The Solomon Matrix

Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who
loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul knew what we are all learning in our lifetimes. Getting through the years we’ve been given here on earth is often difficult. Sometimes life is going well and sometimes life is “the pits.” The one constant for Paul and for us is that, no matter our situation in life, we are still connected to Jesus Christ.

Being connected to Jesus means that in the end, when all is said and done, we will be hailed as conquerors. Christ’s ultimate plan for each of us is to lead us to victory. If we follow Him, the eventual outcome of our difficult times is everlasting victory.

What does it mean to be more than a conqueror? It means having an established dominion over all the problems and roadblocks put before us. It means we will not be ruled by fear, demons, loss, or anything in creation because we are connected to Christ.

How much does God love you? Enough to never leave you, no matter the circumstances of your life. If we can’t be separated from the love of Christ, then it’s not our doing… it is Jesus hanging onto us that makes us winners!

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the
old has gone, the new has come.

If you’ve ever watched “Extreme Makeover,” a reality show on television, you’ve watched the hosts throw out all the old clothes of their guest and replace them with expensive and stylish clothes, hairstyling and make-up. When finished, they stand back and marvel at how great the person’s appearance has become.

The problems come when they check on these people some months later, only to find that many of them have returned to their old manner of dress and appearance. When asked why, the people respond, “I know I looked better after the makeover, but I’ve found that my ‘old skin’ was more comfortable.”

So it is with the new Christian. The Holy Spirit enters in and begins a new makeover, and on the outside the project begins to look beautiful. Still, there is much more work to do on the inside. The first order for the Holy Spirit is to sweep out the old thoughts and behaviors and begin to replace them with Christ-centered thoughts and behaviors.

This doesn’t always happen overnight, and without the necessary support and repetition of who they have become and the promises of what will be, they “backslide.” The reason — when confronted with new experiences, the new Christian doesn’t have the necessary experience to deal with the situation. “What would Jesus do?” they ask. “I don’t really know,” comes the response.

Overcoming these difficult experiences requires a reprogramming of the brain’s past experiences. Fill your mind with the promises and affirmations of God. It must be done daily in order to replace the old thinkin’ with Holy Spirit thoughts to influence new reactions, and to understand what Jesus would do.

Are you finding all the talk about the economic stimulus less than stimulating? Are you confused that politicians have the answer to all our economic woes, yet the leading world economists admit that there are only Band-Aid solutions to our woeful economy.

The economy is the water cooler fodder for what’s on America’s mind. If you listen to the news, other people’s opinions, and feed on your own conclusions you are probably beginning to worry which is leading to — fear!

When we are afraid we begin to listen to and feed ourselves information that further scares us and causes us stress. And all those fears are coming from the things you’re telling yourself!

“What if I lose my job?… How will I make the house payment… Will they repo my car… I can’t keep up with my bills… My credit card debt is killing me…” This self-talk, predicated on the information you’ve stored in your mind, from the media, other people and rumor is what you’re using to determine how you’ll stack up in the coming economic hard times. And the picture you see is not pretty.

So how do you combat the fear and negativity? Stop worrying! Here’s how.

The picture on the upper right is called a “cornucopia.” It’s a 5th century term that signifies abundance. The cornucopia or “horn of plenty” is a hollowed horn filled with inexhaustible gifts of celebratory fruit. In the Christian environment we call our version of cornucopia — GOD.

God our source, our provider, our shepherd. He’s El-Shaddai, the God who is sufficient for the needs of His people. If God owns everything, and has promised to meet all our needs, then we should be paying attention to what He’s saying about the economy and your situation, rather than trusting in the news media and our acquaintances.

The media and President say, “the world is in big trouble with a depression about to develop – it could be catastrophic!” God says, “I will meet all your needs according to my glorious riches in my son.” (My paraphrase from Philippians 4:19)

Okay, so how do we stop worrying? The answer in technical terms is “reboot” and “reprogram.” For the past several months we have been programming our minds with everything we hear about the economy. And let’s face it, it is all negative. So we reboot our minds by telling ourselves that everything we’ve heard negative about the economy is untrue. Then we begin to reprogram our minds with God’s Word (promises). And if you truly work at reprogramming your brain, your heart will follow and you will get through this recession successfully!

Joyce Kapp, one of the co-trainers in my Sunday School class, took the time to write the program that can reprogram you away from financial worry and toward mental abundance. Joyce has rephrased each of the following Scriptures so it applies to you.

You need only two things to reprogram yourself. Number one, trust that the Lord loves you (have faith). And number two, read these Scriptures (aloud) every day for the rest of February. Sounds too easy, doesn’t it!

