The Anointing and ministration

1. The Anointing of the Holy Ghost

1Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil, and poured it upon his (Saul’s) head, and kissed him, and said: is it not because the LORD has anointed you to be captain over His inheritance?

1Samuel 10:6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you shall prophesy with them (the group of prophets), and shall be turned into another man.

1Samuel 10:7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto you, that you do as occasion demands or serves you; for God is with you.

Many Christians ask themselves these questions: am I anointed? Is the anointing flowing? We will examine what it means in the light of the scriptures. Saul was chosen and appointed to be king, but was not anointed with oil yet. To be anointed is to be chosen, and when the Spirit comes upon you, is to be appointed. The Webster dictionary says: to be chosen is to be selected from a number; picked out; taken in preference; elected; predestined; designated to office. The Webster dictionary says: to be appointed means to be established; decreed; ordained; constituted; allotted; to be equipped with things necessary; as, a ship or an army is well appointed.

The Lord had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying: tomorrow about this time, I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him captain or commander over My people Israel, that He may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me (1Samuel 9:15-16). So out of all the people of Israel, God picked out Saul, and designated him to the office of king. The same thing happened for the Aaron and His sons, when they were to be anointed priests, God chose them out of all the tribes of Israel, to be priests unto Him (Exodus 28:41; Exodus 30:30). The questions are: are you chosen? Are you elected? Are you designated to office?

Peter answers it for you by the Spirit: you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; {why?} so that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light (1Peter 2:9). You are chosen, designated to the office of king and priest. John tells us: But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave authority (Exousia: legal right) to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13). Therefore the authority that you have, is because you received Jesus, and have become sons and daughters of God. You are now a son or daughter of God, that is your authority.

God has called you, so that you may save His people from their enemies; for their cry has come to Him! So quit asking whether you are called or not, God says He has called you. You have been chosen to be sons and daughters of God. Samuel poured out the oil which is symbolic of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, on the head of Saul, and thus anointed him with the Holy Ghost and power. Samuel said it is because God has anointed you captain over His inheritance, that I pour out the oil which is symbolic of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, upon your head. My friend, you are anointed, the very day you received Jesus Christ in your life, and God sent forth the Spirit of His Son, that cries out Abba Father (Galatians 4:6). Whether you have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit or not, you are anointed, because you are sons and daughters of God. You are anointed son of God, priest and king unto God. Jesus has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen (Revelation 1:6).

The Holy Spirit dwells in you, He does not come and go: He abides in you. When you receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost it is you being appointed, meaning to be established; decreed; ordained; constituted; allotted; to be equipped with things necessary; as, a ship or an army is well appointed. That is why Jesus told us: I appoint a kingdom to you, as My Father has appointed to Me (Luke 22:29). And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry in the city of Jerusalem, until you are endued [endowed, equipped, furnished and supplied] with power from on high (Luke 24:49). The baptism of the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues, is really being appointed, equipped with power for fulfilling the ministry of reconciliation Jesus Christ bestowed upon us.

One day some young preachers, who had just graduated from bible School and been ordained by their denomination, came to one of the meetings of Smith Wigglesworth. At the end of the meeting they came to talk to Wigglesworth. They told him, that now that they had graduated from bible school and been ordained in their denomination, they were going into missions abroad. Wigglesworth told them, have you received the baptism of the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues? They replied: our denomination does not believe in it! Wigglesworth told them, you have received the ordination of men, now you need the ordination of God, before going into missions. Smith Wigglesworth understood that the baptism of the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues, is the ordination of God! God appoints you, ordains you, and equips you with things necessary to be effective in witnessing the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. My prayer is that you will have the same understanding!

John says: These things have I written unto you concerning those who seduce you. But the Anointing [chrisma: endowment, unction or anointing] which you have received from Him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same Anointing [chrisma: endowment, unction or anointing] teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him (1John 2:26-27). It does not say the Anointing which you will receive, but which you have received! You are already anointed, and it does not say that the Anointing comes and goes, but it abides in you. The Anointing is the Holy Spirit. Jesus says: when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come (John 16:13).

Many people will try to seduce you by asking you to come and receive their “anointing”. Or to buy their “anointing”. They will base it on the Old Testament, how Elisha received the double portion of the anointing of Elijah (2Kings 2:1-25). Elijah, his name in Hebrew means, Jehovah is God, is a type of Jesus. Elisha is a type of the followers of Jesus. Many people think if they follow a minister of God, carry his bible, they will have his “anointing”. It is time for you to know that you are already anointed and quit running from one minister of God to another, to receive their “anointing”. The double portion is the right of the firstborn; Jesus is the firstborn of the new creation. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature (Colossians 1:15). When we believe on Jesus and become born again, we are in Christ, who is The Firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29). He bestows upon us the double portion which is the firstborn’s right; because we are found in Him, The Firstborn, and are now joint heirs with Him (Romans 8:17). We belong to the general assembly and the church of the firstborn (Hebrews12:23).

Elijah ascended to heaven after he spoke to his disciple, and Elisha his disciple, saw him taken up (2Kings 2:11-12). Likewise Jesus also ascended to heaven after He had spoken to His disciples, and His disciples saw Him being taken up (Acts 1:9-11). Elisha picked up the mantle of Elijah which is symbolic of the ministry of Elijah. The power was not in the physical mantle of Elijah, but in the Spirit that was upon Elijah, and the bible records: the Spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha (2Kings 2:15); which is a type of believers receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, when the Spirit rests upon them (Luke 24:49, Acts 2). The bible did not say the mantle of Elijah (Jehovah is God) rested on Elisha; but the Spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha. Likewise Jesus did not leave us His clothes, the Roman soldiers took his clothes (John 19:23-24); but Jesus sent us His Holy Spirit.

My friend stop following men of God to try to get their tie, their shirt, their shoes; or try to buy the dirty bed sheets from the hotel room where they have slept. The Roman soldiers that got the clothes of Jesus, one got the underwear of Jesus, another one got His trousers, another got His seamless tunic, and the fourth one got His sandals. None of those Roman soldiers, who had Jesus garments, did any miracles, any sign or any wonder. And at the resurrection of Jesus, Peter and John went into the tomb and found it empty; there were lying in the tomb the linen clothes with which the dead body of Jesus was wrapped, and the head napkin that was about the head of Jesus’ body (John 20:1-8). Nowhere in the book of Acts of the Apostles do you read of Peter and John bringing the head napkin or the linen clothes, used to bury Jesus to the sick, so that they would be healed.

We, born again Christians, use no relics, even the relics of Jesus Christ! Now a relic according to the Webster dictionary is, that which remains; that which is left, after the loss or decay of the rest; as the relics of a town, the body of a deceased person. The relics of saints, real or pretended, are held in great veneration by the Catholics. That is idol worship; that is why the apostles did not use any relic of Jesus. That is also the reason why God had to bury Moses himself, in an unknown location to Israel; had He not done things that way, people would have used the bones of Moses and his clothes as relics; they would have fallen into idol worship and God would have had to destroy them like when they built their golden calf (Deuteronomy 34:5-6, Exodus 32). Some charismatic Christians also want to go and buy the house in which Smith Wigglesworth used to live; and some other charismatic Christians go and lie on the grave of John G Lake or any other saints, to get a so-called “anointing”. They are idolaters at heart and necromancers!

Nowhere in the Acts of the Apostles, do you read that the apostles tried to buy back the four parts of the garments of Jesus, after they crucified Him from the Roman soldiers who took them. If the early disciples did not need the garments of Jesus, or the linen clothes and head napkin covered with the real blood of Jesus; you certainly do not need any man of God’s underwear, shirt, sandals, handkerchief or dirty bed sheets. Nowhere in the Book of Acts of the Apostles do you see them going into the tomb of Jesus and lying down to get the resurrection “anointing” of Jesus. Nowhere in the book of Acts do you see the Apostles putting the headquarters of the church in Capernaum in the house that Jesus used to live in (John 1:35-40, Mark 9:33).

When ministries, or men of God said God told them to go and lie on a grave of an old saint to get his “anointing”; it is not God who spoke to them! whatever a person says God spoke to him: he must demonstrate it from the scriptures, with a minimum of two or three scriptures, that is the principle to determine if something is established by God (Genesis 41:32, Deuteronomy 19:15, Matthew 18:16, 2Corinthians 13:1). You need the Holy Ghost, who is the life, you need to have faith in Jesus, and use the name of Jesus, that is what Peter and John told us, after they had healed the crippled man at the gate Beautiful of the temple (Acts 3).

Since we have seen from the scriptures, that every born again Christian has been anointed son, King and priest. The Holy Spirit dwells in every born again Christian. So what is that anointing of the Holy Spirit, that endowment of the Holy Spirit, or that unction of the Holy Spirit, that every Christian is chasing after? The Holy Spirit is the owner of the Anointing or the endowment or the unction; that is why it is called the anointing of the Holy Ghost, or the endowment of the Holy Ghost, or the unction of the Holy Ghost. People are willing to pay a fortune to have it, people are willing to travel to the end of the world to go and get it, and people are willing to sleep in the grave yard to get it. Wow, what is it? And why is it so important?

John says: But the Anointing [chrisma: endowment, unction or anointing] which you have received from Him abides in you; you are always anointed, because the Anointing, who is the Holy Spirit, abides in you. You did not receive that anointing from anybody on earth, but from the Godhead. Jesus said: I will pray the Father and He will send you another Helper that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth (John 14:16-17). The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you. When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come (John 16:13). And Isaiah tells us: It shall be, in that day his [the enemy’s] burden shall be taken away from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed, because of the anointing [shemen: grease, fat, fatness, olive oil, ointment, anointing] (Isaiah 10:27).

The Holy Ghost is the owner of the anointing, or endowment, or unction. The Anointing is the tangible manifestation of the power of the Holy Ghost, to have spiritual revelations and perform signs and wonders. In the bible study on the Perfect Redemption Plan, Part IV, in the section on Understanding the Trinity: God three in One. We have explained in length the spiritual concept of the trinity using the Tree, which has One Root, even God the Father; One Vine, even Jesus; and the Sap that is the Holy Spirit. Please re-read that bible study. That is why you must read all the series of the Perfect Redemption Plan, from Part I to Part VII, before reading the Application of the Perfect Redemption Plan; because, it is only building upon what has already been taught in that series! The two main scriptures we used to illustrate that spiritual concept of the Trinity, were John 15 and Romans 11:13-18. We discovered that according to Paul the Tree was an Olive Tree.

Now Jesus tells us that every born again Christian is a branch on that Olive Tree (John 15:4-5). Whether you are a natural branch, meaning the Jewish believer, or you are a grafted branch, meaning a Gentile believer, the Sap of the Vine and The Root is flowing through you, the Olive branch! In other words, the Holy Spirit is in every born again Christian. I told you that the olive oil is the symbol of the anointing of the Holy Ghost, or empowerment of the Holy Ghost, or unction of the Holy Ghost. The olive oil is a fat obtained from the olive (the fruit of Olea europaea which contains a seed, commonly referred to in British English as stone, and in American English as rock). The Olive oil is produced by pressing whole olives.

Paul explains to us that we cannot be partakers of the fatness of the Olive Tree, or the anointing of the triune God; we need to become partakers of the Root, even partakers of the Holiness of God (Romans 11:13-18, Hebrews 12:10). The first thing to do is to be born again, so that you can be grafted as a branch on the Olive Tree of the triune God; the second thing to do is that you must become partakers of the Holiness of God, if you want to share in His anointing. The leaves on a tree talk about our profession or confession of faith, as we explained in the Series of the Perfect Redemption Plan using Mark 11, where Jesus cursed the fig tree that had no fruit, it only had leaves. You can take the leaves of the olive tree and press them; olive oil will not come out of them, the Sap of the olive tree flows in those leaves. You can take the branch of the olive tree and press it, and no olive oil will come out of it, though it is full of Sap. Only when you press the fruit of the olive tree, that that branch yielded, because it became a partaker of the Root, even of the life of the Root, that you have olive oil.

No wonder Jesus told us: you shall know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:20). If a born again Christian has truly become a partaker of the life of God, even of His holiness, you will start seeing aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, listed in Galatians 5:22-25, even in an embryonic stage; it will not be mere profession or confession of faith; but their profession or confession of faith, will have corresponding actions. They will not deceive people around them nor themselves, by merely confessing their faith, but they will demonstrate and show the world their faith by their works, in accordance with the counsel of the Holy Scriptures. Yes, if the olive is not mature yet, meaning the seed, even the stone or the rock in the olive is not fully formed yet; when you press that olive, you will not get much olive oil coming out of it. But if that olive fruit is mature, meaning the seed, or the stone or the rock is fully formed in it, when you press it, you have plenty of oil.

Paul tells us: my little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ is formed in you (Galatians 4:19). In the spiritual realm you are the olive branch grafted onto The Olive Tree of the Triune God; but in the physical realm, you are the fruit that people eat and see. Christ Jesus, who is the Seed of Abraham, the stone that the builders rejected and has become the chief cornerstone, must be formed in you, if you want to become a partaker of His anointing (Galatians 3:16, Matthew 21:42). You need to embrace the sanctified life of Jesus, the truth of His word, found in the Holy Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, and His way (John 14:6). The revelation of His death, burial and resurrection, according to the Holy Scriptures, must become the big rock in your heart, even the bedrock of your faith; so that you do not cast off your fruit prematurely, when winds of strange doctrines shake your branch (Ephesians 4:14). Jesus said: And I say also unto you, That you are Peter [petros: a piece of rock, even the rock of the revelation that I am the Christ of God], and upon this rock [petra: a mass of rock, or a big rock, even the rock of the revelation of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ according to the scriptures] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).

