THE POWER OF THE GLORY - PRESENCEOF OF OUR GOD AND FATHER YEHOVAH

What changes the world is beholding the glory - presence of God

In scripture, there are a few people who have had really intimate revelations of Yehovah’s glory - presence. Sometimes, beholding Yehovah’s glory - presence can be very natural. The Bible shows us this happens with both people who are actively seeking God and others who are not.

When Moses was walking in the desert, he wasn’t saying, “God, I want to see a sign from you!” He saw a burning bush that aroused his curiosity and as a result, received a great revelation and commission from Yehovah. Now Caleb and Joshua were seeking to obey Yehovah, and as a result, they were the only ones to survive of all the men and women who refused to enter the promised land the first time. After all the desert wandering for over 40 years, they got to enter the Promised Land. Jesus sought out the apostles who were just going about their daily lives.

When Jesus was on this earth Yehovah's glory - presence shone forth on his face.

Notice what happens to the Samaritan woman at the well. She was absolutely not seeking Jesus, she came to the well to get some water. The woman at the well was a sinner, living in sin, her life was broken, but Jesus doesn’t say to her, “Well, if you could just keep the law, I’ll work in your life.” Instead, when you read that story about this Samaritan woman, we see Jesus leading her in conversation to the point where he says to her: "If you ask me, I will give you living water.” She goes back to her town and tells people about the man who has told her everything she has done in her life and they come back with her to meet the man, Jesus. She had this revelation, unsought for, of Yehovah’s heart, and as a result, she becomes the first missionary mentioned in the New Testament. It is also of note that she is the first person in the scriptures that Jesus reveals himself plainly to be the Messiah!  

What you see over and over in scripture is that when people have these intimate moments of seeing the glory - presence of Yehovah, there’s a great work that Yehovah does in them and through them. Moses led the children of Israel out of bondage. Joshua and Caleb led Israel into the Promise Land. The woman at the well brought her town to see and hear the Messiah. The apostles took the gospel to the known world. All this was done by the enabling power of the Spirit of God working through those who had experienced His glory - presence in their lives. Amazing Grace indeed!

If you ever feel like “I just don’t have a great capacity; I’m too flawed”, one thing that is consistent in scripture is this: Yehovah uses a lot of broken people and flawed people which all of us were and in some instances in our lives still are. Every one of us has weaknesses, but we also have received the gift of Yehovah, the enabling power of Yehovah's Spirit, that He has freely given us. As we behold God’s glory - presence, as we walk with Him, He causes the enabling power of His Spirit to help us walk worthy of what He has called us to do: publishing and speaking forth the message of the kingdom/kingship of God to the world. As we do a few lives here and there will be changed forever.

THE JOY AND PAIN OF GOD

Many commentators call Jeremiah the weeping prophet, and that’s certainly true of him, but this man also brought us the most joyous promise in the Old Testament. Through him, God gave his people this incredible assurance, “I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from me” (Jeremiah 32:40, NKJV).

Now, that’s good news. The prophecy Jeremiah gives is full of mercy, grace, joy, peace, and goodness. The personal history behind each of Jeremiah’s words here, though, includes brokenness far beyond the capacity of any human being.

Jeremiah wrote, “O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war” (Jeremiah 4:19) and “Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” (Jeremiah 9:1).

The prophet was weeping with holy tears that weren’t his own. Indeed, he actually heard God speak of his own broken heart. First, Yehovah warned Jeremiah that He was going to send judgment on Israel. Then He told the prophet, “I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains and for the dwelling places of the wilderness a lamentation” (Jeremiah 9:10). God himself was weeping over the judgment to come upon his people, and Jeremiah shared in that lament.

What happens when we share God’s burden of weeping? Yehovah shares with us in turn his very mind and thoughts. Jeremiah testified of this. He was given a discerning knowledge of his times that enabled him to see what was coming. “For the Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced doom against you… Now Yehovah gave me knowledge of it, and I know it; for you showed me their doings” (Jeremiah 11:17-18). Any broken, Word-saturated saint will be given a discerning sense of the times but also a joyous recognition of God’s promises.

