Today's Bible Reading is Acts 19:1-17. This is such a wonderful reading. It has many things in it which indicate to us that there was something marvellous about it, when we think about Pentecost we should be astonished each day because of it's mightiness, because of it's wonderfulness & how the glory overshadows it.
When We should think about these things they should make us feel that we have only just touched it. We must thank God that we have touched it. Whatever God has done in the past, He is still the same today, when our hearts are burdened & they come face to face with the needs of the day, we should look into God's Word & it will bring a power or anointing that makes you know He has truly visited us, That is to say that He is with us always.
It was a wonderful day when Jesus left the glory of heaven. I can imagine the angels & God the Father & all of heaven so wonderfully stirred up that day when the angels were sent
to tell that wonderful story: "Peace on earth & good will to all men" It would have been a glorious day when they first saw the Baby for the first time & God His Father was looking on.
Jesus came to earth for us to show us how he wanted us to live, to follow His example, & then, then He died He went to the cross for us so we might live eternally in heaven with Him.
Pentecost in our lives should be something that is working up to be a climax, it's not something that can all be done in one day. We go through trials & tribulations but the power of God is always there to help us. God is with us.
The mother of Jesus hid a lot of things in heart. The time came when it was made manifest at the Jordan that Jesus was in fact the Son of God. It had to be made known first to one that was full of the vision of God.
The vision comes to those who are full. Did it ever occur to you that we cannot be too full for a vision, that We can cannot have too much of God? The more of God, then the visions begin.
When God has you in His plan, what a change in how things operate. You wonder, you see things in a different or new light. & how God is being glorified as you yield to Him from day to day, & the Spirit seems to lay hold of you & He gives you a touch of His wonderful power, manifestations of the glory of these things & indications of great things to follow, & these days which we are living in speak of better days to come. Pastor Margaret Court in Perth at Victory life always says "the best is yet to come".
Where would we be today if we had stopped short, if we had not fulfilled what God had predestined for us? I'm thinking about when God sent the Holy Spirit to Paul, he didn't know how much his spirit was stirred up, his eyes were dim, but Jesus was there, He was looking on, we most certainly can't understand the whole process, God always is there, He shows us what to do, His Spirit is working in us, His plan works with us little by little.
Some of us would never have been in this Word of faith movement had we not been drawn, But God has such a wonderful way of drawing us. Paul never intended to be among the disciples, Paul never intended to have anything to do with this Man called Jesus, but the Spirit of God was working. & He has been working with us & has bought us to this place.
God's plan for us & all His Children is that we see that Jesus Christ is the greatest manifestation in all the world, & His power is unequalled, there is only one way, you must notice that after the people saw the working wonders by this power of the Spirit in Paul began in the natural realm.
It is necessary if we want to do anything for God we must get the knowledge of God, we must get the vision of God, we cannot work on our own, it must be a direct revelation that Jesus is the of the Son of God. I can see that Paul in his mad pursuit had to stopped & after he was stopped & had a vision from heaven & that light from heaven, revealed he had been working in the wrong way. As soon as the power of the Holy Spirit fell on him he began to go in the way which God wanted him to go. He had to suffer first, it is usually broken spirits, tired lives, & being driven into a corner as if some strange thing had happened that gets us where God wants us.
Paul didn't have any power to use the name of Jesus as he did, only as he went through difficulties, God was there, He stood by Him, & let him know that He would always be there to carry him & bring out that for which his spirit was longing for.
The people around had been watching & they
thought that it was only the name that was needed, so they thought that they could do the same. Those vagabond Jews, those seven sons of Sceva, were determined, they came to the place where that man had been demon possessed for years, possessed with evil power as they entered they said I demand you come out in the name of Jesus. The demons said "Jesus we know, & Paul we know, but who are you?" This evil power leaped upon them, tore there clothing, they went around naked & wounded (Acts 19:13-17) It was the name they not understand. But you must understand the name, there is something in the name that makes the whole world charmed, it is the Holy Spirit, it is the knowledge of Him that we understand that we want to speak about the ministry of salvation; it is important. We must be satisfied with the knowledge of the blood of Jesus Christ & the knowledge of His perfect holiness. & know that we are cleansed from all sin & made holy or set apart in the knowledge of His Holiness. We need to be
satisfied that we know Him & the knowledge of His power, & that the power of the Holy Spirit is in us enabling us to do all we have been called to do.
The difference between the sons of Sceva & Paul is this- "they said it was only using the "name" How many people only use the name? How many times are they defeated because they think it is just a name? How many people have been broken hearted because they did not get answer when they used the name?
When you read he that believes shall speak in tongues, he that believes shall cast out... demons..., he that believes shall lay hands on the sick,... reading this it seems all to easy but you must understand there are volumes to be applied to the word believe. To believe is to believe in the majesty & glory & the power which is all power, which bring other powers into subjection.
To believe is to have knowledge of Him in whom you believe, it is not to believe in the word Jesus, but to believe in His true nature, to be believe in the vision, for all power is given to Him, & greater is He that is in us then he that is in the world.
We Need to know Jesus so much that he shines out of us that even every demon must go when we command them in the name of Jesus, they know who He is so when they see Him in us they must go.
This leads me to the question of unity/ fellowship In Eph 4:13 Till we all come in to the unity of the faith & the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
The Greek word for unite is Kallao It is used in reference to God's activity, the relationship is one of spiritual intimacy. The believers spiritual union with God is one of permanence & closeness. For this reason Paul warns the Corinthian believers not to unite themselves with a prostitute, or they will become one with her, likewise be careful with other Christians you think you may want to have fellowship/ unity with some have controlling spirits, a Spirit of witchcraft & so on, so having unity or fellowship with them you will become one with them. As A husband becomes one with his wife, we are to be one with God, it would be unthinkable to involve Him in immorality, I can't emphasise this enough He who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit.(1Cor 6:16;17)
This serves as a remember that God is married to His covenant people. If they indulge in immorality in any area, they will defile the sanctity of such a relationship. They are to remain pure as they await the return of Christ, their Bridegroom.
Acknowledgement Smith Wigglesworth.
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