If we want to be the spiritual olive branch, we are to yield fruit, and bring it to full maturity until Christ, the Seed of Abraham, is formed in us for the world to see. We must first of all be born again, to be grafted onto the Olive Tree of the Triune God. Second, we need to become partakers of the holiness of God: we need to embrace the way, the truth and the life of Jesus Christ. Third, we need to have the revelation of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, according to the scriptures, and become doers of the word of God, not hearers only. Fourth, receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues. And fifth we need to have a lifestyle of prayer with fasting. We have already explained all those steps in the Perfect Redemption Plan series, in the life of Moses, Elijah, Jesus and His disciples. The anointing of the Holy Ghost and the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, go hand in hand; you cannot dissociate them! The more Christ like you become, the more you will manifest the anointing of the Holy Ghost, or the endowment of the Holy Ghost or the unction of the Holy Ghost.

Just like the olive fruit is pressed whole, for the olive oil to come out of it; the same also; the anointing of the Holy Spirit will be flowing out of you, when you are under pressure, when a demand is made. Paul says: If we suffer, we shall also reign with Jesus: if we deny him, he also will deny us (2Timothy 2:12). Yes doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death (Philippians 3:8-10). And of Jesus, Paul tells us: though he was a Son, yet he learned obedience by the things which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). Sometimes acting according to the truth of the word of God is painful to our flesh; but we learn to obey God by the things which we also suffer; and we all say like Jesus: Abba, Father, all things are possible unto You; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what You will (Mark 14:36).

So when we say in Christian jargon, that a message is anointed by the Holy Spirit, or a bible study is anointed by the Holy Spirit, or a song is anointed by the Holy Spirit, what we actually mean is, it is endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring spiritual revelation, to remove burdens from the shoulders of people, and destroy the yokes that are around their neck; to make them free indeed. The bible says: the entrance or the revelation of God’s words, enlightens or gives light (Psalm 119:130). Jesus says: Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them (Matthew 13:13-15).

It takes the anointing of the Holy Spirit, or the endowment of the Holy Spirit or the unction of the Holy Spirit, in the life of the believer to open, get people converted to Christianity, to make people see the truth of the gospel, and to get people healed and delivered from demonic oppression and possession. Two preachers can read out of the same bible, the same scriptures. But the first preacher, no matter how eloquent he is, and how versed in theology he is, the people listening to him, will only think that what is coming out of his mouth, are mere parables, good illustrations, and good stories. They will laugh and be in a good mood when they leave the church building. Yet they have not changed their sinful lifestyle, they have not drawn close to God with their heart, and nobody has been healed or delivered. But when the second preacher, who is not as eloquent as the first one, nor has the theological knowledge of the first one, reads the same scriptures, the eyes of understanding of the people are enlightened, because they have received spiritual revelation; their spiritual ears are opened and no longer dull; they hear and act on the word of God. The veil that covered their heart, rendering it cold and insensitive to the gospel, is taken away when the revelation of Jesus dawns on the people: they can now not only receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, but they can also be healed and delivered.

The fruit in Galatians 5:22-25 is talking about the fruit of the Spirit and its nine aspects. Jesus says: Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it, so that it may bring forth more fruit (John 15:2). Notice that that word fruit is still singular so it is still talking about the fruit of the Spirit, and its nine aspects. When I was growing up my father used to have a vegetable garden, in which he planted tomatoes. When he did not prune that tomato plant, there were tomatoes on all the branches, but they were small tomatoes. But when he pruned that tomato plant and cut off some of the branches that were not yielding anything; we had very big tomatoes on that tomato plant. And at times we had to prop that tomato plant up, by tying it up against a wooden rod, because the tomatoes on the pruned branches, were very big and their weight could not be supported by the tomato plant, thus the use of the wooden rod to support the weight. So when they prune the olive branches, it is so that the olive fruit will be big, and have a big seed in it, so that when it is pressed we have more olive oil. The reason why God prunes us is, so that we will exhibit more aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, not just in the embryonic stage, but in a fully mature stage.

When we are truly anointed of the Holy Ghost or endowed of the Holy Ghost, we will exhibit the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit; for Christ Jesus has been formed in us. We will have the manifestations of the revelation gifts of the Holy Spirit, the utterance gifts of the Holy Spirit and the power gifts of the Holy Spirit. As we have already explained in David’s sexual sin exposed bible study. To flow effortlessly in the utterance gifts and revelation gifts of the Holy Spirit, you will need to live a sanctified life, and the fruit of the Spirit must be in your life. We have explained how people can have a self-inflicted spiritual blindness. We are to make disciples of all nations; so Jesus Christ must be formed in every born again Christian; we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

In 1Samuel 10:1-3 we notice that the Spirit came upon Saul after he was anointed with oil. The Spirit came upon him because He was anointed and He started to prophecy. Prophecy is one of the manifestations of the Spirit of the Lord. Jesus explained the same thing to the Jews, He said: the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me (Luke 4:18). He did not say I am anointed because the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; but the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because I am anointed by God. He knew that God had anointed Him, because the Holy Spirit was in Him; God had anointed Jesus: Son, King of kings and High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jesus and abode upon Him, after His baptism (John 1:32); God appointed Jesus, which means God; ordained Him; allotted Him; equipped Him with things necessary; as a ship or an army is well appointed.

Do not worry about being ordained by men, when men ordain you, it is just to recognize that God has already ordained you. There is nothing wrong with being ordained by men and going through a bible school. In fact when you have received a correct doctrine, it helps you to avoid foolish mistakes and blunders in ministry! These “My Weekly Milk” bible studies are in themselves a home based bible school, that every disciple of Jesus should go through, and practice what has been revealed to him by the Holy Ghost, as He reads or listens to each study! When you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, God ordained you into the ministry of reconciliation, and you are now equipped with all the military arsenals to carry out that ministry, you just need to be taught how to use each one of them. He equipped you with the power to deal with the enemy. Think of a policeman who has his uniform and badge, he has the authority, but when he has a loaded gun, he also has the power.

God said to Jeremiah: before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet unto the nations (Jeremiah 1:5). If you read the book of Jeremiah, nowhere is it written that Jeremiah was ever ordained as a prophet by another prophet; but he knew that God had ordained him, and it is all that matters, and God used him mightily.

Jesus says: You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: so that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you (John 15:16). So you are chosen and ordained by Jesus Himself, you are anointed because you are a son or daughter of God, God has anointed you king/queen and priest/priestess, and has appointed you, ordained you, equipped you with power from on high. If you are ordained by men in a church, praise the Lord! But you must know and believe that Jesus Has anointed you king and priest, because you are His son, and when the Spirit came upon you, you were ordained. If you want the Lord to answer whatever you ask, you must bring forth fruit, even the fruit of the Spirit, and its nine aspects; you should not cast off your fruit of the Spirit and its nine aspects, but they should remain in you. All the promises of God are conditional. And most of the times you will see the condition stipulated by God in the same verse in the same chapter.

2. Do as occasion demands you

Samuel said to Saul, now that you are anointed or chosen and appointed or ordained, let it be, when these signs are come unto you, that you do as occasion demands or serves you; for God is with you (1Samuel 10:7). Save My people from the hand of the Philistines and all the enemies of My people; for I, the Lord, have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me (1Samuel 9:16). Saul obeyed what Samuel told him, and it came to pass in 1Samuel 11:1-15, the Ammonites came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead, they said to the people they will let them live on one condition, that they put out all their right eyes and bring a reproach on all Israel. Saul who knew that He was anointed king over Israel, when he heard the news, the Spirit of God came upon him and his anger was greatly aroused (1Samuel 11:6).

He took soldiers and went to fight with the Ammonites and defeated them. For Samuel told him, since you are anointed or chosen, when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon you, do as occasion demands, for God is with you. If you see the enemy oppressing the people, go and deal with the enemy and save the people, for God is with you. Saul never consulted Samuel to go up against the Ammonites. He knew what God had already said about him, since he was anointed, when the Spirit came upon him, he knew that God was with him, so it was his responsibility to deal with the enemy. But you and I are like David, the bible says about David: Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed David in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah (1Samuel 16:13).

When we receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost in the New Covenant, the Spirit of God abides upon us from that very day forward, in other words we are always anointed, and we are always appointed or equipped with power. Like Jesus told us: behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry in the city of Jerusalem, until you are endued [invested or endowed] with power from on high (Luke 24:49). As we have already explained, we are all anointed sons, kings and priests; and the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the ordination, or the equipping, or the endowment of the Holy Ghost with power, to accomplish what God has called us to do. Thus the anointing of the Holy Spirit, or the endowment of the Holy Spirit, has been defined as the tangible manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit, to receive spiritual revelations, and to remove burdens off people’s shoulders, and destroy yokes around people’s necks. And we have succinctly explained, that you flow effortlessly in the anointing of the Holy Spirit, or the endowment of the Holy Spirit, or in the tangible manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit, even in the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, as you bear fruit, even the nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, and Christ Jesus, who is the Seed of Abraham, is formed in you!

Saul understood it even in the Old Testament, and David also understood it; but many Christians still do not. We have been anointed kings and priests, for the Spirit abides in us, because we are sons of God; so does His anointing. And furthermore we have been appointed, ordained or endued with power from on high, when we received the baptism of the Spirit, because we are anointed. Unlike in the Old Testament when the Spirit would come upon them and go away, in the New Testament when the Spirit comes upon us, He abides, in other words the anointing abides!

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jesus, and abode upon Him after His baptism (John 1:32). It means you are always anointed, you are always endued with power from on high, when you are born again, and have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire, with evidence of speaking in tongues. Go and destroy the works of the devil, for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil (1John 3:8). Jesus said: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18-19).

You are anointed and appointed for the same purpose: to be an effective witness, not to preach the gospel with words only, but in the demonstration of the miracle working power of God, and in the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Samuel said to Saul, since you are anointed; when the Spirit comes upon you [which is being endowed with the power of the Holy Ghost, or receiving the anointing of the Holy Ghost], you will be turned into another man (1Samuel 10:6). Yes, he was right, you are no longer like a mere man, you are born again, even born from above, and you are a new creature. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new, and all things are of God (2Corinthians 5:17).

Do not see yourself as a mere man, that weak and powerless man, but in Jesus you are now totally different. Jesus called His twelve disciples together, and gave them power (dunamis: power, miracle working power) and authority (exousia: delegated authority, jurisdiction, superhuman, token of control, a legal authority to exercise power) over all demons and to cure diseases. And He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick (Luke 9:1-2). You are a new creature, Samuel said to Saul you will be turned into another man. You and I have a better promise than Saul, we are anointed sons and daughters of God, kings and priests, we are born again, the Anointing abides in us, and the Spirit who came upon us abides forever.

Think of it this way: a person has been through the police academy and has just graduated. They give him the badge and the uniform. When the policeman puts on his uniform and his badge, people who see him, recognize the authority invested in him, by the attorney general who is the chief policeman. But as long as that policeman does not have a loaded gun, he has no power. Jesus is our attorney general, the advocate with the Father, who has given us authority and power, even the legal right to exercise all power. Your spiritual badge is the seal of the Holy Spirit that you received, when you were born again, and the Spirit of God moved in you (Romans 4:11). Receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire and then go and use your authority and power to arrest Satan and his cohorts, who are thieves and robbers, who come but to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). You have come in the name of Jesus, so that people might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly to the full, till it overflows (John 10:10; 1John 1:2).

You and I do not need to wait for anything; it is all in us, when we received Jesus into our life and the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Authority and power were given to us by Jesus. So He tells us: Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. You have received freely; freely give (Matthew 10:8). We, having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak (2Corinthians 4:13). The Holy Spirit, who is the owner of the Anointing that dwells in you, is the same Holy Spirit who is in Jesus. The power of God who is upon you, when the Spirit came upon you, is the same power of the Holy Spirit that is upon Jesus. We need to believe it, and to speak with the same authority Jesus spoke; because we believe we have received the same Spirit of Faith. It is the Spirit that makes alive, the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit and are life (John 6:63). That is what Samuel was trying to say to Saul: you will be turned into another man, you and I are a new creature, superhuman, not in ourselves but in Christ Jesus, and our words have creative power. Our hands are not normal hands.

Think of it this way: Mary was pregnant with Jesus and Elizabeth her relative was pregnant with John the Baptist. When Mary paid a visit to Elizabeth, she only greeted her, and something happened. Elizabeth said: for indeed as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy (Luke 1:44). If John the Baptist, in the womb of Elizabeth, could leap for joy at the sound of the voice of Mary, because Jesus was in Mary; demons and their sicknesses and diseases tremble at the sound of the voice of a believer, since Jesus dwells in him or her. Elizabeth heard the voice of Mary, so did baby John in the womb, but baby John could perceive that it was not just the voice of Mary, as Jesus was in Mary.