Precious men of God are privileged to share in the feelings, joy, and pains of the heart of God.

Written by David Wilkerson and edited by Bruce Lyon

AN OVERCOMING LOVE FROM YEHOVAH

You prevent - fulfill in advance him with the blessings of goodness: you set a crown of pure gold on his head” (Psalm 21:3).

At first glance, this verse by David is a bit puzzling. The word ‘prevent’ is usually associated with a hindrance, yet the biblical word for “prevent” signifies a completely different meaning. It means “to anticipate, to precede, to foresee and fulfill in advance, to pay a debt before it is due.” Furthermore, in almost every instance, it implies something of a pleasure.

Isaiah gives us a glimpse of this kind of pleasure. It comes from our God and Father Yehovah anticipating a need and fulfilling it ahead of time.

“It shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24, NKJV).

This verse provides us with an incredible picture of Yehovah's love for us. He is so anxious to bless us, so ready to fulfill His loving-kindness in our lives, that He can’t even wait for us to tell Him our needs. So He jumps in and performs acts of mercy, grace, and love toward us. That is a supreme pleasure to Him.

David was essentially saying in Psalm 21, “Yehovah, you pour out blessings and lovingkindness on me before I can even ask. You offer more than I could even conceive of asking.”

David is referring to some awesome work that God performed for him in the spiritual realm. It’s something that gave David victory over his enemies, answers to prayer, overcoming power, and unspeakable joy. Once David poured out his heart, he discovered that God had already made provisions to defeat his enemies.

David laid hold of these promises, and the first thing he did was to take his eyes off the oncoming enemy. Now he was no longer weeping about being in trouble, trying to grasp why the struggle had come. Instead, he basked in the revelation of Yehovah’s loving-kindness:

“He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19).

When we become focused on ourselves and our sins, we lose all sight of what Yehovah our God and Father wants most: “Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV). This verse says it all. Our God Yehovah rewards those who seek Him and walk in obedience before Him. He is anxious to shower us with His loving kindness that He blesses us way ahead of schedule.

This is what our heavenly Father longs for us to have of him. He cherishes those who trust in Him, as Scripture proclaims, “Now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:16).

Yehovah says, “I want to assure my children that my son’s cleansing blood has covered them, and I have prepared a place for them.” His Spirit in us whispers this promise to our hearts and fills us with joy.

This is what God intends for every one of his sons and daughters when the enemy/trials come upon us like a flood. Yehovah our God and Father “prevents” us with His love. In other words, He says to us, “You may be wounded, but I will give you the power to live life victoriously.”

IF YOU TRY TO SAVE YOUR LIFE YOU WILL LOSE IT

Today we look at Mark 8:35 in which we find the striking words of the Lord Jesus which have everything to do with salvation: “For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (RSV)

To understand what Jesus is saying here, let’s look at the two parts of the verse. In the first part, Jesus says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it.”

In this verse, “lose” is translated from the Greek word “appolumi” which is defined in the standard BDAG Greek-English lexicon as “perish, be ruined”.

Even if we didn’t have this lexical information, it is clear enough from Jesus’ statement that to lose your life means to die. If you try to save your life, all your efforts will be in vain because you will lose it. You are caught between two things. Every way you turn, you face the reality of death. If you try to save your life, you will die. If you make no effort to save your life, you will also die. Death is a stark reality for everyone in this world.

Jesus teaches this truth as a matter of fact, for there is no escape from the onward march to the grave, the common destiny of humankind.

The next verse, Mark 8:36, even speaks of forfeiting your life: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (RSV). The word “forfeit” means to lose something. Jesus is saying, “What is the point of gaining the whole world if your final destination is a hole in the ground?”

