The Greatest Is
Love
Walter Kambulow
June 1, 2008
All rights reserved
Burlington, Ontario
Mail to walthope@mail.com
https://walthope.tripod.com/thegreatest.htm
Walter Kambulow, is a
man like King David, "after God's own heart." I encourage you to read
his books. It will fill your souls with hearty spiritual food and give you new
strength to live your faith in Jesus. He is Jesus centered and saturated with
the Word of God and strong in the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. He is a great
fighter for His King and an encourager
of the true Saints. - Dr. Pat Holiday, Jacksonville, Florida
Free Christian Ebooks in HTM https://walthope.tripod.com/
The All Sufficient Christ https://walthope.tripod.com/sufficient_christ.htm
I Believe, I Receive https://walthope.tripod.com/i_believe.htm
The Lord Is Very Compassionate https://walthope.tripod.com/compassionate.htm
The Greatest Is Love https://walthope.tripod.com/thegreatest.htm
More Shall Be Given https://walthope.tripod.com/begiven.htm
God’s Will Is Healing https://walthope.tripod.com/healing.htm
God Hears And Answers Prayers https://walthope.tripod.com/answers.htm
In Time of Trouble https://walthope.tripod.com/trouble.htm
Free Christian Ebooks in PDF https://walthope.tripod.com/
The All Sufficient Christ http://www.scribd.com/doc/11351343/Sufficient-Christ
The Lord Is Very Compassionate http://www.scribd.com/doc/10957326/Compassionate
I Believe, I Receive http://www.scribd.com/doc/12152068/ibelieve
The Greatest Is Love http://www.scribd.com/doc/12179920/The-Greatest
More Shall Be Given http://www.scribd.com/doc/12230275/Be-Given
God’s Will Is Healing http://www.scribd.com/doc/12404063/Healing
God Hears And Answers Prayers http://www.scribd.com/doc/12779089/Answers
In Time of Trouble http://www.scribd.com/doc/13752617/Trouble
Ever Increasing Faith
http://www.scribd.com/doc/4987458/Ever-Increasing-Faith-Smith-Wigglesworth
Pursue
Love, And Desire Spiritual Gifts
He
Sent His Word And Healed Them
He
Gave Them Power And Authority
In
God Is My Salvation And My Glory
Jesus’ Anointing and
Five Fold Ministries
The
Kingdom Of God Is Within You
The
Sound Of Abundance Of Rain
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:8-13
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit apostle Paul wrote and told us the value of love and that it was the greatest. He told us if we speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, we have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though we have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though we have all faith, so that we could remove mountains, but have not love, we are nothing. And though we bestow all our goods to feed the poor, and though we give our body to be burned, but have not love, it profits us nothing. So he admonished us to watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that we do be done with love. And then he told us, If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. (1 Corinthians 16:22-23).
A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24
I’ve found a Friend, Oh, such a Friend,
He loved me e’er I knew Him!
He drew me with the cords of love,
And thus He bound me to Him!
God didn’t just give us a bible to study and read and a man to lead and guide us into all truth but He gave us Himself, to be to us all that we need. The written Word can never be read properly without the revealing light of the living word, Jesus Christ - the Word made flesh. The Word that came to live among us now has come to dwell within us! He is our life. He is our healing. He is our strength. He is everything that we need. He has accepted us just as WE ARE and we accept Him just as HE Is. He has all of us and we have all of Him. We don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that we got the best part of this arrangement for all of us is not worth that much but all of God is priceless. Mind you God also thinks that He has gotten the best part of the deal for He has us.
When we are in the presence of the King we don’t have to spend long hours reading the biography of a king but we can enjoy His company and all that He has to offer us. It is not the mental understanding, or the intellectual apprehension of the fact that Jesus Christ is the Way, is the Truth and the Life that bring joy unspeakable to our hearts but it’s the experience of these truths that floods our spirits with His divine power, love, joy and life. We find liberation when we are delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Romans 8:19-21).
The light of the world now lives in us and we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. When our “pitchers” are broken, His light shines forth more gloriously than the light of the noonday sun. It brings to the world the revelation of the Light of the World, who is Jesus, manifested through the lives of His surrendered and yielded children.
We live under a new and greater covenant where we not only have the promises of what God in Christ Jesus would do but what He would be to us and in us. He has not only come to show us a plan whereby we could find Salvation but He has become our Salvation. He made us spiritual by giving us His Spirit. We now have and enjoy His lovely indwelling presence for we now are the temple of the Holy Spirit where the King of Glory lives.
Our Christian maturity is not the development of human understanding, nor an increase in our intellectual knowledge concerning prophecy but rather, the unhindered outflow of the knowledge of Christ Himself, giving us heart understanding and spiritual ability to receive Him. We have become partaker of divine nature and out of our hearts flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). And the surge of resurrection life not only covers out body, soul and spirit, but the divine virtues of our adorable Lord outstrips everything we have received under the curse of the Law. Instead of sickness we have divine health and divine healing and divine life. Instead of poverty and lack we have divine prosperity and divine wealth. Instead of defeat and failure we now have victory and honor. That is if the Lord has us and we have Him!
Unlike the Pharisees and Sadducees of old who required that people, before they would be accepted by the powers that be, give tithes, pray in public and be bound by legalistic rules and enslaved with chains of ritualism, Jesus Christ demands no such things of us. He doesn’t enslave us but sets us free from all traditional and preconceived and pre-established prejudices. He appeals directly to the hearts and spirits of the suffering, the sinful, and the oppressed with the words, “Come unto Me!” And lay your heads upon my breast. He is now the only Door, the only one Way, the only one Life, the only one Salvation, and the only Savior! He is now our everything and from His illimitable fountains of virtue comes life, health, strength, joy and peace! We need nothing beside Him.
It doesn’t matter if we are rich or poor, sick or needy, He is our illimitable Source of eternal supply, and in Him we can find all that we need. Everything that He has is ours. God’s word is unchanging:
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: John 1:12
Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. "And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. "And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. "But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. "Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. "And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
"But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, "and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." ' "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
"But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 'And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 'for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry. Luke 15:11-24
Jesus used the story of the prodigal son to tell us how we as God’s children had left our Heavenly Father and went into the world to live defeated desolate lives. But when we returned back to our Heavenly Father He had restored all things to us including the best Robe and a Ring on our hand and Sandals on our feet. We have now become heirs of Salvation and as a result all that belongs to the Father now belongs to us: As a matter of fact we live in the finest hour of the Church of when the Father God is restoring all things to His people including the best Robe that their Father gives them when they come back to Him which is the Mantle of Anointing of His Holy Spirit. It’s similar to the Mantle that our Father-God gave to a great man of God, Elijah, who worked miracles with it, doing great things, especially bringing down the Fire of God from Heaven. So that everybody would know who the Lord of Lord was and is. It’s a similar anointing that Jesus received from the Father when John the Baptist baptized him in the river Jordan. While He prayed, the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said
"You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." Now Jesus Himself began His ministry. (Luke 3:21-22)
Then the Word of God tell us that Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he was for forty days tempted by the devil, proved by God, eating nothing. After the devil had ended every temptation, and departed for a while, Jesus returned in the power of the Holy Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went throughout the entire surrounding region. Then Jesus came to Nazareth where He had been brought up and as was His custom, went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read and found the place where it was written:
The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; (Luke 4:18)
Well, this is the same Robe or mantle of anointing that our heavenly Father wants to give us, so that we can do the works of God, in the power of the Holy Spirit and in dependence on Him. So that we can heal the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and set free those who are oppressed, just like Jesus did when He as God in human flesh walked on earth two thousand years ago. For Jesus words are true:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father?" (John 14:12)
The Robe the father gave the prodigal son can be compared to the "coat of many colors" that Israel gave to his son Joseph, the same Coat their Heavenly Father presently gives us. God's word records:
"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors." (Genesis 37:3)
The Robe signifies a Mantle of the Holy Spirit's 'Anointing' on them. The different colors on the coat signify the different aspects and attributes of the 'Anointing;' such as salvation, healing, blessings, prosperity, provision, position, power, responsibility, authority, sonship, kingship, royalty, good things, deliverance, miracles, wealth and riches. We have an example of this recorded in the book of Kings of two great men of God, Elijah and Elisha, and what they accomplished with their Mantle. Elijah gathered on Mount Carmel the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table and all of the children of Israel. He told them what God would say to many of us today:
If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word. Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 1 King 18:21-22
Elijah called upon God at the offering of the evening sacrifice to confirm that he did thins at God's command and that they people might know His is the LORD God who has turned their hearts back to Him. God’s word records:
Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:19-39)
The heart that opens to the reign of Christ enters into the reality of His Presence. The living, pulsating reality of His divine indwelling springs up within our innermost being like an artesian well of heavenly glory. It is effortless. It just flows. It permeates every fiber of the nature. And we do not have to wait until the Gates of Pearl unfold before we are lost in wonder, love, and praise. It is in Christ we find our completeness and life and peace. Where our selfish, fleshly desires do not crowded out Christ in us, He brings us life, light and health. He who bore our sicknesses and sorrows has come to give us peace, rest and joy. Unlike others Christ doesn’t just come to us bearing gifts, He Himself is the greatest gift that we have ever received. His light does not shine from the outside in, but it radiates from the inside out. The gifts He imparts, He administers and operates. He does not “give” light. He is Light! He does not impart health. He is Health.
We now live in the flesh, we live by faith in the Son of God, who gave Himself for us and now dwells within us. As He rooms within us, by the Spirit, for the incoming Christ commiserating with our surrender and our death to self, His light, His life, and His love permeate every compartment of our being! And with time, the cup of His mercy overflows and the physical body demonstrated His resurrection life. Instead of struggle, there is rest. Instead of agonizing, there is peace. The indwell Christ and His government brings us into a blessed quietness and trust before the Lord.
We not only know that in Christ there is health, virtue, and saving power but we are indwelt by Him and He imparts to us virtue. In other word healing comes with the Healer. Our poor, diseased bodies and lives are transformed, because our darkness is swallowed up in His light. He, as our Health, overcomes our sickness. He, as our Strength, absorbs all our weakness. We are strong in Him, for He gives us His strength through His presence
When the Light comes, the darkness must go. The power is not in what our LORD prescribes, it is not in doing this or that. It is not in knowing “how to receive healing.” It is not in the healing virtue He imparts, but it is the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He has become our health, our holiness and our wealth and all that we need. It is not what He gives—but who He is! He is Resurrection Life! He is Wisdom! He is Righteousness! He is Healing! He is all that we need. His glorious life divine in us doesn’t produce a struggle. But it is rest. It is strength. It is healing, as well as power.
A river doesn’t struggle to roll down hill and its water doesn’t strive and strain as it gently flows to where the great arms of the sea are opened wide to receive it? Hence similarly we are merely the riverbed, and His life is the river. He flows through us, constantly giving, imparting, radiating and infusing, until our very lives are hid with Christ in God. Our natures are transformed by His glorious nature divine. Our sicknesses, our sufferings, and our pain cannot maintain their grip in the warm flow of His love. God’s word is unchanging:
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:22-26
God’s love is the gist of the whole gospel. And we need to grow in His love and to walk in love by yielding to the Holy Spirit who is inside of us and letting Him flow from us! When we were born again and Baptized with the Spirit God not only cleansed us from all our filthiness and from all your idols , He gave us a new heart and put a new spirit within us; He took the heart of stone out of our flesh and give us a heart of flesh. He put His Spirit within us and enable to walk in His commandments and to do them (Ezekiel 36:25-27) because we became a new creation. God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Galatians 4:20-24
But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. Galatians 6:15-16
Yes, through the new birth we have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. As the elect of God, holy and beloved, we put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave us, we do also. And above all these things we put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And we let the peace of God rule in our hearts, to which also we were called in one body; and we are thankful. We let the word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord.
But if we are not continually praying in the Spirit and staying in the Word of God, the devil and the old man will deceive us and we will revert back to our old ways! God doesn’t judge us on what we know but on what we do. We are to do His word and to make sure that the new man in us is demonstrating love, compassion tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, patience, endurance and forgiveness and not the old man demonstrating bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, etc.
So how do we know whether we are in the kingdom of God or in the kingdom of the devil? By love; love is the test, love is the fruit. We have been saved out of the kingdom of darkness into God’s marvelous light. We are strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy. We give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:10-14). Our inheritance the promises of God dwells in the kingdom of light. The kingdom of Jesus is called the kingdom of love; it is called the kingdom of light. He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. And the love of God is now shining out through us when we are walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh. God’s word is unchanging:
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:16-18
Walking in the Spirit is also being led by the Spirit. Our inheritance is prosperity, health and abundant life. That is our inheritance. Goodness and mercy flowing in our life. Our inheritance is the land of milk and honey in Christ. But the inheritance cannot come to some people? Those who walk in the flesh will not taste health. They will taste sickness. Those who walk in flesh will not taste prosperity; they will taste poverty. Those who walk in the flesh they will not taste abundant life. They will taste a miserable life. They will not inherit the things of God. It may be theirs but their inheritance cannot come to them.
We live in a world that is hostile to the things of God. And the devil will have every opportunity to bring disaster on our life. But there is a way where we could attract the blessings of God where in our life things just flow. But in some people sometimes without effort they get blessed here blessed there blessed everywhere. They just get blessed. What are they receiving? The inheritance of God. When we receive an inheritance we do not deserve it. We did not work for the inheritance. Somebody worked at it. Somebody accumulated it. And then because of our position they pass it to you. That’s an inheritance.
Jesus conquered for us. Jesus paid the price for us. Then He says it is ours now. Do you know that inheritance cannot come to people because they are not walking in the Spirit, they are not walking in love? When we walk in love the inheritance comes forth. We are in right relationship with God’s family. The inheritance is the family blessing of God.
There are so much blessings God has blessed us with. But it’s not coming to people because they are not walking in the Spirit; walking in love. They are walking in the flesh. Paul says those who walk in the flesh who do such things cannot partake of the inheritance of the saints. It may be theirs but they cannot taste it. Walking in the Spirit means walking in love, walking in joy, walking in peace, walking in long suffering, walking in kindness, walking in goodness, walking in gentleness, walking in self-control, all these fruit of the Spirit we walk in them. And then we walk in our inheritance, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (Ephesians 1:17-18)
Evangelist Billy Graham said that 90 percent of all Christians in America live defeated lives. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, added, "You may have a heart for God. You read your Bible faithfully, you pray, you witness, you are active in your church; yet year after year you continue to fight a losing battle."
In his book The Holy Spirit, Billy Graham acknowledged the constant state of leaving our lives in the Holy Spirit's control. "We must surrender ourselves to Him daily," he writes, "and everyday we must choose to remain surrendered." Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade, described this regular act of surrender as "spiritual breathing." By faith, we confess our sins to God, agreeing that we have missed the mark of His perfection. This, Bill explains, is like exhaling. The next step is to accept God's forgiveness and ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with His power; Bill compares that to inhaling. Bill Bright taught
"There are three kinds of people in the world," The Bible tells us there is the 'natural man,' the 'spiritual man,' and the 'carnal man.' The natural man is one who hasn't received the Lord Jesus as Savior. The carnal man is one who has received Christ, but lives a defeated life." "But the spiritual man places Christ on the throne of his life, and his own ego steps aside to allow God's Holy Spirit to control his life. The fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and goodness—are the obvious benefits."”
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification. 1 Corinthians 14:1-5
Although the greatest is love, faith and hope cannot be neglected or excluded from our lives. The Word of God clearly commands us to pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification. To prophesy is to speak to God’s people the words that God gives by His Spirit. And all can desire earnestly to prophesy and all can prophesy one by one God’s word is unchanging:
Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:29-33
If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant. Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:37-40
The spirit of control is predominate in many western churches and as a result Apostles and prophets and tongues and prophesy are not given their proper place in the house of God. Because of lack of knowledge and proper instruction on the roles and places of apostles, prophets, tongues and prophesy they are basically not existent in most Christian churches even though God’s word tells us, I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied and desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order.
Yes, something is wrong in the house of God and it not God’s word but the lack of application of God’s word including looking out not only for our own interests but for the interests of others! God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18
Jesus who is our life and example looked out not only for his own interests but the interests of others. As a result, At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him (Mark 1:32-34).
You cannot say to someone that you love Him and not do something in the power of God to help him and change his negative situation. We see this principle clearly established in the life of Peter. The bible records:
Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them-walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Acts 3:1-10
Peter gave the lame beggar more than money. He gave him his health and that ability to really live. And by God’s power and grace we can do the same! We can do what Jesus commanded us to do:
And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Acts 16:15-18
It’s to be noted that ministry is not to facilitate the vision of the house and its evangelist or pastor. Ministry is not to get rich off the sheep. Ministry is not to purse a secret hidden agenda for prominence, fortune and fame like Judas who betrayed Jesus for his greed (Matthew 26:24, Luke 6;16, Luke 22:3). Yes Judas healed the sick, cast out devils and fellowshipped with Jesus and also stole money from the treasurer and was a betrayer and traitor!
Unlike others even of our day, Jesus did not just teach or preach but He did real works such as cast out devils, heal the sick, raise the dead, cause cripples to walk, and rebuked religious Pharisees who didn’t do such things! What Jesus lacked in any area of His life He made up for it by the power of the anointing. Prayer, knowledge of the Word of God and the anointing were the only things Jesus needed to minister to the poor, hurting and needy people. And He did a very successful job!
Because the bible teaches that seedtime and harvest shall not cease (Genesis 8:22 ) and what we give shall be measure back to us (Matthew 7:22,23:32), those who are in the ministry must sow the Word of God in the lives of others and do practical works such as opening the eyes of the blind and healing the cripples like Jesus, Philip, Barnabas and Paul did. The bible records:
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city. Acts 8:5-8
Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. Acts 15:12
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Acts 19:11-12
Yes, what God has done for one minister of the gospel He will do for another? He will work with them and confirm the word through the accompanying signs.
Jesus was neither blind nor stupid about the truth that not all will be saved. He told a new disciple to let the dead bury the dead and he was to follow Him. He purposely spoke in parables so that all would not be converted (Matthew 13:14-15). He did not appear to his murderers because He didn’t want them to be saved but to reap what they had sown. But Jesus explained in private all things to His disciples and gave them miracles like a net breaking boats sinking load of fish when they had fished all night and caught nothing or a gold coin from the mouth of a fish for Peter to pay the taxes when Peter foolishly said Jesus paid taxes. Jesus healed and delivered and anointed all His disciples and they lived in divine health and divine prosperity. He also gave them the Baptism of the Spirit and the anointing and boldness. God’s word is unchanging:
"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, "by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness.
Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Acts 4:29-33
Although God inhabits the praises of His people, Jesus never conducted a mass prayer and praise meeting for the multitude? I wonder why this was so? Jesus never taught on Church structure or leadership - rather He warned to beware of false prophets and religious leaders? Jesus never said He would send pastors and preachers and the Greek version of the bible to be our teacher? Rather He stressed that the Helper, Guide, Counselor, He would send in His name would lead them into all truth and teach them all things, bring back to their memory all that He had said, and they were to trust the Holy Spirit completely just like He did! He also told us to do what He had commanded us to do? God’s word is unchanging:
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Matthew 28:18-20
He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 107:20
But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' " Matthew 4:4
Sincerity and presumption are not a guarantee of anything
including salvation and healing. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is
born of Spirit is spirit. Jesus
told us, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I speak to you are spirit,
and they are life (John 6:63). So if we are going to receive life,
salvation, healing and good things from God it must first come by the Spirit as
God’s word. Yes, 'Man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'
God by His Spirit sends His word and heal us and deliver us from our
destructions. And then we have to act on the word that God give us including
believing and confessing the word. God's word is true:
And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.' Acts 2:21
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." Romans 10:9-13
With our faith we can make a demand on God for the anointing to bring down healing and deliverance into our lives. In the bible in Jesus day all who were sick did just that. They touched the hem of Jesus garment. And as many as touched it where made perfectly well. God’s word is true:
When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. Matthew 14:34-36
When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. Wherever He entered into villages, cities, or in the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well. Mark 6:53-56
The Word of God is very clear that God wants to heal His people be it by faith, by the word of knowledge, by the anointing, or by any method He chooses.
