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THE
MYSTERY OF
POWER
FROM ON HIGH
Introduction
Revelation, inspiration, searching, knocking,
asking; these are all pathways that lead a
seeker into the knowledge of the mysteries
of God. "God is a Spirit," says the
scripture. His divine existence is one that
can only be perceived, and believed on a non-sensing
level. If I say that I know God, whom you neither
know nor see, you can only judge my assertions
on the basis of my personal credibility. Some
spokes persons for God are more credible than
others. The early apostles did not so much
argue the existence of God as a theory or concept,
as to prove His existence by
supernatural attestations; demonstrating the
Power of God. (1Corinthians 2). So we have
the matter of proving to a materialistic non-believing
world that God is real and that He still has
a part in the day-to-day affairs of this world
and its occupants.
Progressive
Revelation
God is a god of mysteries
and hidden things. The parables taught by Jeshua
(Jesus) had within them truth at multiple levels,
plain story-level truth and higher levels of
spiritual revelation. There is and always has
been that matter of hidden truth. For Christ's
disciples it was given to know the secrets
of the Kingdom of God while others received
no more than a moral homily. According to the
Mystery of Godliness, God reveals himself to
some and not to others. Heaven and its mysteries
are not laid bare for all to intrude upon.
There are defining limits between darkness
and heavenly light. God did not choose that
Bible truths and hidden mysteries be delineated
as point by point, topic by topic facts and
realities. Thus the key to unpacking and deciphering
the Word of God can not be achieved strictly
by academic skills and study alone. Without
the Holy Spirit, the teacher and discipler
of truth, we are limited pretty much to merely
the moral homily level of the listener.
We
are given understanding in the light of Jeshua
(Jesus) on a line by line, precept upon precept,
understanding that Jesus is the Word of God,
Itself the greatest mystery. For when the Scripture
is made known in its completeness we
shall See Him as He IS.
I
have indexed a series of writings that deal
with the subject of Mysteries. They do little
more than introduce the topics of God's mysteries,
some of the mysteries. There remains,
more, much more to be gleaned within these
domains to study. Moreover, there are likely
more and more mysteries and mysteries within
mysteries which will come into our field of
view in due time. Revelation
is progressive and always deepening as His
truth is being revealed by God's Holy Spirit
in God's divine time. God is withholding
certain things from us because it is not yet
His time. Contrary to some ecclesiastical authorities,
we do not have all the answers (facts) and
understanding as to Who God is and what His
complete plan is for His Body, The Church (another
mystery).
Matthew 16:16 But who say ye that I am?
Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do
you say that I am?" Peter, answers and
says, "You are the Messiah, (the Christ)
the son of the Living God." Jesus then
tells Peter, "- - - Flesh and blood have
not revealed this to you, but my Father who
is in heaven.
This is an example of how we receive knowledge
of hidden things,
Mysteries revealed by God
1Corinthians 2:0 - -"Eye has not seen
nor ear heard, neither has entered into the
heart of man, the things which God has prepared
for those that love him. 10: But God has
revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for
the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep
things of God. 11. For what man knows
the things of a man, except by the sprit of
man which is in him? Even so the things of
God, know man knows, except by the Spirit of
God.
MANY
OF THE BIBLICAL MYSTERIES DETAILED BELOW
REMAIN UNREALIZED BY A MAJORITY OF NOMINAL CHRISTIANS.
HOWEVER, THE TEACHINGS HERE ARE NOT HIDDEN OR
"ESOTERIC"
AS SO-CALLED OCCULT AND NEW AGE TEACHINGS CLAIM TO
BE,
THESE TRUTHS ARE REVEALED IN THE BIBLE
BUT REMAIN VEILED TO THE UNDERSTANDING UNTIL THE HOLY
SPIRIT
REVEALS THEM TO US. THEREFORE, THOSE WHO READ THE
BIBLE
DO NOT RECEIVE THE SAME UNDERSTANDINGS
THE MYSTERY OF POWER FROM ON HIGH
A
God of Power Today?
TOPICS
Suggested Reading: Mark 16; 1Corinthians 12; 1Corinthians
14; Luke 4: Matt. 28 end, Acts 1 & Acts 2, and Others
listed in the paragraphs following:
TOPICS:
Two Words for Power
God Baptized Jesus With Supernatural Ability, Power
and Might
Becoming a New Creation
Power of God Then, What About Now?