Joyce says, “My words are the faith container that carries seeds into the spirit realm to be planted into rich, fertile soil where in time they will produce an abundant harvest in my life. I do not need to concern myself with how it will be accomplished. I need only to meditate on what I want until I can actually ‘see’ it in my spirit coming to pass in my life and then to continue to confess it with certainty until it manifests. My words either set me free or put me into bondage. I choose to be totally set free and to not toil any longer, only staying focused with belief and certainty that I can have what I say I have, calling those things that are not as though they are.”

• I believe that I have the things that I say that I have. Mark 11:22-24

• The Lord gives me power to get wealth so that He may establish His covenant through me. Deut 8:18

• People give to me generously because I give generously. It comes to me pressed down, shaken together and running over. Luke 6:38

• My financial barns are full and overflowing. I am abundantly supplied. Prov 3:9-10

• The blessings of the Lord overtake me, make me truly rich and He adds no sorrow to it. Prov. 10:22

• The Lord has opened His treasure to me and blessed all the work of my hands. Deut. 28:8

• The Holy Spirit leads and guides me into all truth. John 16:13

• The Lord rebukes the devourer for my sake and no weapon formed against my finances or otherwise will succeed. Mal 3:10-11, Is 54:16,17

• The Lord delights in my prosperity. Ps 35:27

• The blessing of Abraham is mine through Christ! Gal. 3:14

• I release God’s angels to go forth and to bring every one of God’s promises into fulfillment in my life… Go! Heb 1:14

• I am more than a conqueror through Christ and always triumph. One thousand may fall by my side and ten thousand at my right hand but it (the recession) shall not come near me! Rom 8:1 Ps 91:7 IICor 2:14

• My enemies are defeated before my face. They come at me from one direction but flee from me in seven. Deut 28:7

• I am redeemed from the curse of the law. I know the truth and I am set free from toil and struggle. Gal 3:13 John 8:31-33

• I am forgiven of all my sins and He has healed me of all diseases. Ps 103:3 IPeter 2:24

• I have power over all the power of the enemy. I am sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit. Mark 16:17 Eph 1:13

• I am the head and not the tail, always at the top and never on the bottom. Deut 28:13

If you’re worrying about the economy and want to escape the bondage of fear, repeat the Scriptures every day. Soon you’ll find the freedom from worry and the hope in Christ you seek. Manifestations and blessings are sure to follow when you cast off all worry and fear. And do your friends and fellow workers a favor — clue them into how they can get through this trying time too.

In His service and yours,

Mike

P.S. If you love to read then check out the Solomon Matrix Bookstore. You’ll find all the great motivational writers, Christian and Secular as well as Bibles and Study guides. All at incredibly low prices!

I am Chosen by God
Ephesians 1:11,12

In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory.

How many times have you heard about someone saying or thinking, “I don’t know how the Lord can love me”? Have you ever thought that, yourself? It is not an uncommon thought or emotion.

Doubting God’s love is the biggest roadblock to a Christian’s realizing just how very much God loves them, which is the cornerstone of faith. We tend to judge ourselves — picturing what we would be like if we were perfect, as Christ was perfect. And falling short of Christ-like perfection, we feel inadequate and wonder what God sees in us, anyway.

Doubting that we are loved by God is, very simply, a trust issue. In the book The Shack, by William P. Young, the Holy Spirit says to the lead character, “…you cannot produce trust, like you cannot ‘do’ humility. It either is or is not. Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved. Because you do not know that I love you, you cannot trust me.”

Scripture after Scripture deals with God’s love for us. Yet millions of Christians continue to question why God would love them, and the effect of those thoughts is a devastating blow to their relationship with Christ. How can you have faith in who you are in Christ if you are unable to fathom His love for you?

Recognize that we did not chose Christ, but rather He chose us. It is often just that simple! We were predestined to become followers of Christ. He knew we were going to come to Him and He knew even the date and time. He knew that we were sinners when we came to Him, and would continue to be sinners after we arrived.

Yet, He chose you!

In Zechariah 3, Satan drags Joshua (not the warrior, but a high priest) before God to make accusations against Joshua and Israel. Satan pointed to Joshua, dressed in dirty rags to represent the sins he committed. God seemingly ignores Satan, tells Joshua he is forgiven and has His angel strip off the rags (of sin) and replace them with new garments (of salvation).

Satan attempts to drag each of us, in dirty rags, before God each day. How does he do it? Through the thoughts he constantly tries to pour into our minds… the phrases of guilt, doubt and hopelessness that have for so long been Satan’s “meat and potatoes” in pulling people away from God’s love.

How do you stop it? You can begin by feeding yourself – aloud — God’s Word. Start by telling yourself, “I am a Chosen One.” It is not how good you look, how good you are, the talents you possess, or the things you do. It is simply that God chose to love you in spite of who you are. HE CHOSE YOU!