On the spiritual plane, what can you do to save yourself? Give money to the poor? Attend church regularly? Jesus says, “Nothing will save your life, not even your efforts to save it. In the end, you will lose your life despite all your efforts to save it. There is only one way to save yourself, and that is to lose your life.”

There is no way of saving your life apart from losing it. You will either gain life through death or death through death. The choice is yours.

All of mankind has been given the privilege of having such a choice thanks to God’s work in His anointed one. You can choose life through death, or death through death.

Jesus says, “If any man loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s, he will save it.”

It doesn’t mean that we won’t die physically. We will all die physically, for death is the common destiny of humankind. The Bible doesn’t say that we will be spared physical death on account of Jesus’ death for us. On the contrary, the Bible teaches the importance of dying [to self] on our part: we die with the Messiah, and live with him to God.

Many Christians don’t see the importance of dying [to self]. Paul speaking to Christians says, “For you have died” (Colossians 3:2-3: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God.).

In fact, he says many similar things in his letters such as: “If we have died with him, we shall also live with him.” (2Timothy 2:11) Here Paul sees death as an accomplished reality: If you “have died” with the Messiah, you will live with him. Paul even depicts his own death as crucifixion: “I have been crucified with the Messiah” (Galatians 2:20). He consistently teaches that every true Christian has died with the Messiah, and now lives the new life as new creations in the Messiah Jesus.

First die [to self, to the world], and then be buried with the Messiah in baptism

The Bible never says that we die by - or die in - the very act of baptism. At baptism, what happens is that you die with the Messiah and are buried with him. This is brought out in Romans 6:4 which says that “we were buried therefore with him by baptism into death”. Elsewhere Paul says: ... having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:12, ESV)

Death comes before burial. If you have not died, you will be buried alive! The Bible is precise in its sequence: To be buried with the Messiah in baptism, you must first die [to self].

For those who have been baptized without having died to self first, their baptism has no validity because you cannot bury someone who has not died. It would not be a real burial.

You cannot raise someone from the dead unless he is dead. Romans 6:5 says: For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (RSV)

If you have died with the Messiah, you will be raised with him. But if you haven’t died with the Messiah, neither will you have the resurrection life.

Whatever you do, don’t get baptized until you know what it means to die – die to self, to be dead to the world, and the world dead to you. Paul says that our “old self” was crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6). In Greek, the term is literally “old man”. The old man who was enslaved to sin has died. It doesn’t mean that our old nature has been eradicated, for the old nature is embedded in the flesh which is still in my body: “Nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh” (Romans 7:18). Insofar as we still have flesh in this age, we need to continually put the self, the old man to death.

Baptism is the outward expression of an inward transaction that takes place before baptism. Without that transaction, your baptism will have no validity whatsoever.

Paul says that our “old self - man” was crucified with the Messiah (Romans 6:6). In Greek, the term is literally “old man”. The old man who was enslaved to sin has died. It doesn’t mean that our old nature has been eradicated, for the old nature is embedded in the flesh which is still in my body: “Nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh” (Romans 7:18). Insofar as we still have flesh in this age, we need to continually put to death the deeds of the flesh - body by the enabling power of the Spirit of God, and not live according to the flesh (Romans 8:12-14: So then brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but not to the flesh to live according to the flesh. For if you continue to live according to the flesh, you are about to die, but if by the spirit you continue to put to death the practices of the body - flesh you will live. For as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God.).

If you have died with the Messiah, the evidence of this death will be seen in your thinking, your conduct, your speech, and your whole life direction.

There is nothing imaginary about dying. Paul says, “I have been crucified to the world” (Galatians 6:14). You are dead to the world and through the sin-offering sacrifice of the Messiah, we have been reconciled to God. You regard the world as a dead man would. You are in the world, “yet not of the world” (John 17:14), for you are born from above.

It takes faith to turn your back on the world. Saving faith is, not just believing in this or that doctrine, but something that is seen in a new life in which you die to self and the world, and experience Jesus’ resurrection by God’s power.

