Listen to this teaching here. In martial arts, we were all trained to move out of the way of an opponent’s attack. If they were trying to punch you in the face, you quickly moved your face to one side or the other or took a step back. Watch trained fighters. They are almost always constantly moving and keeping out of the way and out of the angle of their opponent’s attacks. “Don’t block a punch with your face” has always seemed like good advice to me. The devil attacks us, especially as Christians. We find out that we’re being attacked at times, some in very obvious ways, but at other times in much more subtle ways. The subtle kinds of attacks are what I want to address today. If we are Christians and have a good, strong spiritual practice, we will be walking in the light of Christ in a literal way. I like to envision a bright circle of light, almost like a spotlight all around me, coming down from heaven and out from the center of myself, in the deepest place, into a bright 360-degree circle of light filled with Christ’s power. Now, what I want to talk to you about today happened in my own life, and it prompted me to create this class. In the same week, I got two compliments from two different people about my personality, supernatural self-esteem, and overall spiritual abilities. They both said, “You are not a normal human being.” In some ways, they were right. I started meditating at age 17. I went and joined a powerful spiritual Christian order with many of the old monastic practices and much charity work. And I stayed for 20 years and was privileged also to be part of the Toronto Blessing, the Father’s Love Blessing, and the Prophetic Movement, and many other things that were so meaningful and helpful to me. Now I’m 76, so I’m pretty good at meditating and prophesying. So, in fact, I’m not a normal human being, but the same could be said of an athlete or Bruce Lee or another martial artist who has spent 30 or 40 more years studying and practicing, and they’re able to break bricks and do jumps and kicks that the rest of us can’t do. They are not normal in the classic sense. But here is where Satan got in on the act. I started thinking a lot about not being a normal human being and kind of liking that idea. Sort of like, “Hey, I’m different. I’m more special than other humans.” And I enjoyed that in a subtle, quiet way. But while it was in part true, something was off. I just want to remind us all that the best lies have some truth in them. I could feel myself suddenly being pulled out of the center of the light from above and from the center of myself, kind of like a negative magnet. Now, it didn’t turn the light all the way off. It just moved me two or three inches off center. However, two or three inches can be very hard on you in certain situations. I sort of shook myself and said to myself, “Hey, wait a minute. I’m being tricked.” Even if it was subtle, it was pulling me out of the light that I enjoy so much and into a low-key, subtle, but hurtful pride and quiet egotism. That made me mad when I realized that. And so I decided to stop thinking of myself as a separate kind of human being, a “not normal” one, which is partly true, and especially different and special, even though I already am considered special and different by my Heavenly Father, and all His children have that same distinction. He sees us all uniquely. It’s sort of like a mother who says, “I love all my children the same way,” except He means it. And a healthy response to being special and different because of God’s view of you, and He is the last word, is to love Him back and be grateful for how favorably He sees us. What I didn’t need was even subtle egotism and pride. So I decided, going forward, to start calling myself a lucky ducky rather than a “not normal human being.” Not that that denies that I learned a lot in 60 years of ministry, but feeling grateful for the changes and for being drawn closer into my Father’s arms and encountering His love in ways that were quite meaningful to me and continue to be. I do love Him, and I don’t like to be distracted from that. I have decided to stay off the angle of Satan’s attack as much as I can. So I make it a rule in my life not to allow that to happen, and I believe you should too. Some of the other ways he attacks us are with thoughts of how bad or shameful we are, or how bad our sins are. Godly sorrow leads to repentance, not to self-condemnation. I’ve never seen self-condemnation lead to anything good, and I’ve been a counselor for 30 years. It’s just another way to get us off center and out of the light from heaven and the light within us, and to make us weaker so Satan can prey on us even more easily. This is also a kind of egotism and pride, which makes us sick as we concentrate on ourselves and move away from the light and the love of our Father.