If we can bring ourselves to recognize just a little of how much God loves us, we can begin to truly develop our faith. It seems that every one of God’s promises requires some action from us. Trust and faith are the two biggest actions we need to exercise in order to more fully know who we are in Christ Jesus.

And if the way we think is truly how we are, then we need to be consciously telling ourselves who we are in Christ. As we do, we will begin to see ourselves through Christ’s eyes and recognize our mission and our place in the Kingdom of God here on earth. You are already assured a place in heaven, but God has hardwired you for great things here on earth, as well — that is why He chose you!

In His Service and Yours.

Mike

Last year, 2008, was financially not a stellar year for me. Okay, I blamed the economy, and since much of my past business came from the automobile industry, things did get a little tight. But when I put the excuse of the economy aside, I had to admit that maybe — just maybe — I was a victim of all the negative “Recessionary” news.

That really bothered me. It seemed that if I was truly living my spiritual life, then I shouldn’t have gotten caught up in all the negative reporting and the resultant complaining that accompanied the news. My response was to become more tentative in my job and in my spiritual life.

Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, who was and remains one of my heroes, recommended that I read The One Minute Millionaire, by Mark Vincent Hansen (Chicken Soup for the Soul) and Robert G. Allen (Nothing Down and Creative Wealth). Over the years Charlie had recommended many books to me, all of which were great reads. But somehow One Minute anything was not what I was looking for… at least that’s what I thought.

I bought the book, brought it home, put it at the far corner of my desk and tried to forget it. I didn’t intend to read it! But every time I saw it, I seemed drawn toward it. I’m quite adept at pushing “urgings” or “leadings” to one side, knowing if I ignore them long enough they will eventually subside. They didn’t.

Finally I caved in to the feeling and picked the book up, intending to check out just a few chapters. About five hours later, I put the book down and got up feeling more excited than I had been in years. The book actually gave me a new attitude. Hope does that.

As I reviewed what I liked most about what I read, I kept coming back to what the authors had called “Manifestations.” I knew them as “Affirmations,” and before that Norman Vincent Peale called them “Positive Thinking.” They all seem to advocate the same thing – tell yourself the truth. And if you will allow me, “the truth will set us. . . um, straight” in this case.

The book’s authors seem to be solid Christian men, but they refer to God in the book as the Higher Power. Their manifestations were secular, and although they ring true, I became very interested in how these manifestations would sound if they were based on Scripture.

I set out to detail my own list of manifestations, taken directly from Scripture. After a short time it dawned on me that what I was doing was researching who God and Christ said I am. That made the impact even stronger. The deeper I dig the more incredible is the experience of seeing myself through God’s eyes!

For a long time I have believed, and still do, that Satan is much smarter than I am. I always thought that my negative thoughts came out of my own mind, but the more I study, the more I believe that Satan speaks to us in the first person. So, instead of saying “you,” he speaks “I” into our minds. “I’m not capable,” I don’t deserve. . .” “I’ve always been like that.” Get the picture?

So if I thought I was smarter than Satan, then it’s Satan speaking to me so I won’t enlist all the weapons of who I am in Christ to combat him. I hope that makes sense to you.

A few months ago I met Neil McMillin, a very talented young artist. We were discussing some projects we could do together. I learned he is a Christian and mentioned to him the manifestation project I was working on for myself. He was interested in the subject, and we began to share thoughts.

About two weeks ago, we wondered if we could share our thoughts with others. We both realized that sharing those thoughts with others would help us comprehend the concept more fully, and since it is helping us grow stronger in Christ, maybe – just maybe – someone else could benefit, too.

We decided to use the communication tools of our trade to share short bursts of “who you are in Christ” and let you take from it what the Holy Spirit gives you. I will write and Neil will illustrate and we hope that through blogs, e-mails, e-blasts, FaceBook and other tools we can use, that Christ will speak directly to you.

Now I’ll leave you with two Scriptures and one thought. In Joshua 1:8 (NIV), God said to Joshua. “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

In Mark 12:24 (NIV), when the Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus with trick questions, Jesus replied. “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?”

We spend thousands of dollars chasing after one success guru and another, only to find their words and their suits are empty. All stop short of guaranteeing what they teach. Jesus offers us a promise that His way is the way to a fuller life.

A guarantee means if it breaks it’s fixed or replaced. A promise says it will not break and it will work. (God’s promises have not broken down over thousands of years. Not even Maytag. . .)

Do you, like Neil and me, want a richer, fuller, more prosperous 2009? Then every day, review aloud who you are in Christ. Stop listening to the media and listen instead to the Holy Spirit. Where the media sees failure, God sees opportunity. When Satan whispers fear into your mind, shout back with Christ’s word – “I am more than a conquerer through him who loves me.” Romans 8:37 (NIV).

Have a blessed week.

In His service and yours.

Mike Sparrow

P.S. Next week’s blog…”I am chosen”