Have you truly died to self, and this world? Only then will you know what it means to live as new creations in the lord Messiah Jesus.

What is written has been taken from Eric Chang’s book “Baptism”, which can be purchased at Amazon.com. I have edited and added to what Eric has written, hopefully remaining true to what he wanted people to understand before being baptized.

I highly recommend you read Eric Chang’s book “Baptism” as it is the best book I have ever read on the subject of baptism!

THREE PHASES OF SALVATION

The three phases of salvation as portrayed from Yehovah’s perspective:

First Phase: Yehovah came to dwell in the man, Jesus His anointed one, such that God’s fullness dwelt in him bodily (Colossians 2:9). God was in His anointed one reconciling humanity to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). In the New Testament, this phase is mentioned in all four gospels.

Second Phase: Yehovah is now in the world dwelling in His called-out Assembly, the body of His anointed one and Temple of God. And through the called-out Assembly is continuing His word of reconciliation.

This phase is the main focus of the section from Acts to Jude. Since this section of scripture has to do with the present time, it is important for us to understand it correctly, for any error here will have serious spiritual consequences. Yehovah now dwells in His called-out Assembly “bodily” in much the same way He dwelled in His anointed one [now the head of the called-out Assembly] when His anointed on was on earth. The called-out Assembly’s message to the world is “be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20, 81; Romans 5:10), just as His anointed one came in order to “bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18)

The body of the Messiah [God’s anointed one] is now in the world in the way that the head, Jesus the Messiah [God’s anointed one], was in the world. In other words, the called-out Assembly is now as God anointed one in the world, not only as a community or a spiritual organism but also as individuals. The body of each individual believer who has now received the Spirit of God is now the temple of the Holy Spirit, that is, the temple of God, in basically the same way the Jesus was the temple of God, except for the crucial difference that whereas Jesus attained absolute perfection through Yehovah’s indwelling, we have not [yet] attained to the “stature of the Messiah [God’s anointed one]. Even so, we can experience the Messiah in ourselves and not just in some abstract intellectual way. Hence Paul is able to say, “For me is to live is in God’s anointed one”, it is for this reason that “to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21) another translation of Philippians 1:21: 21 for me to live is the Messiah [his life in me], and to die is gain [the gain of the glory for eternity].

Third Phase: Yehovah will return to earth in His anointed one Yehovah’s anointed one (“the anointed one of God” Luke 9:20) and Yehovah’s called-out Assembly (the called-out Assembly of God,” Acts 20:28) will rule the earth.

All who refuse to be reconciled with God will be judged. This third phase, the final phase of the present age, is the focus of the book of Revelation, but also of a few chapters of the synoptic gospels and some passages in the New Testament letters, notably 2 Thessalonians.

In that phase, God’s anointed one will “subject all things to himself” (Philippians 3:2), fulfilling the purpose of the third phase of God’s plan of salvation in His anointed one [Jesus]. The transformation of the body mentioned in this verse is the defeat of death and mortality. In putting on immortality, the bodies of the redeemed will be transformed into glorious and incorruptible bodies like that of God’s anointed one [Messiah]. The subject of all things to God's anointed one will include the defeat of death and its elimination from redeemed creation.

There is also the subjection of spiritual powers hostile to God which are called “principalities and power [KJV] or “rulers and authorities” [ESV]: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him. We see something similar in the following passage:

It has been testified somewhere (vis. Psalm 8:4-6), “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor; putting everything in subjection under his (man’s) feet. Now in putting everything subject to him, He left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not see everything subject to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death so that by the grace of God, he might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:6-9)

God’s eternal purpose for creation includes putting all things in subjection to man’s feet. After, Adam’s fall [rebellion] Yehovah carried out His eternal Plan through the redemption that is in the “man, His anointed one Jesus,” the only mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5).