Tabby cat with confident look. Click here to listen. If you long to connect with the heavenly family, which is the angels and the Father and Jesus who love you, and that you have a longing for—it's because you’re born with a longing for this loving, intelligent, heavenly family—and most of us don’t get that in our physical earth. All the adaptations that we make to try to somehow make that still work will just fall off of us if we will turn toward our heavenly family and connect there. As we get full, all those other things just flake off. I always have a picture of a person covered in mud, and then it dries and cracks and just falls off. That is so much easier than the back-and-forth fight of “I want my family to love me, but they don’t. I love them, but I hate them.” You can play that game till your death. I have supernatural self-esteem, which means that I tend to look at myself in a positive light and am very slow to criticize myself, even though I’m not completely impervious if I make a mistake. I am able to repent and correct. I have supernatural self-esteem, which I pretty much take for granted. I tend to be right, that people will like me, that people will cooperate with me. And if people try to push me around, I will successfully push them back. Pretty much any conflict or contest I join, I expect to win. That doesn’t mean I can’t say, “Well, that’s not fair,” or “That’s too weighted in my favor,” but nonetheless, I expect to win things. Once in a while I realize I can’t win—like a policeman giving me a ticket. You’re not going to wiggle out of that, particularly if you actually did it. But you can have supernatural self-esteem, and it cuts out so much self-criticism. The enemy uses that over and over again on people. You read about all these Hollywood stars, and they’re so conflicted, even though they have massive success, people telling them they’re pretty and talented, and they have millions, and they’re still unhappy. Supernatural self-esteem is something I want to start sharing in counseling because so many have that problem—saying things like, “Things never turn out for me,” even though many things do turn out for them. They need to stop saying that. Even at my age, I’m certain I could find a woman who would enjoy me, whom I would actually like, if I wanted one. I don’t want one, but it’s nice to be this old and feel like that wouldn’t be hard for me. It’s a funny kind of thing, but it sure saves you a lot of trouble. I got angry at someone recently, and I wanted to hurt her, and someone said, “Most people would be sad that they lost their temper. You’re just pleased that you didn’t hurt someone.” It never occurred to me to think I should feel bad about losing my temper. Why should I? I want to share this because it takes away a lot of ground the enemy uses. Most people who should be concerned about how bad they are usually aren’t. They’re mostly concerned they’ll get caught. Truly wicked people are usually into their wickedness. But a lot of the people we deal with are largely good people who just pick themselves apart. Supernatural self-esteem is a gift, and it should be shared. Some people need a little more supernatural self-esteem. Father in heaven, I thank you for giving me supernatural self-esteem You're such a kind God you're such a generous God. I ask that you release supernatural self-esteem to all Christians and to every counselee. And any person who struggles to do Your will. Please release the gift of supernatural self-esteem and anyone who hears this tape let it fall upon them truly it is a spiritual gift in Jesus name amen One thing that I will say there's really nothing in my history that suggests that I should have supernatural self-esteem Vital Points: Heavenly Family Humans are born with a deep longing for a loving, intelligent heavenly family. Earthly families often cannot fulfill this longing. Many emotional adaptations people make to survive family dysfunction fall away when they connect with the heavenly family. Turning toward heaven brings fullness; striving for earthly approval becomes control. Letting heavenly love fill the inner void is easier and more freeing than the constant struggle of wanting family love that isn’t given or approval from others. Vital Points: Supernatural Self-Esteem A form of spiritual confidence that minimizes unnecessary self-criticism. Includes: Expectation of being liked. Expectation of cooperation from others. Expectation of prevailing in most conflicts. Not denial of mistakes—just freedom from excessive self-blame. This gift removes the enemy’s foothold of constant internal accusation. Many people, even those with success, live in deep self-conflict without this gift. Clients often struggle with thoughts like “things never work out for me,” even when evidence contradicts it. Supernatural self-esteem helps counter such lies. Vital Points: Moral Clarification Truly evil people are usually not tormented by self-criticism. Most people we counsel are fundamentally good but harsh on themselves. They need relief from self-accusing patterns, not more scrutiny. Vital Points: Accessibility of the Gift This spiritual confidence is not tied to personal history or natural personality. Anyone can receive it regardless of past rejection or trauma. It is considered a spiritual impartation, not psychological self-talk. A request to heaven asking for supernatural self-esteem to be released to all who need it. An acknowledgment that the gift is spiritual in nature and freely given. Affirmation that it is not dependent on personal background. Vital Points: Practical Application Consider sharing this concept widely because it helps remove the enemy’s influence. Encourage everyone to take note of positive thoughts quickly and write them down before they fade. Most of us say God loves us so let us think and act like that.