My friends, when you speak, realize that the angels of God hear and rejoice, even leap for joy at the sound of your voice, as long as it lines up with the written word of God; but demons and their sicknesses and diseases tremble, and obey your commands. Many believers do not know that the words they speak, are Spirit and Life (John 6:63). When you pronounce a blessing on a person, it comes to pass, when you rebuke and command sickness and disease to go, they go away, and the person is healed. That is why Paul tells us: let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace [unmerited favour and the empowerment of God] unto the hearers (Ephesians 4:29).

Your hands are not mere hands, they are “super hands”, just like you are now “superhuman”, not in yourself, but in Christ Jesus. Now do not take it to mean that you are of a superior race than other people, that way of thinking is of the devil! Think of it this way: you are working in a construction building; with your little hands and fingers, you push buttons while the crane is lifting up tons of metal or concrete. With your own power you cannot lift up those tons of metal, or of concrete; but the crane is an extension of your hands and fingers. So when you lay your hands on the sick, it is not your hand that is performing the healing and miracle per se; no, it is the hand of God. The disciples prayed: now Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus (Acts 4:29-30).

There are situations which come our way which are threatening ones; but we decide to only speak the word of God, to lay our hands and God stretches out His hand to heal, and perform signs and mighty wonders. Jesus explained it to us, that it was with the finger of God that He cast out demons (Luke 11:20). Even the magicians of Pharaoh understood that the signs and wonders Moses was performing against Egypt, to set God’s people free, was actually the finger of God. The magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them (Exodus 8:19). Pharaoh was a fool; a fool is the one who says there is no God (Psalm 14:1). He should have listened to his magicians, and let God’s people go, and he would not have incurred such destruction of his kingdom.

People heard the voice of Jesus and felt the touch of His hands, but it was God’s finger that cast out demons, and it was God’s hand that performed signs and mighty wonders. The Egyptians saw Moses doing signs and wonders against their land; but in truth it was God’s finger. Today people hear your voice and feel the touch of your hand; but it is God in you, who does the work through Christ Jesus, by the power of the Holy Ghost or by the Anointing; the Anointing being defined as the tangible manifestation of the power of the Holy Ghost, to have spiritual revelations and perform signs and wonders. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the burden of the devil in people’s lives shall be taken away from off their shoulder, and his yoke from off their neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the Anointing (Isaiah 10:27).

It is for all believers, Jesus says to us: Go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to all the creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And miraculous signs will follow those believing these things: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will be well or made whole (Mark 16:15-18). Jesus did not say: go into all the world, and I will heal the sick, I will cleanse the lepers and I will raise the dead, or go and I will save My people; but Jesus said you go, you heal the sick, you cleanse the lepers, you raise the dead and you save My people; do these things I have commanded you, using the authority and power invested in My name. The responsibility is on the believer; for God intends to work through believers, not independent of believers.

Saul understood that God told him: you go and save My people, so Saul went to save the people in the name of the Lord. The disciples understood that Jesus sent them to save people, to heal people and to raise the dead so they acted in Jesus’ stead, using the authority and power invested in the name of Jesus. Since God will work through us, we need to bear fruit of the Holy Spirit, and Christ must be formed in us; if we want to flow effortlessly in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Saul started well, but in 1Samuel 15 he started to disobey God’s command. Though he was still king, the anointing of God was no longer working through him. The more he exhibited the works of the flesh in his life: envying David, trying to murder David; the less the anointing of God was flowing through him; to the extent that he was even tormented with an evil spirit. But David who was exhibiting the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, when he ministered to King Saul on his harp, that tormented spirit left Saul (1Samuel 16). When a person has Christ Jesus formed in him, and is bearing the fruit of the Spirit, his ministration be it in words, or in songs, or on instruments, will set the captive free; for the anointing of the Holy Spirit flows effortlessly through him!

Believing the message of the gospel and accepting it by repenting of his sinful life, forsaking his old wicked ways, and surrendering his spirit, soul and body to serve Jesus; is what it means to be born again. The baptism Jesus is talking about, is not just the baptism of water, which is a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, though we ought to minister the baptism of water, but He is also talking about the baptism of the Holy Ghost. John said to the people: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but He who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Matthew 3:11).

In Acts 19:1-6, Apolos, who was baptized in the baptism of repentance of John the Baptist, never heard of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire. So Paul explained to him what the difference was, and why he needed to have it, and then laid hands on Apolos and other disciples, who were only baptized into the baptism of John the Baptist, and the Holy Ghost came upon them, they spoke in tongues and prophesied. It is the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire. The fire is to purify us, or to sanctify us. As it is written: He [talking about Jesus] shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi [talking about us, the priests of the New Covenant in the blood of Jesus], and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness (Malachi 3:3). When a person is truly baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire, it results in a greater level of sanctification in his life; for you need to become partakers of the Root, who is Holy, if you want to become partakers of the fatness or anointing of the Olive Tree of the Triune God.

Thus those who believe or are born again, and are baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire, not only have the authority as sons, kings and priests, but also are endued with power from on high, so that miraculous signs follow those who believe these things. A born again Christian can be baptized in the Spirit, but if he does not believe that he has received power, the only thing that the Spirit who came upon him will be able to do is, to speak in tongues and prophesy, that believer will not experience miraculous signs, he will never cast out any demon, nor lay hands on any sick. It says these miraculous signs shall follow believers, not only those who are in behind the pulpit in church. Someone is hurting, in need of your prayer and of the laying on of your hand. Go and do that in the name of Jesus. Do not worry whether you are “ordained” by men or not, God ordained you when His Spirit came upon you. Do not worry whether you are “anointed” by men or not; God anointed you son, king and priest when you became born again. The power is available in you right now! Do what is required from the scripture to allow that anointing of the Holy Spirit that abides in you, to flow effortlessly through you!

In the Old Testament, when they anointed a king, they gave Him a copy of the Holy Scriptures. It is written: the priest Jehoiada, brought out Jehoash, the king’s son, put a crown on him and gave him the Testimony, they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said: long live the king (2Kings 11:12)! The king must have the copy of the Testimony of God, or the Word of God. As he reads it, he discovers who he is in Christ Jesus, what his duty as king is, and what God expects from him. John tells us: they, the believers, overcame Satan by the blood of the lamb and the word of their Testimony (Revelation 12:11). Many people think it is the testimony they hear in church, yes part of it; but what John was saying is, the word contained in the Testimony of God, meaning the word contained in the Holy Scriptures. If God said something about you and your inheritance in the Holy Scriptures, which is His Testimony to you, you can rest assured that He will do it, if you decide to stand in agreement with Him. We have access to the promises of the Father by the blood of Jesus, through which we have received the perfect redemption plan of God, now that we are anointed and appointed, we need to know the Holy Scriptures if we want to live a victorious life.

We must have a paradigm shift, from the Old Testament to the New Testament. The prophets, priests and kings in the Old Testament had the Spirit of the Lord coming upon them at times. Like it is written of Samson: the woman (Manoah’s wife) bore a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol (Judges 13:24-25). But David was different; the Spirit of the Lord did not come upon him and move him at times. It is written: then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah (1Samuel 16:13).

Yes God was telling us how it is in the New Covenant: the Spirit of the Lord comes upon us from the day we are baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire forward, and He never departs from upon us. And better than David, the Spirit of the Lord also dwells in us. We are anointed as sons and daughters of God, that is why the Spirit of His son dwells in us, and with the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, we have received the anointing of the Holy Spirit and that anointing abides. If Christians were serious about their walk with Christ: embracing the way, truth and sanctified life of Jesus, maturing in the aspects of the fruit of Spirit as Christ Jesus is formed in them; we would be effortlessly displaying to the world around us, the manifestation of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit.

3. Jesus has appointed His ministry unto you.

The mantle that Elisha picked up is symbolic of the ministry of Elijah that fell on him. When Jesus ascended on high, He gave us the same ministry of reconciliation that He had on earth. Paul says: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation (2Corinthians 5:17-19).

The ministry of Jesus is the ministry of reconciliation; God was in Jesus reconciling the world to Himself. Mankind is a spirit who has a soul and dwells in a body; reconciling the spirit of mankind to God, is called being born again. God forgives all our sins, trespasses and iniquities, and imputes His righteousness to us, then His Spirit comes and dwells in us. So when we preach the gospel, as people are born again we have reconciled their spirit to the Spirit of God. The reconciliation of the soul of mankind to God, is when we renew our mind to the word of God, also when we minister deliverance to a person, by casting out the demons that possess him/her. We can be born again, but we still have a carnal mind, though God has given us the mind of Christ (1Corinthians 2:16).

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, which was carnal, they were saved, they had the Spirit of God, yet they were acting like pagans. They were walking in the power of the Spirit, they had the manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit, yet they were carnal people. All things in us are of God, since God dwells in us, we should not allow the devil to give us his things, we need to renew our mind by the washing of the water by the word of God (Ephesians 5:26). We must not be conformed to this world any more, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2).

Many people want to be transformed by doing all kinds of things that God did not ask us to do. Paul through the Holy Spirit did not tell us: be transformed when someone lays hands on you, or when you receive an impartation from a “mighty man of God”, or when you go to Jerusalem, or when you fast for a long period, though we ought to fast. But He says: be transformed by the renewing of your mind, by the washing of the water by the word of God. Now you understand why, when they anointed a king in the Old Testament, they also gave him a copy of the Holy Scriptures.

So as we preach the gospel, we reconcile the mind of the people to the mind of God. As they renew their mind, they become more and more Christ-like every day. They think like Jesus, talk like Jesus, act like Jesus: the word of God becomes flesh in them (John 1:14). They become living epistles known and read by all men, and also by angels and demons (2Corinthians 3:2). When people observe them, they feel as though Jesus Himself is living in their neighbourhood and conversing with them. It is high time that Christians incarnate (clothe with flesh or embody in flesh) the word of God. Jesus is the word of God, He is one with the Word, He is the Word made flesh. The more our mind is renewed, and we become doers of the Word, the more the Word becomes flesh in us; we incarnate the word of God. Paul tells us: But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not take thought beforehand for the lusts of the flesh (Romans 13:14). For you are all sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many as were baptized into Christ, you put on Christ (Galatians 3:26-27).

When we minister healing, cast out demons and raise the dead, we reconcile the body of mankind to God; for God did not create mankind to be sick and die prematurely: sickness and disease are the works of the devil. There is no sickness or disease in heaven. Just as it is not God’s will that any should perish, it is also not God’s will that any should be sick and diseased and die prematurely. As we minister healing to the sick and diseased: we reconcile the body of people to God; for God and His Word are one. The same God who forgives all our iniquities, also heals all our diseases; we should never forget all His benefits (Psalm 103:2-3). There is only one ministry God gave Jesus, and Jesus gives us the same ministry: it is the ministry of reconciliation.

There is no such a thing as a ministry of healing and a ministry of deliverance per se; it is part of the ministry of reconciliation. All believers are commanded to preach the gospel of Christ, to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons and raise the dead, and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 10:7-8, Matthew 28:18-20). Quit saying: I am in the prophetic ministry; I am in the praise ministry, and so on. Praise the Lord for those things; but are you reconciling people to God?

Since we are anointed and appointed, we must know the will of God. Jesus said to His disciples: I appoint unto you or bestow upon you a kingdom, just like My Father appointed one unto Me, or bestowed one upon Me (Luke 22:29). God has anointed and appointed us over a kingdom. We have seen that after Saul was anointed and appointed, he went and delivered Israel from the oppression of their enemies. Jesus sends you and me to the whole world: start in your house, backyard and in your neighbourhood; for your house must be called a house of prayer for all nations, or all peoples (Isaiah 56:7). And Jesus says to every born again Christian: Peace be unto you: as my Father has sent me, even so I send you (John 20:21).

You are the king and priest that God has anointed and appointed in that area where you reside. You are a king who serves, not one who rules over people as the gentiles like to do. You are to rule over their sicknesses and diseases, and cast out those demons that are oppressing them. You are, the son of God or daughter of God in your area, representing Jesus. Paul says: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be reconciled to God (2Corinthians 5:20). When people come to you, but better than that when you go to people, you proclaim the gospel to them, and they are saved, meaning their spirit is reconciled to God. You teach them the word of God and disciple them, which means, you reconcile their mind with the mind of God, and you lead them, which means you reconcile their body to the will of God.

You are God’s representative, you are His ambassador, and you are the highest representative of the kingdom of God, wherever you are standing. When people receive your words, that accord with the general counsel of the Holy Scriptures, they receive the words of Jesus. When they receive you in their house, they receive Jesus. For Jesus says: he who receives you, receives Me [Jesus], and he who receives Me, receives Him [the Father God] who sent Me (Matthew 10:40). Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I [Jesus] send, receives Me. And he who receives Me, receives Him [The Father God] who sent Me (John 13:20).

You must believe in your heart that Jesus sent you, and speak with that authority and power. Jesus said to them [every born again believer] again, Peace to you. As My Father has sent Me, even so I send you (John 20:21). An ambassador only speaks the words of his King, he has no personal opinion; but he has a position, and his position is that of his King. Many times we give people our opinion: “I think… or so and so said this… but I think…” Jesus spoke with authority and power. It is reported: they (the people) were all amazed, and spoke among themselves, saying: what a word is this! For with authority and power He (Jesus) commands the unclean spirits and they come out (Luke 4:36). You have the same authority and power in Christ Jesus; for you are joined to Jesus, therefore you are one Spirit with Jesus (1Corinthians 6:17).