"When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 7:14 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:14-18
Yes, the prayer of faith is the prayer of Elijah that produces results through persistence in prayer. The bible records for our profit and instruction:
Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain." So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked, and said, "There is nothing." And seven times he said, "Go again." Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, "There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!" So he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.' " Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. 1 Kings 18:41-46
It’s to be noted that according to the word of Elijah that God gave to Elijah the drought and famine came and was removed. God’s word is true:
And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."1 King 18:1
Jesus taught us on the value and importance of persistent prayer of always praying and not giving up until God avenges us and give us our desired result of justice from the injustices of the enemy, Satan, the author of sickness, diseases, trouble, afflictions, poverty and loss on the earth. God’s word is true:
Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. "Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' "And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 'yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' " Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:1-8
The prayer of the faith will heal the sick because healing is in the word. He sent His word and healed them. Because Jesus is the Word, healing is also in the anointing and a gift of the Spirit. That is why Jesus said:
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." Isaiah 61:1-3
And Apostle Paul said:
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
But sometimes because we wrestle not against flesh and blood we must contend for miracles including healing for God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Because we have faith, hope and love, we can contend with any negative circumstance until we get our miracle. Jesus was manifested to destroy all the works of the devil. Sickness and disease are an oppression of the devil and they don’t exist in God’s kingdom. Sickness diseases and death all come from the devil’s kingdom and every infirmity should be treated as the work of the devil including infirmity, blindness, sickness, pain, etc which robs us from the fullness of life. But Jesus Christ healed and heals all oppression of the devil.
He who is the same yesterday today and forever still heals all our diseases, forgives all our iniquities, and redeems our life from destruction and executes righteousness and justice for the oppressed. Yes, came to set at liberty those who are oppressed. God’s word is true:
Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. Psalm 103:1-6
"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; Luke 4:18
"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38
Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise. Jeremiah 17:14
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you-unless you believed in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Hebrews 4:14
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
Christianity is based on a confession of our faith that brings results. The good news of the gospel is that every disease, every weakness and every infirmity was laid upon Jesus and we are free of them. We are to hold fast to that word which was preached to us by which we are saved, healed, delivered, blessed and prospered. Here is a confession of faith for healing from every book in the Bible to be spoken out loud at least once each day until our healing is evident. The Word of God tells us Let the weak say "I am strong!" ( Hosea 3:10) God gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. (Romans 4:17) If anyone says . . . and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. (Mark 11:22-23) Confession is made unto (until) salvation (healing) (Romans 10:9-10) All of these declarations are based on the scripture references.
Genesis 20:17- As God answered Abraham's prayer for healing, he will hear and answer mine!
Exodus 15:26- His name is Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord my doctor, my physician, my healer!
Leviticus 14:3- God healed the leper in Moses' day and he will heal my disease in Jesus' day!
Numbers 12:13- My healing is based upon better promises than those of Moses!
Deuteronomy 32:39- God has declared himself to be a healer and I receive Him now as my healer!
Joshua 1:3- By faith I place my feet upon every promise of divine healing and prosperity in the Word of God!
Judges 16: 28- As God gave Samson supernatural strength, He is giving me supernatural health!
Ruth 2:12- I take refuge under the shadow of His wings where there is healing and deliverance!
I Samuel 17:47- The battle is the Lord's and he will deliver me from all sickness and disease!
II Samuel 22:3- Jesus is my rock, my fortress, my shield, and my Savior in times of sickness!
I Kings 19:7- God will send ministering angels to strengthen me in this battle for life and health!
II Kings 20:5- God will hear my prayer and give me healing, health, blessings and long life in Jesus' name!
I Chr. 16:11- As the Israelites looked to the brazen serpent and were healed, I look to Jesus for healing and all things!
II Chr. 30:20- One man's prayer can bring healing to a multitude through the mercy of God!
Ezra 6:22- Jesus, my Passover Lamb, suffered for my deliverance from sin, sickness and disease!
Nehemiah 8:10- I will rejoice and be glad in the Lord my redeemer who is healing me now!
Esther 5:1- God gives me entrance into the Holy of Holies to make my requests known to Him!
Job 33:28- God has delivered my soul from the grave and I shall live to proclaim His power to heal!
Psa. 103:3- He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases all the time!
Prov. 4:20- God's Word in my mouth and in my heart will bring healing to my whole body!
Ecclesiastes 3:3- Now is the time for me to be healed for Jesus has paid the price in full!
Song of Solomon 4:7- He who loved me enough to die for me shall also freely give me all things!
Isa. 53:4-5- By Jesus' wounds we were healed, therefore by Jesus' wounds I AM HEALED NOW!
Jer. 30:17- The Lord is restoring my health and healing my wounds!
Lam. 3:22- Because of His love, His compassion, and His faithfulness I shall not die but live!
Eze. 47:8-9- Where the river flows everything will live. The river flows in me so I SHALL LIVE!
Dan. 11:32- By faith in God's word, I resist the devil and all the works of the devil in the name of Jesus!
Hos. 6:1- I will seek the Lord with all my heart and He will heal me and bind up my wounds!
Joel 3:10- Let the weak say, "I am strong!" Let the poor say, "I am rich!" Let the sick say, "I am healed!"
Amos 5:14- I seek good and not evil, therefore I shall live and do the will of my Father!
Obadiah 17- My deliverance comes from Mount Zion, where Christ made atonement for me!
Jonah 2:9- I will offer the sacrifice of praise to Jehovah-Rapha, my personal physician!
Micah 7:15- God will show forth in me His power to heal and deliver!
Nahum 1:15- God's good news to the sick is that there is supernatural healing in the atonement!
Hab. 2:14- The truth about divine healing is setting me free from sickness and disease!
Zeph. 3:17- The Lord my God is mighty to save me from every attack of the devil!
Hag. 2:5- I shall not fear, for His Spirit remains within me and upon me to bring me into victory!
Zech. 4:6- It is not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the Lord God Almighty!
Mal. 4:2- The sun of righteousness will rise for me with healing in its rays, for I exalt Jesus' name!
Mt. 4:23- Jesus healed every sickness and disease among the people then and he heals me now!
Mark 11:23- I command all sickness and disease to dissolve and disintegrate and pass from my body!
Luke 4:40- Jesus healed all who came to him for healing. He is the same yesterday, today and forever! I have come to Jesus to receive my healing and I shall not be disappointed!
John 4:46-53- A royal official simply believed the word Jesus spoke to him concerning the healing of his son and left for home. His son was healed according to Jesus' word! I believe his healing word to me.
Acts 5:16- There is not one case in the New Testament of anyone who came to Jesus for healing who did not get healed. He came to do the will of the Father, establishing forever God's will in the matter healing.
Romans 4:17-21- I am fully persuaded that God is able to do for me all he has promised to do, therefore I will call those things that be not as though they were, and THEY SHALL BE!
I Cor. 12:7-9- God has given gifts of healing to the Body of Christ so that believers may live in health!
II Cor. 1:20- All the promises of God for healing are "YES" in Christ, and through him the "AMEN" (so be it) is spoken by us to the glory of God. These declarations are a resounding "AMEN!" to his promises!
Gal.3:13- Christ became a curse for me and thus he has redeemed me from the curse of the law which includes every sickness and disease mentioned in Deuteronomy 28!
Eph.3:20- Now unto him who is able to do immeasurably more than all I could ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within me, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Phil. 1:6- I am confident that he who has begun his healing work in me shall carry it on to completion!
Col.3:16- The word of Christ dwells in me richly and I am singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in my heart to God for his healing touch upon my body!
I Thess. 5:23- Jesus has purchased redemption for me; spirit, soul, and body!
II Thess.2:15- I am standing firm and holding on to the teachings I have received concerning divine healing. I will not cease to give thanks to God for his provision and his promise!
I Timothy 6:12- I will fight the good fight of faith until I see my healing come in its fullness!
II Timothy 1:12- I know whom I have believed and am convinced that he is able to guard and keep that which I have entrusted to him, including my physical health!
Titus 3:5- Jesus saves us and heals us not because of any righteous things that we have done, but because of his mercy he blesses us abundantly through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Philemon 3- It is by the grace of God, his unmerited favor, that we are healed and made whole!
Hebrews 10:35- I will not throw away my confidence which will be richly rewarded. I will persevere in my confession of faith so that I will receive what he has promised!
James 5:16- Anointing with oil in the name of the Lord and the prayer offered in faith will make any sick person well and the Lord will raise him up! If he has sinned he will be forgiven!
I Peter 2:24- By Jesus wounds I have been healed! It's done, yes it's done. In the mighty name of Jesus the victory is won!
II Peter 1:3- His divine power has given me everything I need for life and godliness!
I John 5:14- This is the confidence I have in him, that if I ask anything according to his will (and healing is his will) he hears me and I know that I have what I asked of him.
II John 6- Faith works through love and God's love is poured out in my heart by the Holy Spirit!
III John 2- God is concerned for my physical well being as well as for my spiritual well being!
Jude 20- I will continue to build myself up in my most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit!
Revelation 1:7- Jesus is the Alpha and Omega; the Almighty. Nothing is too hard for him to do!
And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." And their eyes were opened. Matthew 9:28-30
Apostle Paul and even Jesus didn’t deny the use and the power of faith and what it could do. Jesus told us, "Have faith in God. "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them (Mark 11:22-24). And Paul told us, And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2).
Yes, you can move mountains by faith but whether you have love will determine if it had any value! Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
It’s interesting that faith, hope, love are not restricted by the dimensions of time and space. Faith works in all periods and dispensations of God and reaches all the way to the courts of heaven. Elisha, who received a double anointing from God and worked more miracles in his life, including raising a person from the dead, than any other man of God in the Old Testament, using his anointing and faith did some things that no religionist today would ever do. The bible records:
Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren." And he said, "Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, "Thus says the LORD: 'I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.' " So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. 2 Kings 2:19-24
Elisha’s faith enabled him to heal the waters that there would be no more death or barrenness and they stayed healed until this day. He also pronounced a curse in the name of the LORD on youths that mocked him. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. God, who anointed and made Elisha into a man of God, never rebuked him for these two unusual miracles!
So we see from the Word of God that there is quite latitude in the principle, "According to your faith let it be to you." Yet God’s word is unchanging:
"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand Matthew 12:25
Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. Matthew 21:43
Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? "Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. Luke 14:31-32
King Saul, an anointed one, fought with God’s friend and servant and anointed one, David, without a cause, even though the bible clearly states not to fight with a man without a cause for a kingdom divided against itself will be brought to desolation. This caused David to cry out to God and pray many prayers about victory over and the destruction of his enemies (Psalm 3,5,6, 7,9 18,25,27, 31, 41,42 54,59, 69,71,92, 102,119, 138, 139,143 ) including:
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:3
My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me. Psalm 31:15
He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth. Psalm 54:5
Jesus told us, It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! Jesus also told us, "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" God heard and answered David’s cry for justice and vindication and victory. As a result of King Saul’s unjust war with David, woe did come to King Saul. He not only lost his kingdom but his life. God gave everything that belonged to the house of Saul including his wives and wealth to David. God’s word is true:
'I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 2 Samuel 12:8
Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. Luke 17:1-3
Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. "Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' "And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 'yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' " Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"
Yes, God has promised to avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them! He has promised to avenge them speedily. But the question remains when Jesus comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" God’s word is unchanging:
Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? "Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well." Luke 17:11-19
All the ten lepers were healed but only one of them returned and gave Jesus thanks and was made whole. And he was a Samaritan! True faith responds back to God with a grateful heart when it receives a miracle. And false faith received what it wanted and doesn’t need or want God anymore! Nevertheless Jesus warned men that He would be rejected and that just like in the days of days of Noah and Lot judgment would come upon men when the Son of Man comes. God’s word is unchanging:
"For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; "but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. "Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
"In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. "Remember Lot's wife. "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. "I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. "Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. "Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left." And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together." Luke 17:24-37
Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Luke 9:1-2
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Luke 10:1
The wise and prudent think they can learn and know about God simply through studying, and through worldly wisdom, but we know from God's word that this is impossible (1 Corinthians 1:26-31, John 3:3-5). Christ Jesus, became for us wisdom from God-and righteousness and sanctification and redemption and only through Him we can be saved, healed, delivered, set free and blessed. Unless He reveals to us that we must be born of water and the Spirit, we cannot enter the kingdom of God; for that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Salvation of soul or spirit or body comes through Jesus in whose hands is all authority and power in heaven and on earth and no other (Matthew 18:18). Jesus gave His followers power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases, He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere just as Jesus commanded them to do!
The followers of Jesus were not wise and prudent to debate with Jesus about whether it was the proper thing to do. They just obeyed the Master and did what He told them to do. They were not proud, arrogant and stubborn. On the contrary they were humble, meek and teachable. They were hungry for all that God had to offer them. They didn’t allow their limited knowledge to blind them to all the great truths Jesus would reveal to them, like rejoicing in not the spirits are subject to them, but rather rejoicing because their names are written in heaven. These babes were chosen by Jesus according to the purpose and foreknowledge of God, while the wise and prudent ones were passed by! God’s word is true:
Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. Luke 10:17-21
Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:59-62
"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sicknesses and all kinds of diseases among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them." Matthew 4:23-24
Because of the Lord's compassion (Matthew 8:1-4), His desire to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and to do the will of God in all things, Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Yes, Jesus and his disciples spent much time casting out demons which is something theologians with doctorate degrees often miss the things of the Kingdom, while "unschooled and ignorant" men, women, and even children not only know them, but also effectively apply them. The wise and prudent ones have failed to understand that unless they became as little children they would not even enter the Kingdom of Heaven for the Kingdom belongs to the "poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3). But God’s word is unchanging:
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. James 3:1
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:13-18
Wise and prudent ones don’t understand that that good conduct and works done in meekness of wisdom, and not bitter envy and self seeking is what God requires from them. They fail to understand that God's wisdom is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy, while the devil’s wisdom is earthy and sensual and full of partiality and hypocrisy.
It’s a fact that the so called church of Jesus Christ has been subjected to a demonic invasion that has robbed it of most of the blessings of the Kingdom including divine health, divine prosperity, divine power and divine wealth. As a result there are churches where Satan has a large measure of effective control and where false doctrine and lack of love and the presence of all kinds of relational and personal sin abound. As a result demonic oppression, unbelief and sickness are present in the lives of many of its members and the true anointing is missing to bring healing and deliverance.
Blind ones cannot see that sickness, disease, lack and poverty which are God's judgments are all around us and we cannot escape them. But there is no sickness or poverty in heaven and there was no sickness or poverty in the garden of Eden when God made Adam and Eve. Sickness and poverty are spiritual problems as a result of a breakdown in divine order. However when through the power of the Holy Spirit the Kingdom of God is restored in our lives and bodies divine healing and health and divine prosperity result. Every divine healing done is a manifestation of the Kingdom of God. God’s word is unchanging:
… "If you diligently heed the voice of
the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His
commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on
you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals
you." Exodus 15:26
"So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He
will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the
midst of you. "No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in
your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. Exodus 23:25-26
Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought
to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments,
and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed
them. Matthew 4:24
Most sickness is caused by demons - either directly or indirectly. Sickness represents the kingdom of Satan in a person's body. And the church for the most part has been ineffective in dealing with demons and with sickness in the name of Jesus. Casting out demons by the Spirit of God, and healing the sick is a demonstration that the kingdom of God has come upon us (Matthew 12:28, Luke 9:2,11,). Jesus told His disciples, "Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. "And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you' (Luke 10:9).
The Kingdom of God is the place where Jesus is King. It is a spiritual, invisible kingdom in the hearts of those who are born again and the influence that they make on their society. It’s also opposed at ever turn by Satan's kingdom (Matthew 12:26). Yes, "the whole world lies under the sway of the evil one" (1 John 5:19). Satan is called "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4), "the prince of the power of the air" and "the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). He operates through a vast hierarchical network of fallen angels, evil spirits or demons as they are variously known, exercises a stupendous influence on the hearts and lives of men, women, boys and girls.
Yes, the existence of Satan's kingdom accounts for the hatred, the wars, the stupidity and selfishness of mankind, the existence of false religions and philosophies and the presence of every kind of perversion and deception on the face of the earth. Satanic influence is very effective because it operates in the background, and is generally not openly displayed. It is almost always covered under another name or philosophy such as communism, Islam and the New Age movement. But God’s word is unchanging:
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11
It is a fact that according to the power that resides and works in us, God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think and give us one hundred percent victory, one hundred percent of the time, in one hundred percent of the situations. After all He is God, not man!
It is also a fact that Jesus, now as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, is no longer poor or weak anymore as He was when He walked the earth as man. He is now once again unlimited in power, riches, strength and might. But the best news is that God wants to use all of His power, riches, and resources on our behalf and meet our needs: If we only will believe Him and trust Him to do it for us; If we will only humble ourselves and on a bent knee give Him our all and ask for His all. Then we shall know the truth of God’s word which states:
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37
“Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)
As a result of what Jesus did on the Cross-, by faith everything is ours now. Jesus Christ has substituted all things on the cross for us and exchanged it there for us. Our death, defeat and poverty and curses have been nailed to the Christ. On the Cross Jesus Christ not only won real victory and redemption over sin and death and the world, but also over the wicked arch enemy Satan and all his angels who had made the Cross necessary by what he did to Adam and Eve.
The enemy had deceived and entrapped Adam and Eve to sin against God and live a life that was cursed and full of toil and trouble. But on the Cross Jesus Christ did the great exchange. He exchanged His sinlessness for our sins, His righteousness for our unrighteousness, His strength for our weakness, His boundless supply for our needs, His stripes for our healing, His riches for our poverty, His victories for our defeats, His triumphs for our disappointments, His glory for our shame, His Honor for our nothingness, His prosperity for our poverty, His prosperity for our lacks, His joy for our sadness, and His fullness for our emptiness. But all of this is also something that must be revealed to us by the Holy Spirit before we can understand and partake of it fully. Yet it is all our birthright and the blessing of the fullness of the gospel of Christ.
The message of the cross and the Gospel is not only that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. He is now is seated at the right hand of the Father with all power given unto Him in heaven and earth waiting for His enemies to be made His footstool. But the message of the cross and the Gospel is also that as a result of the victories Jesus won on the cross, He has now given and shared all that He has with us and He is also with and for us continually. God in Christ Jesus has literally become our inheritance and great reward; as well as everything else which we need, including our healer and deliverer. As result of the Cross, God said about Jesus and of us who have become strong and overcomers:
Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12
The Cross is also a real testimony of what God’s power can do no matter what the Hell or injustice that the world or the devil will throw at us. For Jesus’ resurrection after a cruel and awful death signifies the real possibility of total and complete victory in our lives, hearts and circumstances as well in the current time of life as we trust in God just like Jesus did. The empty Cross now says to you and I, that for every defeat there is victory in its place, for every failure there is success, for every weakness there is grace, for every sickness there is healing, for every hatred there is love, for every injustice there is justice and for every poverty there is riches. All of this and much, much more belongs to each child of God because of what Jesus did and won on the Cross. Hence we can by the Holy Spirit understand what the Lord said to Apostle Paul:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
'I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. Isaiah 45:3
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17
Man is a triune being made up of a body, soul and spirit and he has the possibility of living in three different worlds, the world of senses, the world of faith and the world of demons. God’s word is true:
"We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" 2 Corinthians 4:18).
Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:11-18
The first world of the senses is defined by our senses of sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell. The second world is invisible to most people. It’s the demonic world that affects most people and specifically appeals to their lusts and pride through a wisdom that is earthly sensual and demonic. In the demonic world envy, self-seeking, confusion, partiality, hypocrisy, wars, fights, coveting and every evil things exist. It’s a demonic world that is that is an enemy with God and is ruled by principalities, powers, dominions, rulers of the darkness of this age, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. and affects all our senses directly or indirectly. The third world is the heavenly world and is also visible through the eyes of faith and our spiritual senses. It’s a world of angels, saints and God.
The bible teaches that angels are created beings (Col. 1:16, Ez. 28:14-15) spirit beings (Heb. 1:14) (Ps. 104:4).. Though they are spirit beings they have appeared to men visibly, and even in human form (Gen. 19:1-5, Luke 1:26, John 20:12). Yet they are not glorified human beings or the spirits of the departed (Heb. 12:22023). They do not marry and do not die (Luke 20:35-36). They are greater in power and might than human beings (2 Peter 2:11, Ps. 103:20). One angel killed 185,000 Assyrians in one night (Isaiah 37:36). There are various rankings of angelic beings including Archangels (Jude 9, 1 Thess. 4:16), Authorities, Powers and Principalities (1 Peter 3:22, Eph. 6:12). There are angels called Seraphim who surround the throne of God, each having six wings, crying "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord" (Isaiah 6:1-3). There are angels called Cherubim who also surround the throne of God. They are called The Living Creatures (Ez. 1:5-6, Ez. 10:15,20, Rev. 5:6). They have the appearance of a man, yet they have four faces and four wings. There are also four wheels with each of the four faces, the color of beryl (green). The rim of each wheel is covered with eyes (Ez. 1:15-21). It's to noted that Satan was a Cherub (Ez. 28:14). All the angels are commanded to worship Jesus (Heb. 1:6). They are an innumerable host (Rev. 5:11, Matt. 26:53, 2 Kings 6:17, Ps. 68:17).
Angels are God’s servants. They minister to the heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:14). They protect those who fear God (Ps. 34:7, Kings 6:17). They deliver God's servants (Acts 12:7-11). They give direction to God's servants (Acts 8:26, Acts 10:3). They comfort God's servants (Acts 27:23-24). They also bring God's judgment and destruction (Gen. 19:1-13). They bring a pestilence (2 Sam 24:15-17). They bring sudden death (Acts 12:23). They bring messages from God to people (Luke 2:8-13).
Faith operates outside our natural senses. It is
born in the heart. Generally, all human beings have the tendency to walk by
sight and not by faith. We rely on what we see, forgetting there is a spiritual
realm that our eyes don’t see. It does exist and is both real and
eternal. Faith connects us to the invisible and eternal world, where God’s
government and celestial court is found. Faith moves us out of human
limitations and transports us to the threshold of divine glory, where we leave
our weakness and feebleness at the feet of the cross in order to be clothed
with the invincible strength of the Spirit of God. We leave behind a world of
failure and defeat to walk the solid streets of success and prosperity,
transform the absurd into something logical, the rotten and despised into
something useful and blessed for the world.
All temptation is primarily to look within; to take our eyes off the Lord and to take account of appearances. Faith is always meeting a mountain, a mountain of evidence that seems to contradict God's Word, a mountain of apparent contradiction in the realm of tangible fact- failures in deed, as well as in the realm of feeling and suggestion-and either faith or the mountain has to go. They cannot both stand. But the trouble is that many a time the mountain stays and faith goes. That must not be. If we resort to our senses to discover the truth, we shall find Satan's lies are often enough true to our experience; but if we refuse to accept as binding anything that contradicts God's Word and maintain an attitude of faith in Him alone, we shall find instead that Satan's lies begin to dissolve and that our experience is coming progressively to tally with that Word.[i]
We are born again by faith. We live by faith. We fulfill the will of God in our lives by faith. When we’re sick, we receive healing by faith. When we are broke, we get financial increase by faith. When we have trouble, we get help from God by faith. We receive anything and everything that we need from God…by faith - not by works or perspiration but by faith! Faith is simply believing what God says in His Word is true. Faith is trusting what God says more than we trust our natural senses or what other people say. Faith is believing God enough to talk and act as if His Word is true even when circumstances around us would seem to indicate that it’s not.
By faith we resist the devil, who is out to steal our health, our wealth and our blessings by any means. We don’t give to him what Jesus gave to us including divine health and divine prosperity. When devil pressures us with symptoms, circumstances and discouraging lies, we continue to believe God and His word. We keep our eyes upon God and confess His word no matter what. When symptoms of sickness come, we resist those symptoms and speak faith. We tell the devil to go away and we are not accepting the sickness that he wants to put on us because Jesus healed us two thousand years ago. He paid the price for us to be well and the devil can take his symptoms and go to hell where he belongs.
We hold fast to the Word of God and absolutely, positively, refusing to give up until we see God’s promises manifested in our lives. We don’t cast away our confidence, which hath great reward. We have patience, that, after we have done the will of God, we will receive the promise for the just shall live by faith and he doesn’t draw back to perdition but believe to see our salvation.
We receive what God has promised us—whether that is healing or any other scriptural blessing—because we believe it not just with our head but with our heart. When we hear lies to the contrary, we don’t buy them. We are fully persuaded of what God says that we act as if it’s true even when natural circumstances look like it’s not. We don’t quit when the going gets tough. But we stand until we see our desired results of what God has promised us.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) Hence we tell the devil we are healed and delivered and blessed and prospered and our end is better than our beginning. We confidently put the devil under our feet where he belongs and step boldly into a future full of the promises and provisions of God! God’s word is unchanging:
"For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. "I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. "I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 36:9-11
Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. "At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision: Daniel 9:20-23
By faith Jesus was tapped into the ever increasing, flowing river of constant knowledge and revelation from the heavenly world. True men of God flow in the mind of Christ and minister in the mantles of knowledge and live in the same world that Jesus lives. Since the Holy Spirit is just as much God as the Father and the Son, true men of God are not afraid to worship the Third "Person" of the Godhead as well as God the Father and God the Son. True men of God who have the strongest anointing have developed an intimate relationship and exchange with Holy Spirit! True men of God love and execute justice just like Jesus did. The bible records:
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." John 2:13-17
True men of God call forth those things that are not as though they were. True men of God ask God to send angels to work in their life and ministry. For true men of God heaven, the second heaven and the realm of the invisible would are real to them. Heavenly glory along with the spirit of prophecy touches their lives and they have divine wisdom and revelation to see and experience God in the reality of the supernatural. True men of God prophetically call forth reinforcements in the angelic realm and bring healing to many in the ministry who are under attack. Angels were important in the ministry of Jesus and visited Him so often at vital times in His life. They ministered to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and after His forty-day fast. They imparted divine strength and life to Him.
True men of god honor healing and preach healing and get healing! True men of God honor salvation and preach salvation, and get salvation. True men of God honor and talk about the supernatural or angels, and miracles happen and angels show up. God’s word is unchanging:
“Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.” Psalm 103:20
This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Psalm 34:6-7
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 107:19-20
Yes, it’s the angels job to go and carry out God’s word and deliver God’s trusting ones from destruction and in bringing them healing. We need angels in healing because many sicknesses and diseases today are caused by demons. So we need angels to come and war and take authority over the demonic realm. Yes angels do heed “the voice of His word,” the word spoken by God’s saints on the earth. They heed His voice as it comes through His saints who declare His word on the earth.
According to Jesus’ words, what we do and don’t do can bind and release heaven. Whatever we loose in heaven is loosed on earth, or whatever we bind on earth is bound in the heavens (Matthew. 16:19). So as we proclaim, decree and prophesy God’s will in our lives, a church and in a region, the angels carry out His word concerning His activities on the earth. Yes, angels are commissioned to carry out the word that God’s servants speak and prophecy.
Yes, true men of God have an anointing on them to release signs and wonders, not just physical healing and miracles. Because we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, we need to see into the invisible realm and use all the ministering angels who are at our disposal. We have authority to release angels to work on our behalf through prayer. God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:14-17
Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. Matthew 4:11
And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. "Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? "How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" Matthew 26:51-54
Yes, Elisha, as a true man of God, didn’t trust in what his natural senses felt or saw; his mind wasn’t on the temporal but on the eternal. He was aware that he had a greater army on his side. And in the same way those who are for us are greater than those who are against us. We are called to a life of signs and wonders and we set our mind on things above rather that the temporal, God will open the eyes of our heart to the invisible realm. And just like the angels came and minister to Jesus they can come and minister to us.
We can ask the Father at any time to provide us with more than twelve legions of angels, as we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. But the good news is that Jesus, the Great Commander of the Hosts is above all things that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers He is the Lord of the armies, the Chief, the commander of the army of the Lord. He is also the King of Kings, Lord of Lords and God of Gods. God’s word is unchanging:
“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians. 1:16
Because of what Jesus did on Calvary, we have been born again and Baptized with the Holy Spirit and God is now our Father, we have a right to fellowship with Him intimately and live by the words that proceed from His mouth which strengthens and leads us to prosperity. We can abide, rest in and trust the promises outlined in God's Word, and anticipate for Him to manifests His goodness in our life! We are connected to our Father's power and we can do all things through the Anointed One and His Anointing Who strengthens us! Our earnest and heartfelt prayers connect us to the supernatural power of God as we in faith humble ourselves, pray continually and turn from wickedness. (2 Chronicles 7:13-14) The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much. (James 5:16).
We have a blood-bought right to answered prayer. The Word of God is our guarantee. We can by prayer, supplication and with thanksgiving, make our requests known to Him who hears the prayer of the righteous and answer them. His eyes are on us and His ears are open to hear our prayers. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. (Psalm 34:15-17). We can be confident that when we pray according to God's Word, we are praying in line with His will and that He hears us and we receive our answers in due season (1 John 5:14).
We were taken out of the realm of darkness where men walk by their senses and have been translated into the kingdom of His dear Son and His love. We were translated into God’s family. We are partakers of His divine nature. The same life that was in the Son of God is in us. The same light that was in Jesus is in us. That is part of the new creation. Jesus’ life and love in us is the source of life.
Those who truly belong to God confess that life of God flows through their spirit, soul and body, and brings healing to every fiber of their being. They confess that they are redeemed from the curse of the law, and no weapon of sickness or disease formed against them will prosper. They declare that they are carefully and wonderfully made in God's image. Their physical appearance is a reflection of His glory. They are virtuous, holy, presentable and acceptable in God's sight. They identify with the beautiful image of His Word and increase from one level of glory to the next. They are blessed, prosperous and in good health and receive the confessions of their mouths. God’s word is unchanging:
Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. Genesis 26:12-14
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6
For thus says the LORD of hosts: "He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. "For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me. "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," says the LORD. Zechariah 2:8-10
The devil would lie to us and tell us that we are nobodies and not important to God, but the truth is that we are priceless and very important for we cost the life of God’s only son to redeem us with His precious blood. We are very valuable to God and there is nothing that He will no do for us especially fill us full of faith and power so that we can do great wonders and signs among the people just like Stephen full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom did. And those who disputed with him were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke (Acts 6:9-10).
Yes, in Christ Jesus we have a great inheritance including God Himself. We are forgiven, made clean and reconciled to God. We are saved by the gospel, born again. We are an incorruptible seed, a new creation in Christ and complete in Christ Jesus. We are now free from the control of men and from the law of sin and death. Yes, Christ has set us free from the curse of the law and we are free indeed.
Peace, liberty and God’s glory are our inheritance now. We are God’s property and the temple of the Lord in whom the Holy Spirit lives. We are a branch connected to the vine and His life flows through us. We are now good soil in which the Word of God abides in us and bears much fruit. We are an epistle, a letter of Christ, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. We are servants of the living God demonstrating the power of God in us and through us. We are also fellow citizens with all the saints in the kingdom of God. We are strangers to this world, pilgrims just passing through. We are part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. We are citizens of a holy nation and one of God’s own special people.
We are also heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ Jesus. We are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to all the promises made to Abraham. Yes, we are members of the household of God with rights and responsibilities. We are led by God’s Spirit and are called to proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Because of Christ’s light in us, we are the light of the world. As a result our life brings divine flavor wherever we go for we are the salt of the earth. God has called us priests and kings and has put on us a kingly anointing, that enables us to enforce God’s will on earth. We are also seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus from which we can make heavenly decrees.
We are blessed in the city and in the country. Our children are blessed too. We are blessed in all that we put our hands to. We are blessed when we come in and when we go out. We are above and not beneath, the head and not the tail. God has called us to be a lender and not a borrower for He has freely given us all things through Christ. In Him we are rich as everything that belongs to Jesus belongs to us.
The Lord is our shield and exceeding great reward. He covers and protects us. We are filled with His joy, peace, patience and love and freely love others. We freely give to others what we have freely received. His kindness and goodness work powerfully through us and enables us to have gentleness and self-control and display the fruit of the Spirit. Because of the Baptism of the Spirit we speaking in tongues and as believers in Jesus Christ, we cast out demons in His name. We have power over serpents and every work of the enemy; and as God’s ambassador, we lay hands on the sick and they recover.
Because of what Jesus suffered before His death, we are healed from every infirmity and immune from every sickness and disease. We are also endued with power from on high and are strong in the Lord and the power of His might. We overcome the wicked one and the world by the blood of Jesus and the words of our testimony. God’s word is unchanging:
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:17
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." Galatians 3:11
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. Hebrews 10:36-39
Yes, we are born again by faith. We live by faith. We fulfill the will of God in our lives by faith. When we’re sick, we receive healing by faith. When we are broke, we get financial increase by faith. When we have trouble, we get help from God by faith. We receive anything and everything that we need from God…by faith - not by works or perspiration but by faith! Faith is simply believing what God says in His Word is true. Faith is trusting what God says more than we trust our natural senses or what other people say. Faith is believing God enough to talk and act as if His Word is true, even when circumstances around us would seem to indicate that it’s not.
By faith we resist the devil, who is out to steal our health, our wealth and our blessings by any means. We don’t give to him what Jesus gave to us, including divine health and divine prosperity. When devil pressures us with symptoms, circumstances and discouraging lies, we continue to believe God and His word. We keep our eyes upon God and confess His word no matter what. When symptoms of sickness come, we resist those symptoms and speak faith. We tell the devil to go away and we don’t accepting the sickness that he wants to put on us because Jesus healed us two thousand years ago. He paid the price for us to be well and the devil can take his symptoms and go to hell where he belongs.
Yes, Jesus heals sick bodies today! How much better, and more scriptural, it is to wait until Jesus of Nazareth passes by and speaks the word of faith to the needy heart, than to mistake our belief in healing for the faith which He alone can give. It is our privilege to take our troubles and our cares to Him in prayer. Within our heritage is the right to draw apart from the world to the sacred place of communion, where “Heaven comes down, our souls to greet, and glory crowns the Mercy. By faith we hold fast to the Word of God and absolutely, positively, refusing to give up until we see God’s promises manifested in our lives. We don’t cast away our confidence, which hath great reward. We have patience, that, after we have done the will of God, we will receive the promise for the just shall live by faith and he doesn’t draw back to perdition but believe to see our salvation.
We receive what God has promised us—whether that is healing or any other scriptural blessing—because we believe it not just with our head but with our heart. When we hear lies to the contrary, we don’t buy them. We are fully persuaded of what God says that we act as if it’s true even when natural circumstances look like it’s not. We don’t quit when the going gets tough. But we stand until we see our desired results of what God has promised us. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) Hence we tell the devil we are healed and delivered and blessed and prospered and our end is better than our beginning. We confidently put the devil under our feet where he belongs and step boldly into a future full of the promises and provisions of God! God’s word is unchanging:
"For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. "I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. "I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 36:9-11
Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. "At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision: Daniel 9:20-23
My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, That they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me. He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD. Psalm 101:6-8
Hear my prayer, O LORD, And let my cry come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline Your ear to me; In the day that I call, answer me speedily. Psalm 102:1-2
Whether we like it or not storms are part of life and many of God’s people don’t know what to do in a storm. But the disciples of Jesus knew what to do when suddenly a storm came up, flooded their boat with water and they were sinking while Jesus was asleep in the boat. They woke Jesus up and told Him, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm (Luke 8:24). Yes, He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm (Mark 4:39).
The good news is that same Jesus who was with the disciples then is with us today and His miracle power and authority has not changed one bit. Demons, storms, wind, waves, and trouble must still obey His commands. And He is always for us, with us and not against us! It’s His good pleasure to give us the kingdom and to bring us safely to the other side – to plenty, prosperity and victory! Yes God has promised great and wonderful things for those who are His friends and abide in His presence and word. His word is true:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. Psalm 91:1-12
No matter what the tears and the sorrows, the heartaches and the disappointments that are the cruel gifts of a world devoid of faith in God, we can trust the Author and the Finisher of our faith for His grace. We can rest upon His promises. He is the Giver of every good and perfect gift, and the road we walk with Him will shine brighter unto the perfect day! If we have salvation, it’s because He has imparted it to us. If we have healing, it’s because of His virtue. If we have faith, it’s because faith has flowed out of His heart into ours—and that is the only faith that can move our mountain. Only as His love is freely given, only as He chooses to reveal Himself to us, can we understand, and then, only in part. Only as He grants His pardon, are we saved. Only as He imparts His strength, can we fight the good fight of faith. Only as He gives us His love, can we forgive our enemies. Only as He lifts us, can we rise above the world of sorrow and sin. Without Him we can do nothing and are nothing. His word is true:
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. John 15:1-9
Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life and only He can set us free from the bondage of fears and doubts, and the discouragement that ultimately comes after too many disappointments. And as we go to Him in absolute honesty of heart and mind to Jesus and we open the door of our hearts to Him, He opens the door to Himself and all His truth and grace and His wonderful presence that heals us, set us free and makes us whole and complete. He alone is our Faith, our Savior, our Healer, Our Deliverer, Our Trust and our All! He is the Giver of every good and perfect gift including faith, love, grace, and victory that we all need. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever and He never fails. As we rest in Him He gives us faith, hope and love and everything that we need to overcome all the storms and enemies in life.
Faith the size
of a grain of mustard seed does more than a ton of will, or a mind full of determination
but it’s the faith that He gives us and not what we manufacture. We need
the sunlight of God’s grace and truth to flood our hearts and minds and
be empowered by the Holy Spirit to behold the provisions of His love. The
disciples could not still the angry tempest, but with three little words from
Jesus, the wind dropped from a scream to a whisper, and the sea settled down to
sleep like a child in its mother’s arms.
Yes, with one touch from His hand divine, more can be accomplished in a heartbeat than all our struggles and mental endeavors could work in a thousand years. Yet He is still our advocate before the Father’s throne and we can go to him just as we are with all of our needs, problems, disappointments and struggles and He will impart true faith to us that will enable us to overcome all things and have the victory. When we were lost in sin and knew that we needed to get saved, we could not do it on our own but He gave us the faith to be saved. And similarly He will give us the faith to be healed and to overcome all things as we abide and rest in Him.
Jesus never groaned struggled or battled to bring change to a broken heart or a sick body. He just spoke matchless words of authority divine and the devil fled and bodies were healed. And when the disciples asked Him why they could do the same thing He told them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:19-21).
Yes, all we need is faith as a mustard seed, and mountains will tremble in fear as we approach. Yes, the least amount of faith that Jesus gives is greater and mightier than the worst the devil has to offer. A mustard seed of faith, not a truck load, will move any mountain. When God imparts His faith to us even through intercession and groaning, we do have to rebuke, command, struggle or plead with any mountain but just speak to it gently and it will move into the sea. And the only sound we will hear will be the voice of thanksgiving and praise. It’s not our ability to believe that makes mountains move into the sea but the faith of God which has imparted to us. We can believe in healing…we can believe in our God and His power to heal… but only He, the Lord Jesus Christ, can do the work that will lift us to the mountain peaks of victory.
Many of us struggle believing in the promises of the Word, believing in the power of Jesus to accomplish the miracle, believing so many, many things—wonderful and glorious to believe in the days of doubt and fear—but we are trying to do the impossible. We are staking the working of the miracle on our ability to believe mentally that it was already done in heaven. But what God requires is not head belief or mental assent, but that heart belief which is faith. Faith is not intellectual, but spiritual. It is primarily of the heart—not the mind. Genuine, scriptural faith is not our ability to “count it done,” but is the deep consciousness divinely imparted to our heart that it already is done. This is the faith that only God can give. [ii]
As sons and daughters of God, we can go boldly before the throne of grace in time of need. We can have God's promises fulfilled in our lives daily. It is God's will for His Children to be in health and to prosper, even as their souls prosper. God will not withhold any good thing from those who love and serve Him with their whole heart. We can look to the Lord for all things needed. We can trust Him to do what no other power can do. We can believe God to do the impossible for our loved ones and us.
There comes a time of life when all we can do is trust and wait on the Lord to do what we cannot do. He has already won all our battles of Calvary and has given us the victory. We don’t have to wrestle with God or go through a series of commands, rebukes and pleadings to change a negative thing. He has promised to be, do and give us all things in due season as we wait upon Him and delight ourselves in Him. His word is true:
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! Psalm 27:13-14
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Psalm 33:18-21
Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Psalm 37:3-6
In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. Psalm 62:7
By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of the far-off seas; Who established the mountains by His strength, Being clothed with power; You who still the noise of the seas, The noise of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples. Psalm 65:5-6
God cannot deny hearing the prayer of a righteous man any more than a mother could shut her ear to her crying baby! One of the foundations of the Christian faith is not only that God is faithful and true but that He hears and answers prayer. He is a God who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death and destruction.
People get into real trouble because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation. But surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land (Psalm 85:9) and not poverty or sorrow. With long life He will satisfy us and show us His salvation (Psalm 91) for He is the Rock of our salvation. Hence we are to take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD (Psalm 116:13). The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly (Psalm 118:15).
