention, He will command the change and by His Word the destruction that is set to transpire will not happen.
 
As we see today with Hamas and Israel, satan is still set to destroy Israel and the Jewish people. And as we approach the time of the end, we are seeing satan's plot against the whole earth expand from the Jewish people into all humanity in his determination to destroy all flesh. But we also know by Purim and by the examples of the Scriptures that the plan of destruction can be completely reversed in a moment. So we do not let our hope be tainted by the negativity that surrounds us. We celebrate Purim this year with our hope renewed; and that hope is for instant change.
 
Key Verses:
 
•       Isaiah 60:1–3. "Darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you."
•       Esther 9:20–22. "It was … turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday."
•       Mark 13:19–20. "Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved."
•       Esther 9:23–25. "When it came to the king's attention, he commanded."
•       Esther 9:26–28. "The Jews … made a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all those who allied themselves with them."
•       Isaiah 29:5–7. "It will happen instantly, suddenly."
•       Isaiah 17:12–14. "At evening time, behold, there is terror! Before morning they are no more."
 
Quotes:
 
•       "You can look and say, 'How can this ever change? How can things ever really be restored to the Kingdom of God from the direction that they're going? How could good come out of such evil?' But we must know and understand that it can, and it will."
•       "We celebrate before we see. We have a time of celebration as an expression not only of our faith, but our knowing that God can bring about deliverance and change and bring about another purpose and will."
•       "This feast was consecrated by Mordecai for us as those who are allies with the Jewish people and with Israel. And so I proudly celebrate Purim, and I am thankful for my inclusion in its celebration."
 
Takeaways:
 
1.    Purim is an example of deliverance, repeated many times in the Scriptures, that things can change 180 degrees in just one moment.
2.    We as believers must live in the knowledge and faith that at any second God can move and everything can change. We cannot be tainted by the oppression of this age.
3.    We must never lose the reality in God that in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, everything can be different.
 
Scriptural Examples of Instant Change:
 
Purim. Read the book of Esther.
Passover. Read Exodus 12
The Famine in Samaria. Read 2 Kings 7
The Resurrection. Read John 19:30—John 20:29
 
Resources:
 
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