Job is puzzled by the value that Yehovah attaches to man and the attention that He gives him (“What is man, that you make so much of him, and YOU SET YOUR HEART ON HIM,” (Job 7:17). God’s care for man is seen in His attention “before the foundation of the ages” to “put all things under his feet,” that is, all things subject to man. It is man – preeminently Jesus God’s anointed one, seated at the Father’s right hand – who will rule over all God’s creation as His representative and plenipotentiary!

1 Corinthians 15: 24-27: Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For, he must reign, until he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For, He has put all things under his feet. But when He says all things are put under him, it is manifest that He is excepted, who did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto Him that put all things under him that God may be all in all.

Ephesians 1:18-23: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TO US-WARD WHO BELIEVE ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF HIS MIGHTY POWER, which He wrought in His anointed one, when He raised him from the dead, and set him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come: And has put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the called-out Assembly, which is his body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all.

This excerpt is taken from Eric Chang’s book: The Only Perfect Man: The Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ – pages 263-266.

I have taken the liberty to edit what Eric Chang has written and hopefully done so faithful to what Eric wanted everyone to understand. This book can be purchased on Amazon.

I highly recommend that you add this book to your library. It reveals many vital important truths that all disciples of the lord Messiah Jesus should be familiar with!

GRACE AND PEACE TO YOU

I believe that prayer mixed with faith is the answer to everything. Paul said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6, NKJV).

“In everything” means “Pray about everything, and give thanks that your requests will be heard and answered.” We are told to pray as our first option, not after we have tried everything else in vain. “But seek first the kingdom/kingship of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

So many Christians today are allowing themselves to be influenced by the prince of the power of the air [Ephesians 2:2]. Their homes are in turmoil; they are plagued with fear and guilt; they face trouble on all sides.

To be truthful, few believers who are facing difficulties turn to their God and Father Yehovah in fervent prayer. Few today have consistent, quality time alone with God in prayer. Despair sets in because they do not go to the secret place, to unburden their souls and cry out their sorrows to Yehovah. Instead, they tell all of their problems to friends, pastors, and counselors; and they neglect Yehovah who waits to have them all alone. They pray as a last resort.

Could Yehovah be grieved with this generation the same way He was with Israel? He said of them, “My people have forgotten me days without number” (Jeremiah 2:32).

Our God and Father Yehovah is pleased when we run to Him first, when we make special time to be alone with Him, pouring out our innermost feelings and laying our petitions before Him.

We have no right to say we love Yehovah our God if we don’t spend time with Him on a regular basis. He will hear your prayers and answer, but He needs you alone so He can speak to you in a quiet moment.

We were created in Yehovah's image so that He may communicate with us. Deep communion with God is possible because we share a common image with Him. If the Old Testament saints could have direct communication with God, how much more should we be able to have communication with Him!

As I go into Yehovah’s holy presence each day, my most consistent petition is that He will open His word to me so I can be a true oracle of him. May you make quality time for Him, trusting Him with your petitions wholeheartedly.

Brothers and sisters, nothing is as vital to our Christian lives as our communion with our God and Father Yehovah. It is inconceivable that anyone can live the Christian life meaningfully without communing with Him.

Written by David Wilkerson (1931-2011), edited and added to by Bruce Lyon

CLOTHING THE FLOWERS OF THE FIELD

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things". (Matthew 6:31-32)

I remember going for a long jog one morning shortly after our house burned down. At that time, we didn’t even have sufficient clothing for our children. I had previously given away the little savings I had, so I had no financial fallback and no real plan for the future. Then the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew suddenly came to my mind: “seek you first the kingdom/Kinship of God [Yehovah] and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

I said to God, “Lord, according to your word, I have sought you. I have sought your kingdom, and I have sought your righteousness. You promised that all I need will be added to me, so I am simply going to take you at your word.”

At that point, I made the choice to put away the fear of tomorrow. Suddenly, peace flooded my heart.

God did exactly as he had promised. He added all things unto me, and He did it sovereignly. I did not say a word to anyone, but the story of our loss somehow spread everywhere, throughout our community and even to communities beyond. Suddenly people began responding, and churches that I had never even been to ended up taking offerings for us.

God gave back to us everything that had been lost, and after the trial was all over, God let me know, “I needed to show you that I can take everything away, and I can give it all back. It is all in my hands.” I learned that God is my keeper, and I am confident that He will keep you as well. Declare God to be faithful in your trial, and realize deep down that He will never fail nor forsake you. Yehovah has tied the honor of His name to His commitment to keeping you when you are committed to loving Him with all your heart!

Written by Carter Conlon and edited by Bruce Lyon

Addition: Brothers and Sisters when we read this testimony we see what has happened to a man of faith and his family. A man who by example had given what little he had to others. A man who was committed to doing the will of his God and Father Yehovah!

The moral of this testimony is that if you give your all to your God and Father Yehovah He will make His all available to you when you need it and ask for it! Our God and Father Yehovah looks on the heart and responds accordingly!

HOW CAN WE AS DISCIPLES OF THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS HAVE A GREATER EFFECT ON THOSE AROUND US?

Jesus gave power and authority to his disciples to go forth to all nations and preach the Kingdom -Kingship of God to reach out to the unsaved. “And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:1-2).

We have been anointed with the same Spirit of God as those disciples were. His promises to the first generation in the New Testament church are no different than the promises that he has for you and me today. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

The power of our God and Father Yehovah and of His unique son Jesus in our lives enables us to demonstrate a heart to heal and to deliver, to take people whose lives have been ruined and set them free from the bondage of sin.

2 Corinthians 5:14-21; 6:1-10:

For the love of the Messiah urges us on, because we have concluded this: that one died in place of everyone, therefore everyone was dead. And he died in place of everyone so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but to him who died in their place and was raised.

So then, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. So then, if anyone is in union with the Messiah, he is a new creation, the old things have passed away. Look! All things have become new.

But all this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through the Messiah and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was reconciling the world to Himself through the Messiah, not counting their transgressions against them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Therefore, we are ambassadors on behalf of the Messiah [acting as his agents], God, as it were, making His appeal through us. We implore on behalf of the Messiah, “Be reconciled to God!”

He made him who did not know sin to be a sin offering on our behalf, so that, through union with him, we would become the righteousness of God [acting on His behalf to carry out His will in our lives].

And working together with God, we exhort you also, that you do not receive the grace of God and then do nothing with it, for he says, At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I helped you. Look! Now is the well-accepted time. Look! Now is the day of salvation.

We are to give no cause for offense in anything so that no fault is found with the ministry.

On the contrary, in everything [that might happen to us now and in the future as it did to the apostles], in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in sleepless nights, in hunger, in pureness, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; through the instruments of righteousness from the right hand and the left, through glory and dishonor, through evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and Look!, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as grieved, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

We as members of the called-out Assembly of God are meant to have an impact in such a way that causes those we come in contact with to repent and come to the point of being baptized in the lord Jesus, to become new creations in him. 

God has equipped us by His indwelling presence to reach the lost. He wants to use you in such a way that you will experience it as natural to function supernaturally in the signs and wonders. Healing is central to God’s plan because His kindness leads us to repentance. Bringing people to believe and trust in Him and the one He has sent is central to God’s plan.

The only thing that restricts a disciple of the lord Messiah to be able to do greater works than he did is not being totally committed as he was in carrying out God’s will. He gave his all to His God and Father Yehovah and he expects us to do the same!

Truly, truly, I say unto you: He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father. (John 14:12) Nothing has changed these words are for us to live by.

He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me scatters abroad. (Matthew 12:30)

If we are to gather with the lord Messiah Jesus we have to be totally committed to faithfully obeying the words His God and Father Yehovah gave him to give to us! If we do that then we shall do greater works in his name, enabled to do so by his indwelling presence!