Yes, the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation (Psalm 149:4). Therefore with joy we will draw water from the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). God’s word is unchanging:
And it will be said in that day: "Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." Isaiah 25:9
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength. Isaiah 26:1-4
Yes, have waited for Him, and He will save us. We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation. Wisdom and knowledge are the stability of our times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the LORD is our treasure. (Isaiah 33:6). When we put our trust in Him, we shall be saved by the LORD With an everlasting salvation; we shall not be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever (Isaiah 45:17).
Yes, God will preserve us and give us as a covenant to the people, to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate heritages; to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent us to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
Yes, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says, "Your God reigns!" (Isaiah 52:7). God’s word is unchanging:
"Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, So that no one went through you, I will make you an eternal excellence, A joy of many generations. You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles, And milk the breast of kings; You shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. "Instead of bronze I will bring gold, Instead of iron I will bring silver, Instead of wood, bronze, And instead of stones, iron. I will also make your officers peace, And your magistrates righteousness. Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, And your gates Praise. "The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory. Isaiah 60:15-19
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:26
Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me. Micah 7:7
In the current time of life, our eyes shall see the salvation of the Lord and all flesh shall see the salvation of God for our God loves to hear and answer prayer prayed in the name of Jesus. "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Yes, the gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:10). Now is the day of salvation. Yes, God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).
Yes, the Holy Scriptures are able to make us wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works (Titus 2:14).
Yes, we have a great salvation confirmed both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Yes Jesus Christ is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. Yes, we are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God (Revelation 19:1).
God has implanted in the heart as a gift or a fruit—faith enough to maintain our salvation, faith enough to obey the Lord and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. We are continually dependent on Him for its continuance. But we cannot keep the light and dismiss the sun. We cannot have faith in God, unless we have the faith of God. God’s word is unchanging:
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10
Yes, as a result of the victories Jesus won on the cross we are now delivered from the hand of our enemies, and are able to serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. Just like Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit stated about God and us:
“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David, As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began, That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us, To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. Luke 1:68-75
The gift of faith is the beautiful flower of grace. That faith, which quiets the restless sea of life, makes the heart happy in knowing that the Pilot will see us through. Just because we are facing a storm does not mean that He has gone. To be needy is no proof we have been deserted. Our desperate need may be the door to our miracle! It may be God’s method of making us say, “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the seas obey Him?”
It’s not how weak are that matters but how strong our LORD is! It’s not our feeble faith or power that will change and transform things but His great power and unlimited faith! It’s not our cold, intellectual assent or belief that causes God to work miracles in our lives and on our behalf but His great love and compassion for us as we call upon the name that is above every name, including poverty, lack, sickness, diseases, demons and any enemy.
We can rest in the midst of the storm, in Christ who is above everything and has subdued all things. We can trust Him even when we cannot see, and rely upon Him when we do not understand. And He will give us the measure of faith to walk in harmony with His will and the knowing that He is working all things for good to them who love God and are called according to His purposes. God’s word is unchanging:
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame-who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. Philippians 3:13-21
As we need the gift of faith, it is imparted by the Lord, in order that His will, rather than ours, will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. If we possessed faith to use at any time to bring about our own desires, it would be disastrous. When we believe Jesus, in His presence and promise, His power, His grace, and His strength, then we are marching on Victory Highway toward the hills of Answered Prayer. As we decrease, He increases. The less of self, the more of Him! The more the crucifixion of the self-life with its spirit of pride, the more the resurrection rays of His life will impart power and health to our soul and body.
We can put all our trust in Jesus, for our help comes from Him alone. We can lean fully on His breast, for only as we touch Him can we drink in the sweetness of His presence. He has bountiful provision for our every need. It’s much better to let Him have His way with us, than to always try to have our way with Him as “He does all things well”.
The Christ of Calvary, who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift, is also the Author and Finisher of our faith. Only through Christ we are able to understand or approach God! To many Christians, faith is still their own ability to believe a promise or a truth, and is often based on their struggles to drive away doubt and unbelief through a process of positive affirmations. But we are nearest the manifestation of God’s imparted grace when we realize our own helplessness and entire dependence upon the Lord! It’s what God gives including His love, His Joy, His peace and His Spirit that makes us perfect whole and complete, not our own efforts.
In the heart of a storm we can settle into the arms of His love in and know: “Peace, perfect peace, though sorrows surge around. On Jesus’ bosom nothing but calm is found. It is His peace, imparted by the Spirit that we enjoy. All we have to do is receive it. Yes, our life is hid with Christ in God and in Him is everything that we need. He has given His promise that no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. So we can rest in that promise and abide in Him, even as He abides in us. We turn self-reliance into Christ-reliance, as we cast all our cares upon Him for God is Giver of every good and perfect gift and the Author and Finisher of our faith.
God is a Spirit, and the flow of His resurrection life comes through the Spirit primarily. And when we fully yield ourselves, not merely our conduct, but ourselves, to the headship of our glorious Lord, then begins the life supernal. It is not by imitation but by participation that we become of like nature, like substance with Him, “because as He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).
In ourselves, we can do nothing. Absolutely nothing! But we can rest in the LORD who can and will do all things in us and for us! He has called us to completely relinquish all that we have, and all that we are. Then, as the darkness moves out, the light moves in. As self goes out, He comes in. Then from within us begins to flow the “rivers of living water”—healing streams in the desert of our lives. The wilderness in us begins to rejoice, and the desert of our hearts is made to blossom as the rose! Without death there can be no resurrection!
God does not impart His resurrection life to us because we live for Him, but because, for His sake, we are willing to die and allow Him to live His resurrection life through us. God’s word is unchanging:
On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers, Yes, on all the happy homes in the joyous city; Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks- Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, Though hail comes down on the forest, And the city is brought low in humiliation. Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, Who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey. Isaiah 32:13-20
The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you."
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. Isaiah 35:1-7
Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 1 Peter 5:5-10
"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." Luke 4:18-19
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, Ephesians 4:11
The impartation of God’s ability into our lives to do His work is called “the anointing.” All through the Bible, we read about God calling and anointing people to do His work. Yes, the work of God has to be done by the anointing of God otherwise if will be to no avail. A common Christian cliché is, “God does not look for our ability, but He looks for our availability.” So many people avail themselves to God who do not have the ability. Later on, what happens is they try to do God’s work without any ability and they don’t succeed. God not only wants our availability, He wants us to receive His ability too. To avail ourselves is one side of the story. The other side is to learn to receive an anointing from Him. The anointing is the Spirit of God “possessing us.” His personality is so powerful that He could possess us until we become an extension of His being. Stephen was described as being full of wisdom in Acts 6:5 whereas Jesus was described as coming in the power of the Spirit in Luke 4: 14.
The anointing will transform our personality altogether when it comes upon us. The anointing will change us to be like a different person. When we have the anointing on our life and we learn to flow with it, we have the potential to become a totally different person. The anointing need not change our personality but it can. We could flow into it so much so that the anointing becomes our nature and we become part of the anointing. The anointing is such that it actually has the potential to change us if we keep flowing in it long enough. It is like a habit is formed if we keep repeating the action for a long time. If we keep yielding to a certain characteristic of the anointing, it can become a part of our life and change and transform us. When God gives us an anointing, He literally wants to become a part of our nature through time. In the end, we personify the message and the message is preached through our life. We and the message are one and the same. That is the wonderful part of the anointing.
Jesus Christ was anointed by the Spirit of the LORD and He stood in all five offices. He was an apostle (Hebrews 3:1). He was a prophet (Mark 6:4; Acts 3: 22-26). Peter said that Jesus was a prophet whom Moses spoke about. He was an evangelist in that He went about preaching the kingdom of God (Mark 1:4). He was a pastor as He is the good Shepherd (John 10:10). He was known as a teacher and Nicodemus said that “we know that You are a teacher sent from God” (John 3: 2). The Lord Jesus Christ was anointed to stand in all the five offices. Very few of God’s true servants stand in all five offices. Most may just stand in one particular office and some have one and some have two. Apostle Paul stood in tree offices a preacher, an apostle and a teacher (1 Timothy 2:7, 2 Timothy 1:11).
It was said of Jesus by John that He had the Spirit upon Him without measure (John 3: 34). The word ‘measure’ being used here implied that the anointing had been given in measures to people before but now was given without measure to our Jesus Christ. He had the Spirit on His life and it was measureless. For He whom God has sent speaks the Word of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The anointing enables us to do the works of Jesus. The anointing can be increased. Just as we grow from faith to faith, from glory to glory, and from grace to grace, we also can grow in the level of anointing in our life. In addition, the Holy Spirit is received in measures. We can measure the amount and the level of anointing that operates in our life. There are different degrees, different measures of the anointing. But there is always a price to pay for moving in a greater anointing and that choice is ours.
When God calls He gives the ability. The anointing is the ability of God that He gives to perform a task. He is a fair God. He does not call a servant to do something without giving Him an anointing for it. When He calls, He gives an anointing. However, human nature is such that sometimes it is not easy to draw the anointing.
Some people impart their anointing to others to bless them. And others jealously keep their anointing for they might lose it. But the anointing due to impartation never runs out for is more a stream of supply that flows. There are also different measures of the anointing and different degrees of the anointing. Two persons may stand in the office of a prophet but both receive different measures of anointing. Elijah had the anointing but Elisha had a double portion of the anointing. Both men occupied the same office but they each had a different measure of the anointing. As a result some ministers of the Gospel are more anointed than others because God gives different measures of anointing. We need to learn how to increase the measure of the anointing.
The anointing does not just work or function automatically. And if a designated person fails to flow fully in the anointing, especially because of death, that person’s anointing will go to somebody else. God gives an anointing to get a job done. If the job is not done, the anointing will go to somebody else who is willing to get the job done. God is interested in results and not in decorations. Leadership is not just decoration. If someone gets into a leadership position and does not have the anointing, that person becomes a tyrant and an oppressor of God’s people. Holding a position without anointing is dangerous. Those who do not draw on the anointing given for assuming that leadership would also be crushed under the weight of the position since the anointing is not activated to accomplish God’s work.
God is unleashing more of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His plans and purposes. He wants to release the anointing through the Body of Christ, but now it is in the initial stage. But God expects accountability. All gifts belong to God and God will manifest through us to accomplish His job and purposes. God gets all the glory, not any church or organization. God is a jealous God. He is the God who performs the miracles, not men.
In these last days as God pours our His Spirit He intends to release a measureless measure of the anointing upon this earth. And we can we can tap into the measureless measure in the office of anointing in that office God has called us too. When we flow in the anointing we don’t do anything under pressure from men. We only do what the Spirit of God tells us to do. We obey the Holy Spirit and do exactly what He tells us to. We do not try to please men but please God with all our heart, mind, and strength. We are here to please God. If God tells us something, that is final.
Just like the level of differential of the positive and the negative points of a battery determines the amount of current flowing through, in the same way, there is the flow of anointing from the God’s servant to the receiver. The amount of anointing flowing depends on the level of anointing upon the anointed and the faith and need of the receiver.
Jesus was hundred percent anointed all the time and He was always flowing at peak performance. We need to pray and ask God to help us increase the level of our anointing as well as our yieldedness to the Lord. We need to ask for His help to be open to the anointing and flow quickly with it as the Spirit moves in our midst. We have to learn to be sensitive to the anointing. God’s gives the anointing by measures to us. The anointing upon our lives is increased measure upon measure, as we prove faithful to the anointing. The fullest potential of the anointing we can aspire to in whatever office we stand in is the anointing without measure – the same as the anointing upon Jesus’ life. God’s word is unchanging:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:12
To do the works that Jesus did and greater works implies that now the Holy Spirit has been sent without measure. The Holy Spirit has been sent in Acts 2 as prophesied without measure. He is now pouring out on all flesh. Hence the potential is there for all of God’s people to reach into that measureless anointing that Jesus had. But we start with a measure of anointing God placed on our lives. He gives us a deposit of anointing upon our life up to a certain level. Then as we are faithful to flow in it, as we are faithful to function in it, then God gives another measure. After each testing if we pass we get a greater measure and if we fail we remain at the measure we had been last given. The operation and perfection of the gift of God depend on us not on God. It is our responsibility to be faithful and to use what we have been given. Unless we are faithful to the measure God gives, we will not have more. Abuse of power, doing things in the flesh and pride will cause us to have a decrease in the level of the anointing in our lives and ministry.
The level of God’s anointing in us is determined by six boundaries: Calling and Office, Free Will, Unbelief, Pattern and Method, Character and Body.
The call and office of God’s servant limits the anointing. Just because a person is called to be a pastor or an evangelist doesn’t mean He can operate in an office of an apostle or prophet. God wants us all to flow in the gift and call He has set for us. God also has no “Lone Rangers” we are to work and co-operate with other callings and five fold ministries. Otherwise we may not lose our call and ministry we will lose the anointing.
Yes, sometimes one of God’s servants may lose the anointing but still be in the office for a certain length of time while another is chosen to stand in that same office and anointing. Saul’s anointing went to David but it was a while before David became king. Positions in God’s kingdom are not sacred that God has to preserve His servant no matter what he does. The anointing is precious and disobedient servants will find their anointing removed and later their office.
The anointing of God never bypasses the free will of man. We cannot force an anointing on others and the Holy Spirit will not force us minister in the anointing. It’s our choice to obey to listen to what the Spirit is saying exactly to do and obey or not. The anointing is subject to a person’s free will - it will not bypass the free will.
The anointing can be limited by unbelief (Mark 6:6) Jesus could not do any mighty work in his home town because of the unbelief of the people. The anointing is limited to people’s faith level. Our expectation and faith level limit the anointing that is able to flow. We need to have faith in God as well as a measure of faith to top into God’s anointing to flow through us. If people don’t respect God’s word or His servant they anointing will be limited.
Many people can be in the presence of anointing and because they don’t regard the man of God as a man of God they receive nothing from the anointing They blocked themselves from the anointing of God. Unless the church esteems the gift of God the members will not tap on the gift of God. It’s important for us to know how to flow in God and how to give honor where honor is due. We need to esteem a gift when a gift is there and just flow along with it.
God has a different pattern and method of ministry that He ordains for each of His servant to use their anointing. Many Christian people try to be clones of Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Benny Hinn or their special pastor and to pattern themselves after them and to use their methods of ministry, We are not to copy the pattern and methods of others, but are to find out what God’s pattern and method is for us individually.
Our character limits the flow of our anointing to your character. Some people are very loud and aggressive and it’s impossible to know whether it’s the anointing or it’s just them. If we chose to remain a more introvert and very quiet person we will have trouble flowing in the anointing to masses of people. We must overcome some areas of our character in order to facilitate the anointing through our lives. In some areas we must develop a new character in God. Our character has to change and conform to that which God so desires.
No matter how anointed we are or how much God uses us, our body has a limitation. Even Jesus in John 4 felt tired being wearied from His journey, He by Jacob’s well. Jesus had a physical body that felt tired. We need wisdom as to when to work and when to rest. Otherwise we will be over worked and die prematurely. We cannot live fully spiritual and ignore the natural without facing consequences. We got to just know our body. And know to what extend we could push our body. While some people tend to overwork their body, some people tend to underwork their body.
Every anointed person receives the anointing and impartation in a slightly different way from others although there may be some common similarity. When the power of God flows into our life, there will be an outflow of manifestation. There is no inflow without an outflow. It is impossible even in the natural. If there is no outflow there is no inflow. The amount of outflow is proportional to the amount of inflow.
Sometimes when the power touches people, it has not gone through them yet. It is just still working in their life. We began to see some effects. Some of them do not fall. Some shake but the moment the power goes through them, and then they fall. It depends on the degree of the anointing and the response of the recipient. Some people sense warmth; others a cold chill and still others feel like needles poking them. Whatever it is, there is a tangible substance received. That is an outflow. If we touch electricity, we would feel something. Our body gets a jerk whether we like it or not. The power of God is no respecter of person – there will be an effect.
There is an outflow depending on the different degree of the anointing and the receptivity of the recipient. Now how much it outflows through our life depends on a different factor. Each person in the spiritual realm has a different conductivity level. For whatever reason or background we come from, some people are better conductors than others of the anointing of God. The anointing flows easily in some people. Some people are poor conductors of the anointing and are just like dead wood. They could stand before the power and the anointing of God and they are touched only a little. The wonderful thing is that our spiritual conductivity level can change with time and relationship with God. If we are well related to God our conductivity level could reach to hundred percent. There are very few men if any who have reached that level where they could conduct the power of God a hundred percent like Jesus. Jesus was such a perfect conductor that the power of God goes through Him a hundred percent.
When we receive the power of God, there would be a manifestation. Sometimes that manifestation happens once during the first time and that person may never experience it again. Whenever somebody receives an anointing, there is an outflow of the anointing and a manifestation of that outflow. As we yield to that outflow, we would continue to receive an inflow of the anointing into your life. Some people may manifest the anointing in a more obvious and powerful way than others. The outflow comes by choice also. We could choose to stop the flow or to yield to the flow. If we have determined that we are not going to respond, the anointing would not work for us. God honors our freewill. When we say yes, the power can flow through us. The moment we say no, the power is cut off. The outflow is controlled by our freewill.
We could have the most anointed man of God in the world praying over us but if in our heart, we were reluctant or resistant, we will not be able to receive anything. We miss many blessings because we quench the moving of the Holy Spirit in us. Those who are pliable to the Lord receive a lot of things from the Lord. No matter how sincere or presumptuous we are, there will be no inflow of the anointing if we do not yield to the anointing and let it outflow. Nevertheless God’s word is unchanging:
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11
"The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. Genesis 24:35
'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the LORD of hosts. 'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the LORD of hosts." Haggai 2:8-9
There are riches in glory because the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. He is the God who supplies our needs according to His riches in glory. The bible even tells us that the silver and gold is His. God who blessed Abraham greatly and gave him also silver and gold and brought His people out of Egypt with silver and gold and there was not a feeble amongst them (Psalm 105:37) doesn’t have a problem blessing His trusting ones with silver and gold and healing them from the top of their heads to the tip of their toes. Mind you some of His trusting ones have trouble believing God for it and their enemy does everything in their power to hold back their financial breakthrough.
The battle for healing and prosperity of God’s trusting ones is so fierce in the heavenlies that we need to petition the Father to release on our behalf the angels in heaven that are assigned to get and bring us money, wealth, power, prosperity, healing, victory and change. We need to ask the Father to let those legions of angels that are assigned to release financial and other breakthroughs, come into the earth and loose the Devil from the money assigned to us and his hold over every negative situation where we desire victory in Jesus name. We are to call in that money, blessings, healing and victory in the name of Jesus and release the angels to take authority over the demonic powers and principalities that are preventing our miracles and breakthroughs. Yes, we need for the Angels to push back the darkness, resistance and warfare that want to keep us from spiritual and physical and financial breakthroughs.
We need to be constantly aware of the activity and ministry of God’s angels, and become more aware of the supernatural, so that it will become easy to release all the miracles, healings and other stuff that God wants to do amongst us. We also need to petition the Father to impart different mantles and apostolic anointing to our lives and enable us to receive everything He has for us including the seer prophet mantle; a healing mantle; gift of miracles mantle for creative miracles and gifts of prophecy, the word of knowledge the dimension of visions and dreams. We need to release and believe for prosperity for everything that we put out hands to especially our business and our homes!
We need to ask God to break the power of every demon sent to hold back what God wanted us to have the first day we asked. As we intercede and do warfare against the Devil and his demons, we need angelic reinforcements and renewed strength. We need the protection, breakthrough and healing that angels bring. We need to ask the Father that angels would come and strengthen all of us who have been in a place of suffering and warfare and desert. We need to feel the wind of angels’ wings as they minister the life of God to us and give us strength for the battle. When we have been in a place of hardship—we are weak, beaten and tired and we need angels to minister to us just as they did to Jesus. God’s word is unchanging:
And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. Mark 1:13
For many reasons including ignorance, fear, and unbelief, God’s people are not doing what God’s word has told them to do because don't understand the power in the declarations: "Exaltation will come," and "Decree a thing and it will be established" (Job22:28-29). Our ministering angels carry out our earthly prophetic decrees which line up with the truth of God's word and His will. When we declare: "Restore!" "Restore!" Then the angels in heaven are released to execute this decree! God’s word is unchanging:
But this is a people robbed and plundered; All of them are snared in holes, And they are hidden in prison houses; They are for prey, and no one delivers; For plunder, and no one says, "Restore!" Isaiah 42:22
Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things! Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you- The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. Joel 2:21-27
Yes, God wants to save and bring restoration to the humble, His people and His church. Yes this is the day of God’s vengeance on our enemies and the year of His favor ones. This is our acceptable year, liberation, Jubilee and our victory! When through our faith we release God to save the humble and to deliver those who are bound exaltation comes to us. When we say, "Restore!" we release God's 'repairer of the breach' anointing (Isaiah 58:12) which causes everything in our lives that is lost and broken to be restored—the thief must repay God's people. Yes we can let the angelic hosts overcome every demonic power or stronghold and every assignment that is aimed against our inheritances! Yes we can throw it down! We can take authority concerning our kingship over every power that resists.