Listen to this post by clicking here. Dove flying. I want to give us today some keys to controlling our mind and entering the peace and the joy of God. First, it comes from a psychology viewpoint, and I think they really did a good job, so I'm just going to read it to you. This suggests that the highest form of peace lies in releasing the need to be understood, admired, pitied, or known, because these desires tie your internal state to external factors that you cannot control. When you crave admiration or recognition, you often subconsciously perform a version of yourself designed to get approval. Letting go of this desire allows you to act based on your own authentic values, rather than trying to satisfy an audience, which significantly reduces the mental exhaustion of constant social negotiation. Relying on external validation, whether it's someone finally understanding your pain or admiring your success, makes you emotionally unstable and fragile. If your worth is assigned by others, it can be taken away by them. When you stop reading others to validate your reality, however, your self-worth becomes self-generated and unshakable. Seeking to be understood or pitied stems from a desire for others to mirror our internal feelings. When you release this expectation, criticism or misunderstanding loses its power to ruin your day. You also no longer feel the need to explain or to send yourself to people who may never intend to understand you anyway. According to the self-determination theory, autonomy and self-acceptance are the core drivers of well-being. True peace isn't about being invisible or isolated, it's about being grounded in your own identity, and you no longer feel that you are required to be validated by others. Now, many people have approached this same problem, and so I want to tell you another way that someone helped me long ago, when I was a young man, to learn to begin to control my own mind and emotions, and the fruits have been very good, and I'll tell you about them as we get closer to the end of this message. One of the keys to controlling our mind is to realize that most of us have a civil war going on inside, of desires and fears that we won't get those desires or needs met. For instance, will I be one of the popular people at work or school? Will I be promoted at work? Do my parents love me? Does my spouse love me? Do people respect me? Do they think I'm pretty or good-looking? First, we have to decide to end the almost constant back and forth many of us have in our mind and emotions. We need to decide to end the civil war within and let the peace of God and the joyful life that God intends for us to start to dominate and enter us. Here's some advice that I got, and I want to share it with you. Once we decide to go ahead and fight that civil war and win it, one of the ways is to rise up as a warrior of God that he created us to be and to be alike in pleasure and pain, praise and blame, joy and sorrow, to be a person of discernment and to leave the pairs of opposites behind. This may sound radical, but as you leave this push and pull on your mind and emotions, you enter peace, something that most of us don't have. When we come to peace, we will gradually be flooded with the joy and energy and intelligence of God. I have lived this way for more than 50 years, and it works. I want to give you a little teaching that comes out of a book that Nancy and I wrote called Welcome to the Family Business that illustrates this pretty well. There are two characters, Conal and Skye, and Conal is giving Skye a lecture because she's caught up in the civil war. Conal is a little older and wiser, and he's going to give her some hints on how to end that war and to enter into God's peace. They sat down near a stream. Conal said, "Don't try to do anything," he said, not sharply, almost casually, "Just sit." She glanced over. His blue eyes were calm, almost amused, as if he already knew that she would eventually understand. She remembered feeling slightly foolish, like she should be doing something better than sitting on a rough slab in the woods. "Stop filling the space," he added after a moment. "Let it be empty." She bristled at the word. Empty sounded like loss, like absence, like being left. "I don't mean empty like nothing," he said, as if he had felt the resistance before she spoke it. "I mean empty like a cup, expecting to be filled." They sat there for a long time, long enough for everything else to fade—birds, water, wind higher up the slope. Her breathing, which she only noticed once it slowed. And then, without warning, something shifted. The effort stopped. The part of her that was always managing, bracing, interpreting, and proving stepped aside. It just wasn't needed anymore. The space it left behind did not feel hollow. "That is it," Conal said as they faced the stream. "Don't chase it." She didn't ask what it was. Asking felt unnecessary. Words would have been clumsy there. Later, he stood, pulling something from his pocket—cash, folded once. "Here," he said, placing it in her hand and closing her fingers around it. "Hold this." She looked at him, confused, but did what he said. The bills were still warm from his pocket. "Now," he said, sitting back down, "Say, give it to me." She blinked. "What?" "Say, 'Give it to me.'" So she looked at him and said, "Give it to me." And each time she said it, the words felt stranger, almost embarrassing. She opened her hand and closed it again, fully aware of the money resting there. "I already have it," she finally said. "I know," he replied. But she said it again anyway, "Give it to me." Something in her chest tightened, not from effort, but recognition. The absurdity of it. The unnecessary strain. The way her body still wanted to take what was already hers. "You're fighting for something that was never withheld," he said. "That's what people do with God. They beg for affection, which was given at creation. They fear rejection from a love that never left." She went still. "You know the lines," Conal said, looking at the water. "You had me at hello." She glanced at him. "That's God speaking," he said. "You had Him at hello." A new thought about God landed in her, small but alive, like a seed just planted. They never talked about it again, not directly. And she never told anyone else. The moment felt too exposed. But she carried it along inside of her. And she found a new stillness and a peace and a joy and energy that she'd never had before, though it took a while to unfold. And if you will try these things—and I have lived this way for a very long time—you will find that you're not part of this horrible fight in the society around you. So you rise above it in a way that leaves you free to interact. You don't retreat from life. But you will win more of life's battles with much less effort and be much happier in the meantime. And you'll have long periods of rest, which most of us rarely ever get.