Receiving "the Promise of the Father "
Speaking in other Tongues [Spiritual Languages)
Tongues and Holy Spirit Ministry Intercession, a Spiritual
Ministry
Among the many persons who have attended church
for most of their lives, I believe there are very
few who have actually experienced God's manifestated
power and presence in any real and dramatic way. The
believing Christian, once born of the spirit is set
apart for the Glory of God. This believer should not
be relegated to becoming merely a casual listener,
whose spiritual life consists of coming to a place
once or twice a week to hear messages about God, and
in some cases related by a person who may not even
know God. It is a shame to relinquish our own spiritual
growth and the potential of being "children of the
Most High" with messages framed in unbelief.
A God of Power Today?
God almighty created the Heavens and the Earth. We
are told of miraculous deeds done in time past by
the power of God, the stopping of the sun's movement
which allowed time to give Joshua a military victory;
Miracles and signs done by Moses and Aaron in Egypt;
the opening of the Red Sea; the power of God which
came down to consume Elijah's sacrifice before the
priests of Baal. We know that Jesus performed miracles
outside of realm of natural law, healings, raising
from the dead, walking on the water, changing water
into wine; as well as mental miracles, knowing the
thoughts of men and knowing the events of the future.
We also know that the disciples of Christ duplicated
Jesus' miracles when they ministered, according to
the accounts written in the book of The Acts of the
Apostles. How do we look upon these accounts? Shall
we say they did not occur? Shall we say that God has
changed? Or shall we say that God has not changed
and that He does work the same way in the present
as He did in times past?
This writer grew up attending churches which had no
manifestation of God's presence. Neither was there
teaching that God was to be an intimate part of church
fellowship. Sadly, there was no reality of God being
a good God who brought benefits from day to day.
Hymns were sung without conviction or zeal. How can
anyone give heart felt praise when they do not know
the God they praise? (John 4) "- -You worship
what you do not know - -" It is amazing to me
that people continue to support traditions in which
there are no manifestations which attest the truth
in the words which are preached. For all practical
purposes one could easily preach that "God is dead."
One might say that faith was equated to believing
in the God of Glory without any way to test that assertion.
No person, no disciple or believer in Jesus the Messiah
can understand or experience the fullness of this
truth nor act as a manifested child of the Most High
without supernatural enablement.
"- -No man knows the things of God except
for the Spirit of God - - (1Corinthians 1:11,12)
Thank God for His excellent Grace, He has provided
that which is necessary to walk as a child of God,
walking in Jesus' footsteps. It is dunamis
power which Jesus promised to all his true disciples.
This power is the God-Power of the Holy Spirit. This
manifestation is God in us, which God has provided
to fulfill his word and provide us with a first hand
witness of the promises and provisions stated in the
Bible. This power is scripturally promised for Disciples
of Jesus Christ to use to perform the outreaches of
the Gospel of the Kingdom, also called the work of
ministry.
If we are not taught about this provision in the Word
enunciated to us, we can not believe it nor appropriate
it. If we have only heard a contrary Gospel, then
we are encumbered to have to unlearn that wrong doctrine.
There is a spirit of unbelief , a spirit of slumber,
the leaven of Pharisees, which masquerades as scripturally
correct doctrine. This religious tradition is not
unlike the spirit which the Pharisees manifested to
withstand Jesus in the time of his earthly ministry.
Bible training centers are training practitioners
of a form of godliness without power, presenting many
arguments which contradict the promises of God, namely
that the Power of the Spirit and His ministry gifts
are no longer being manifested today. Jesus said,
If you believe you will see the glory of God.
Paul
stated that he did not bring words of spell-binding
oratory or philosophy (intellectual reasoning) but
rather, the demonstration of the Holy Spirit and his
Power. Today institutional Christianity abounds as
a religion without power and if by chance power it
is manifested, we look upon it as something questionable.
We might on the other hand, have the tendency to exalt
the man by whose hand these miracles occurred, placing
him on a pedestal. Note in the Book of Acts disciples
Paul and Barnabus had to constrain people from deifying
them when powers from God were displayed.
The Two Words for Power
The Bible mentions two kinds of power, power (dunamis)
and power (exousia). Both words have a place in understanding
the power which is granted to every believer. Exousia
power is the authority to act granted by God. Jesus
declares after his resurrection, All power (exousia
authority) in heaven and on earth have been given
to me -- you go therefore -- and the commission to
his disciples is given to take the Gospel into every
nation. Jesus states in his prayer to the Father in
John Chapter 17, "the glory you have given me, I have
given to them- The glory of God is, I believe, a physical
manifestation of God's presence, therefore it must
be equated with Power. I will share a phrase with
you, that I believe has been spiritually revealed,
the phrase is this, "The glory of God is the manifested
presence of God.
Jesus
speaks of "the promise of the Father" power from God
when he tells the disciples, "to wait in Jerusalem
until you are endued with power from on high." God
Baptized Jesus with the Same Dunamis Power of the
Spirit. The anointing of Holy Spirit power came
upon Jesus after John baptized him in the Jordan
river, it was thereafter that Jesus performed mighty
works and began His ministry. " - -God anointed Jesus
of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power who went
about doing good and healing all those oppressed by
the devil." (Acts10:38)
Supernatural Ability
The ministry of Jesus was a four-fold ministry; teaching,
preaching the kingdom, healing, and deliverance to
demonstrate the Kingdom. It was a ministry of power
directed against the forces of Satan. As described
in Luke Chapter 4:18, there is an emphasis on power
in order to fulfill the commission of the Gospel of
the Kingdom:
Power ministry is heart of the Gospel of the Kingdom.
It can be summarized as freeing people and restoring
them from conditions (Luke Chapter 4:18 - body, soul
and spirit) which Satan had placed upon mankind in
general and upon ourselves and our families individually.
Lack of wholeness through the bondage of Satan in
sickness; Lack of wholeness through the bondage of
Satan through mental oppression; Lack of wholeness
through the bondage of Satan which are demonic in
nature; Lack of: wholeness through the bondage of
Satan through various kinds of curses; Lack of wholeness
through the bondage of Satan in lacks and limitation,
and in fears; Lack of wholeness through the bondage
of Satan in connections to unclean, destructive and
dehumanizing forces. Where the ministry of the Gospel
is taught the adversary, (the enemy of God) must never
be omitted for he remains the enemy and has oppressed
the race of man since the beginning. Satan has not
retired in Florida since the victory of Christ Jesus
was proclaimed in the heavens and in the earth!
A
Gospel without power is a false Gospel. Likewise any
Gospel which does not introduce us to the spiritual
powers of the enemy which are against us is a false
Gospel. The faith life is to a large degree spent
in enforcing God's authority in the earth with respect
to our own lives, our families and other who we care
for. Satan's team is positioned to take advantage
of our ignorance. They will take an offensive action
against us unless we are poised to stand our ground.
Satan comes to steal, kill, destroy & deceive, and
to perpetuate false Gospels. The Promise of the Father
Help from the Spirit of God for Every Disciple The
book of acts introduces the promise of the Father,
What is this promise of the Father? It is Power from
on high!. The Holy Spirit came to ordinary men and
gave them supernatural knowledge, ability and might.
They were clothed with the Glory of God's fire. Under
the power of the Spirit, they manifested total loss
of normal mental self control, they began to utter
language which was not their own. They became witnesses.
After being touched by Power (dunamis) we also bear
witnesses that our lives are being remade, renewed,
blessed in wholeness, through an agency which is totally
beyond man's natural enablements. but that is something
of the heavens.
A
Matter of Moments to Become a New Creation
The disciples of Jesus, men and women, waited in an
upper room of the temple that day of Pentecost. They
were all believers in Jesus. They all knew him. They
all walked with him and knew his voice and his sayings
but they were not yet able to minister as God desired
them to minister. It was not enough to have known
Jesus personally, face to face. They and ourselves
can not minister from knowledge and experience and
natural ability alone! dunamis holy spirit baptism.wpd
The kind of ministry that the Jesus through God had
prepared for his disciples was to replicate Christ
within each of them! Suddenly at the appointed moment
each man and woman experienced what the prophets had
written: The prophet Joel writing states: "It shall
come to pass in the latter days that I will pour out
of my spirit upon all flesh --' The prophet Ezekiel
writes: "-- a new heart will I give you, and put a
new spirit in you; I will remove the heart of stone
and put in a heart of flesh-"(Ezekiel Chapter 36:26)
I will write my laws upon your heart " and David the
psalmist prophet writes: "- Let this be written for
a future generation, a people not yet created shall
Praise the Lord" --(Psalm 102,18)
That
was Then, What About Now?