Yes, restoration happens when we declare, "Restore!" "Restore!" "Exaltation comes!" And we will see breakthroughs in every area of our lives including receiving our inheritance and stepping into our destiny. We will experience prosperity in their businesses; even the number of businesses increase. Yes, the Lord will rebuke the enemy who brings sickness and disease by stealing, killing and destroying. He will turn all the negative things around in our live and give us justice where there is injustice, make the wrongs right and the crook straight. Yes, when we ascend the courts of heaven and petition the Ancient of Days to come and pronounce judgment in our favor. We will that receive supernatural intervention by God when events are out of our hands because a higher court system has come into place when we approach His throne and present our case to Him. Yes, we can begin to bring justice and mercy for the poor and needy, the afflicted and the widow, with the Word of God in our mouths. He gave us authority to set the captives free, in Jesus' Mighty name! God’s word is unchanging:
"But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I would commit my cause- Who does great things, and unsearchable, Marvelous things without number. Job 5:8-9
When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South. Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:1-6
God wants prosperity of His people not only body, soul and spirit and their finances but of His kingdom. He wants them to fulfill the vision He has given them and having more than enough to do what God has called them to do. He wants them to be productive and bear much fruit for the kingdom and that their fruit would remain. He wants to give them a great anointing and great power for they bring great grace and great grace brings great provision. God’s word is unchanging:
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces." For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, "Peace be within you." Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good. Psalm 122:6-9
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:2-4
The Hebrew word for peace is shalom (both adjective and substantive), meaning, primarily, "soundness," "health," "prosperity," well-being in general, all good in relation to both man and God. Yes, God wants peace and prosperity to be within our walls and palaces. He wants His people and His church to be sound, healthy, wealthy, and prosperous and have favor with God and with men. And this is not done for them not by the works of the flesh but by the anointing and grace of God which He freely gives to those who believe Him for it!
The touch of God, the fire of God and the presence of God does more for us than anything else in this universe. And it’s the pearl of great price that Jesus talked about, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it (Matthew 13:45-46). It’s God Spirit and presence that is important and moves out the mountains in our lives through grace and not other things. God’s word is unchanging:
Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' " Zechariah 4:5-6
Only the Spirit and function of the Holy Spirit can remove every hindrance and obstacle in our lives and make something out of nothing! Only the Holy Spirit does something so supernatural from nothing to something by the Spirit called grace, grace, just like God created heaven and earth out of nothing and sustains it by grace! But we must do our part by cooperating with God and doing whatever He tells us to see our miracles. God’s word is unchanging:
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. John 2:1-11
Mary told said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." And when they did what Jesus told them to do they saw a miracle.
"Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. 'The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 'and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.' Deuteronomy 1:29-30
"When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. "So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. "And he shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; 'for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.' Deuteronomy 20:1-4
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
Defeat and failure are foreign to God and to His true trusting ones. Victory and conquest are what God has ordained for them. But it’s our faith, not the circumstances or the size of the enemy, that determine our victory and conquests. God has given to each one a measure of faith to enable us to have every victory and miracle and see all our needs met. Jesus told us if we will get rid of our unbelief and have faith as a mustard seed, we will say to any mountain, “Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).
Whatever we can believe for and use our faith for will result in victory and conquest including over sickness, disease, poverty, lack, demons, mountains and men. Stuart Hamblen in his song It Is No Secret (What God Can Do) wrote: "It is no secret, what God can do What he's done for others, he'll do for you." Well the secret that most people have not understood that God does things for people on the basis of faith not perspiration or intellect. That is why I prefer the avenue of faith because the bible states:
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Hebrews 11:30-34
We have to use what God has given to us and not complain
that we don’t have anything! A lot of Christians are allowing Satan to
dominate their lives, to wreck their families, to overcome them. And they are
crying to God, “God, help.” God asks, “What are you
doing? I gave you the authority: in My name they shall cast out demons not Me.”
It never says, “In My name, God shall cast out demons for them.”
In My name they shall cast out demons. Yet God’s word is unchanging:
Then Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." 1 Samuel 15:22
"For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11:23-24
Not only is obedience better than offerings and costly sacrifices but believing is better than unbelieving for whatever things we ask when we pray, believe that we receive them, and we will have them. It is taken for granted that our prayer must be based upon the Word. If we do things contradictory to the Word, our prayer is completely cancelled out. But with obedience fresh anointing oil comes upon our lives from God, and we live in freshness and constant revelation. We enjoy fresh manna every morning. And people love to be around us and the anointing, seeing the power of God as people get saved, healed and delivered because of the anointing.
Nobody wants to be dry and thirsty or to live in a wilderness. And just like Jesus was anointed with two anointings: the Holy Spirit and power so can we be all that we should be. It’s possible to be anointed with the Holy Spirit—smeared with the Holy Spirit, like having the oil poured on and rubbed in, like a massage. Then some ‘as it is in heaven’ rubs off on us and we carry this realm everywhere we go. And people are blessed because of the anointing that is upon us especially as the anointing that is imparted on us is transferable and can be imparted to others.
Now just because we have the anointing it doesn’t mean we are perfect or that we have arrived but rather God loves us and loves His people and wants to bless them through the anointing! The anointing makes us what we are in God’s kingdom? “A somebody!” But to maintain the anointing we must spend give more time to the Word, to prayer and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, the meditation on the Word and prayer and less time to others things.
The bible tells us of
Samson who was just your typical person but when the anointing came up He had
superhuman strength. He accomplished great victories over the bear, the lion,
the foxes, and the Philistines just by the anointing and ability given by God.
Samson was a powerful man under the anointing but when the anointing is not
there, he was easily influenced, easily falling for women because he did not
know how to rein his personality and subject it to his anointing.
The bible also tells
us in 2 Kings 18, when the anointing came upon Elijah he ran as fast as King
Ahab’s chariot. When an
anointing comes on our life to accomplish the plans and purposes of God it will
give us supernatural ability to do
tasks beyond human and physical capabilities and understanding. It opens of our
spiritual understanding and allows us to see things in the spiritual realm and
have great faith, power and authority just like Paul lived and did:
Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live." But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. Acts 28:1-9
Mind you some
religious ones who don’t have power or anointing don’t like this
subject and talk about character building or their unique church doctrines
which don’t give the people their needed miracles of salvation, healing,
deliverance and financial prosperity. Character and doctrines are important if
they are made alive by the anointing and not by men who don’t have the
anointing and are in a poor spiritual state. And since their numbers are
declining , they talk about quality and not quantity. With out the anointing and the reality
of God’s supernatural miracles, signs and wonders there is no real growth
especially in numbers. It takes the power of God to change people and their
circumstances, not dead words. God’s word is unchanging:
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 1 Corinthians 1:17
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Jesus for thirty years
since birth had the Spirit but did not have the anointing on Him as a Messiah
yet. He was called, He was chosen, He was predestined, He was obedient, He had
integrity and He was blameless in His character and walk. But until He was
anointed He didn’t do a single miracle even though His character was
excellent, His holiness impeccable as well as His integrity and He was full of
love! But once the anointing of God
came upon His life, within a few months the Word of God says He became a
“somebody” and His fame
was spread abroad.
Even though a man might
be the world greatest philosopher, atheist, or scholar, the anointing will breakdown
the greatest mind. And it’s
not by power nor by might nor by logic nor by arguments but by “My Spirit
says the Lord!” The power of God and anointing of God breaks the yoke over people’s life
and does what nothing else can do set people free and be what they are supposed
to be, perfect, whole, complete lacking nothing! When the anointing shows up in
a person’s life or circumstance and is accepted there is always real
change for the better! Yes, the anointing has the power to turn us into a
different person. The anointing does not force us but we have to yield to it to
have all its benefits.
Everything that God does is through the anointing. And to maintain an anointing, we need to have godly character and integrity. As long as anointed ones obey God they keep their anointing but when they disobey God they loose their anointing like Saul did. When Saul lost the anointing he became a nobody in God’s sight although he was admired, respected and obeyed by others. God’s word is unchanging:
Now the LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons." And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' "Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you." So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, "Do you come peaceably?" And he said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice. So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him." But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all the young men here?" Then he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here." So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!" Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. 1 Samuel 16:1-4
The Holy Spirit wants
to accomplish great things in the end times, and the way to do this is to
release new types of anointing. The Holy Spirit has expressly said that many
great men of God that are serving God today will be taken home soon. They have
been serving God well but they only knew the old types of anointing. It is
their dispensation. Now the new dispensation calls for new types of anointing.
The Holy Spirit has to remove them so that new servants of God will arise with
new types of anointing to accomplish the last great revival. The Holy Spirit
cannot put new wine in old wineskins. The old wineskins will burst and the new
wine will be lost. Thus, the Holy Spirit will have to take home these great men
of God first so that they will not be a hindrance to the new anointing. Millions
of non-Christians will come to know and accept the Lord Jesus Christ when this
new work begins. However, if Christians do not have fellowship with the Holy
Spirit, they may oppose this new move of God and find themselves working
against God, just like the Jews did not know God and opposed Jesus Christ when
He came in their midst.
The major problem in
the church today is that Christians are not listening to God. They are doing
their own thing. If we ever want to see the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we
must listen to the Holy Spirit. First, we must have the anointing of the Holy
Spirit. Secondly, we must wait for His instructions and directions. We cannot
do as we wish. If we persist in ignoring the Holy Spirit’s instruction,
we will be taken out of ministry. And when we obey the Holy Spirit, there will
be a manifestation. The Holy Spirit will bear witness to us. The Holy Spirit is
showing us these types of anointing to prepare us for the end times. The end
times anointing will be at a very high level. God’s word is unchanging:
"No one sews a
piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away
from the old, and the tear is made worse.
"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts
the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine
must be put into new wineskins." Mark 2:21-22
"The lamp of
the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be
full of light. "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of
darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that
darkness! Matthew 6: 22-23
The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion; Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life. Proverbs 20:2
Take away the wicked from before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness. Proverbs 25:5
The primary person we have to please on earth and in heaven is God in Jesus Christ who is the King of kings and Lord of Lords. If He says to us, well 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord' (Matthew 25:41) we have it made. But if He says to us, 'You wicked and lazy servant… then we are in serious trouble for the wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life. Yet God’s word is unchanging:
"But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die. "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? "When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. "Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. "Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. Ezekiel 18:24-26
The anointing and the gifts of the Spirit come from God not from man. Many prominent pastors and evangelists today make the claim that because "souls" are being saved and "healings" take place in their meetings, that this somehow validates their ministry. While these things may be well and good, they are no indication of "divine" sanction. A.A. Allen was a drunkard, Jimmy Swaggart a whoremonger, Jim Bakker a thief, Larry Lea a prevaricator, and Robert Tilton a charlatan - yet ALL of these saw thousands saved and miracles take place in their meetings.
Because one is blessed with "prosperity" and has a "following" of thousands, doesn't mean a darn thing when it comes to integrity and godly sanction, for "he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust," (Matthew. 5:45).[iii] But Jesus told all men about practicing lawlessness that many prominent religious ones seem to ignore:
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." Matthew 7:21-27
As far as God is concerned do a nice thing at the wrong time and place with wrong motives and attitudes is to practice lawlessness even if they prophesy in Jesus name, cast out demons in Jesus name and do many wonders in His name! Men chose to ignore what God has stated, But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered. As a result for some servants of God, Jesus will tell them 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
Jesus taught that the goats who did not give him food when He was hungry, give him drink when He was thirsty, take Him in when He was a stranger, clothe Him when He was naked, visit Him when He was sick and in prison would go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Yes, all those who did not minister to the least of one of these are unrighteous. And since Jesus wrote the rules and enforces them, they are in deep trouble. God’s word is true:
"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 'for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 'I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Matthew 25:41-46
We have to be very careful and wise about all that we do and say in our life and to make sure that it originates in the Spirit and not the flesh. God’s word is unchanging:
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1 Corinthians 3:10-17
He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac, And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance," When they were few in number, Indeed very few, and strangers in it. When they went from one nation to another, From one kingdom to another people, He permitted no one to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, Saying, "Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm." Psalm 105:7-15
One of the most common errors found in Christianity today is that particular persons, usually pastors or evangelists, are somehow more "anointed" than the average Christian. This teaching often coincides with a veiled threat in the form of "touch not mine [the Lord's] anointed," (I Ch. 16:22, Ps. 105:15).
The term "anointing" means to "authorize, or set apart, a person for a particular work or service," (Is.61:1). The New Testament is absolutely clear on whom the anointing rests - ALL of Christ's disciples, who are God's very own, set apart and commissioned for service (2 Cor. 1:21). The New Testament does not support the notion of a "greater" anointing based on "position" and such teaching has its origin in a fundamental misunderstanding of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.
Proponents of this error fail to use careful exegesis to discern the difference between the Old Testament call of a "prophet," where the anointing rested on one man (Is. 61:1, I Sam. 26:9,11, 2 Sam. 22:51, 2 Chr. 6:42), and the New Testament call of a "priesthood of believers" (I Pet. 2:5,9). Certainly there are diversities of gifts, but the Spirit [or anointing] remains the same (I Cor. 12).
Prominent evangelists have long terrorized God's people with "touch not mine anointed" nonsense if anyone dared question them or their teaching. Anyone who has a gift (all have gifts, 1 Cor. 12:7-11), has a ministry, and anyone who has a ministry, has authority and is anointed.
It is a sad situation in many churches today that "laity" are content to sit on a pew week after week and assume the opinions of professional clergymen are to be the final authority. They find comfort in this approach because it is safe. Preachers are content to keep it this way because it secures their position in the church.
How many times have believers been subjected to mishandled scripture with an implicit or explicit "touch not God's anointed" if any dared to question? This is in contrast to the Biblical admonition to "try the spirits", (1 John 4:1). Fear is not of God and teaching which incorporates psychological intimidation is corrupt and deceptive. One of the easiest ways to determine what "spirit" motivates a person "in authority" is to question them. A godly man or woman will never be offended or become indignant if someone dares to question them and compare what is said with the Word of God. However, if one is motivated by an "authoritarian" spirit of conceit or arrogance, the questioner will soon know it. Peter warned the elders (pastors and spiritual guides of the church) not to be domineering [arrogant, dictatorial, overbearing] over the flock of God, but to be patterns and models of Christian living (I Pet. 5:3, AMPL.)[iv]
And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Matthew 10:1
"When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. "Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. "Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation." Matthew 12:43-45
Jesus Christ restored
to us the right to have dominion over every living thing that moves on the
earth including sickness, diseases, and demons. We are created to be possessed
by God who desires nothing but our best good, not by demons. We have been
created be filled with the fullness of God’s Spirit and blessings. From
Christ fullness we have all received, and grace for grace and were created to
have an anointing within us and an anointing upon us. God’s word is true:
And of His fullness
we have all received, and grace for grace. John 1:16
But I know that
when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel
of Christ. Romans 15:29
For this reason I bow
my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and
earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ
may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in
love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and
length and depth and height- to
know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all
the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19
And He Himself gave
some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers, for the equipping of the
saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we
all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a
perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; Ephesians
4:11-13
While demonic possession eradicates our free will and subjugates it all together, Holy Spirit possession gives us freedom. Although the Spirit of God possesses us, our free will is intact. Because of the New Birth and the Baptism of the Spirit through the anointing we have authority over demons, authority with God, authority over the natural kingdom of animals, authority over natural substances and authority over the works of the devil which are sicknesses and diseases upon people’s life. Y
es, just like the disciples did, we have power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Yes, the anointing within us gives us delegated authority and power. The anointing upon us results in the demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. All the five realms of authority that the believer’s anointing gives us is released through the invoking of that majestic name of Jesus and the power of the spoken word. Words are the capsules that contain the believer’s anointing and release it forth. God’s word is unchanging:
Then God blessed
them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and
subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air,
and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:28
So the Lord said,
"If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree,
'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Luke 17:6
"And these
signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they
will speak with new tongues; "they will take up serpents; and if they
drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on
the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:17-18:
Demonic strongholds in
our bodies nullify or short circuit our anointing. For a varieties of reasons
including generational curses, wrong teaching, unbelief, disobedience,
foolishness the enemy creates strongholds in our flesh, that many time we are
not aware of, we must take care to uproot all strongholds from our flesh. In
the weaker and unguarded moments of their private lives, many Christians give
in to their strongholds and indulge in secret sins. And as a result their last state is
worse than the first when they lose their anointing.
We have a hot line to God. Any time day or night that bypasses our mind and understanding we can just pray in tongues and then we can reach out to God. Our spirit will commune with God’s Spirit because of the deposit of the anointing within us. Because of the anointing within us and all that Jesus did for us we can approach God and we can prevail with God in our request. God honors the anointing that He has placed within our life. Jesus showed the power of the Spirit life within Him and He showed the power of the anointing upon. He showed both and so can we.
God has given us believer’s tremendous authority but
it’s useless if we don’t use it. He has given us the living Word
Jesus and the written word the bible as well as the Holy Spirit and His
anointing. The Word and the Anointing are an antidote and solution to our problems.
The anointing never contradicts the written law and the written Word. There are boundaries set by the written
Word. However the anointing
must be maintained by faithfulness in our communion with the Holy Spirit and in
our prayer life. Our faith must not
be built on the Word by our mind, but by revelation from the Holy Spirit. Many
Christians fail because they act on presumption and without the anointing.
All that Jesus did in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the signs and miracles and wonders He said He did by His union with the Father who was in Him. He was sensitive to whatever the Father said or willed. Everything He did was the out flow of His relationship with the Father. He was sensitive to the presence of the Father in His life. He did exactly as the Father desired. And now He sent back the Holy Spirit so that we could be sensitive and rely on the Father and the Holy Spirit just like Jesus did. So when we are truly ministering God’s love, power and presence to others, it’s not us but Jesus inside of us who is flowing out and ministering through us. As we are conscious of Jesus in us we wait on Him to see how He wants to move and do the work He wants to do. God’s word is unchanging:
"I and My Father are one." John 10:30
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Jesus Christ is our victory, our all and our all sufficient one. It is Jesus who is the Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Refuge, Provider and Everything that God’s people need, not us! But we have to be conscious of Jesus in us first before we can be conscious of what Jesus is doing outside us. To minister in the anointing is not what we are doing it but what Jesus is doing. We are just being instruments of the Lord Jesus and of the Holy Spirit and we just allow Him to minister. We minister from our spirit outwards onto people as we are conscious of Jesus inside us leading, speaking to and directing us. The more yielded we become to Jesus a greater channel for Him flows through us. God’s word is unchanging:
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:10
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1Timothy 6:12
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11
When we make a confession over anything we are releasing the anointing, and this anointing is not the anointing upon but the anointing within us. The authority over men, demons, sickness and disease is released through our spoken words. It’s the faith level behind our spoken words that releases the anointing and brings concrete results. Hence we are exhorted to grow in faith and not doubt. God has given to us believer enough power to do the works of Jesus with the anointing within us and we believe that those things we say will come to pass. When the anointing of the Spirit of God is there whether we shout or speak softly, it works any way. A certain amount of liberty is given to us to channel the anointing of God.
We release the anointing in our lives by the words that we speak to others. We have faith in God and in our own words. The other side of the coin is that if we don’t believe our own words we cancel our own anointing. The more powerful we are spiritually, the less words we speak. Because our words are very powerful we use them carefully and wisely. God’s word is unchanging:
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:27
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:17
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended"-what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:7-16
God has given the five fold ministries of to apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Hence the five-fold ministries is for all generations from the time the church started until Jesus comes again since it’s for the perfecting and edification of the church. We cannot say that the apostles have been done away with for the church is not perfected yet. As long as the church is not perfected yet, we need all the five-fold ministries, not just one or two.
When Jesus Christ ascended, He delegated the offices that He stood in and poured the anointing to somebody else. God from time to time may change vessel or vessels may complete their work but the offices will continue. Like when Elijah completed his work and went off, Elisha stood in his place. Whenever a man of God completes his work and goes home to be with God, his office is actually vacant for the taking. In the Old Testament there were only three offices of prophets, priests and kings (Judges). And sometimes the office was left vacant, because the men whom God called in that generation were not obedient. Sometimes God appointed one man to stand in one or two or three offices so that he could minister fully to that generation. Moses stood in three offices. Moses was a prophet (Number 18:15-22, Deuteronomy 34:10), a priest (Exodus 24), and judge (Numbers 11:16). Deborah a woman stood in two offices. The bible tells us, Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time (Judges 4:4).
It’s the anointing that makes the man or woman and not the man or woman who makes the anointing. When Moses complained that his work was too strenuous the Lord told him to gather seventy men of the elders of Israel, who were the elders of the people and to bring them to the tabernacle of meeting that He might but the burden on them. God took some of the anointing that was on Moses life and He put it on the seventy people. When the same anointing came on them those people started prophesying. These seventy elders received a portion of the anointing upon them and began to function in judging the people.
It’s the anointing that establishes the office. A man of God doesn’t have an office without an anointing in God. People can put a person into a position but the person will usually be devoid of the anointing for the position. But when God puts a person into a position He makes sure he has an anointing and ability for the position. Disobedience to God is not just disobedient to the Word but also disobedience to the leading of the Spirit to God .We have to learn to obey the voice and the leading of the Spirit as much as we learn to obey the written Word of God. Of course the leading of the Spirit will never contradict the written Word
Because of disobedience king Saul lost his office and anointing which became available for another man. David was that man as he was a man after God’s heart. David had two offices in that he was a king and prophet while Saul had only one office being a king. When a man of God loses his anointing and office for a variety of reasons, it becomes, somebody will find it.
Jesus Christ was anointed by the Spirit of the LORD and He stood in all five offices. He was an apostle (Hebrews 3:1). He was a prophet (Mark 6:4; Acts 3: 22-26). Peter said that Jesus was a prophet whom Moses spoke about. He was an evangelist in that He went about preaching the kingdom of God (Mark 1:4). He was a pastor as He is the good Shepherd (John 10:10). He was known as a teacher and Nicodemus said that “we know that You are a teacher sent from God” (John 3: 2). The Lord Jesus Christ was anointed to stand in all the five offices. Very few of God’s true servants stand in all five offices. Most may just stand in one particular office and some have one and some have two. Apostle Paul stood in tree offices a preacher, an apostle and a teacher (1 Timothy 2:7, 2 Timothy 1:11).
In the New Testament when there is a revival we all five offices functioning. When we begin to lose one or two or three offices and nobody functions in them the revival goes down. God has ordained that all five fold ministries spearhead and lead the revival and the move of God. The body of Christ becomes very dysfunctional when we have just one of the five fold ministries such as a pastor. We need all of them. We need prophets in the church. We need evangelists in the church. We need pastors and teachers in the church. We need apostles in the church. We need all five-fold offices to function. If the body of Christ lacks any one of them they will not see the full revival that God wants us to have.
Apostles and prophets are the foundation and Jesus Christ is the corner stone. Foundation is something that you lay in the ground where people step on. So if a person is really an apostle or a prophet he will not have the attitude to lord over others for Jesus said the greatest among you shall be the servant of all. The authority of an office is dependent on the area of the need at the present moment. In the area of the church is concerned the apostolic and the pastoral office have a greater authority. But in the area of the Word of God and doctrine the teacher has a greater authority. In the area of reaching out to the world, the evangelist has a greater authority. In the area of direction and the future the prophet has the greatest authority. All the offices are important to the body of Christ. Teaching is important but signs and wonders are more important to the people of the world than teaching. The body of Christ is hungry more for teaching so that it can be healed and delivered and be made whole. God’s word is unchanging:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Romans 12:1-13
Yes in life we get a lot of agony, suffering and tribulation. Just because we have trials and tribulations doesn’t mean we did anything wrong. Job didn’t do anything wrong and he lost not only all his wealth but also his wealth. But the good news is that Jesus restored all his loses and will do the same for us once we have learned the lessons that trials and tribulations bring. Jesus promised us that those who bear much fruit will be pruned to bear more fruit. So we must get used to trials and tribulations. One of the most precious things that we learn to do in the ministry is to learn to wait; wait on the Lord and wait on others. The two greatest virtues in the Christian realm are love and patience. Love puts up with all kinds of things and patience is longsuffering and slow to wrath, which literally translated as, slow to wrath. God gives us tribulation so that we might develop character, love and patience. God’s word is unchanging:
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:2-5
The office that we are called to spiritually is God’s prerogative. But the anointing that we function in, in that office and the level of it is our prerogative. God does not limit our wealth. We limit our wealth by our faith. How much anointing we will move into will be determined by how much we decides the office for He sets in the church but it’s up to us how deep we want to move into that office and the level of anointing that is available for that office. We can enlarge, increase, multiply our anointing, ten fold, twenty fold, a hundred fold in the same office. All the time we have to have a teachable and humble attitude in order to move into the ministry and anointing that God has for our lives. Everyone loves a servant. When a person comes with a spirit of a servant it’s easy to just love somebody. When a person comes with an arrogant spirit its hard to love that person
We are to flow in the ministerial anointing that God has for us where our ministry will grow from glory to glory. Every single one of us has been granted grace for certain thing or ministry. But most of us are struggling in the area we are not graced for. That’s where the problem is. Either we are in the wrong area or it’s the wrong time. If we flow with the Spirit of God and where His leads us, the anointing will be there and his burden will be light and his yoke will be easy. If his burden is heavy and the yoke is difficult it’s not his yoke it’s somebody else’s yoke. If we are in the shadow of the Almighty God in the area that God grace we to be come what may He is there. But if we are not in the area of God’s grace when the stone come we won’t be protected. But when we are in God’s perfect will come what may His grace is sufficient for us. God’s word is unchanging:
Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him. Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. 1 Samuel 18:12-16
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Psalm 37:3-6
Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. Psalm 103:1-6
(For the LORD is our Judge, The LORD is our Lawgiver, The LORD is our King; He will save us); Isaiah 33:22
Sooner or later trouble comes to everyone! But for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and are filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19) the Lord is their salvation also in the time of trouble as well as the strength of salvation. The LORD who is our Judge, the LORD who is our Lawgiver, the LORD who is our King, the Lord who is our all; He will save us. God’s word is unchanging:
The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you."
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. Isaiah 35:1-7
Yes, the Lord who makes the desert rejoice and blossom abundantly as the rose, even with joy and singing, will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save His trusting ones! They have His word on it. The Word of God a God who doesn’t and cannot lie!
Yes, He who opened the eyes of the blind, unstopped the ears of the deaf, made the lame leap like a dear and the tongue of the dumb sing, has not changed and is the same yesterday today and forever. He is still the great and powerful and wonderful miracle working God who can do anything but fail His trusting ones! As a result the ransomed of the LORD shall return with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Isaiah 35:10, Ephesians 3:20-21).
We must check our level of joy! Low joy levels reduce health increasing the potential for illness. Great joy virtually eliminates sickness. The importance of joy in a Christian’s life is being emphasized by the Lord especially in these days. Congregations all over the world are experiencing a supernatural outburst of joy in the Holy Ghost.
We are to remember that poverty is not the will of God for any believer. Despite this truth, some people have taken a "vow of poverty." Some Christians believe that poverty is part of being holy and righteous. This is far from the truth. Poverty has nothing to do with godliness. To be poor or impoverished means, "to be without; in lack; deprived." You and I don't serve a God of lack and insufficiency. He's the God of the exceeding and abundant Who wants to lavish us with His goodness. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible proves that poverty goes against everything God desires for believers. Poverty is a spirit designed to keep believers in financial bondage. The devil uses this spirit to hinder Christians from prospering and ultimately fulfilling their destiny of being a blessing to the entire world (Genesis 12:2-3). God favors prosperity. According to Psalm 35:27 and 3 John 2, He is pleased when we prosper in our spirit, soul and body. His desire is that we prosper economically, socially, emotionally, mentally and physically
Prosperity
is part of the covenant of God. It is freely given to us as much as
forgiveness of sin. At the same cross, where He took our sins is the same
cross where He took our poverty. Prosperity is a covenant right as much
as the healing. When we think about receiving healing from God, none of us would
think about paying for it. When we think about receiving forgiveness,
none of us would think about paying for it. But when we think about prosperity,
most of us think about paying. Although we say it’s grace yet we
always think about the works side.
Basically prosperity is in the person of God, who He is and His desire
to give us freely, abundantly just as He gave Adam and Eve at the Garden of
Eden. He wants to give the Garden of Eden to each one of us freely
without our works for it. God wants to show the world that we are
prosperous because He is with us.
And it’s God who does it all.
Unfortunately for them, many believers accept debt, financial hardship, substandard living, sickness and troubled relationships as a part of life. They settle for less than God's best, unaware of their covenant rights with Him. As Christians and as King’s kids we have the right to prosper or succeed in every area of life-financially, emotionally, socially, mentally and physically. We have the right to total life prosperity! We can increase our knowledge base of what our covenant rights are by studying what the Bible has to say concerning God's people. From finances to owning a successful corporation, we can learn how to lay hold of our inheritance of a life of prosperity now! We can overcome the devil through our testimony and confession as greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world. We can tell the devil:
Satan, our Jesus is bigger than any disease or problem you might give us. You are overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of our testimony! (Rev. 12:11). We are washed clean by the blood of Jesus and by His stripes we are healed, and we refuse to accept the curse of sin and sickness and poverty and lack. We bind you right now by the Spirit of God in Jesus' name. You foul devil of cancer, liver or diabetes or any other incurable disease, we command you to take your hands off our family and us right now in the name of Jesus. We curse the seed and we curse the root of every cancer, liver, diabetes and bad cell in our bodies and we command them to die in the name of Jesus. We speak a new immune system or any other system into our being and we speak a new blood system into our bodies, a blood system that will not accept cancer or foul cells. And in the mighty name of Jesus which is above every name, we command all of the electrical and chemical frequencies in every cell in our body to be in harmony and in balance and to digest the bad cells. We command everything in our bodies to be healed and made whole and to function properly for the reason it was created and to stay functioning until Jesus returns. In Jesus name we come against and rebuke anything evil, wicked, wrong, sick or negative thing in our bodies, hearts, circumstances and lives and command it to go away and never come back, in Jesus name. Amen and amen!
We are redeemed from the curse as Jesus had become a curse for us, Galatians 3:13, and His blood is flowing in our blood stream. It flows to every cell of our body, restoring life and health. (Mark 11:23; Luke 17:6.) The life of First Peter 2:24 is a reality in our flesh, restoring every cell of our body for by Jesus stripes we were healed. We have presented our body to God for it is the temple of the LIVING GOD. And God now dwells in us and His LIFE permeates our SPIRIT, SOUL and BODY so that we are filled with the fullness of God daily and preach the whole counsel of God. (Rom.12: 1,2; John 14:20, Acts 20:27.) Our body is the temple of the HOLY GHOST and not our own. In Jesus name we make a demand on our body to release the right chemicals, to be in perfect chemical balance and for our pancreas to secrete the proper amount of insulin for life and health. (1 Corinthians. 6:19.)
Satan we speak to you and in the authority of Jesus' Name and we say to all your principalities and powers, your master spirits that rule this present darkness, and your spiritual wickedness in high places they are all totally and completely bound here as they are already bound in Heaven. We are loosed from all your power according to Colossians 1:13, as God has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love which is above every thrones or dominions or principalities or power, past, present or future. We are saved, healed, delivered and filled with the Spirit of God through the name and blood of Jesus. We command that you take your hands off all that touches and concerns us, especially our finances and to restore in Jesus name seven fold everything that you have stolen from us for we are God’s property!
We also can use our angels and release them to make real our blessings:
Man was created a little lower than God, and angels were created lower than man.
In Christ, we have a right to all that is God's and all that is at His disposal, including angels.
Angels are ministering spirits assigned to minister to and for the heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:13-14). As a born-again believers, that means us!
The terms of our covenant with God are administered, managed, supplied, executed, superintended, dispensed, distributed and furnished through the ministry of angels.
Praying in the name (authority) of Jesus. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it (John 14:14).
Declaring that we are heirs of salvation and God. (ROM 8:17, GAL 3:29, EPH 3:6, 2TM 3:9, TI 3:7 HEB 6:17, HEB 11:9, JMS 2:5)
Declaring that they have been sent to minister to our needs. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14).
As long as we remain in the will of God, angels are charged with our protection and deliverance (Psalm 91:11, AMP; 34:7; Daniel 3:28-29; 6:22; Acts 12:7-9; 27:22-23).
For God's promises to be established in our life, we must decree them ( You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways. Job 22:28).
Decreeing that you have a covenant with God and the anointing to get wealth. "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
Angels only respond to the voice of God's Word that we decree (Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. Psalm 103:20-21). Then, they can carry out His pleasure in your life--your prosperity (Psalm 35:27). Commanding them to hearken to the voice of God's Word that we speak.
Commanding them to go to the north, south, east and west to divinely clear the path to our wealthy place.
Rejoicing, knowing that our covenant is established with God.
Concentrating on circumstances rather than on God's promises causes many people to struggle.
Our situation may seem impossible, but we focus on our covenant instead. Walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Angels are available even when things seem impossible. Example: The prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by the enemy's army but were delivered through the ministry of angels (2 Kings 6:14-18).
"In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. James 1:17-18
No one loves us more than our Father who is in heaven to whom belongs the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. And there is no kingdom like God’s kingdom. Our Father has proved His love for us by giving us all that He is and has including His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and His wonderful Counselor the Holy Spirit. And it is His good pleasure to give us the kingdom and all the things that accompany salvation. His word is unchanging:
"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. "If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. "For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom Luke 12:27-32
"But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak" Hebrews 9:6
It is a fact of life that from time to time demon forces come against our life and we have to go through quite a few battles. And we will overcome them completely and see the fullness of the Lord’s manifestation as we put our total trust in God. Satan works hard to wreck our finances. He does everything to stop our spiritual ministry. But through Christ help we will succeed and will minister to the lost and hurting masses. God will give us favor and we will overcome these battles completely. His blessing will be fully upon our life in Jesus’ name especially in the area of healing. God’s word is unchanging:
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" Isaiah 53:5.
"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" 1 Peter 2:24
Healing is one of the "things that accompany salvation. Healing may be applied to the spirit, soul, or body. There are two ways we can get healed, either by the anointing or by personal faith. God chooses whether He wants to heal us by the anointing or whether He wants us to exercise our faith. The healing anointing comes as a free gift. A gift is not something we deserve. A gift is something freely given to us. It’s a gift of His grace to us. And grace is not something we earn. It just happens and we are healed through the flow of the healing anointing.
Many of the healings of Jesus Christ were full fledged, complete and instant healing and not partial healing. He could function that way because it was the gift of God freely given to people. When we are healed by faith it’s because we stand on God’s word that by Jesus stripes we are healed. We believe it and receive it. The reason is that at certain times for certain reasons God requires personal faith to be exercised. And as a result some of God’s people get healed through intercessory prayer, travailing and faith and not by the anointing.
It’s to be noted that Christ is our example in suffering and we are called to suffer like Christ, obediently, patiently and humbly.
• For righteousness sake (1 Peter 3:14)
• For the Faith (1 Peter 4: 12-16)
• In the face of injustice, being accused falsely (Matt 5:11)
• For doing good. (1 Peter 3:17)
• For rejection. (Luke 6:22)
But Christ was also our substitute for suffering at Calvary for
• Sin (Isa 53:4, 2 Cor 5:21)
• Sickness (Isa 53:5, Matthew 8:17)
• Curses (Gal 3:13)
• Poverty (2 Cor 8:9)
• Sorrow (Isa 53:4, Isa 61:3)
• Death (John 3:16, Isa 51:6, 2 Timothy 1:10)
Since sin, sickness, curses, poverty, sorrow and death are not God’s will for us we can seek from God healing and deliverance. Those who are made to obtain their healing through travailing prayer and confessing the word with faith, end up with both the healing and a character strong in trusting and persistent prayer. It did them much lasting spiritual good. To get their healing, they had to exercise their faith and discipline their devotional life. They had to change certain things in their life. They had to do certain things in their life. Or they had to grow up in areas in their life in order to get that faith working to get their personal healing through a battle of faith. As a result they are of great value to the body of Christ because their faith has really grown.
The following healing factors are to be noted:
1. Some are not healed because of their own unbelief. "And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching" (Mark 6:5-6). Even Jesus could do no mighty works where the people were in unbelief.
2. One must have a desire to be healed. "And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened" (Matthew 20:32-33). Some desire attention or compensation more than healing.
3. We must know that it is God's will to be healed. "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew 8:2-3). Generally, we are to understand that it is God's will to heal.
4. The one ministering the healing must have faith. "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:14-16). The minister is to pray a "prayer of faith."
5. We should understand that healing is a part of salvation. "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak" (Hebrews 9:6). Healing is one of the "things that accompany salvation." "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" (I Peter 2:24). Healing may be applied to the spirit, soul, or body.
6. We should understand that healing may be conditional. "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (III John 1:2). God desires that our soul prosper above our having a physical healing; however, He desires both.
7. We should understand the healing and forgiveness go together. "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases" (Psalms 103:3).
8. We may lose our healing if we fail to praise God for it. "If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart" (Malachi 2:2).
9. Something worse may come upon us if we return to sin. "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14).
10. One may die of a disease because of sin. "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep" (I Corinthians 11:30). The term "sleep" here refers to being dead.
11. Pride and worldly knowledge may keep one from receiving healing. "And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians" (II Chronicles 16:12).
12. Anger may contribute to disease. "Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. ...." (II Kings 13:14). At first glance here is no indication that Elisha had sinned causing God to put a disease upon him; however, when we look close we see that Elisha was given to anger. "And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year" (II Kings 13:19-20). Earlier, he cursed forty-two children causing two female bears to kill them because they called him "bald head" (II Kings 4:24).
13. Healing may come as we pray for others. Job opened a door through fear for the attack of the enemy. "For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me" (Job 3:25). However, when he prayed for his friends he was healed. "And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before" (Job 42:10).
14. Obedience may a condition in receiving healing. "And when he saw them, he said unto them [the ten lepers], Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed" (Luke 17:14). When Naaman the Syrian king who had leprosy inquired of Elisha what he must do to be healed, "... Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean" (II Kings 5:10).
15. Observing the laws of God may be a factor in receiving healing. "And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee" (Exodus 15:26). "And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee" (Exodus 23:25).
God is not limited by any method to bring about healing. There are many methods in the bible by which healing occurred:
1. Abraham prayed for the Ablimelech to become pregnant.
"So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children" (Genesis 20:17).
2. Isaiah told Hezekiah to use a lump of figs to heal a boil.
"Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered" (II Kings 20:5-7).
3. Elisha had salt sprinkled in some water to heal the poison in the water.
"And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land" (II Kings 2:21).
4. Naaman was healed of leprosy when he obeyed Elisha and bathed seven times in the muddy Jordan.
"Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean" (II Kings 5:14).
5. The man, lame from birth, was healed when he obeyed Paul and stood up.
"Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked" (Acts 14:10).
6. People were healed through the prayer of the church. (as God answered the prayer).
"By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus" (Acts 4:30).
7. People were healed when they touched Jesus.
"And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all" (Luke 6:19).
8. The servant of the centurion was healed through the spoken word of Jesus.
"And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel" (Matthew 8:5-10).
9. A woman was healed by touching the hem of Jesus' garment.
"And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour" (Matthew 9:20-22).
10. Jesus healed a young dead girl by the laying on of his hands.
"And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.... And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise" (Mark 5:23, 41).
11. Many were healed from the handkerchiefs or aprons which were sent out by Paul.
"So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them" (Acts 19:12).
12. Many were healed by having the shadow of Peter fall upon them.
"Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one" (Acts 5:15-16).
13. A child was cured prayer and fasting.
"Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:21).
14. Ten lepers were healed as they went to show themselves unto the priests.
"And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed" (Luke 17:12-14).
15. Elisha put meal in the pot to neutralize the poison.
"But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot" (II Kings 4:41).
16. Jesus healed a blind man by spitting on his eyes.
"And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought" (Mark 8:23).
17. James instructs us to heal others by anointing and praying in faith.
"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him" (James 5:14-15).
Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places." Deuteronomy 33:29
He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places. 2 Samuel 22:34
For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he raised up altars for Baal, and made a wooden image, as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 2 Kings 21:3
The Word of God has much to say about the “high places” including that we shall tread down the high places of the enemies, and rebuild the high places in our lives where self is dethroned and God alone is worshipped. As a result we delight ourselves in the LORD, we make God our "light" and He causes us to ride upon the high places of the earth giving us prominence, fortune and fame and feeds us heritage of Jacob. He gives us a land that flowing with milk and hone. God’s word is unchanging:
Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Genesis 12:1-3
"Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him." For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody. Isaiah 51:1-3
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you." And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Hebrews 6:11-15
We are not to become sluggish but are to imitate those who like Abraham through faith and patience inherited the promises. In his article Claiming Our Rights! E.W. Kenyon tell us:
There is no excuse for the spiritual weakness and poverty of the Family of God when the wealth of Grace and Love of our great Father with His power and wisdom are all at our disposal. We are not coming to the Father as a tramp coming to the door begging for food; we come as sons not only claiming our legal rights but claiming the natural rights of a child that is begotten in love. No one can hinder us or question our right of approach to our Father.
Christianity is a legal document. Most of our basic legal terminology comes from the Scripture. The very titles, Old Covenant and New Covenant, are legal terms. Every step in the plan of Redemption, from the Fall Of Man until Jesus Christ was seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High, having redeemed the human race, is simply a series of legal steps perfecting the most remarkable Legal Document the human has in its possession.
The plan of Redemption cannot be understood unless one reads it from the legal point of view. In this plan of Redemption there are three parties to the contract: God, Man, and Satan. God must be just to Himself, just to Man, and just to the Devil.[v]
Yes, God created man, placing him here on the earth, and He conferred upon him certain legal rights. These conferred rights were forfeited by man who transferred them to God’s enemy, Satan through disobedience and deception rather than those that come by nature. As a result God came up with a Redemption plan that would redeem the human race from Adam's sin, and it would be done upon such an equitable basis that it will perfectly satisfy the claims of Justice, meet the needs of man, and defeat Satan on legal grounds.
Due to the fall of man and Adman legal transfer of the authority and dominion that God had placed in his hands into the hands of Satan, he had a legal right to rule over man and over creation. Man sold himself out to the Devil, making himself a bond slave, and that slavery will last until the lease or period of man's dominion expired. To redeem in a just way fallen man from his sin, and Satan's dominion Jesus who was not a subject of Satan, and yet incarnate and thus a man came to earth, met the demands, first, of the heart of Deity for a perfect human who would do His will; second, He met the demands of fallen man in that as a man He met the Devil and conquered him in honorable open combat. He went on the Cross, and God laid upon him the iniquity of the human race. He, then, with this burden upon Him and under Judgment of God, went down into Hell and suffered the penalty demanded by Justice. When He had paid this penalty, He arose from the dead. He conquered Satan. He broke his dominion and took away his authority and power. Then, with the trophies of His triumph, He ascended to the right band of the Majesty on High and laid the tokens of His victory at the feet of His Great Father. God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:15-23
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11
Yes, Jesus Christ who is God became a man, a bondservant, humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. But God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. As a result all authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and on earth which He now shares with man.
On the ground of Jesus’ victory, fallen man, a sinner has a legal right to accept Jesus Christ as a personal Savior. He has a legal right to Eternal Life. He has a legal right to Victory over sin and Satan. He has a legal right to a home in Heaven. He has a legal right to use the Name of Jesus in prayer. He has a legal right to his Father's protection and care. He has a legal right to a son's place in the Family of God. He has a legal right to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, to the care and protection of the Spirit, and to the intercession and teaching of the Spirit. He has a legal right to be translated at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. He has a legal right to immortality for the body. He has a legal right to an inheritance in the New Heavens and New Earth. He has a legal right to live with his Father throughout Eternity. And He has a legal right to claim all these rights! God’s word is unchanging:
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Matthew 28:18-20
"And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. Mark 16:17-20
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city. Acts 8:5-8
Because of finished work of God and the victories that Jesus won on Calvary, every demon and angel is subject to the Imperial Name of Jesus and best of all Jesus has given the believer the Power of Attorney to use that Name of Might (John 14:13-14,14:26, 15:16 ,16:23-24. Jesus Christ has given believers the Legal use of His name and He has put omnipotence at their disposal in their combat with Satanic hosts. They can cast out demons: (this means Authority over demons in their relation to men;) cast them out of peoples' bodies; break their power over those bodies, minds, and spirits; break their power over meetings, homes, and sometimes communities. Yes, their combat is not against flesh and blood but against the principalities, and powers in heavenly places; or in other words their war is against demons of all ranks, kinds, and authorities who are attacking the human everywhere, and especially the children of God.
The believer now has Legal Right to deliverance from Satan and healing of his bodies and finances. Yes, all disease is of the Devil and we have been given the Legal Power of Attorney to use the Might, Authority, and Power of Jesus Name, in our earth struggles against Satan and demons. All Heaven with its might and Authority are at their disposal in their fight against poverty and weakness of spirit . Whatsoever they shall bind on earth through Jesus name shall be bound in heaven (Matthew 18:18).
Yes, believers can bind Demons, bind disease, and habits, and bind men so they cannot go on in the will of Satan; or use fearsome power to deliver souls over to Satan for the destruction of the body (1 Corinthians 5:3-5)
God is limited to our Faith, our obedience. God is as small in the world as we make Him. God is big only where some man makes Him big, by using this divinely given authority. God's hands are tied until He can use theirs. Angels are their servants. They cannot do their work. They are the body of Christ; the Head is powerless without their hands and feet. But sin and fear binds the arms of God that would embrace a multitude. Believers can walk in power instead of weakness using all the riches and resources of heaven that are at their disposal and make miracle the common order of the day. God’s word is unchanging:
Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. Acts 15:12
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 19:12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Acts 19:11-12
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:3-11
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:9-14
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13
God never willed that His people should be toys in the hand of the enemy, Satan. He planned that when the Church came into being, it would be composed of His sons and daughters, -- that they would be demon masters and world rulers. They were meant to rule the laws of Nature. They were to dominate the laws of nature as Jesus did in His earth walk. They were to control the winds and the waves. They were to be masters of the animal creation. They were to have restored to them in the Name of Jesus the lost authority of the Garden of Eden. They were to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might
But the Church does not know much about power, dominion and victory. They been taught that they are poor, weak worms of the dust; that they must be ruled by Satan; that they must live lives of poverty and want; and that we are too unworthy to have our prayers answered. As a result they have cultivated in them a sense of unworthiness that has robbed them of spiritual initiative and kept us in a state of bondage to fear and ignorance and sin. As a result God’s people are not walking worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work. They are not abiding in the vine and doing greater works than Jesus did. They are unaware that they are not only delivered out of Satan's dominion but they are conveyed “into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”
But the truth remains that in Christ believers have their redemption, the remission of all that they have ever done. They have been redeemed out of the hand of the enemy. They have been recreated. They have received the nature and Life of Deity. They have come into the family of God, and as sons and daughters can enjoy the fellowship of our Father. They can exercise their rights and privileges in the Name of Jesus. Disease and sickness have lost their dominion. They are masters over them. Poverty and want no longer challenge them for they know our Father and all of His riches and resources are at their disposal. God’s word is unchanging:
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' " And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 16:10-17
Believers who have received Jesus Christ have become sons and daughters of God and of His fullness they have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. "Fullness" means completeness and they are now complete in Christ who is the head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10). Christ's Nature and Life has been poured into their spirits. They are a new creation equipped of God for a supernatural life. Yes, God furnishes the equipment and enables them to put on the whole armor of God, that they may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For their wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. Their combat is a spiritual one, is a fight of faith. Their battle has already been fought by Jesus and won. They win their battle by recognizing that it has already been fought and won by Jesus and by accepting the thing that Jesus has done for them. They do not pray for it. They do not struggle for it. They simply look up and say, "Father, the battle has been won."
In the fight of faith, God does it all. He conquered Satan and put away sin. He bore our diseases, and defeated all their enemies and they only need to thank Him and enjoy it. They stand in evil day when the temptations come like a flood, having girded their loins with this Truth or Reality. They have come to know the reality of the finished work of Christ. They put on the breastplate of righteousness. That is, they act it, use it, and confess it. They know that they are the righteousness of God in Him. And this righteousness permits this to stand in the Father's presence without the sense of guilt or inferiority and they can boldly approach the throne of grace to may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). They have the shield of faith that withstands all the fiery darts of the evil one.
God is a Spirit and all things that are natural came from the Spirit. Spiritual forces are stronger than physical forces. Since God created man so He can create new flesh where disease has destroyed it. And the Word of Faith can rebuild destroyed tissues in their bodies. Yes, the diseases that afflict men are spiritual. The ills that afflict men are spiritual ones. And through the name of Jesus they not only reign as kings but are masters over every negative thing, circumstance and demons. With that Word they conquer disease. They can say, "Disease, in the Name of Jesus Christ, stop being. Cancer, in the Name of Jesus, shrivel up and stop being. They can rebuke sickness in the Name of Jesus, and tell it to “leave that body.” They are seated at Christ right hand and rule in heaven and on earth just like Jesus when He walked the earth as a Son of Man and the Son of God. They are filled with all the fullness of God and their sufficiency is from God’s as His word is unchanging:
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:5-6
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-1 Corinthians 1:30
Yes, our sufficiency is God who is unlimited in riches, resources and power that He uses for our good. A God who makes all grace abound toward us that, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). A God who has made us ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:5-6). A God who is our refuge and strength and a very present help in time of trouble and who helps us and right early.
Because of Christ in us we are not only forgiven of all our iniquities, we are healed of all our diseases for Christ redeems our life, crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies, satisfies our mouth with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle's. Because of Christ we have not only righteousness and sanctification and redemption but God’s grace abounding towards us that we, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
Yes, we don't serve a God of lack and insufficiency. He's the God of the exceeding and abundant who wants to lavish us with His goodness. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible proves that poverty goes against everything God desires for believers. Poverty is a spirit designed to keep believers in financial bondage. The devil uses this spirit to hinder Christians from prospering and ultimately fulfilling their destiny of being a blessing to the entire world (Genesis 12:2-3). God favors prosperity. According to Psalm 35:27 and 3 John 2, He is pleased when we prosper in our spirit, soul and body. His desire is that we prosper economically, socially, emotionally, mentally and physically
Yes, to those who are cheerful givers, God is able to make all grace abound toward them, that they, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have abundance for every good work. Yes, we are to be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. Those who are doers of the work are the ones who will be blessed in what they do. Yes, if anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Yes, it is possible for us to exchange our total insufficiency to live the Christian life for Christ's total sufficiency to live it through us. We do this exchanging our old identity in Adam for our new identity in Christ and by uniting our newborn spirit with His (I Corinthians 6:17; Galatians 2:20). Yes, we are to let Christ live His life in and through us and we will not be foolish ones who die for lack of wisdom. God’s word is unchanging:
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the Word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily. Colossians 1:24-29
The Word of God calls us to be wise men not fools. Our sufficiency is from above from the Lord Himself and not foolish men who themselves don’t know what they are saying or where they are going with their multitudes of words. Only fools listen to fools while the wise listen to the Holy Spirit who alone is their teacher, guide, helper and all that they need! Yes the thoughts of the wise are futile for God’s word is unchanging:
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; and again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come-all are yours. And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. 1 Corinthians 3:18-23
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13
There are certain situations and circumstances that all the perspiration and endurance will not change but only a miracle from God will bring about healing, deliverance and victory. As a result we have need of the Lord to save us out of our distresses, to deliver us from our destructions, to calm the storms, bring us to our desired haven, and to meet and supply all our needs! With God nothing is impossible. He is gracious and big enough to fulfill our heart's desires and to abundantly supply, physically, spiritually and financially in Jesus name. Hence we can expect a Miracle as God is a Good God and Jehovah Jireh is our provider, and He will meet all our needs.
The LORD is faithful and true, and He is El Shaddai, the All Sufficient One. The LORD is the MIRACLE WORKER, and He is our Deliverer. Our faith shall not fail its reward. The Lord has promised, and has sworn to His words that He will reward our faith. It is not necessarily how much faith we have, (in terms of quantity) but how much we exercise what we have. When we call out to God and stand fast in prayer, He hears our prayers and answers them. His word is true:
I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. Psalm 77:1
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice. Psalm 55:17
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:14-18
There are many methods and ways God heals His people or a negative circumstance using the prayer of faith, the healing anointing, standing of the Word of God, the gifts of the Spirit, and the manifested presence of God. Sometimes we must war and contend for healing and miracles. But God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Jesus taught us that we were to be persistent in seeking God and praying until we received what we have desired from God! Because God is for us and with us and not against us, because now abides faith, hope and love, we don’t give up until we see the manifested of all that God has promised us. God’s word is unchanging:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. "Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? "Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:7-11
Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. "Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' "And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 'yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' " Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:1-8
Our persistent faith and prayers, based on what God has promised us, gives birth to all that God has promised us! It’s our faith in God that heals us and makes us perfect whole and complete! It’s our persistent faith that makes a demand on the anointing to move in our midst and to do miracles and healing. Yes, the Lord is one who honors our faith and who hears our prayer (Psalm 65:2). Even when we face a desperately hopeless situation, if we pray with immense faith, He makes us blessed for great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion endures throughout all generations. He is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. He is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy. He makes peace in our borders, and fills us with the finest wheat. He who keeps truth forever, executes justice for the oppressed, and gives food to the hungry. He gives freedom to the prisoners, opens the eyes of the blind and raises those who are bowed down. He is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. He is worthy of our praises. His word is unchanging:
Answer me speedily, O LORD; My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit. Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; In You I take shelter. Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. Revive me, O LORD, for Your name's sake! For Your righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. In Your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul; For I am Your servant. Psalm 145:8-12
I will sing a new song to You, O God; On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, The One who gives salvation to kings, Who delivers David His servant From the deadly sword. Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, Whose mouth speaks lying words, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood- That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; That our daughters may be as pillars, Sculptured in palace style; That our barns may be full, Supplying all kinds of produce; That our sheep may bring forth thousands And ten thousands in our fields; That our oxen may be well-laden; That there be no breaking in or going out; That there be no outcry in our streets. Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the LORD! Psalm 144:10-15
Yes, the LORD is our refuge and our portion in the land of the living. He will deliver us from our enemies and deals bountifully with us. He will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor. And we will praise Him and His name with our whole heart for His lovingkindness and His truth and that He has magnified His word above all His name. Though the LORD is on high, yet He He humbles Himself to regard the lowly. Though we walk in the midst of trouble, He will revive us; He will stretch out His hand against the wrath of our enemies, and His right hand will save us. He will perfect that which concerns us for He loves victory and justice. He is good and His mercy endures forever.
The LORD is great and is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places. But He will bless His people. Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. His word is unchanging:
When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South. Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:1-6
The Word of God encourages us to pray and to seek God to do great things for us just like He did for Jacob who wrestled with God and wouldn’t let Him go until He was blessed by God. Jacob struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed (Genesis 32:24-32). Aggressive and persistent faith is what is required sometimes to get from God what we desire just like the woman of Canaan whose daughter was severely demon-possessed. She badgered Jesus who compared her to a dog until He did for her what she had demanded. And said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour (Matthew 15:21-28).
Hannah the mother of Samuel is another example of aggressive and persistent faith. She was barren, bitter and hurt and for years she went with her husband to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh where Eli was the high priests and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas were also priests . She was miserable because the LORD had closed her womb and in bitterness of soul prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish. The bible records:
Then she made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head." And it happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!" And Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. "Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now." Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him." And she said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked for him from the LORD." 1 Samuel 1:16-20
And Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. "No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. "Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed. "The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble. "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He has set the world upon them. He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. "For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed." 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Hannah didn’t let adversities and negative circumstances stop her from obtaining from the Lord what she had desired a child which she loaned to the Lord. As a result whenever she would go to the house of the Lord in Shiloh Eli would bless her husband and Hannah and say, "The LORD give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was given to the LORD." Then they would go to their own home. And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And her child Samuel grew before the LORD and would later replace Eli whom God judged for not dealing with his thieving sons.
Yes, the LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and He has set the world upon them. Yes, the LORD is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him using their aggressive and persistent faith. His word is unchanging:
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning- Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities. Psalm 130:5-8
For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: "This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, And her saints shall shout aloud for joy. There I will make the horn of David grow; I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, But upon Himself His crown shall flourish." Psalm 132:13-18
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:8-13
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit apostle Paul wrote and told us the value of love and that it was the greatest. He told us if we speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, we have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though we have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though we have all faith, so that we could remove mountains, but have not love, we are nothing. And though we bestow all our goods to feed the poor, and though we give our body to be burned, but have not love, it profits us nothing. So he admonished us to watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that we do be done with love. And then he told us, If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. (1 Corinthians 16:22-23).
Yes, Paul is saying that if anyone doesn’t love the Lord Jesus Christ let Him be damned or cursed. Now Apostle John has told us that to love the LORD Jesus Christ is to love His brothers and sisters. God’s word is true:
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:14-14
Yes, we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. He abides in death because He is accursed or damned? Now that is a concept that is not talked much about by religious Christians especially denominational ones who literally hate those who don’t have the same doctrinal points of views that they have! Why not! In other words anybody who hates the brethren for whatever reason puts himself or herself into a very precarious spiritual position with God. You cannot say you love God and then hate His son or daughter? But the other side of the coin is that Jesus because God is love doesn’t mean that people will not be cursed or damned especially if they demonstrate by their works that they are goats instead of sheep as Jesus talked about! God’s word is unchanging:
"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 'for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 'I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Matthew 25:41-46
Jesus taught that the goats who did not give him food when He was hungry, give him drink when He was thirsty, take Him in when He was a stranger, clothe Him when He was naked, visit Him when He was sick and in prison would go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Yes, all those who did not minister to the least of one of these are unrighteous. And since Jesus wrote the rules and enforces them, they are in deep trouble.
Yes, Jesus taught that all His words were not to be ignored or there would be serious consequences. He also told us to beware of men who would come as wolves in sheep’s clothing and would teach the doctrine of men as commandents of God (Matthew 16:9)He also taught:
'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God.' "
'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "
'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.' "
Yes, these are the keys to proper ministry and Christian living for God’s word is unchanging:
Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God.' "
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. "Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "
Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. "For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,' "and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' " And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.' "
Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. Luke 4:1-13
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:6-12
The enemy and men are great liars and deceivers and love to appeal to the lusts of men including mouthing words that sound nice and appear to true but have no basis in fact. In order to ensnare those who are gullible, even the righteous, the eloquent words that men speak about something must appear to be true and must have an element of truth in them. It’s a well known fact that if something appears too good to be true, then it’s not true. Even though many pastors and preachers have promised a hundred fold returns for money sowed into their ministries, very few, if any, of the sheep can testify that they have had a consistent hundred return fold from their giving into a particular ministry. Yet God’s word is unchanging:
"I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!' "How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, "who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal. "The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD. "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
"Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who steal My words every one from his neighbor. "Behold, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who use their tongues and say, 'He says.' "Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams," says the LORD, "and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all," says the LORD. "So when these people or the prophet or the priest ask you, saying, 'What is the oracle of the LORD?' you shall then say to them, 'What oracle?' I will even forsake you," says the LORD. "And as for the prophet and the priest and the people who say, 'The oracle of the LORD!' I will even punish that man and his house. Jeremiah 23:25-34
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:10-14
Fleshly Christians, devoid of power, love and sound mind from the church of the flesh, have twisted to word of God to say that Jesus didn’t mean what He stated, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. Those who lie and twist the truth can never be successful and prosperous in life except to deceive fools like themselves! They obviously don’t have the Spirit of truth otherwise they would have spoken the truth and agreed with Jesus’ words! They would have noted what Jesus told them:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me. "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John 14:23-26
"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. "All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John 16:12-15
"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24
Those who are guided into all truth by the Holy Spirit and keep the Words of Jesus are the ones who will have their prayers answered even speedily. They are the ones who can truly feed Jesus’ sheep and not lie to them or use them! They are the ones who love and obey the truth and the word of God. God’s word is unchanging:
Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:22-25
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame. 1 Peter 2:1-6
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:7-8
Yes, the word of God warns us that there is will false teachers amongst us who will cause many to fall from their own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked. But their judgment and destruction will become a reality. God’s word is unchanging:
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. 2 Peter 2:1-3
For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:20-22
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! Philippians 3:2
Yes many walk as they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame-who set their mind on earthly things (Philippians 3:17-18). They look out only for their own interests, and ignore the interests of others. They don’t worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. They fail to understand that deliverance and honor comes to those who set their love upon God. God’s word is unchanging:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. : I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. Psalm 91:1-8
"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation." Psalm 91:14-16
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Matthew 28:18-20
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus who is now everything that we need. And yes God is a good God and a God of plenty and abundance. He is a loving, gracious and rich Father who does take cares of His own and cares about their needs. Abraham did not just get by-- God blessed him with cattle and servants and every type of financial provision. Jacob did not just get by. Even when he did not honor God or His ways, He provided for him. God took care of him when his father-in-law Laban tried to take advantage of him. In fact, God transferred much of Laban's wealth to him. He also took care of Joseph. He was a slave and possessed nothing of his own, so God prospered whatever he put his hands to. When he was falsely accused, God took care of Him in prison. Then, in the fullness of time, He gave him great wealth of his own, making him one of the richest men in Egypt. God blessed his family and his descendents until they became so prosperous that the leaders of Egypt became jealous of them, forcing them to be slaves and to live in poverty for a season.