Jesus knew He was anointed and appointed; therefore He spoke with the same authority and power of the King, who has dominion over all powers of darkness. Jesus came and spoke unto the disciples, saying, all authority and power (Exousia: a legal authority to exercise power) is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:18-19). It is with that knowledge, that the One who sends us, has all authority and all power in heaven and on earth, so that we go. And He is with us and in us, full of all power and all authority. Samuel said to Saul: since you are anointed and appointed over the kingdom of Israel, do as occasion demands or serves you; for God is with you (1Samuel 10:7).

Jesus, who has anointed and appointed a kingdom unto each one of us, is always with us, He says: lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:20). Speak with all authority and all power that Jesus has invested in you. Speaking with authority and power has nothing to do with rudeness and harshness of speech! You do not need to worry about anything as long as you only speak the truth of the Word of God in love, He will confirm His word (Ephesians 4:15); but if you give your opinion or your own words, there is no power in them. It is exactly what took place in the life of the early believers: by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch (Acts 5:12).

3.1 God is no respecter of persons, and shows no partiality

People may say: the apostles sat and ate with Jesus in the flesh, that is why they had such faith. It is not true! Paul was never with Jesus when He was with the twelve apostles. Paul received Jesus after His resurrection and ascension. But God still worked mighty signs and wonders through Paul. Paul wrote: through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I (Paul) have fully preached the gospel of Christ (Romans 15:19).

God confirms His word with signs and wonders following through Paul’s mouth. Isaiah prophesied about Jesus, saying: Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given Me, are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells in mount Zion (Isaiah 8:18). Paul quotes the same prophecy of Isaiah: God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will (Hebrews 2:4). I will put My trust in God, and again here am I and the children whom you have given Me (Hebrews 2:13). The question is: are you a child of God? If your answer is yes; then you are also appointed for signs and wonders all over the world.

You just need to do what the apostles of Jesus did, if you want to be greatly used by God like them. Peter opened his mouth and said, Truly I see that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he who fears Him, and works righteousness, is accepted with Him (Acts 10:34-35). The fear of the Lord is to hate evil and depart from evil (Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 16:6). So if you fear God and practice righteousness, God will do through you, what He did through Jesus, the early apostles, and the prophets of old. John also tells us: if our heart accuses us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not accuse us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight (1John 3:20-22).

If you willingly choose to keep the commandments of God, and do the things that are pleasing in His sight, God covenanted to grant you whatever you ask Him, that lines up with the counsel of the Holy Scriptures. God will even fight battles for you. Solomon told us: By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right. A man’s heart devises his way: but the LORD directs his steps (Proverbs 16:6-9). So if you want to please God you will have to hate evil and depart from it, then practice righteousness. Solomon when he pleased God, God gave him peace round about. But when he multiplied wives and concubines, and started to build high places for the idols of his wives in Israel; God allowed a rebellion to start in Israel, and later God removed ten tribes from his son Rehoboam (1Kings 12 to 1Kings 14).

If you want to please God you will have to fear Him, which means to hate evil and depart from it, and then practice righteousness. Then not just will He fight for you and direct your steps; but he will also grant you whatever you ask, that lines up with the Holy Scriptures (1John 3:20-22). When He is so pleased with you, He even gives you all the things you have not requested, for He knows you have need of them. That is what happened to Solomon in his early days as king, when he feared the Lord and practiced righteousness. The bible tells us that Solomon prayed to God, saying: You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me to reign in his stead. Now, O Jehovah God, Your promise to David my father has been fulfilled. For You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. Give me now wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in before this people. For who can judge this Your great people?

And God said to Solomon, Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, wealth, nor honour, nor the life of your enemies, nor yet have asked for long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may judge My people, over whom I have made you king; wisdom and knowledge is granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before you, nor shall any after you have the like (2Chronicles 1:11-12). My friend my prayer is that you and I will learn to fear God and practice good, so that our ways will be pleasing in His sight. There are things you will not even have to ask Him for; He will just give them to you, because He delights in you.

I remember on April 29^th, 2015 the Lord Jesus woke me up, and was singing in one of my mother tongues. In His song he was telling me: all those who seek to harm you and kill you, those dear to you, they should be severely warned against such an attempt; because God will kill them! The Lord Jesus sang that song three times, and then I sang it too. I woke up singing that song. Then I realized what He was saying to me through that song. That month I had been having many spiritual attacks from satanic people, and some people who work closely with me literal snakes appeared in their bedroom, others strangers, used a gun to shoot their window, thank God they were not in that room. And many other attacks were happening to the people dear to me. So God decided to take the matter into His own hands! The Holy Spirit brought back to my remembrance Revelation 11, He gave me on October 30^th 2012. If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner (Revelation 11:5).

You do not need to receive anybody’s “anointing” you are always anointed: son of God, king and priest unto our God (Revelation 1:6); and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit abides upon you, since the day you received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire. Now if you want to flow effortlessly in the anointing of the Holy Spirit, you need to grow into Christ Jesus, so that He is formed in you, and the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit are evident in your life; You do not need to receive anybody’s “power”, the Spirit of God, who came upon you when you were baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire, is the Anointing of the Spirit of God, and He abides in you and upon you. The anointing of the Holy Spirit manifests itself in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. The anointing of the Holy Spirit does not fly away like in the Old Testament. Even when people might have laid hands on you for you to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost; it is not their “anointing” or their “power” you have received. They are only vessels used by God so that you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. Truly you received the Anointing of the Holy Ghost! Paul laid hands on Apolos and other believers, who were only baptized in water, so that they could receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire. After Paul had done so, the Spirit came upon them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied (Acts 19:1-6).

Paul never claimed that Apolos and the other disciples on whom he laid his hands, received a “double portion of his anointing”. Because Paul understood that what happened between Elijah and Elisha, was only a type of Christ and his disciples. When we are born again we have received the double portion which is the right of the firstborn, Jesus being our firstborn and we are in Him, joint-heir with Him. That is why Elisha never passed on that double portion of that anointing to anyone; for he was a type of disciple, only Jesus can give it to you. As it is written: of the fullness of Jesus we have all received grace [unmerited favour and God’s empowerment] for grace (John 1:16). And as Jesus Christ is, so are we in this world (1John 4:17). Truly Apolos did not receive the fullness of Paul; but the fullness of Jesus! Paul was just a vessel channelling the fullness of Christ’s Spirit, and the fullness of Christ’s power, which is the Spirit abiding upon us, even the Anointing of the Holy Spirit.

When Paul was blinded on the road to Damascus, God send Ananias, to lay hands on him, so that he might receive his sight and be baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire (Acts 9). Paul never said that he received the “anointing” of Ananias or the “power” of Ananias. When believers were trying to belittle the Apostleship of Paul, he wrote to them in Galatians chapter one, saying: the revelation he had, he did not receive it from man or was taught it, but it came to him by revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:12). Was it true? Paul was a Pharisee, so he went through the rabbinical school of Gamaliel and they gave him the knowledge of the scriptures, even the letters (Acts 22:3); but to have the revelation of Jesus and see Jesus in the scriptures, only Jesus can do it. Man cannot take any credit for that. I may write the My Weekly Milk bible study, or preach the word of God; but it is Jesus who gives you the ability to receive the words or the studies, and His Spirit leads you into all truth (John 16:13). But unfortunately we do not see it in that light, we think because we taught people the word, it is us; no, it is Jesus in us, who is teaching the people. And He reveals Himself to people.

Paul said that he did not receive any “anointing” or “power” of the twelve apostles of Jesus; no, for after three years when he went to Jerusalem he only stayed there fifteen days, and only saw Peter and James, the half brother of Jesus (Galatians 1:18-19). James, the son of Mary, was converted after the resurrection of Jesus, he did not believe in Jesus when Jesus walked on earth before his resurrection. Paul goes even further to defend his apostleship, he says: those who seemed to be something (including the twelve apostles of Jesus) whatever they were, it makes no difference to me, God shows personal favouritism to no man, for those who seemed to be something, added nothing to me (Galatians 2:6). But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter, they perceived the grace [the favour and the empowerment of God] that had been given to me, so John, Peter and James, who seemed to be the pillars, gave Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised (Galatians 2:7-9).

But what do we see today in churches? Believers are always looking for someone to impart some gifts, or some blessing. But Paul said they added nothing to him. You must realize that you have everything in you. The only thing you need, is the impartation of the word of God, and become a doer of that word, not a hearer or reader only, deceiving yourself (James 1:22). Paul writes to the church and says: so being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own lives, because you were dear unto us. For you remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. You are witnesses and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe (1Thessalonians 2:8-10).

So Paul is telling the church, the only impartation you need, is the impartation of the Gospel and the life of someone, who is a doer of the gospel of Christ, that you can use as an example to imitate. He gives the definition of the gospel in 1Corinthians 15, it is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus according to the scriptures, it is to understand the Perfect Redemption Plan of God, this is what he imparted to them. And he imparted his life also, what did he mean by imparting his life? He meant that he lived out that Gospel he preached and experienced it, so that believers could imitate him, his lifestyle, his behaviour, and his works, just as he himself imitated Christ. So Paul tells the church: imitate me just as I also imitate Christ (1Corinthians 11:1). It helps a lot to follow the life of someone who is doing the word of God; it boosts your faith. Whenever I am discouraged in my faith I just think about how my pastor who begot me in the Lord, Jean Francois Ngemba, imitates Christ, and it encourages me to keep walking the walk of faith.

Think of it this way, if you want to be a potter you go and learn under a potter, and he shows you how he does it. Very soon you will also start making vessels, because you have seen the potter doing it over and over again, and he has told you: you can do what he does! It is the same thing in the kingdom of God. If you want to drive a car, you go to a driving instructor and he teaches you how to drive, and he tells you: you can drive like me, I am not special; everybody can drive a car safely if they are properly taught. Nobody will go and learn under a potter or a driving instructor, who tells you: you cannot do what I do, I am so special and you just watch me do it. Do not waste your time learning under such a potter or driving instructor. Jesus tells us, follow Me and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). I, Jesus, am The Saviour, follow Me and I will show you how to save people; I, Jesus, am The Healer, so follow Me and I will show you how to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

I, Jesus, am The Resurrection and The Life, so follow Me, and I will show you how you to raise the dead and give life to people, etc. The disciples followed Jesus and Jesus taught them to do everything He did exactly. Jesus said: The works that I do you shall do and greater works than these shall you do (John 14:12). The disciples, including Paul had the impartation of the word of God that Jesus gave them, but also the life of Jesus. As we have already explained, you need to embrace the way, the truth and the life of Jesus, if you want to do the works of Jesus (John 14:6, John 14:12). What Jesus did, He taught them how to do the same thing. If you are following someone who tells you, or insinuates to you, that he is so special, and you cannot do what he does, you are following the wrong person, for that person is not imitating Jesus, and he is an insecure person. Paul says: be followers of me even as I also follow Christ (1Corinthians 11:1).

People who do not have their mind renewed according to the word of God, always try to bring you in the Old Testament: receiving someone’s “anointing or power”. They tell you, because you did not start with them or have not been long enough in Christianity, you do not have what they have. The truth is you have received the same Anointing of the Holy Spirit, and it is the Holy Ghost who dwells in you. And you have received the same power or anointing, and it is the power or anointing of the Holy Ghost; when He came upon you the day you were baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire, with evidence of speaking in tongues.

Peter tells Cornelius and all the Gentiles who were gathered to hear the gospel: Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation everyone who fears Him, and works or practices righteousness, is accepted by him (Acts 10:34-35). I told you whenever you read a promise of God, the condition to have the manifestation of that promise in your life, is also stipulated in that same verse, or same chapter. If you want God to use you mightily in signs and wonders, in manifestations of the Holy Ghost, and the demonstration of His power, your person must be accepted by God, before your service or worship is accepted; that is what God explained to Cain in Genesis 4.

I know in Christ Jesus we are accepted (Ephesians 1:6). But if truly you have believed that God accepted you in Christ Jesus, act accordingly. Peter tells you, if you are accepted with God in Christ Jesus, then you must fear God and practice righteousness. But what does it mean to fear God according to the Holy Scriptures? Well, here is your answer: the fear of the Lord is to hate evil and to depart from evil (Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 16:6). What does it mean to practice righteousness according to the scriptures? It is to stop sinning, and choose to live a life of holiness or sanctification unto the Lord (1Corinthians 15:34). These are the main keys to flow in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us the reason why Jesus was so anointed. He says: unto the Son God, the Father said, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows (Hebrews 1:8-9). So Peter, Paul and all the other disciples who imitated Jesus, were also anointed above their fellows who did not want to imitate Jesus.

