THE OLD VS NEW COVENANT
The word “religion” was derived from a Latin word that describes a “return to bondage.” Religion is a lifestyle that is based on repetitive formulas, not necessarily a relationship with Christ. As Christians, our goal is to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ, not strengthen religion. God has made a new covenant with us. Under the new covenant, God has promised to write His laws upon our minds and hearts.
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord. I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people” (Hebrews 8:10).
The laws written on our hearts include the law of faith, the law of love, and the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25; James 2:8, 12, AMP).
Jesus gave us His commandments to follow (1 John 3:23, 24; John 14:15).
When there is a change in priesthood, laws change. Jesus is now our high priest; therefore, we are now under grace (Hebrews 7:12-14, 22).
The Mosaic laws that were written on stone were from God; therefore, they were holy, perfect, and flawless.
The only flaw with the laws of the old covenant was man’s inability to keep them.
With the new covenant, God has initiated a new system—not under the priesthood of Levi but under the priesthood of Jesus Christ.
Now we have the promise of the Holy Spirit to guide our lives (Hebrews 11:39, 40).
Under our high, priest Jesus, our sins are minimized and God is maximized. His grace outweighs our sins.
For example, Paul traveled a great distance to persecute Christians and have them killed. Yet after his conversion to Christianity, he wrote most of the New Testament (Acts 26:10, 11).
In various ways, Paul taught us profound lessons about the grace of God.
As Christians, we are under a better covenant (Hebrews 7:22, AMP; Hebrews 9:15, AMP).
The new covenant is an entirely new covenant; it is not based on the old covenant (Hebrews 8:8-13).
With the new covenant, God made an unchangeable promise (swearing by Himself), proving His faithfulness to us (Hebrews 6:18, 19, AMP).
Even if we are faithless, He remains faithful to His Word and His righteous character. He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13, AMP).
He who started the good work in us will continue it until Jesus Christ returns. Our spiritual growth is from God (Philippians 1:6; Colossians 2:19, AMP).
As born again Christians, we are under a new covenant agreement with God. Jesus is the mediator of this new agreement—one in which God swore by Himself to bless us. It is time for us to live by the new covenant and let go of the Law, which breeds condemnation and sin consciousness.
“No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish” (Luke 5:36, 37).
In the Scriptures above, Jesus is saying that we cannot make the new covenant compatible with the old covenant.
Many Christians have been taught more about the old covenant than the new one. Therefore, they are having a hard time letting go of the Law (Luke 5:37-39).
How do we completely let go of the Law and operating by the old covenant?
We drop the old way by learning and operating according to the new covenant.
Under the new covenant, we are under a new system of operation. The old way has become obsolete (Hebrews 7:12-18, AMP; Hebrews 10:8-10).
Christians operate by the laws of the new covenant, which God writes on our hearts; the laws of the old covenant are for the ungodly, or those who are not born again (2 Corinthians 3:6, AMP; Romans 3:19).
Unlike the new covenant, the laws of the old covenant do not bring us new life. It is impossible for us to meet all the requirements of the old covenant (Galatians 3:19-22; Galatians 2:16).
“For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee” (Hebrews 6:13-14).
God swore by Himself to bless Abraham. Now we are beneficiaries of this agreement (Hebrews 6:17-20).
Under the new covenant, God has forgiven our sins and promised to have mercy on us.
He freed us from the burden and obligation of keeping the laws of the old covenant.
We have been saved from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9).
When we believe that God is angry with us, we will shy away from His blessings.
Under the old covenant, people were burdened with yearly reminders of their sins.
Under the new covenant, we have the promised Holy Spirit living with us forever. We are one with the Spirit of God (Ephesians 1:13, 14; 1 Corinthians 6:17).