When God brought His people out of Egypt, He didn’t bring them out as penniless beggars? No, of course not! He transferred the wealth of Egypt to them. He gave them favor so that each man and woman received gold and silver and many good things from their Egyptian neighbors just before they left. The tabernacle was made out of the overflow of the abundance of the good things He gave them. He provided for them even though He knew they would make wrong decisions; even though He knew they would misuse some of the resources He gave them. They had enough gold and silver to spare that they could afford to waste some of it on building a golden calf when He took Moses up into the Mountain of His presence. Even though he knew they were going to sin against Him, He still took care of them financially. God has shown Himself over and over throughout history to be a God who is both able and willing to take good care of His own.
God’s dear Son Jesus said that He came to give us abundant life? Abundant life is not a life that barely gets by. It is not a life that is tormented with many great and unfulfilled needs. That is not what "abundant" means. It means that our God will take very good care of us if we only learn to trust Him. Jesus told us that any time you need something, we should come to God and ask Him for it, and He will give it to us? God’s word is unchanging:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. "Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? "Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:7-11
Yes, God is the giver of good gifts and He loves to give good gifts to His own dear children. They can learn to trust Him with their finances. He will take are of their needs. He is both willing and able to take very good care of them. His word is unchanging:
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 1 Peter 5:10
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5
The word of God teaches us that in order to have true prosperity we must have perseverance. You could not have one without the other. As a matter of fact Jesus taught in the parable of the sower that perseverance and prosperity were related. The bible records for our instruction:
"Therefore hear the parable of the sower: "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.
"But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; "yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
"Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
"But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." Matthew 13:18-23
The heart of man is like the soil of the earth. Each soil is different and has different characteristics. Poor soil allows the devil to come and steal the word of God that is sown in the heart. Stony soil doesn’t have a heart that is persevering when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word. Soil with thorns allows the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches to choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But good soil with patience bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and brotherly love are also interrelated and are part of prosperity. For God’s word is unchanging:
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:1-8
While men look at riches, wealth and power as signs of prosperity, God considers faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and brotherly love as the true elements of prosperity. For God’s word is unchanging:
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold. Proverbs 22:1
"I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " Acts 20:35
We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. 2 Corinthians 6:3-10
In the kingdom of God things are not like they are in the kingdom of men. It’s the givers who are truly blessed, it’s the humble who are great, a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches and God’s loving favor is to be sought above silver and gold. For God’s word is unchanging:
And King Ahasuerus imposed tribute on the land and on the islands of the sea. Now all the acts of his power and his might, and the account of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen. Esther 10:1-3
"Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; "but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Acts 6:3-8
"The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ-He is Lord of all- "that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:36-38
The greatness and prosperity of a man is not measured by what a man possesses but by being like Jesus whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, and who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. It is measured by being like Stephen, a man full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom and faith, who did great wonders and signs among the people. It is measured by like Philip the Apostle about whom the word of God states:
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city. Acts 8:5-8
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Mark 1:14-18
There is no sickness, disease, poverty, lack, defeat, failure or unmet need in the kingdom of God. For those who live and walk in the kingdom of God demons and circumstances don’t determine their success and prosperity and well being but God Himself through the presence of the Holy Spirit, which brings both the manifestation of the kingdom of God and the nature of the God who is a good God, a creative God, a miracle working God and a God of restoration. When God’s comes on the scene through the presence and personality of who the Holy Spirit is miracles come forth, miracles are manifested and God’s creative power is unleashed to change things in and around the live of the believer.
Most Christians are waiting for the kingdom of heaven to happen when they die—“absent from the body and present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). But Jesus said, “… the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And from the beginning of the time that Jesus first began to walk on this earth in His earthly ministry and He released the dynamic and the presence of the Holy Spirit, He ushered in the kingdom of heaven. AND IT’S STILL HERE! We don’t have to wait until we die or for another time to experience the kingdom of heaven! We can come into the realm of the kingdom of heaven now by experiencing what Jesus meant when He said: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). The kingdom of heaven is the manifestation of the kingdom of God on the earth, as it is in heaven. The reality is this: as it is in heaven means that there is no sorrow, or pain, or sickness because such conditions do not exist in heaven. So we can pray that as it is in heaven so let it be done in the earth. We can bring ‘as it is in heaven’ to the earth not only in the area of miracles, glory and angelic activity but into our hearts and lives. As a result we will have no more sorrow, no more pain, no more sickness, into the earth and know and experience the comfort of God in all our tribulation. God’s word is unchanging:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you. And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Yes, we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power that is God and not of us. We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal! We need to focus on what’s eternal because what’s eternal is going to last forever and it’s in the Spirit realm. We bring heaven on earth into our lives. The eternal is the unseen substance of what’s in heaven. In fact, the eternal overrules the material or physical realm, the physical symptoms of the sickness that are in our body, and the physical circumstances of our life. And we do this by saying “Come Holy Spirit; so as it is in heaven, it will begin to be on earth.”
As we invite the kingdom of God and as we say, “Holy Spirit come,” He brings the realm of God, He brings the activity of God. When the Holy Spirit shows up, a superior order shows up, and it breaks the law of science, it breaks every doctor’s report and what every person has said about you concerning what you can and cannot do. It breaks the law of physics and the realm of the impossible. It begins to open up the impossible! It begins to open up the eternal! It begins to open up the supernatural! People get healed! Sickness, diseases, poverty and lack leave our bodies and leave our lives to the dismay of the unbelievers as God’s kingdom is manifested in our lives. As it is in Heaven so is not now on earth in our hearts and lives.
Through being born from above means that we not only experience life on the earth with our natural senses but we experience the heavenly realm with our spiritual senses. We can now live in that heavenly realm and to walk in the spirit is to live and believe as it is in heaven so it is to be done on earth (Matt. 6:10). Just like Jesus demonstrated and manifested the kingdom of God bringing the creative power out of the heavens to override the natural and the impossible in the earth and to release the supernatural of God we can do the same. We can walk in a great measure of miracles, signs and wonders like Jesus did for we now live by another set of rules. We live by a superior order. We are in the realm of God where miracles are the natural order of things through the power and anointing of the Holy Ghost. God’s word is unchanging:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:12-14
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors-not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:11-14
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5
For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. 1 Corinthians 4:20
The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. Psalm 118:14-16
When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South. Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:1-6
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. Psalm 147:5
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You. Psalm 33:18-22
(For the LORD is our Judge, The LORD is our Lawgiver, The LORD is our King; He will save us); Isaiah 33:22
Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with a mighty God who is a Savior and everything that His trusting ones need! As a result God’s true children don’t have to accept any negative thing in their bodies, lives or circumstances be it sickness, disease, infirmity, poverty, bondage, lack, oppression or depression. God is more than enough to be all that they need and to deal with each one of their enemies. His word is unchanging:
"Therefore say to the children of Israel: 'I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Exodus 6:6
O LORD, be gracious to us; We have waited for You. Be their arm every morning, Our salvation also in the time of trouble. … The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the LORD is His treasure. Isaiah 33:2-5
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:31-32
Sooner or later trouble comes to everyone! But for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and are filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19) the Lord is their salvation also in the time of trouble as well as the strength of salvation. The LORD who is our Judge, the LORD who is our Lawgiver, the LORD who is our King, the Lord who is our all; He will save us. God’s word is unchanging:
The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you." Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:1-10
Yes, the Lord who makes the desert rejoice and blossom abundantly as the rose, even with joy and singing, will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save His trusting ones! They have His word on it. The Word of God of a God who doesn’t and cannot lie! Yes, He who opened the eyes of the blind, unstopped the ears of the deaf, made the lame leap like a dear and the tongue of the dumb sing, has not changed and is the same yesterday today and forever. He is still the great and powerful and wonderful miracle working God who can do anything but fail His trusting ones! As a result the ransomed of the LORD shall return with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Isaiah 35:10, Ephesians 3:20-21).
We are to remember that poverty is not the will of God for any believer. Despite this truth, some people have taken a "vow of poverty." Some Christians believe that poverty is part of being holy and righteous. This is far from the truth. Poverty has nothing to do with godliness. To be poor or impoverished means, "to be without; in lack; deprived." You and I don't serve a God of lack and insufficiency. He's the God of the exceeding and abundant who wants to lavish us with His goodness. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible proves that poverty goes against everything God desires for believers. Poverty is a spirit designed to keep believers in financial bondage. The devil uses this spirit to hinder Christians from prospering and ultimately fulfilling their destiny of being a blessing to the entire world (Genesis 12:2-3). God favors prosperity. According to Psalm 35:27 and 3 John 2, He is pleased when we prosper in our spirit, soul and body. His desire is that we prosper economically, socially, emotionally, mentally and physically
Unfortunately for them, many believers accept debt, financial hardship, substandard living, sickness and troubled relationships as a part of life. They settle for less than God's best, unaware of their covenant rights with Him. As Christians and as King’s kids we have the right to prosper or succeed in every area of life-financially, emotionally, socially, mentally and physically. We have the right to total life prosperity! We can increase our knowledge base of what our covenant rights are by studying what the Bible has to say concerning God's people. From finances to owning a successful corporation, we can learn how to lay hold of our inheritance of a life of prosperity now! We can overcome the devil through our testimony and confession as greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world. We can tell the devil:
Satan, our Jesus is bigger than any disease or problem you might give us. You are overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of our testimony! (Rev. 12:11). We are washed clean by the blood of Jesus and by His stripes we are healed, and we refuse to accept the curse of sin and sickness and poverty and lack. We bind you right now by the Spirit of God in Jesus' name. You foul devil of cancer, liver or diabetes or any other incurable disease, we command you to take your hands off our family and us right now in the name of Jesus. We curse the seed and we curse the root of every cancer, liver, diabetes and bad cell in our bodies and we command them to die in the name of Jesus. We speak a new immune system or any other system into our being and we speak a new blood system into our bodies, a blood system that will not accept cancer or foul cells. And in the mighty name of Jesus which is above every name, we command all of the electrical and chemical frequencies in every cell in our body to be in harmony and in balance and to digest the bad cells. We command everything in our bodies to be healed and made whole and to function properly for the reason it was created and to stay functioning until Jesus returns. In Jesus name we come against and rebuke anything evil, wicked, wrong, sick or negative thing in our bodies, hearts, circumstances and lives and command it to go away and never come back, in Jesus name. Amen and amen!
We are redeemed from the curse as Jesus had become a curse for us, Galatians 3:13, and His blood is flowing in our blood stream. It flows to every cell of our body, restoring life and health. (Mark 11:23; Luke 17:6.) The life of First Peter 2:24 is a reality in our flesh, restoring every cell of our body for by Jesus stripes we were healed. We have presented our body to God for it is the temple of the LIVING GOD. And God now dwells in us and His LIFE permeates our SPIRIT, SOUL and BODY so that we are filled with the fullness of God daily and preach the whole counsel of God. (Rom.12: 1,2; John 14:20, Acts 20:27.) Our body is the temple of the HOLY GHOST and not our own. In Jesus name we make a demand on our body to release the right chemicals, to be in perfect chemical balance and for our pancreas to secrete the proper amount of insulin for life and health. (1 Corinthians. 6:19.)
Satan we speak to you and in the authority of Jesus' Name and we say to all your principalities and powers, your master spirits that rule this present darkness, and your spiritual wickedness in high places they are all totally and completely bound here as they are already bound in Heaven. We are loosed from all your power according to Colossians 1:13, as God has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed me into the kingdom of the Son of His love which is above every thrones or dominions or principalities or power, past, present or future. We are saved, healed, delivered and filled with the Spirit of God through the name and blood of Jesus. We command that you take your hands off all that touches and concerns us especially our finances and to restore in Jesus name seven fold everything that you have stolen from us for we are God’s property!
We also can use our angels and release them to make real our blessings:
Man was created a little lower than God, and angels were created lower than man. In Christ, we have a right to all that is God's and all that is at His disposal, including angels. Angels are ministering spirits assigned to minister to and for the heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:13-14). As a born-again believers, that means us!
The terms of our covenant with God are administered, managed, supplied, executed, superintended, dispensed, distributed and furnished through the ministry of angels.
Praying in the name (authority) of Jesus. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it (John 14:14).
Declaring that we are heirs of salvation and God. (ROM 8:17, GAL 3:29, EPH 3:6, 2TM 3:9, TI 3:7 HEB 6:17, HEB 11:9, JMS 2:5)
Declaring that they have been sent to minister to our needs. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14).
As long as we remain in the will of God, angels are charged with our protection and deliverance (Psalm 91:11, AMP; 34:7; Daniel 3:28-29; 6:22; Acts 12:7-9; 27:22-23).
For God's promises to be established in our life, we must decree them (You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways. Job 22:28). We also decree that have a covenant with God and the anointing to get wealth. "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
Angels only respond to the voice of God's Word that we decree (Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. Psalm 103:20-21). Then, they can carry out His pleasure in our life--our prosperity (Psalm 35:27). We can command them to hearken to the voice of God's Word that we speak. We can commanding them to go to the north, south, east and west to divinely clear the path to our wealthy place. We can rejoice, knowing that our covenant is established with God. Concentrating on circumstances rather than on God's promises causes many people to struggle. Our situation may seem impossible, but we focus on our covenant instead. Walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
We rejoice in the fact that angels are available even when things seem impossible. Example: The prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by the enemy's army but were delivered through the ministry of angels. God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, "Strike this people, I pray, with blindness." And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 2 Kings 6:14-18
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; "nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21
For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. 1 Corinthians 4:20
Many people have been deceived by Christians who have claimed they were part of the kingdom but only have words of the kingdom and not the power of the kingdom. They were deceived by those who have not come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ filled with all the fullness of God. They were deceived by those who couldn’t do what Jesus did even though God’s word states:
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Matthew 4:23
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. John 14:12
Those who cannot do the greater works than Jesus did are not true ministers of the gospel but false ones. True ministers of the gospel minister in the power of the Spirit to the lost and hurting ones and make a real difference in their lives. They minister love, healing, joy, wisdom, strength, edification and power just like Jesus did. They minister the gifts of the Spirit and other gifts as true apostles and prophets of God. They freely give what they have freely received from God. God’s word is true:
Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. Acts 15:12
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. Acts 19:11-16
False ones cannot cast out demons or heal the sick. The signs and wonders that follow them are dead words that don’t give life to any one! But God’s word is unchanging:
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Yes, just like Apostle Paul talked about in Acts 13:6-12, there are those who are full of all deceit and all fraud, sons of the devil, enemies of all righteousness, who will not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord denying the moving of the Holy Ghost, and the existence of Apostles and prophets and gifts of the Spirit. They are in the way of many seeking to turn people from the faith. They have a form of godliness even though they call themselves Christians or fundamentalists. But God’s word is unchanging:
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
Such false ones, deceitful workers, who are devoid of miracles, signs and wonders, convince many that they are saved because the followed some ‘biblical formula’ such as professing Christ but ignoring the baptism of the Spirit that John, Jesus and Paul preached and talked about. God’s word is unchanging:
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:11
So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father." Matthew 20:23
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Acts 1:4-5
Yes, John the Baptist baptized with water but Jesus baptized with the Holy Ghost. Yes, on the day of Pentecost Jesus fulfilled his promise for His disciples and they were baptized not in water but with the Holy Spirit and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. As a matter of fact according to Apostle Peter the sign of speaking in tongues was the basis for water baptism for the gentiles. The bible records:
"And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. "To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" Acts 10:42-47
Now the false ones, the sons of hell, have said that on the day of Pentecost those gathered in the upper room spoke in tongues to witness to the people? But that statement is a lie from the pits of hell because those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also and there was no reason for it! Just like when Paul laid hands on twelve men and they also spoke in tongues and prophesied:
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism."
Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all. Acts 19:1-7
Yes, John, the Baptist, baptized with water with a baptism of repentance but Jesus Christ, the Baptizer in the Holy Ghost, baptizes people with the Holy Ghost and power so that they might receive power and be witnesses to His miracles, signs and wonders. The truth of the matter is that speaking in tongues and prophesying were the signs of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that prophet Joel and Apostle Peter had talked about:
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. "For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. "But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.' Acts 2:14-21
And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. "Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again." Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there. Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain." 1 Kings 18:36-41
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:17-18
The bible is a testimony to the fact that through faith in God and prayer great things can be accomplished by one man just like Elijah did on Mt. Carmel with King Ahab and his false prophets of Baal! The bible records for our profit and instruction:
Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun. 1 Kings 16:30-34
And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." 1 Kings 17:1
Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, "Is that you, O troubler of Israel?" And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. 1 Kings 18:17-18
Many people accuse others of what they are guilty off themselves and King Ahab was no different. He called Elijah “troubler of Israel". And Elijah answered “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.”
Today in the so called “Church of the Flesh” amongst the Pentecostals, Charismatics and Vineyards we also have all kinds of abominations brought in by the so called “anointed ones in the Apostolic Movement who in reality are deceitful, greedy, lying, self-promoting, power hungry, authoritarian, spiritually abusive meglomaniacs! We have creeps like Todd Bentley, Bill Johnson, Chuck Pierce, Dutch Sheets, Stacey Campbell, Denny Cline , Patricia King, Steve Shultz who are totally off the wall in many ways!
There are very few documented healings, never mind miracles, in their meetings but they are many documented marriages, homes and churches broken up because these liars and deceivers walk in the flesh and demonstrate the works of the flesh including adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, divorce, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries.
Talk is cheap but it takes the real Holy Spirit to demonstrate love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires showing that these false ones are not of Christ. And the real signs and wonders we get from these false ones in the New Apostolic Reformation is that they say they are Christians and are speaking for God when in reality their father is the devil and they are speaking for him. God’s word is true:
"Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. "But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. John 8:43-45
"Beware of
false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ravenous wolves. "You will
know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from
thistles? "Even so, every good
tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown
into the fire. "Therefore by
their fruits you will know them.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom
of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. "Many will say to Me in that day,
'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name,
and done many wonders in Your name?'
"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from
Me, you who practice lawlessness!' Matthew 7:15-23
Let no one
deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God
comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with
them. For you were once
darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the
fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out
what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of
those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed
are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore
He says: "Awake, you who
sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."
Ephesians 5:6
If deception of Christians by empty words of deceivers were not possible then Apostle Paul would not warn Christians about it or that because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience and also tells us do not be partakers with them.
And scriptures doesn’t tell us that exposing the unfruitful works of darkness which are done by the sons of disobedience is wrong bur rather children of light are to become aware of them, expose them and to have no fellowship with the perpetrators of evil, lies, deception and wickedness many of whom are goats not sheep! And God’s word is true:
"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 'for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 'I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Matthew 25:41-46
Elijah as a true man of God has showed us that evil even by anointed Kings such as Ahab doesn’t have to be accepted but exposed and dealt with through prayer and words! Yes God plus one true man of God is a majority in any negative circumstance! And Jesus’ words are still true:
"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19
"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:18
And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again." Immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?" MT So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. Matthew 21:19-21
According to Jesus it’s our fault that we have the false ones in our midst because we unlike Elijah have accepted them and given them the right to be here rather than exposing and cursing them. We can curse anything that is evil and wicked and command it to die just like Jesus cursed the fig tree. We don’t bless Wolves in sheep’s clothing but rebuke them and expose them until they repent or are destroyed. God’s word is true:
And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again." And His disciples heard it. Mark 11:13-14
Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away." So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11:20-24