God is no respecter of persons; He does not show any favouritism. Whether we met Jesus in the flesh or we have not; we have received the same Spirit of faith (2Corinthians 4:13). God does not compare us with the disciples, but He compares us with Jesus, He gave us the same Holy Spirit who is in Jesus, and the same power or anointing of the Holy Ghost that was upon Jesus. Through that Spirit, Jesus cried out Abba Father (Mark 14:36). We likewise by the same Spirit cry out Abba Father (Galatians 4:6). We have the same access to God that the disciples of Jesus had, the Gentiles and Jews have been reconciled to God, and have the same access to God through faith in Christ Jesus; for it is one same Spirit we have all received (Ephesians 2:14-18). We are all kings and priests to our God, only Jesus is our King of kings and our High priest, everything we have and we are; we received it from Him: Anointing and power, teaching and revelation they come from Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit. We must be willing to walk in the fear of the Lord and practice righteousness, if we want to flow effortlessly in the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Even in the Old Testament it is written: For Jehovah your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, the mighty, and a terrible God, who does not respect persons nor take a bribe (Deuteronomy 10:17). Some people are trying to bribe God by paying for the “Anointing”. If you pay money for any “anointing” or “power” it is from the devil, not from the Holy Spirit. You shall not pervert judgment; you shall not respect persons, nor take a gift. Because a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous (Deuteronomy 16:19). Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation whoever fears Him, and works righteousness, is accepted by Him (Acts 10:34-35). Paul quotes Moses and says: In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established (2Corinthians 13:1). So we have at least three scriptures that tell us that God is no respecter of persons, we have established that it is the will and the way of God.

3-2 Why did Paul say: I need to impart some spiritual gift to you?

Many Christians say: “I remember when someone laid hands on me to receive the gift of healing, I started praying for the sick and they were getting healed”. Paul said to the Roman’s church: I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established (Romans 1:11). The truth is many Christians, even after you have given them the bible studies on the Perfect Redemption Plan of God, will not believe it, they will still think that the Holy Spirit who moved into them, is incomplete, “He came empty handed when He moved into them”. No matter how much you tell them you are no different than them: they have the same Holy Spirit in them, who came with all His gifts, they have the same Jesus, who is complete in them, and they have received the same anointing of the Holy Spirit, when they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and power. What they just need to do is, to fear God and practice righteousness, and they will be able to flow effortlessly in the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

They still say within themselves: “I will have the manifestations of that particular gift of the Spirit, when that minister lays his hands on me”. And that is what will work for them; because they have faith in that method of receiving the gifts of the Spirit. Just like we have seen with healing, God uses laying on of hands, prayer cloths, Holy Communion, oil, and the spoken word to heal. It is the sick person who chooses how he wants to be healed. God just wants to see that person healed, that is all! But if that person believes that he has the Spirit of life in him, and he can command healing to his own body, then he will be healed. It is the same thing with impartation of the gifts of the Spirit listed in 1Corinthians 12. Paul tells us: Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit (1Corinthians 12:4). All those gifts come from the same Holy Spirit and He is in you. God wants the church to realize that they have all the gifts of the Spirit in them; for the Spirit of God came fully in them. Jesus tells us: I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever (John 14:16). So the Holy Spirit abides with you forever; there is never a time that He leaves you to go back to heaven, to get another gift of the Spirit to bring back to you. He came with all of them and He never leaves you forever.

God is so good, and wants all of us to have the manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit, so that we can be effective in the kingdom of God. So He tells us: what will it take for you to believe My word? Some will say: if it is written I believe it is for me and I walk in it! That is the kind of faith God wants us to have. Some will say: Lord, I know it is written, yet I do not truly believe it is for me; but if you send someone to speak to me, I will believe it. So God says fine; and He sends someone to you to speak the word of God to you, and because you heard that written word spoken to you, you have faith and receive it (Romans 10:17). Some will say: Lord, I know it is written, and you sent someone to speak to me; but if only that person lays hands on me, or pours oil [which is the symbol of the anointing of the Holy Spirit] on me, then I will receive it. God says fine; and He sends a person to pour oil on you, or lay hands on you. In a way we are fleecing God like Gideon did before believing the word of God (Judges 6).

Is God mad at us when we fleece Him, meaning we ask for signs before believing what he says about us? The answer is no. It is not God’s ideal; the ideal is that we believe first; yet God is not mad at us if we have not reached that level of faith yet. As we grow into the measure of the full stature of Christ, we will be fleecing God less and less, but take Him at His words, even His written Word. God wants us to so believe Him, that sometimes He even asks us to ask Him for a sign, that will help us believe His word, and that He will back us up when we step out in faith to do what He has called us to do.

The LORD spoke again unto Ahaz, saying: Ask a sign of the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. And he [the prophet Isaiah] said: Hear now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:10-14). Should we stay in the baby stage of our faith all our life, where we fleece God all the time? The answer is no. Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? None of us will be happy if his son, who is twenty years old, still acts like a two year old child, you will be weary of such behaviour. I, Gery, have not arrived yet, I am still growing into the measure of the full stature of Christ Jesus.

God had given a prophecy through the mouth of His prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz, concerning his enemies, the Syrians and the kingdom of Israel under the leadership of the Ephraimites. That within sixty years Ephraim would be broken, and they would no longer be a people. King Ahaz of Judah had trouble believing the prophecy (Isaiah 7:1-9). So God wanted to help his faith, so the prophet Isaiah asked King Ahaz, to ask God for a sign, so that he would believe that God would perform His word, through the mouth of Isaiah. But the king thought he was tempting the Lord by so doing. And God gave him a sign, even a prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus!

Also in Isaiah 38 King Hezekiah of Judah was sick and near to death. Initially the prophet Isaiah came and told him that he would not recover from his sickness, so he should set his house in order; for he was going to die. After Hezekiah had pleaded his case before the Lord; the Lord sent the same Isaiah to go and tell him that he would live and God had added fifteen more years to his life. But Hezekiah was a bit confused for he had received two different prophecies from the same Isaiah. Which one should he believe; of course he wanted to believe the second one that said he would live and not die to declare the works of the Lord (Psalm 118:17). Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying: Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears: behold, I will add unto your days fifteen years. And I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city. And this shall be a sign unto you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He has spoken; Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down (Isaiah 38:4-8).

So God himself gave a sign to King Hezekiah, that not only would he be healed of his terminal illness, but also when he was healed, God would also deliver him and his city from their enemies, the Assyrians. In the New Testament we see Jesus using the boat of Peter for preaching in Luke 5. When He finished preaching, He instructed them to launch out into the deep and let down their nets for a catch, though they had toiled all night and caught nothing. They obeyed Jesus’ command, and had a miraculous catch of fish. In John 21, after the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples were discouraged; for Jesus was no longer with them physically. They thought they would be worse off since Jesus would physically go away, and they did not believe what Jesus said: that it is to their advantage that He goes away so that He can send them the Holy Spirit (John 16:7).

They thought that they needed to go back to their former occupation to provide for their families. So Peter said: I am going fishing, and six other disciples said we are going with you. But they caught nothing all night. In the morning, Jesus was standing at the shore of the sea broiling fish. He said to them: children have you caught anything? They said: nothing! He instructed them to cast their net on the right side of the boat, and they shall find fish. When John saw the miraculous catch of fish, it reminded him of the sign of Luke 5 when they were in a similar situation and when they obeyed the instruction of the Lord, they had a miraculous catch of fish. John said to Peter: it is the Lord! How did John know it was the Lord? By the sign Jesus gave them. In Luke 5 after Jesus had demonstrated He could provide for them and their families; He said to them follow Me. And in John 21, He came to reassure them and each one of us, that even if He is no longer with us physically, He still provides for us through the Holy Spirit, just like when He was with them physically.

I remember in January 2015, I had to go to London to meet a church leader face to face, and tell him that the Lord told me to no longer serve under their ministry. I remember I was afraid to go; the Lord had been telling me to come out of that ministry since June 2014. I was afraid of stepping into the unknown; for the people had been good to me, and they had become a family to me. And I have truly learned a lot being under that noble ministry. The Lord told me you will not enter 2015 with that ministry. So on the 12^th January 2015, I remember the Lord told me I must go to London. My bank account was empty until 8pm on the 11^th January 2015. I said to God: “if you want me to go to London, then You must put the money into my account to buy the ticket tonight”. I knew and hoped that there was no money, so I was safe, I could not go to London. But at 11pm the Lord told me: “go onto the internet and buy a return ticket to London for the first coach early in the morning; I have put money into your account”. I went online and bought the ticket and the transaction was approved by my bank.

So I knew it was the Lord, and when I arrived in London, the leader said to me, it is the first time that he had come to his office in 2015, and it was the first time that he had come to his office on a Tuesday. I knew God’s hand was in it; God knew he would be there. These people had been so good to me, and I say that from the bottom of my heart. They have added value, character, integrity and maturity to me. I was a fool when they allowed me to serve under their ministry; for foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but now I have some wisdom through the rod of correction of the word of God, they deposited in my life (Proverbs 22:15).

They believed in me, and trusted God to prune me, so that I could bear much fruit. Many would have said: “young men easily fall into sexual immoralities; if we allow him to serve under our ministry, since he is not married yet; he might fall into sexual sin, and bring disrepute to our noble ministry”. Yet they took an enormous leap of faith and trust, and allowed this young man, who was not yet married, to serve under their ministry. I used to pray to God and still do, saying: God never let me fall into sexual immoralities, financial manipulation and scandal, and into heresy. And anybody who loves me, should always pray for me in these three aspects. Of course, working with people, at times there are disagreements and misunderstandings; and offense is bound to happen (Luke 17:1). I have offended many; for foolishness was bound in my earthen vessel; and some also have offended me. Yet we always ought to remember that we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the excellency of the power might be of God and not of us (2Corinthians 4:7). Let us not stumble at the earthen vessel, but focus on the treasure God deposited in people.

The reason why the Lord told me to come out is because He wanted me to start a new work for Him, and make disciples, teaching them using the My Weekly Milk bible studies, He had instructed me to write. And on the 12^th January 2015, after I had finished my meeting with that leader in London; I found a church that was open, and I went to pray. God gave me Psalm 71 and the book of Hosea and of course Isaiah 56:7. He said: “go heal the backsliding of My people; build Me a house of prayer for all nations. Make disciples of all nations, teach them what I have taught you from your youth, and every house must become a house of prayer for all nations.” The Lord said many other things, but I am not allowed to share them in these bible studies.

Jesus said: According to your faith or belief be it unto you (Matthew 9:29). For instance Jesus spat on the ground and made clay with His spittle, and rubbed it on the eyes of a blind man and said to him: go wash at the pool called Siloam. After the man did it, he received His sight (John 9:6-7). Many of us do not understand why Jesus did it, and we will be offended by that, it is degrading. But in those days it was not, why? Because in the medical system back then, they believed that spittle had some medicinal powers. So when Jesus spat on him, the blind man believed he was healed. It was done to him according to his faith. The second reason Jesus made clay and anointed his eyes, was to demonstrate that God created mankind out of the dust of the earth as Genesis 2:7 tells us. The day is coming and now is, when a minister of reconciliation will take dust from the ground, and spit on it and anoint the amputated arms and amputated legs, and command them to be created.

Thus in front of all the cameras of the world; that minister of reconciliation demonstrates at will to the world, that Jesus Christ created mankind from the dust of the earth; it was not the theory of evolution or the big bang theory, but it was Jesus Christ (John 1:3-7). In that day trees also grow at will in front of all the cameras of the world, to demonstrate that God also created the planet earth as Genesis 1:11 and Jonah 4:6 tells us; for everything was created by Him, for Him and through Him (Colossians 1:16). The woman who had the issue of blood for twelve years said to herself: if only I can touch the hem of His garment I will be healed, and after she did, she was healed (Matthew 9:20-22). Jesus said to her: Daughter, be of good comfort; your faith has made you whole. God truly wants us to enjoy everything Jesus died for. And how we get it and enjoy it, is up to us, according to our belief.

Many people are looking for a method, it is not a method, it is just your belief. The Jewish leaders asked the blind man who received his sight after Jesus spat on him: how were your eyes opened? He explained to them, but they did not believe. Then they said to him again, what did He do to you? How did He open your eyes? He answered them, I have told you already, and you did not hear: wherefore would you hear it again? Will you also be his disciples (John 9:25-27)? Those Jewish leaders did not like Jesus; but they liked the miracles He performed. They were envious. So, deep inside them, they might have said: we have spat on many people and they were not healed; many people have touched the hem of our garment but they were not healed. How does this Jesus do it? Many Christians are still asking the same questions, the method does not matter, you have the Spirit of God in you, and He is complete in you, God heals people according to your belief, you who minister to them, and according to the belief of the people.

But God wants us to be like Jesus, Jesus did not have to wait for someone to speak to Him or even God to speak to Him, though God always speaks with Him, and people spoke to Him. As far as Jesus was concerned: if something is written in the word of God, He believes it is for Him. He always refers people to the written word of God, and we should do like Jesus. Over and over He says: it is written… it is written… it is written. Did God speak to Him, the answer is yes. Did people prophecy over Him? The answer is yes, Simeon did (Luke 2:24-32). But Jesus acted on the written word of God, the prophecy people gave to Jesus was always lining up with what was already written about Him anyway! He said: I come in the volume of the book and it is written of Me, to do your will O God (Hebrews 10:7). People of God will prophesy over your life, it will lift you up; but what they are saying is already written about you in the bible; why not read it, believe it and act on it?

So the Roman brethren, even after all the teaching of what God had done for them, and who they were in Christ, were not walking in some of the gifts of the Spirit. So Paul writes to them: when he comes there he will impart those gifts to them, either by laying on of his hands, or by speaking a word over them, or by anointing them with oil or any other method they have faith in; they will receive the manifestations of those gifts. It will be done to them according to their faith. On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came upon all who were in the upper room, and they manifested the gift of tongues which is one of the gifts of the Spirit, and they also prophesied, prophecy is another gift of the Spirit. Nobody laid hands on them. In Acts 10, Peter goes in the house of Cornelius, when he speaks the word of God to them they believe, and the Holy Spirit fell on them, and they spoke in tongues and they prophesied. Peter never laid lands on them to impart the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy. What they received was the impartation of the word of God, and once they believed the word of God out of the mouth of Peter, they received the gifts of the Spirit. The impartation of the word of God is the best way; for the words that we speak are Spirit and life (John 6:63).

When Paul came to Ephesus, he met Apollos and other disciples who were followers of John the Baptist, but now had believed in Jesus. They had not received the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy (Acts 19). When Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spoke with tongues, and prophesied (Acts 19:6). They manifested two gifts of the Spirit: tongues and prophecy. Paul first of all imparted the word of God to them: what is the meaning of the baptism of the Spirit and fire, why we need it; and then he laid hands on them as a point of contact and since they believed both the word and the method they received it.

When Paul writes to the Romans that he wants to impart some spiritual gifts to them, the first thing that he did was to impart the revelation of the word of God. If some believed it, like Cornelius and the people in his house did, they would not even need the hands of Paul laid on them, but some thought they would only receive it after Paul had laid his hands on them: It was done to them according to their belief. Paul always wants people to know what God has done for them by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus; who He is now in them, and who they are in Christ. Paul explains that it is the same Holy Spirit he has, that they have, everything he has they have also.

One of the reasons he wants them to receive things directly from God without someone laying hands on them, is because some people will try to take advantage or even abuse them. They will be saying: “I am the one who imparted that gift to you, I am the one who blessed you when I laid my hands on you, I am the one who ordained you into ministry”. And they will use it to keep you in bondage. But when you know who you are, you know that it is God who appointed and ordained you, it is God who blessed you, everything you have received is from God. Jesus is the one who prayed to the Father for you to receive the Holy Ghost. As it is written: I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows him: but you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you (John 14:16-17). On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the disciples believed the prayer of Jesus, and did not need His physical hands laid on them; yet they all received the impartation of the gifts of the Spirit. My prayer is that you and I will only believe the written word of God!

If you want someone to lay hands on you to impart some spiritual blessing or spiritual gifts, you must know the person. Let it be your apostle, your prophet, your evangelist, your teacher, your pastor or any born again believer whose lifestyle you personally know. Paul says: If I be not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you: for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord (1Corinthians 9:2). Even if they lay hands on you, and because you believe, you start manifesting those gifts of the Spirit. You must get the understanding that you did not get it from them per se; but from the Holy Ghost. They were just vessels God used to help you believe His promises are also for you. Get the best impartation which is the impartation of the word, and act on the word, what it says about you; because if you believe in your heart, that person is the source of your gifts or blessings, you will never rise above them, because it is a second hand gift. You must understand it is the Holy Ghost in you, and you do not have second hand gifts of the Spirit, nor a second hand “Anointing”.

Having said that we should not despise the earthen vessel God uses to bring us the manifestation of the Spirit of God, and the demonstration of the power of God. As we have explained that for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to flow effortlessly; it takes the co-operation of the earthen vessel, even the yieldingness of the earthen vessel. We have seen that the vessel must be grafted onto the Olive Tree of the Triune God, he should not just have leaves, which talk about our profession or confession of faith; but he should be partaker of the Root, even the Holiness of God the Father, if he wants to partake of the fatness or anointing of the Holy Spirit, he should bear the fruit of the Spirit, even more fruit of the Spirit. Christ Jesus, who is the Seed of Abraham, must be formed in him. He should have the revelation of the word of God and he should have a lifestyle of prayer with fasting.

The apostles said: we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4). Paul tells us: remember those who lead or rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct (Hebrews 13:7). Obey those who lead or rule over you, and be submissive [as long as what they are asking you to do, accords with the general counsel of the Holy Scriptures]; because they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account [to God]. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you (Hebrews 13:17). I have worked with a dear brother in 2014, who wanted to learn divine healing. So he would bring me sick people and I prayed for them, and they were healed and delivered. I took sometimes up to six hours of my time every week, to explain the scriptures to him. But he was disrespectful, and verbally abusive toward me, especially when I addressed the issue of holiness and the fruit of the Spirit.

And He would pray for the sick and shout at demons in the name of Jesus and nothing would happen. I told him: maybe you ought to embrace the sanctified life of Jesus, His way and His truth in order to be a partaker of His anointing! He did not want to hear the truth. I said to him: I, Gery, chose a particular lifestyle to be able to flow in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I know even the willingness and the ability to choose that lifestyle was given to me by God (Philippians 2:13). Yet I was willing to yield to the Holy Spirit and the written word of God. God does not take me for granted: Paul tells me: God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister (Hebrews 6:10). You should not take me for granted either by treating me disrespectfully, when I have not been disrespectful toward you. You go and do the same thing Jesus requires, for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to flow through you; for I will not work any longer with you.

If there is no mutual respect and honour, discipleship cannot work. I respect you and honour you, you ought to reciprocate. He crossed the line when he said that I was of the devil and maybe I was casting out devils by demonic powers. I said to him: now you are blaspheming against the Holy Spirit! Yet he wanted me to go and heal the sick people he knew. I said I will no longer go with you. Let the Jesus Christ whom you are serving heal your sick people, since you accuse me of healing and delivering people by a demonic power; you do not need my help! People who accused Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub, were not His disciples, and Jesus did not waste his precious time with them. Even in His home town, people who were offended at him, and did not bring their sick people; Jesus did not say: they do not believe in Me, they are offended at Me, they even think I have Beelzebub in Me, and they are not willing to come to me. I will go into their houses and heal them by force. Nowhere in the bible had Jesus or the prophets done that!

Paul said to Titus: warn a divisive person or heretic [a person who holds and teaches opinions repugnant to the established faith] once, and then warn them a second time, after that, have nothing to do with them (Titus 3:10). I used to wonder why the Evangelist Jack Coe used to say: there are two categories of people he does not waste much of his time trying to explain spiritual truths to. In the first category we have the agnostic [someone who neither believes nor disbelieves in the existence of God] and the atheist [someone who believes that God or gods, which are but demons, are man-made constructs: myths and legends]. They are of the devil and are going to hell. Tell them the truth of the word of God once and twice; but do not waste your time explaining over and over things to them. The numbers of hours you waste with them, you could have won 100 souls to Christ.

The second category of people is the born again Christians who hold onto the tradition of their founding fathers of their church or ministry, and reject the truth of the written word of God, even after you have demonstrated the truth from the scriptures, they still reject it. It has happened to me with people who came from other ministries who hated holiness, and who believed once saved always saved. Some of them even went to the extent of telling the people to reject the whole Old Testament, reject all the four gospels; reject, reject all the other apostles of Jesus and only read the letters of Paul. And even after I had shown them from the letters of Paul, the doctrine of holiness, they still rejected it. I wasted one year trying to make those people change, and embrace the doctrine of holiness. Then the Lord brought to my remembrance, the scripture of Paul to Titus: warn a divisive person or heretic [a person who holds and teaches opinions repugnant to the established faith] once, and then warn them a second time, after that, have nothing to do with them (Titus 3:10).

Paul said to his disciple Timothy: until I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in you, which was given you by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery (body of elders in the Christian church). Meditate upon these things; give yourself wholly to them; that your profiting or progress may appear to all (1Timothy 4:13-15). But watch in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of your ministry (2Timothy 4:5). Timothy was called by Jesus to be an evangelist; the elders in the church received the word of God and prophesied it over him, and they prayed for him by laying hands on him. But truly his call to be an evangelist was not the church and the elders of the church that gave him that, but Jesus; for Paul explains to us: Jesus Himself when He ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And He gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:8-11).

In Acts 13 also we have the elders of the church praying for Paul and Barnabas and laying hands on them to commission them into their apostleship to the Gentiles. As it is written: Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away (Acts 13:1-3). So it was the Holy Ghost who called Paul and Barnabas in their apostleship, not the elders of the church!

None of the elders or anybody in the church including the apostles died for you and ascended into heaven for you, so that they can give you a gift, and in this case, one of the fivefold ministry gifts: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher. Jesus is the only one who died and ascended for you, and He is the one who gave you that office. Even if people have prophesied over your office and laid hands on you, it is Jesus who did it, man should not take any credit for that. God said to Jeremiah: before I formed you in the belly or in your mother’s womb, I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet unto the nations (Jeremiah 1:5). When people were trying to belittle the Apostleship of Paul, he said the same thing God said to Jeremiah: but when it pleased God, who separated [sanctified] me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood (Galatians 1:15-16).

So even if people prophesy what your office is, and lay hands on you, like they did to Paul and Barnabas, for their apostleship or to Timothy for his call of an evangelist; it is God deciding to reveal to you, and the world around you, what He has called you and ordained you for. Jeremiah was called and ordained a prophet unto the nations when He was still in his mother’s womb; Paul was called and ordained an apostle to the Gentiles by Jesus, in his mother’s womb (Ephesians 1:1, Romans 11:13, Galatians 1:15-16). Timothy was called and ordained by Jesus an evangelist in his mother’s womb too. So that no one can take the glory and say: “I am the one who called you and ordained you”. God did it all before you were even born, so that no one will steal His glory in your life!

Jesus was the Christ in Mary’s womb, that is why wise men from the east came to see the King who is born in Israel (Matthew 2). Though Simeon prophesied over the baby Jesus, he was only telling the world who God already said Jesus was, and when John the Baptist baptized Jesus, it was only a public time to reveal to the world, who Jesus is, from the very beginning. That is why Paul, when he was defending his apostleship said: But of those who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it makes no matter to me: God is no respecter of persons) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me (Galatians 2:6). You are complete in Christ therefore desire the impartation of the Word of God, and of the life of the people who are following Jesus in Spirit and in truth. Paul said: we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls or lives, because you were dear unto us (1Thessalonians 2:8). Paul gave us the gospel and also his life experience, his emotions and thoughts when he faced difficulties and how he overcame them all; so that we can have the same thing he had. We have the same Holy Ghost in us, the Anointing of the Holy Ghost upon us; the same Jesus and the same God the Father in us, we are complete in Jesus. We have received the same power of the Holy Ghost, or the anointing of the Holy Ghost upon us, when we received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, with evidence of speaking in tongues.

A practical understanding of the impartation

I was taking my shower on the 11^th of April 2013, and the Holy Spirit started to speak to me about impartation in a simple way, so that people of my century can understand it. Think of a car, even when a car is brand new, straight from the manufacturer: the battery must be charged, and the fuel put into the tank, and the water must be in the water tank, to have the car running. When the battery is flat or discharged, no matter if the tank is full of fuel, the water tank is full, and the battery is plugged in, the car cannot start and will not move. So either people will push it, and as it gains up speed, the driver will turn the ignition key, and the car will start, and he will let the engine run for some time and accelerate, so that the alternator will charge the battery, and he will go for a ride to allow the alternator to charge the flat battery.

The second method is, they will bring another car, take cables and connect the charged battery of the other car, while the engine is running and connect it to the flat battery of the first car. The driver in the first car with the flat battery, will turn its ignition key, and the car will start because it has been jump started by the battery of the other car. Then the jump cables will be removed, but the first car will let the engine run for a while to charge the flat battery. Please read the bible study on “David’s Sexual Sin Exposed”, the section on “Driving on the High Way of Holiness”. We have explained that you are the car, and you are always carrying passengers, whether you like it or not; for you are a living epistle being read by all men and angels. People, even your own children and other Christians, are imitating you as you imitate Christ. And depending on the kind of lifestyle you have, they will either glorify God or blaspheme the noble name of Jesus, by which you are called.

We have explained that the tyres of the car help you to drive from point A to point B; just like your feet allow you to walk from point A to point B. The wheel has been around for about 5500 years, nobody is stupid enough to make a square or triangular tyre. They tried it before, it did not work, a tyre must be circular. If you have no tyres on your car, no matter how powerful your engine is, how charged your battery is, how full of petrol your tank is, how full of clean oil your oil tank is, and how full of water your radiator is, your car is going nowhere. You can run the engine, change gears, and press the accelerator: vroom, vroom, vroom! Your car will go nowhere for it has no tyres.

The tyres you need on your spiritual car, are the tyres of Holiness unto the Lord. From Genesis to Revelation it has always been Holiness to the Lord (Exodus 28:36). Be Holy, for I, the Lord, am Holy (1Peter 1:16). The first encounter God had with Moses before sending him to deliver His people from Egypt, God said to Moses: Do not come near here. Pull off your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground (Exodus 3:5). After Joshua stepped into the shoes of the late Moses to lead the people of God to the promised land, before fighting his first battle for the conquest of the land, Jesus, the Commander of the Hosts of the Lord, appeared to him and said: “take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy. And Joshua did so (Joshua 5:15). And as you read Exodus 19, Exodus 24 and Exodus 34 God commanded them to sanctify or make themselves holy if they wanted Him to come into the midst of their camp, or for anybody to come up Mount Sinai to fellowship with Him.

In other words God was telling Moses, Joshua and all the people: if you want to walk with me, and enjoy fellowship with me, and see me move mightily on your behalf against your enemies, we will need to agree on this holiness thing. You must be holy for I am Holy (1Peter 1:16). Can two walk together except they be agreed (Amos 3:3)? So in your spiritual car, if you have no tyre of holiness, you will not drive anywhere on that Highway of Holiness; for the fools, meaning people who say God does not exist, and Christians who are not doers of the word of God, but hearers only, deceiving themselves according to Psalm 14:1 and Matthew 7:26, shall not err in it; and the unclean or unholy, shall not pass over it according to Isaiah 35:8. You are a fool according to Jesus and David, if you think you can reject Holiness, and still walk with God, Just like you are a fool if you think you can go anywhere with your car without fixing four tyres on to it!

Without holiness no one will see God (Hebrews 12:14). Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Genesis 5:24). Enoch agreed on holiness! By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God (Hebrews 11:5). In the Perfect Redemption Plan, Part VII, under the section Discipline of a Solder or an athlete, we have explained what it means to please God. It is to hate evil and depart from it, to keep God’s commandment and practice righteousness (1John 3:20-22, Proverbs 16:6-9, Proverbs 8:13). A person who practices righteousness is holy, and a person who lives a holy life is righteous. You cannot separate Holiness from righteousness.

When you go to car sellers, they run the engine of those cars for a while every day, even though the cars are new and straight from the factory; because if they do not do so, not only will the battery go flat, but also the entire engine will lose its performance. During winter when it is very cold, if you do not run the engine of that car for a long time, and snow has covered the car, you can go to your car in the morning, and your battery is flat, and you need to call people to come and push you, to start the car, or you need to call a maintenance service, to come and jump start your car. So it is the same thing for impartation, just like the car is complete and needs nothing added to it, when it comes out from the factory; you also are complete, you can receive power from on High when you are baptized in the Holy Ghost, straight from God, or you can call any other born again Christian, who is baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire, to come and lay hands on you, which is the equivalent of connecting jump cables, from His spiritually charged battery, to your spiritually flat battery, and you will receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, and be endued with power from on high, even the anointing of the Holy Ghost.

But just like the car, you will need to drive that car so that your battery will not go flat again; you will need to be speaking in tongues, to keep charging your spiritual battery, just like the alternator charges the battery as you are driving. But if there is no fuel in the fuel tank, the fuel is also called spirit, which is the word of God; for the word is Spirit and life (John 6:63), no matter how charged your battery is, or spiritually, no matter how much you pray in tongues, you will not move that car, since you have not any of the word of God in you. And if your car has no water in the water tank, you may cause irrevocable damage to the engine; the water is the renewing of your mind, by the washing of the water, by the word of God (Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 5:26). So if our mind is not renewed by the water of the word, and our life is not transformed to become a living epistle, read by men and angels (2Corinthians 3:2-3) we may suffer spiritual car wreck like Samson.

If we take care of our spiritual man or women well: we have the word of God in us (the fuel), we renew our mind and transform our life with the word of God (water), and we pray and sing in tongues continually (keep charging our battery). And we do our periodic M.O.T which is the spiritual equivalent of prayer with fasting, when we wait upon the Lord to renew our strength (Isaiah 40:31). We daily check the level of oil in the engine and periodically change the oil, which is the equivalent of sanctification. For the oil collected all the pollutants in the engine and now it needs purging and changing with new oil, if we want the engine to run efficiently.

For just like when one does the oil change, they drain all the oil in the car for it has pollutants in it, which reduces the performance of the car and the car starts emitting a lot of smoke. Likewise sanctification, even the purging of the sin out of our body, that is the temple of the Holy Ghost, removes the spiritual pollutants from our life, so that the Holy Spirit that is in us, our spiritual oil, is pure and right, and our engine is not damaged; like David prayed: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Then we will be able to do the same work of Jesus. You will need to take good care of the engine, constantly check the oil and the water in the engine; in other words you will need to live a sanctified life, a life of prayer with fasting, study the word of God to renew your mind; praying in tongues to charge your spiritual battery. That is why the most important impartation is the Word of God, for it is both Spirit and Water. And then you need to drive that car, meaning you need to go and do the word of God. If you park that car for too long, the battery will go flat again, and the engine will also lose its performance. Some Christians go from conference to conference, trying to be filled or refilled with the “holy spirit”. What they need is the Word, renew their mind, a sanctified life, a lifestyle of prayer with fasting, the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire with evidence of speaking in tongues; and then, go, and become doers of that word.

The reason they go from conference to conference, chasing new impartations, is simply because they are not doing what the word of God requires initially, to flow in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Please go and preach the gospel, make disciples, cast out demons, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and heal the sick; your results will improve, as you do what is required for the anointing of the Holy Ghost to flow through you. The more to go out there and do what you are commanded to do, the more effective you become, and you start having better results. Paul says: Meditate on these things; give yourself wholly to these things, in order that your improvement or progress may appear to all, or be evident to all (1Timothy 4:15).

Do not be like a car parked for too long, so that when you want to use it the battery is flat, and people need to push you or to jump start you again and again. People can lay hands on you to impart spiritual gifts, which is just to jump start you, but if you have no word in you, when the people are gone, you go back to your old life. Some Christians, because of their inactivity in the kingdom, have piled up snow on their spiritual car which resulted in a flat battery. Embrace the sanctified life of Jesus, the life of prayer with fasting of Jesus, the truth of the word of God, the way of Jesus and receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, with evidence of speaking in tongues, bear fruit of the Spirit, and allow Christ to be formed in you. That is the secret of flowing in the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Now the truth is, impartation works in all aspects of the manifestations of the Spirit of God. Elisha prayed for the spiritual eyes of his servant to be opened. As it is written: Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire, round about Elisha (2Kings 6:17). Paul also prays for the church that the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened (Ephesians 1:15-18). This is what we can call a prayer of impartation, so just like you can pray for a person’s spiritual eyes to be opened, you can also pray for a person’s spiritual ears to be opened, that they may hear the voice of God.

And sometimes you do not even have to pray for the people, to impart some of the manifestations of the Spirit that are operational in your life, they just have to be in your presence, or to work with you, or to listen to you, or to read your bible studies. The bible says: Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the face of his friend (Proverbs 27:17). That is why discipleship is very important; it makes it easier for people to walk in the manifestations of the Spirit of God, by just associating with someone who is already walking in those manifestations of the Spirit. The bible says: Joshua the son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses (Deuteronomy 34:9). Here Moses imparted the manifestation of the spirit of wisdom to Joshua, by the laying on of hands. If someone is operating in the word of wisdom, word of knowledge and discernment of spirits, they can also impart the same manifestations of the Spirit, to other believers, either by praying for them or by laying hands on them!

But the real impartation that Joshua received from Moses was, that of the word of God and the life of Moses [sanctified life (Exodus 3:5, Exodus 19), life of prayer with fasting (Exodus 24), knowing and walking in the ways of God (Psalm 103:7)]; for had Joshua not given attention to what Moses taught him, and become a doer of them, that spirit of wisdom that was imparted upon him, would have been a one-time experience. That is why God said to Joshua: This book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it by day and by night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall act wisely or have good success (Joshua 1:8). The way to grow in any manifestation of the Spirit is, to have the impartation of the word of God, the life of Jesus, and go and do what you are taught. The laying on of hands or the prayer of impartation is just to jump start you spiritually!

The bible says: And it happened, when he [Saul] had turned his back to go from Samuel, God changed him with another heart. And all those signs came on that day. And they [Saul and his servant] came there to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him [Saul]. And the Spirit of God came on him [Saul], and he prophesied among them. And it happened when all who knew him before, saw him, behold, he prophesied among the prophets. And the people said to one another, What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? And a man from there answered and said, And who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets (1Samuel 10:9-12)?

The answer to that question is no! Saul was not a prophet or a son of a prophet or disciple of a prophet. So how is it that he started to prophesy the moment he joined the company of the prophets? I told you: Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the face of his friend (Proverbs 27:17). That was what we call impartation! It works like tuning forks. If you have two tuning forks that resonate at the same frequency, when you place them side by side, you just need to hit one tuning fork, and the other one will also vibrate at the same frequency, though you have not touched it! You do not have to be a prophet to prophesy for the testimony of Jesus Christ, is the Spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). The impartation even works for people who are not right with the Lord, and have an evil motive, even murder at heart!

The bible tells us: David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel, to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived in Naioth. And it was told to Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. And Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God came on the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. And they told Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers the third time, and they prophesied also. And he also went to Ramah, and came to a great well in Sechu. And he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, at Naioth in Ramah. And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God was on him also, and going on, he went and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel, even he. And he lay down disrobed all that day and all that night. Because of this they say, Is Saul also among the prophets (1Samuel 19:18-24)?

Saul had not even arrived where Samuel the prophet was in Naioth, he had already started prophesying on the way, until he got to Naioth in Ramah. All the three companies of messengers Saul sent, also prophesied when they came where Samuel the prophet was. These were all men who came to arrest David and do him harm, even kill him, yet they received the impartation of the Spirit of prophecy, and started prophesying. Samuel did not even lay hands on them, nor pray for them, to receive an impartation, just the fact that they were close enough, they received the impartation of the spirit of prophecy.

These impartations of the various manifestations of the Spirit work not only for prophecy, but for all the gifts of the Spirit, and for all the ministerial gifts. You will notice when they invite a prophet to a church, after he has left, people start manifesting the gifts of prophecy, word of knowledge, word of wisdom and discernment of spirits. And sometimes even people who are living in open sin, or are not even born again, will prophesy when that prophet is in the church. And people will say how come this man or woman whom we know to be living in open sin, can prophesy? Both the good Saul, who had just been anointed by Samuel, when he came among the prophets in 1Samuel 10, and the evil Saul who had come to kill David in 1Samuel 19, also prophesied when he came among the prophets. The fact that someone prophecies, does not mean that the person is accepted by God, or is pleasing God.

After that initial impartation, if the people do not want it to be a one-time experience, they have to have the impartation of the word of God, of the life of Jesus, and go and be doers of that word. God said to the prophet Ezekiel: Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll, and go speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll. And He said to me, Son of man, cause your belly to eat, and fill your belly with this scroll that I give you. Then I ate it; and in my mouth it was like honey for sweetness. And He said to me, Son of man, go! Go up to the house of Israel and speak to them with My Words (Ezekiel 3:1-4). John the apostle says: I went to the angel and said to him, Give me the little book. And he said to me, Take it and eat it up, and it will make your belly bitter, but it will be sweet as honey in your mouth. And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it up. And it was sweet as honey in my mouth, and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was made bitter. And he said to me, You must prophesy again before many peoples and nations and tongues and kings (Revelation 10:9-11).

So you must eat the scroll or the roll or the book, before you go and prophesy to anybody. This is the impartation of the word of God, even if you receive the impartation of a prophet, or an apostle, by laying on of hands like Moses did to Joshua, or by being in the presence of a prophet or a company of prophets; but you do not receive the impartation of the word of God, and of the life of Jesus; it will be a one-time experience for you, and it will die out! That is why some people who have not got that understanding, go from conference to conference, and hands are laid on them, they follow men of God to get their so called “anointing”; what they are actually getting is an impartation that jump starts them, but they are always frustrated that they are not walking in the same power of the Holy Ghost, or anointing of the Holy Ghost, that man of God is walking in, or it was just a one-time experience for them!

The truth is they should have gone for the impartation of the word of God, the soul and the life of Jesus that that man of God is imitating, and become a doer of his revelation of the truth of the word; then they would have manifested at will what they saw in that man of God. Martha was running all over the place while Jesus was teaching the word of God; but her sister Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus, to receive the impartation of the word of God, and of the life and soul of Jesus. Jesus says: Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her (Luke 10:41-42). It was the impartation of the word of God and of the life of Jesus Mary chose, that could not be taken away from her, that you and I need to go for. Henceforth let us stop being dragged from pillar to post, from one man of God, to another, chasing their so-called anointing, instead let us choose the good part of the impartation of the word of God, and the life of Jesus Christ.

I remember before I ever wrote any “My Weekly Milk” letters, I was praying one day, and I had a vision, and the Lord opened a bible before my eyes, and it was Revelation 10:11 and He said to me: Gery, you must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues and kings. I understood I needed to eat the book first of all, before becoming accurate in prophesying! And I remember in April 2014, early one morning as I was praying, I fell into a trance, and in that trance I had a vision, an angel appeared in my bedroom. He had four voluminous books and he dropped them on my bed, one after the other, they were so heavy that when each of them fell on my bed, they made such a big noise: boom, boom, boom, and boom! I could not even move a finger; because the glory of the angel was so heavy. The angel said: they are all in the books! I asked the angel: is the money also there? He replied: the money is also in there! And the angel disappeared.

What was going on prior to that is, I had been praying for the Lord to reveal the mysteries of His word more accurately to me; in such a simple way that I can disciple the 50 European nations He has entrusted to me with an Apostleship He bestowed upon me. Also, I wanted to make sure that He will provide financially for whatever He commanded me to do for Him, for the House of Prayer for all Nations, which He is building, and I will never have to sell any of My Weekly Milk letters. That was the background of the conversation going on between me and the angel of God; for Paul says: who goes to war at his own expense (1Corinthians 9:7)? And Jesus tells us: suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will you not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you (Luke 14:28-29).