Receiving and Maturing In Love by Dr. Nancy Moelk and Richard Kinney Lesson 6: School of the Man Receiving and Maturing In Love by Dr. Nancy Moelk and Richard Kinney Did you know you will have a picture of God based on your experience with authority figures. God doesn't want us to believe lies about Him and He wants to show us what He is really like. Once we begin to grasp how God really views us and feels about us, we realize He is delights in who we are and filled with joy at the thought of us. He focuses on what is right and good about you. And if someone accentuates what is “right” about you then it will precipitate growth in you. Think of David for a moment. Many people wonder how God could look at David and see someone who was "a man after His own heart" when David was as murderer and adulterer. But God saw what was good about David: his passion and David's efforts to walk with God through his life. Like David, God is most interested in what is right and good about us as well. He sess our potential. Lesson 6: Receiving and Maturing In Love Below you will an audio and a transcript of the lesson; study and personal application questions; a prayer, scripture and finally a quiz on the class with an answer key. Click on the link. Audio of Lesson Discussion Questions Answer to Discussion Questions Reflection Questions Prayer Scripture Quiz Answers to Quiz Go to List of Man Classes

Firehouse Ministries, Inc. offers free spiritual exercises, classes and more to help you develop spiritually. Lesson 1: School of the Man Emotional Health and Spiritual Growth by Richard Kinney Emotional health will impact our spiritual growth. We will have an easier time having intimacy with Jesus with more emotional health. If we have low self-esteem, it hinders us from experiencing the depth of His love. The children of Israel were freed from the bondage of Egypt and their enemies destroyed. So, like us, as Christians, they were saved and “baptized.” But more change was required in their lives. Inside of them they were still “slaves” in their way of seeing themselves. They needed fresh encounters with God. And so do we. We don't want to just live out of our conversion experience. Richard Kinney helps us to move forward in now encounters with God, the manna for today we all need. Lesson 1: Emotional Growth and Spiritual Health Below you will an audio and a transcript of the lesson; study and personal application questions; a prayer, scripture and finally a quiz on the class with an answer key. Click on the link. Audio of Lesson Discussion Questions Answer to Discussion Questions Reflection Questions Prayer Scripture Quiz Answers to Quiz Go to List of Man Classes

The Ox school: The Ox nature of God is first of all a symbol of incredible strength. Imagine a 2000 lb. ox who can pull twice his weight. But to earn the title of “ox” and no longer just a cow, he has been trained by his owner to obey directions. Oxen are known for their strength, patience, persistence, and submissive nature. The Ox-like nature of Christ is one of service and sacrifice where strength is made perfect in weakness. Lesson 1: The Unreasonableness of God Lesson 2:Healthy Practice of the Ox Lesson 3:When Nothings Seems Stable Lesson 4: Weak as a Kitten Lesson 5:Chaos, Trust and Elements of Change Lesson 6:The Nuclear Power of Death and Dying to Self School of the Ox Six Lessons As we focus on one of the Faces of God as represented by the Four Living Creatures, we always want to remember how God wants to train us in all four faces eventually because they balance one another. There is also the element of being led by the Holy Spirit in all things and allowing His leading to bring forward in us the type of response that a particular person or situation requires. Keep this in mind as we look more closely at the Ox nature of God. The Ox nature of God is first of all a symbol of incredible strength. Imagine a 2000 lb. ox who can pull twice his weight. But to earn the title of “ox” and no longer just a cow, he has been trained by his owner to obey directions. Oxen are known for their strength, patience, persistence, and submissive nature. The Ox-like nature of Christ is one of service and sacrifice where strength is made perfect in weakness. He was a son who learned obedience through his constant communion with the Father. The cross is the universal act representing the Ox. We will become very powerfully connected to God by opening ourselves to His teaching us to become the Ox. The goal of this course is for the Holy Spirit to guide and orchestrate the development of the ox in us. Here are some of our goals for this course: To educate students in the characteristics of the Ox-like nature of God To identify the process of the Ox in us and how to walk in it. To come to understand that the sacrifice and submission taught in the Ox leads to great strength and power being added to life. To learn how the Ox has massive and unstoppable determination and energy to move forward no matter what. To learn how the Ox gives the balance and stability that is necessary for God to really trust us and to release His power in our life. To learn how the Ox is the platform for living out of the abundance that God intends for us.