Archive for the ‘EVERYDAY WORD’ Category
The blessings we receive in Christ include ‘all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms’ (Ephesians 1:3). Surely we should ask for these also! We should even ask God to show us what these blessings are (1 Corinthians 2:9-13) so that we can receive them through prevailing prayer!
God is love (1 John 4:16) and in His amazing love He wishes to absolutely lavish us with free gifts from Heaven such as salvation, redemption, holiness, grace, peace, love, joy, boldness and spiritual power. Ephesians informs us that this grace-filled gift giving comes about because of Christ’s triumphant resurrection and ascension into Heaven:
Ephesians 4:7-12 MKJV But to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. (8) Therefore He says, “When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men.” (9) (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? (10) He who descended is the same also as He who ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.) (11) And truly He gave some to be apostles, and some to be prophets, and some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, (12) for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is this gracious outpouring of the Holy Spirit from the ascended Lord Jesus so we can witness to Christ, receive spiritual gifts for ministry and operate in the various offices of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher.
The power we receive is the power to walk in the Holy Spirit and to do the things that the Holy Spirit wants done.
But what does the Holy Spirit want done? He wants people to be loved and to be built up in Christ, the saints to become holy, the lost saved, and the widows and orphans to be cared for. He wants truth to be proclaimed to those in power, the lepers cleansed, the sick healed, the demons cast out and the dead raised to life.
a) God the Holy Spirit can give us specific, clear, plain language instructions
b) These generally are related to ministry situations in the immediate or near future
c) All Christians are entitled to receive them because of the New Covenant
d) However those who are already involved and obedient receive them more often
e) Obeying these instructions results in glory for God
f) There may be significant risk or discomfort involved in obeying God’s instructions
g) Yet they may also be for our comfort, consolation, deliverance or blessing
Notice John 16:23: “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.” Jesus gave us the right and the authority to use His Name in prayer. He gave us the authority to use His Name. He gave it to us. We now have that right. He said, “. . . In my name shall they cast out devils. ..” (Mark 16:17). We have a right to use that Name against the devil. Thank God, that Name has authority. We have the right to use that Name to call out demons that bind men’s souls with darkness and disease.
I was holding a meeting in east Texas the first week in September in 1952. I was studying along this line, and there were two things I began to see about the authority in Jesus’ Name. Those two things changed my life. They helped me immeasurably. Even as a Baptist boy preacher I had believed in divine healing, and I had ministered to the sick. But there were certain cases, particularly mental cases which were evidently caused by demonic obsession or possession, which almost frightened me when I came up against them. But as I began to study about the Name of Jesus, I realized something, which I will try to illustrate with this example.
When you go to your automobile, you have a key that unlocks the door. You say that you unlock the door, but really you don’t unlock the door: the key does it. You also have a key that fits the ignition. Ordinarily, you couldn’t start the car if you didn’t have a key. Again, you don’t actually start the car; the key does it. The key is the important factor to the entire process of unlocking and starting your car. I began to look at the authority in the Name of Jesus from this standpoint. In other words, I’m not the one who is going to cast out any devils. I don’t have any authority in myself, in the natural. But Jesus gave me the key to all the authority I would ever need – and it’s in His Name.
Jesus’ Name is the key! His Name has the authority! All I have to do is use the key, and the key does the work. This alleviated the fear I had. I was able to use the Name because the Name is the key, and the Name works!