So there were things I needed to settle with God, before making statements about the House of Prayer for all Nations or Peoples, and concerning the My Weekly Milk bible studies. David who was the man after God’s own heart always inquired of the Lord. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word which God specifically spoke to you concerning your request (Romans 10:17). I do not want to beg, like I often see today on Christian television, and I do not want to give people my good ideas, but God’s ideas, not my opinions, but the revelation of Jesus Christ, concerning His written word. I know I am not smart enough to receive all these revelations. God gave them to me by grace and through faith I received them. So all the Glory be unto Jesus, who sent his angel, like He sent his angel to John to tell him things that needed to be implemented in His Church (Revelation 1:1).

When things are properly done in the body of Christ, young converts, who are discipled, effortlessly manifest the gifts of the Spirit and the aspects of the fivefold ministry of Christ, by impartation! When an evangelist comes and teaches, after he has left, people in that church should have the zeal for lost souls. All the bible studies, and especially the series of “The Perfect Redemption Plan”, are designed to impart the word of God, spiritual gifts and aspects of the fivefold ministry of Christ in you, to your soul and life! The impartation does not just work in utterance gifts: tongues, interpretation of tongues and prophecy; or in revelation gifts: word of knowledge, word of wisdom and discernment of spirits; but it also works in power gifts: working of miracles, gift of faith and gifts of healings.

When we looked at Joshua, though the bible only mentioned the impartation of the Spirit of wisdom, that was on Moses to Joshua, when Moses laid his hands on him (Deuteronomy 34:9), we see that Joshua also did miracles like Moses did: he parted the Jordan river just like Moses parted the Red Sea, and did many other miracles. Moses imparted the word of God, his soul and life to Joshua. We can also take the example of Elijah and Elisha. Elijah did not just impart the spirit of prophecy to Elisha but also the healing power, working of miracles. Elisha was able to part the Jordan River like Elijah did (2Kings 2). Elisha was able to raise the dead like Elijah did (1Kings 17, 2Kings 4). Elisha was able to multiply oil and flour like Elijah did (1Kings17, 2Kings 4).

People will ask: why did the power of God stop being manifest in my life, in my church, why did the time of refreshing and the awakening of believers stop and why did the revival among the unsaved and backsliders stop? Jesus says: you left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works (Revelation 2:4-5). This is what happens, the people leave their first love, passion for seeing the lost saved, the dead raised, the sick healed and the gospel preached. They used to study the word, preach and meditate on the word of God, live a sanctified life, pray and fast; but now they are so busy with church activities and ministry, that they no longer have time for the basics of Christianity. Or they are so conformed to the world, that there is no sanctification in them (Romans 12:1-2). The solution is just to do the first works that you used to do, or the early disciples of Jesus used to do, that lead to the revival of the unsaved and backsliders, the awakening and refreshing of believers, and the manifestations of the Spirit of God, and the demonstration of the power of God.

I remember in January 2015, I had a vision. In that vision I called four of my close disciples to come along with me and pray. They came along with me, as we were walking toward the location where we planned to have our prayer meeting, a great crowd followed us. A man of God, who oversees a great number of churches, joined us when he heard that we were going for a prayer meeting. But the crowds were thronging us, they wanted ministration. So I found a stump of a tree, I stood on it for the crowds to see me. And I said to the crowds: we need to find time to pray and minister the word of God to ourselves, if you want our ministration to you to be effective with mighty signs, wonders and miracles!

So they kind of stopped following us for a moment. So while I was speaking to the great crowd, my four close disciples and that man of God went ahead of me, into a white building that had three floors, to pray. When I arrived at the compound where the building was, people had flooded the building. I could not even join my disciples and that man of God on the third floor where they were praying. I had to stand in the compound, under an iron staircase that was leading directly to the third floor. I noticed that the iron staircase was eaten by corrosion, and the white building itself was no longer in good condition, but looked like a building in need of restoration. Just like in the United Kingdom, they restore old castles and old cathedrals. Then a voice came out from the third floor, where my four disciples and that man of God were praying. It was a thundering voice. It said: I am about to destroy this house and build a new one on the same spot. Gery, tell Me what do you want built on this spot?

I knew the voice was the voice of God. So I answered: I want you to build on this spot, a House of Prayer for all nations. Everything will be done according to the pattern shown from heaven and to the counsel of the Holy Scriptures. Every soul won to Christ will become a disciple of Jesus Christ, not a mere convert; that Your Holy Spirit will stir up the heart of every soul won to Christ, to fall in love with the written word of God, and the bible studies, and read them and practice them without anybody forcing them to do so. That you will pour out on every soul the spirit of prayer and supplication. For every soul that is won, another hundred souls will be won through the witnessing of that one, and for every house of prayer that is planted, a hundred other churches will come out of that one. That that house of prayer for all nations will be a cedar tree, your Spirit of excellency will rest upon it, to make it ten times better, so that what took other ministries twenty years to accomplish, will take us two years. That holiness and righteousness will be the standard of every believer that is won through us; we will not compromise on holiness and righteousness. That with mighty signs, wonders and miracles, like this generation has never seen before, you will confirm to the whole world that Jesus Christ is the light of the world, and that by Him all things were created!

When I woke up from that vision, I told it to Sister Louise, and she gave me the interpretation, according to the scriptures. I was watching a video of a man of God who now oversees many churches. He testified when he was just a new convert desiring to serve the Lord. One day he went to church and before the service he went to the toilet. As he sat on there he saw his first open vision. The door of the toilet became like a television screen. And he saw in the headquarters building of that group of churches, the preacher and his interpreter coming out of a prayer room, before standing behind the pulpit to minister to the congregation. And as they ministered, there was a great move of the Holy Spirit: burdens were lifted off the people’s shoulders, and yokes were broken around people’s necks.

He was so excited by that vision, he came out of the toilet and went to tell the vision to his spiritual father, who was the founder of that group of churches. But instead of his spiritual father being happy, because the young convert had seen his first open vision, he looked very worried and he called his elders. They came and he told the young man, tell the elders the vision you have just seen. So the young convert told the elders what he saw in the toilet. And they were all very concerned. Then the founder of the church said to that young convert, that is what we used to do in the beginning of the church, we made sure that the preacher and his interpreter prayed before they ministered to the congregation. And we saw God greatly moving in our midst in those early days. But over the years we stopped doing it. So God is telling us to return to our first love.

They hated evil and departed from evil, and now were practicing righteousness. They read their bibles, but they were no longer prayerful. Some churches in the beginning, put prayer rooms in the churches to force everyone ministering that day, to first of all have their personal time with God, and when God has spoken to them, then they can come and speak to the people of God. They did not want to receive the letters of the scriptures from the ministers, but the word from the Lord for that hour and for that congregation. Sometimes people wake up one hour before the church service, so they take their bath and rush to church. Or even worse than that some people do not even have the time to read their bible and bible studies, so they go onto the internet or open a book on sermons of another preacher, and parrot that sermon before the congregation.

So some churches now placed policies, if you did not come from the early Morning Prayer meeting that lasts a minimum of one hour, for Jesus told us to tarry with Him for at least one hour in Matthew 26, they will not allow that person to minister that day. Whether he is a preacher, an usher, an instrumentalist, a choir member, etc; he will not be allowed to minister. It is a shame that we have to instil such things in church, if every born again Christian was already trained to pray at least one hour every day, as we have explained in the Abecedary of prayer, we will see greater moves of God in our midst.

In Azusa street revival, William Seymour used to pray and read His bible 5 to 6 hours every day before the revival started. Before the revival, Seymour spent much of His time in private prayer and fasting. He was known as a man of unusual prayerfulness. When they moved to 312 Azusa Street, Seymour was living on the first floor of the same building. They had meetings from 10 o’clock every morning to nearly midnight. Seymour did not have much time to himself, and to spend with the Lord in prayer, for he was ministering six times every day. What he used to do was, that when he came down from his apartment on the first floor, to the room downstairs where people were assembled, he would kneel down and put an empty wooden shoe box over his head and pray. Sometimes he would pray for 10 minutes, other times he would pray for one hour or one hour and 10 minutes. Seymour would not remove that empty wooden shoe box until he had received a message from the Lord.

When he removed that box, people knew he was ready to minister to the crowd. They all took their seats and listened to the word from the Lord, spoken out the lips of clay of Seymour. Mighty signs and mighty wonders were performed in the name of Jesus. The reason why Seymour put that box over his head was to have some privacy with God, so that God could speak to him. The house was always filled with people looking for ministration, the only way he could personally fellowship with God, and not just minister to the people, was to put that empty shoe box over his head. All the saints of Azusa, when they were asked, when did the mighty signs and wonders stop in Azusa revival? They all testified, saying: one day William Seymour came down from his apartment on the first floor to the meeting room downstairs, and he did not put the empty shoe box over his head. And he never put it over his head again.

There was nothing special with that shoe box. Many saints wanted to look into that empty wooden shoe box; but it looked just like all the other empty wooden shoe boxes. You and I are ministers of reconciliation. We need to hate evil and depart from it, then practice righteousness. We need to spend time in the word of God, with prayer and fasting. That is what the apostles did. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word (Acts 6:2-4).

And in Antioch some among the existing church were prophets and teachers. (such as Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, So, then, separate Barnabas and Saul to Me for the work to which I have called them. Then having fasted and prayed and laid hands on them, they let them go. Then these indeed sent out by the Holy Spirit went down to Seleucia. And from there they sailed to Cyprus (Acts 13:1-4).

The crowd does not know any better, they cannot even tell their left from their right (Jonah 4:11). They will want you to minister to them from morning till midnight. You need to minister to the Lord, what does it mean? It means to spend time fellow-shipping with Him in His word and prayer. God is my witness; I do not read my bible to look for a sermon. I read my bible to minister to the Lord, so that God can speak to me through His written word, and make His ways known unto me, and transform my life to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. As you minister to the Lord and sometimes with fasting, the Lord will speak to you, so that you will have something to say to the people you are ministering to.

One should not blame Seymour, they learned as they went, what the apostles applied in Acts 6 is what Moses applied in Exodus 18 after Jethro, his father-in-law saw how the multitudes were waiting for his ministration from early morning to late at night. Moses did not have time for himself, or his family, or time to minister to the Lord. When William Seymour announced that he would get married to Jenny Evans Moore, some people in the multitudes were not happy, they thought he should not marry but remain single to serve the multitude 24/7. They gave the pretext that the Lord is coming soon, so it was not time for Seymour to get married. Do not let the multitude run your life; they can be very selfish at times. When you read the gospel, Jesus had to run away from the multitudes many times. Early in the morning and late at night Jesus would go and pray, He wanted to minister to the Lord first of all, before ministering to the people.

We have used the analogy of a car that needs to be jump started to explain impartation, now remember no analogy is perfect and some people will now think they need to go from conference to conference to jump start themselves spiritually, or receive a new flame, or a new impartation. The answer to that is no; you do not need to do that; but you need to go and do what the word of God tells you to. Nowhere in the book of Acts of the Apostles do you read that the disciples kept going back to Jerusalem to get a “new flame”, or a “new fire”. That flame or fire of the Holy Ghost, that fell upon you the day you were baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire, abides upon you forever. Go and do the word of God and embrace the way, life and truth of Jesus! Whether you were baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire directly by God, or someone laid hands on you for you to receive that baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire; it is irrelevant, now you have the fire or the flame; you are literally “torch man” or “torch woman”. That fire or flame will never go out, it burns forever, but it is you and I who decide to sit and do nothing with that forever burning fire or flame.

That fire will never burn you to ashes either, so that you become an ash heap. When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, it says: the Angel of Jehovah, who is Christ Jesus, appeared to Moses in a flame of fire, out of the midst of a thorn bush. And Moses looked. And behold! The thorn bush burned with fire! And the thorn bush was not burned up. And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the thorn bush is not burned up (Exodus 3:2-3). The flame of fire did not burn up the thorn bush. That flame of fire that is now upon you like a “torch man” or “torch woman”, the day you were baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire, will never burn you up, it will never be quenched. Wood is symbolic of humanity, so you are that bush and the flame of fire of the Holy Ghost is upon you, from the day you were baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire.

A thorn bush talks of something that is unprofitable and worthless; so once upon a time we were unprofitable to God, and sometimes unprofitable and worthless to men as well, and they just wanted to cut us down and throw us away, but in Christ Jesus we have become profitable. Paul says: For the earth which drinks in the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth plants fit for those by whom it is dressed, receives blessing from God. But that which bears thorns and briers or thistles is worthless, is rejected and is a curse, whose end is to be burned (Hebrews 6:7-8). Paul writes to Philemon concerning his former slave Onesimus, saying: I beseech you for my son [in the faith] Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: Who in time past was unprofitable to you, but now profitable to you and to me (Philemon 1:10-11).

The Disciples understood it; therefore after the day of Pentecost they never returned to the upper room where they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire, to relive that experience, or receive a “new flame of fire”. There is no such thing as a “new flame of fire” because the one you received the day you were baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire, is ever burning, without burning you up, according to the scriptures (Exodus 3:2-3).

The word baptism is from the Greek word “baptizo” which means to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge, to dye. It was a term used by sellers of clothes who dye their clothes, so they have dye of a particular colour and they immerse the cloth in the dye, the dye was in the cloth and the cloth in the dye. That is why John the Baptist says: I indeed baptize (Baptizo) you with water unto repentance: but He, Jesus who comes after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize (