THE POWER OF THE KINGDOM

October 15, 2003

The Lord wants to find worthy vessels with which He can entrust higher dimension of the authority of the kingdom, which will be the consummation of the final ingathering and the preparation of the Bride of Christ for His return.

Many people in the church are crying for revival and for the Holy Spirit to send the power of the Spirit into the church. But can the Lord find a people who He can trust with that kind of power and authority?  John 5:44, "How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?"

He cannot give miracle-working faith to those that are not trust-worthy.  Those who need the praise of man to build themselves up.  As of now, we have not come into this latter day rain, this outpouring of a mighty surge of the Holy Spirit. The Lord cannot pour this mighty dunamis power through vessels who have not been trained and discipled by the Holy Spirit Himself.  These have been in a part realm, and what has been given to them in part they have many times misused. They being influenced by the praise of man, having had men follow them in their ministry rather than the Lord who gives the ministry.

Psalm 49:16-20, "Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; for when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.  Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.  He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.  Man that is in honor, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish."

Jesus prunes our hearts, because man will attempt to find a place in our soul and this is self-destruction.  John 8:54 "Jesus answered, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing: it is my Father that honoreth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:" Jesus honored the Father, and we are to do likewise.  Our hearts always have to be guarded, so that we keep before the Lord a meek and contrite spirit.  God is committed to spreading the fame of His Son throughout the nations. This greater power is being reserved for a church that will proclaim the glorious Christ, and live according to His Word, through faith and grace.

Eph. 3:8  "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;" He will anoint and empower believers who seek to capture the hearts of others for His Son, not for themselves.  This greater dimension of faith will be given to those who are not touched by the praise of man.  They will do greater exploits because their only desire will be to further the reputation of the Son of God, Jesus.

If we do not deal with the praise of man we succumb to the greatest of all offenses.   We take the glory instead of the Lord.  John 4:34, "Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."  If we feed off of the praise of man, it is idolatry.  The Father God nourished Jesus; "I do always those things that please My Father."  Idolatry in the lives of the many of God's people is nourished by the approval and honor of man.  I John 5:21  "Little children keep yourselves from idols."

Ministry Effectiveness

John 7:18, "He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him."  Anything that came from my own heart determines I am seeking my own glory.  I am subconsciously gasping for praise.  One who has learned to die to self is not seeking any praise.  He flows in the anointing and in truth, and when he flows in truth he "hits the bull's eye."  When the flesh is there and there is even the slightest desire to impress others around us, the arrows may start out right, but then go another way.  The impact is not there because the flesh does not flow with the anointing and truth.  If you can successfully conquer the desire in your heart for the praise of man, you will have attained maturity.  Dead to self and alive to God.  There is grace for perfection, which is maturity.

A Free Man

Gal. 5:1, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." When a man has something to lose he lives his life trying to protect what he owns.  Those with no reputation have nothing to lose.  When one tries to protect their good reputation, they are then vulnerable to the praise of man.  Jesus was a free man because He made of Himself no reputation.  He had nothing to lose; He couldn't be bought, fired, coerced, pressured, because He was free from the praise of man and also their opinions.  Gal. 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."  We then become free of all men in their opinions. Freedom to love all men equally and unconditionally.  I can love everyone regardless of his or her attitude or action towards me.

 I am a free agent.  I can relate to you in total freedom for nothing you do can control who I am and how I relate to you.  Jesus manifested this freedom in loving others.  Knowing they would reject Him He still loved them. John 13:1, " Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."  That's true love - if you reject me, I will still love you always.