Religious tradition has relegated the book of Acts
to "stories" or fables about unique and favored saints
and apostles. Some imagine God no longer wishes to
make disciples and to use them, as he once did; nor
any longer empower them with power from on high as
at the time of Peter, James and John. Remember God
does not lie, if he made any promise he will certainly
fulfill that promise. The "promise of the Father"
was specifically that of receiving divine, enabling
power. It is the prophetic bottom line enabling the
Ministry of Jesus Christ to continue in the church
age. The Gospel of the Kingdom has not changed in
its objectives or methods. However, hundreds of years
of religious myths and baggage has to examined and
if it is necessary, trashed. Unbelief keeps us from
entering the upper room and emerging a vibrant 'New
Testament church' ALIVE with the first-hand witness
of God's power and blessing.
How
You May Receive the Promise of the Father
Only believers can receive the Holy Spirit. This may
require some personal self-evaluation. Do you believe?
What do you believe?
Do you believe that you are a sinner alienated from
the life and promises of God? Do you believe that
you have until this time either knowing or unknowingly
followed a life which was ruled by Satan's nature,
pride and rebellion and self-service and uncleanness?
Do you believe you need a Savior? Do you believe that
Jesus was the lamb of God who carried the sins and
offenses of the whole world as well as your own? Do
you believe that his blood has the power to wash all
of your sins away and restore you in perfect accord
with God the Father? Do you believe that God loves
you and wishes to forgive you? Do you believe that
He has the power to make your life entire over again
and to make you a new creation?
If
so, Hallelujah! An ordinary person like you and me,
who are called outcasts, or sinners in the Bible,
may begin a spiritual life by talking to God and asking
Him to do something in our life. I can assure you
of the truth in this. You need to do two things, the
first is to believe. Kindly note and consider the
things discussed above, for these are the essential
elements of believing in the Gospel of Christ. The
second is a spoken confession or petition to God.
The psalmist states, "I spoke unto the Lord with my
voice and He heard me out of His holy hill." (Psalm
3:4 and Psalm 77:1) You confess (say with your own
words) what you know about the promises that the cross
the Lord Jesus in any way that is personal and honest
to you.
It is not a ritual but simply your getting honest
with God and telling Him that you need Him and dunamis
holy spirit baptism.wpd that you accept the sacrifice
of his Son for your sins. The words which provide
a change in our lives begins with a confession of
our need. It follows with a statement of believing
that Jesus has met that need. God honors this confession.
He will change you in an instant and take you into
His family. However, you must act in sincerity and
faith , believing that you will most assuredly receive
this new birth and this new status of righteousness
in Christ Jesus.
This
is the first step of receiving the Promise of the
Father, the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you are already
a believer and have a sure witness of the fact that
God has restored your spirit, you are eligible to
become a disciple filled with power. The experience
of being born of the Spirit and made new is a good
example of how God (Through Christ Jesus) works on
our behalf. All transactions of faith operate through
a similar sequence of action to that demonstrated
above (Romans Chapter 10, verses 9 and 10.) Belief
is followed by action. We believe in our hearts and
express the belief vocally, that the Father is anxious
to give you out of His Kingdom. (Luke 12,32) . We
know and confess that Jesus died for this cause, to
make you a completed disciple. We know and confess
that God has not changed nor will He ever change.
We know and confess BELIEVING that God empowered all
of his first disciples and that you believe He wishes
to give you a good gift and empower you. Expect Jesus
to do that greater work. Receiving the "Baptism of
the Holy Spirit" is God's desire for you. As he commanded
the first disciples he likewise commands us so that
we can function as a child of God. In the process
of being filled with the Spirit the disciples in the
second chapter of Acts came together to seek the promise
of the Father. They sought it prayerfully. After the
Holy Spirit was poured out there were manifestations
for each disciples. They did not proceed to go out
and minister without the experience. Then when the
moment of fulfillment came - - - They began to praise
God and to prophecy and to speak in other languages
that the Holy Spirit gave to them.
Speaking
in other Tongues - - two varieties, unknown actual
languages and Spiritual languages. Understanding and
receiving these spiritual languages are a problem
for many believers. Not thinking too much, is a weird
kind of thing for people to do. Releasing the language
utterance is a little confusing. Do you try or try
not to try? It is hard to release words you do not
know by not thinking. But the wisdom of God has made
it possible to bypass the normal function of mental
processes. Your thought processes are mostly by-passed
in the tongues of God. These are not words you "learn"
such as learning vocabulary words. The language of
tongues are real languages a form of speech. They
are not usually identified as any human dialect.
Two Kinds of Tongues
Paul refers to 2 kinds of tongues; of men; and of
angels (1Cor 13). Nevertheless, tongues are messages
from God, to allow us to give God perfect praise back
to him. At times tongues along with a spiritual interpretation
is a message to edify others. dunamis holy spirit
baptism.wpd Tongues work to edify and instruct ourselves
on a spiritual level. Tongues bring revelatory wisdom.
Tongues open the door to Spiritual experiences of
all kinds. Tongues build our faith and open understanding
of the Scripture. Prayer language and Holy Spirit
Ministry The gift of Tongues as listed in 1 Corinthians,
Chapter 12 is the ability to speak a language having
never learned it. An example is described in Acts
Chapter two. Where Galileans spoke the languages known
to many nations who were present. Experience has taught
me that languages can be a part of messages given
publicly in meetings although this is not seen too
often. As we pray in the Spirit our minds are rendered
quiescent. the language of the Spirit has no predictability
or conscious control. We find in it many kinds of
expressions both in word and in tones of expression.
Uses of Tongues and Praying in the Spirit
Praying in the Spirit, expresses in a Spiritual language
god's perfect will about matters. When we do not know
how to pray in particular the Holy Spirit provides
the necessary words. Romans, 8: 26, describes groanings
or expressions beyond words. Th0is is also called
praying in the Spirit. Intercessors will lapse into
prayers beyond words where sounds come forth that
are very strange to listen to and may not sound at
all like language. We can also receive the understanding
of prayers that we pray or that are prayed by others.
Sometimes understanding come into our minds spontaneously
after we have spoken in tongues or after someone else
has been heard to utter something in a spiritual language.
You may seek and ask the Lord to reveal these that
you pray about so that you mind may also be fruitful.
(1Cor 14) Interpreted tongues equal prophecy. Intercession,
a Spiritual Ministry The ministry of divine intercession
is empowered through the language of the Spirit.
Intercession a Spiritual Ministry
God calls forth true intercession into manifestation.
Some are given this ministry gift in a unique and
powerful way. The Holy Spirit causes such individuals
to yield to the Spirit and bring out the words necessary
to enforce the perfect will of God for many things.
It has been testified how people awaken in the night
to bring forth prayers for people they know or for
those in ministry undergoing trials and crisis.
The power of praying God's will for people, circumstances
or nations, need not depend upon the leading of the
rational mind. Sometimes visions and revelations can
accompany intercession where God allows his servant
to see the nature of the circumstances for which he
or she is praying. Praying in the Spirit and the ministry
of intercession is not learned through natural means,
although it may be seen demonstrated by men or women
with the gift. God is willing and happy to train any
person who wishes to explore and learn Spiritual things.
It is continued practice which brings ability and
fruitfulness in the learning and application of Spiritual
things. Practice ministering through prayer, according
to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Ask the Lord to
train you and lead you in the Spirit. Surely it His
will and pleasure to develop his children to become
mature "sons or daughters of God."
"Knowledge
makes arrogant, love edifies."
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Introduction to Mysteries
of God
Index to Bible Mysteries
The
Rapture of Believers, Part 1
The
bride and the Bridegroom typology and the rapture
Mystery of Accessing
God
Mystery of the Body
of Christ
Mystery of the Cross,
Crucified with Him
Mystery of Faith Believing
God's Word
Mystery of Grace,
God's Hand Stretched Forth
Mystery of Power
and Divine Enablement
Mystery of Spoken
Words of Covenant
Mystery of Righteousness
in the Beloved
Mystery of the Word
-.Bible is a Living Force
Mystery of Spirit
and Spirits
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