Scripture References:
Hebrews 8:10
James 2:8, 12, AMP
James 1:25
1 John 3:23, 24
John 14:15
Hebrews 7:12-14, 22, AMP
Hebrews 11:39, 40
Acts 26:10, 11
Hebrews 9:15, AMP
Hebrews 8:8-13
Hebrews 6:18, 19, AMP
2 Timothy 2:13, AMP
Philippians 1:6
Colossians 2:19
Luke 5:36-39
Hebrews 7:12-18, AMP
Hebrews 10:8-10
2 Corinthians 3:6, AMP
Romans 3:19
Galatians 3:19-22
Galatians 2:16
Hebrews 6:13-20
Romans 5:9
Ephesians 1:13, 14
1 Corinthians 6:17
Victories Of The Cross
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:1-5
Jesus has provided for our healing, Spirit, Soul and Body in the atonement. All of the provision of the cross must impact the body of Christ. Jesus Paid the Price for our Healing - "By His Stripes" (Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24) Hence we are anointed and sent to: Preach the Good News to the Needy, Bind up the Brokenhearted, Proclaim Freedom for the Captives, Release the Prisoners from Darkness, Proclaim the Year of the LORD's Favor, To Comfort all Who Mourn, To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. (Isaiah 61:1-3 and Luke 4:18)
God is alive and well and present today! Jesus is still healing people! The presence of God and the power of the Holy Spirit is a precious gift that we can experience and see many lives are being changed as desperate people come and find God's grace and mercy flowing to them bringing healing and encouragement. The anointing increases as we are press in for more of God! Then we can see God save people, heal people, deliver people, baptize in the Holy Spirit, bring encouragement and strength through the gifts of the Spirit. Many can receive from the Lord healing for their physical, emotional and spiritual needs and live lives that are whole and successful.
God is love and freely gives everything we need, both for our material and for our spiritual existence. But because the blessings of God’s spirit are so freely given, we often take them for granted. If all people had open and receptive hearts, they could see and hear God’s voice at all times and in all places. But we have lost this awareness. Through prayer, we learn to appreciate spiritual gifts, gifts that are at least as important for life as air and water, heat and light. Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. For when we have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord and King by the faith God gave us, the victory now resides in us and God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask, or thing. As God’s word is unchanging:
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
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
As a result of the cross, in Christ Jesus, we are rich, victorious and have a new life in Christ Jesus, as we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. The empty Cross now also stands as a reminder and says to the world and to all the demons of Hell “You did your worst, but God gave His best. Now things are no longer the same, because Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father waiting for His enemies to be submitted to Him. He has also now given us the power to subdue all His and our enemies through the use of His name and Word and dependence of the Spirit. Hence 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)
Our strength and victory comes from God Himself and all the victories He had won for us on the Cross of Calvary. Although in the annuals of time and history, our Creator God died on the Cross-on Calvary, but He didn’t stay there. He arose triumphant and victorious over everything, over the worst that the devil or others could throw at or do to Him and to us. Because of the cross of Christ, God has reconciled all things to Himself whether things on earth or things in heaven for Jesus having wiped out all the enemies of His people and especially the requirements that were against them, He has taken it out of the way having nailed to the cross. It is when the power of Christ rest upon us, because of our weakness, that we are truly strong. For it is then that we rest upon the Lord and walk in the power of His might and Spirit and not our own. As we by faith tap into all the riches and resources of heaven which are now ours by Christ Jesus because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross two thousand years ago we become more than conquerors.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords with His unlimited and unimaginable power and riches was never poor or debased. But He chose, because of us, to leave behind his infinite power and riches become a man and identify and relate to humanity in all its sufferings and ways. God in Christ Jesus stripped Himself of His royalty and Kingship. He then became an ordinary man and walked with men doing by faith and dependence on the Holy Spirit the impossible such as healing the sick, raising the dead and cast out demons. He did it all to show that we can do it also. Then the innocent Son of man and Son of God went to a Cross-on a hill called Calvary where He bled and died for all of humanity.
But the Cross-was not the end of Jesus Christ or life, it was the beginning of something new, a New Covenant or New Testament. It was the beginning of a new life and a new man and a new Spirit for those who would accept what Jesus had done for them. It was the beginning of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all flesh. As a result God’s word was now true:
“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.’ Joel 2:16-21
Now all flesh can be saved, healed and delivered and walk in the newness of life in the power of the Holy Spirit. All men can prophesy, speak in tongues and be filled with the fullness of God. The good news of the Cross-is that the different victories that Jesus won there, and the resulting New Covenant with all its rights and privileges, is now ours to be claimed and accepted by faith. They will be true if we will only believe, accept, confess and act on it and then allow the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead to change us. Jesus won for us, on the Cross, such a victory with such power and might that it made hell tremble and Heaven sing with joy as the Triumph of Victory resounded from one part of Heaven to another. Our ears will tingle and our hearts will sing, as the faithful and mighty Holy Spirit reveals this victory to us.
The fact remains that Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God, ready to use His power on behalf of the good of His true children; to make them more than conquerors in all things that the world, the flesh and the devil would throw at them. For His word is unchanging:
“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
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
In the world lack of strength and dependence on others is considered weakness, but in the kingdom of God weakness that causes us to depend on and trust in the Lord is great strength and blessings. For it is when the power of Christ rest upon us, because of our weakness, that we are truly strong. As it is then that we rest upon the Lord and walk in the power of His might and Spirit and not our own. As we by faith tap into all the riches and resources of heaven which are now ours by Christ Jesus because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross two thousand years ago we become more than conquerors.
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
BY FAITH
HEBREWS 11:29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets---
33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
TWO OF MY FAVORITE HEROES IN THE BIBLE ARE HANNAH AND MORDECAI
BITTER HURT HANNAH WAS THE LAST PERSON IN THE WORLD YOU WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO GET VICTORY OVER HER ABUSER THE SECOND WIFE OR THE ACCUSER ELI THE HIGH PRIEST. AND SHE DID AND HER SON REPLACED ELI
MORDECAI IS THE REAL HERO OF THE BOOK OF ESTHER. HE REFUSED TO BOW DOWN TO HAMAN AND TOLD ESTHER TO GET OFF THE POT AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT HAMAN. IN THE END MORDECAI GOT HAMAN'S POWER AND WEALTH
THIS PROVES THAT NOBODIES CAN COME OUT AND BE WINNERS AGAINST ANYBODY
THE GOSPEL IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT SIGNS AND WONDERS
ROMANS 15:19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
THE GOSPEL MUST BE ACCOMPANIED POWER
1THES.1:5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we were among you for your benefit
I would not be able to survive in the atmosphere that is presented in many of our churches today because of what is missing according to Heb.6:4-5. Having a message good music and a good choir jumping and shouting is simply not enough, Gods power must be demonstrated in and out side the church, signs wonders, miracles, gifts of the spirit. There must be a supernatural flow! ANYTHING LESS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE
IF IT WAS NOT NECESSARY GOD WOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN TO THE CHURCH APOSTLES, PROPHET
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord. I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people” (Hebrews 8:10).
The laws written on our hearts include the law of faith, the law of love, and the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25; James 2:8, 12, AMP).
Jesus gave us His commandments to follow (1 John 3:23, 24; John 14:15).
When there is a change in priesthood, laws change. Jesus is now our high priest; therefore, we are now under grace (Hebrews 7:12-14, 22).
The Mosaic laws that were written on stone were from God; therefore, they were holy, perfect, and flawless.
The only flaw with the laws of the old covenant was man’s inability to keep them.
With the new covenant, God has initiated a new system—not under the priesthood of Levi but under the priesthood of Jesus Christ.
Now we have the promise of the Holy Spirit to guide our lives (Hebrews 11:39, 40).
Under our high, priest Jesus, our sins are minimized and God is maximized. His grace outweighs our sins.
For example, Paul traveled a great distance to persecute Christians and have them killed. Yet after his conversion to Christianity, he wrote most of the New Testament (Acts 26:10, 11).
In various ways, Paul taught us profound lessons about the grace of God.
As Christians, we are under a better covenant (Hebrews 7:22, AMP; Hebrews 9:15, AMP).
The new covenant is an entirely new covenant; it is not based on the old covenant (Hebrews 8:8-13).
With the new covenant, God made an unchangeable promise (swearing by Himself), proving His faithfulness to us (Hebrews 6:18, 19, AMP).
Even if we are faithless, He remains faithful to His Word and His righteous character. He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13, AMP).
He who started the good work in us will continue it until Jesus Christ returns. Our spiritual growth is from God (Philippians 1:6; Colossians 2:19, AMP).
As born again Christians, we are under a new covenant agreement with God. Jesus is the mediator of this new agreement—one in which God swore by Himself to bless us. It is time for us to live by the new covenant and let go of the Law, which breeds condemnation and sin consciousness.
“No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish” (Luke 5:36, 37).
In the Scriptures above, Jesus is saying that we cannot make the new covenant compatible with the old covenant.
Many Christians have been taught more about the old covenant than the new one. Therefore, they are having a hard time letting go of the Law (Luke 5:37-39).
How do we completely let go of the Law and operating by the old covenant?
We drop the old way by learning and operating according to the new covenant.
Under the new covenant, we are under a new system of operation. The old way has become obsolete (Hebrews 7:12-18, AMP; Hebrews 10:8-10).
Christians operate by the laws of the new covenant, which God writes on our hearts; the laws of the old covenant are for the ungodly, or those who are not born again (2 Corinthians 3:6, AMP; Romans 3:19).
Unlike the new covenant, the laws of the old covenant do not bring us new life. It is impossible for us to meet all the requirements of the old covenant (Galatians 3:19-22; Galatians 2:16).
“For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee” (Hebrews 6:13-14).
God swore by Himself to bless Abraham. Now we are beneficiaries of this agreement (Hebrews 6:17-20).
Under the new covenant, God has forgiven our sins and promised to have mercy on us.
He freed us from the burden and obligation of keeping the laws of the old covenant.
We have been saved from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9).
When we believe that God is angry with us, we will shy away from His blessings.
Under the old covenant, people were burdened with yearly reminders of their sins.
Under the new covenant, we have the promised Holy Spirit living with us forever. We are one with the Spirit of God (Ephesians 1:13, 14; 1 Corinthians 6:17).
Scripture References:
Hebrews 8:10
James 2:8, 12, AMP
James 1:25
1 John 3:23, 24
John 14:15
Hebrews 7:12-14, 22, AMP
Hebrews 11:39, 40
Acts 26:10, 11
Hebrews 9:15, AMP
Hebrews 8:8-13
Hebrews 6:18, 19, AMP
2 Timothy 2:13, AMP
Philippians 1:6
Colossians 2:19
Luke 5:36-39
Hebrews 7:12-18, AMP
Hebrews 10:8-10
2 Corinthians 3:6, AMP
Romans 3:19
Galatians 3:19-22
Galatians 2:16
Hebrews 6:13-20
Romans 5:9
Ephesians 1:13, 14
1 Corinthians 6:17
Victories Of The Cross
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:1-5
Jesus has provided for our healing, Spirit, Soul and Body in the atonement. All of the provision of the cross must impact the body of Christ. Jesus Paid the Price for our Healing - "By His Stripes" (Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24) Hence we are anointed and sent to: Preach the Good News to the Needy, Bind up the Brokenhearted, Proclaim Freedom for the Captives, Release the Prisoners from Darkness, Proclaim the Year of the LORD's Favor, To Comfort all Who Mourn, To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. (Isaiah 61:1-3 and Luke 4:18)
God is alive and well and present today! Jesus is still healing people! The presence of God and the power of the Holy Spirit is a precious gift that we can experience and see many lives are being changed as desperate people come and find God's grace and mercy flowing to them bringing healing and encouragement. The anointing increases as we are press in for more of God! Then we can see God save people, heal people, deliver people, baptize in the Holy Spirit, bring encouragement and strength through the gifts of the Spirit. Many can receive from the Lord healing for their physical, emotional and spiritual needs and live lives that are whole and successful.
God is love and freely gives everything we need, both for our material and for our spiritual existence. But because the blessings of God’s spirit are so freely given, we often take them for granted. If all people had open and receptive hearts, they could see and hear God’s voice at all times and in all places. But we have lost this awareness. Through prayer, we learn to appreciate spiritual gifts, gifts that are at least as important for life as air and water, heat and light. Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. For when we have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord and King by the faith God gave us, the victory now resides in us and God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask, or thing. As God’s word is unchanging:
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
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
As a result of the cross, in Christ Jesus, we are rich, victorious and have a new life in Christ Jesus, as we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. The empty Cross now also stands as a reminder and says to the world and to all the demons of Hell “You did your worst, but God gave His best. Now things are no longer the same, because Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father waiting for His enemies to be submitted to Him. He has also now given us the power to subdue all His and our enemies through the use of His name and Word and dependence of the Spirit. Hence 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)
Our strength and victory comes from God Himself and all the victories He had won for us on the Cross of Calvary. Although in the annuals of time and history, our Creator God died on the Cross-on Calvary, but He didn’t stay there. He arose triumphant and victorious over everything, over the worst that the devil or others could throw at or do to Him and to us. Because of the cross of Christ, God has reconciled all things to Himself whether things on earth or things in heaven for Jesus having wiped out all the enemies of His people and especially the requirements that were against them, He has taken it out of the way having nailed to the cross. It is when the power of Christ rest upon us, because of our weakness, that we are truly strong. For it is then that we rest upon the Lord and walk in the power of His might and Spirit and not our own. As we by faith tap into all the riches and resources of heaven which are now ours by Christ Jesus because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross two thousand years ago we become more than conquerors.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords with His unlimited and unimaginable power and riches was never poor or debased. But He chose, because of us, to leave behind his infinite power and riches become a man and identify and relate to humanity in all its sufferings and ways. God in Christ Jesus stripped Himself of His royalty and Kingship. He then became an ordinary man and walked with men doing by faith and dependence on the Holy Spirit the impossible such as healing the sick, raising the dead and cast out demons. He did it all to show that we can do it also. Then the innocent Son of man and Son of God went to a Cross-on a hill called Calvary where He bled and died for all of humanity.
But the Cross-was not the end of Jesus Christ or life, it was the beginning of something new, a New Covenant or New Testament. It was the beginning of a new life and a new man and a new Spirit for those who would accept what Jesus had done for them. It was the beginning of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all flesh. As a result God’s word was now true:
“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.’ Joel 2:16-21
Now all flesh can be saved, healed and delivered and walk in the newness of life in the power of the Holy Spirit. All men can prophesy, speak in tongues and be filled with the fullness of God. The good news of the Cross-is that the different victories that Jesus won there, and the resulting New Covenant with all its rights and privileges, is now ours to be claimed and accepted by faith. They will be true if we will only believe, accept, confess and act on it and then allow the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead to change us. Jesus won for us, on the Cross, such a victory with such power and might that it made hell tremble and Heaven sing with joy as the Triumph of Victory resounded from one part of Heaven to another. Our ears will tingle and our hearts will sing, as the faithful and mighty Holy Spirit reveals this victory to us.
The fact remains that Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God, ready to use His power on behalf of the good of His true children; to make them more than conquerors in all things that the world, the flesh and the devil would throw at them. For His word is unchanging:
“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
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
In the world lack of strength and dependence on others is considered weakness, but in the kingdom of God weakness that causes us to depend on and trust in the Lord is great strength and blessings. For it is when the power of Christ rest upon us, because of our weakness, that we are truly strong. As it is then that we rest upon the Lord and walk in the power of His might and Spirit and not our own. As we by faith tap into all the riches and resources of heaven which are now ours by Christ Jesus because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross two thousand years ago we become more than conquerors.
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
BY FAITH
HEBREWS 11:29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets---
33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
TWO OF MY FAVORITE HEROES IN THE BIBLE ARE HANNAH AND MORDECAI
BITTER HURT HANNAH WAS THE LAST PERSON IN THE WORLD YOU WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO GET VICTORY OVER HER ABUSER THE SECOND WIFE OR THE ACCUSER ELI THE HIGH PRIEST. AND SHE DID AND HER SON REPLACED ELI
MORDECAI IS THE REAL HERO OF THE BOOK OF ESTHER. HE REFUSED TO BOW DOWN TO HAMAN AND TOLD ESTHER TO GET OFF THE POT AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT HAMAN. IN THE END MORDECAI GOT HAMAN'S POWER AND WEALTH
THIS PROVES THAT NOBODIES CAN COME OUT AND BE WINNERS AGAINST ANYBODY
THE GOSPEL IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT SIGNS AND WONDERS
ROMANS 15:19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
THE GOSPEL MUST BE ACCOMPANIED POWER
1THES.1:5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we were among you for your benefit
I would not be able to survive in the atmosphere that is presented in many of our churches today because of what is missing according to Heb.6:4-5. Having a message good music and a good choir jumping and shouting is simply not enough, Gods power must be demonstrated in and out side the church, signs wonders, miracles, gifts of the spirit. There must be a supernatural flow! ANYTHING LESS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE
IF IT WAS NOT NECESSARY GOD WOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN TO THE CHURCH APOSTLES, PROPHET
WALTER KAMBULOW
FACEBOOK:
WALT KAM
Gordon
Williams http://gordwilliams.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment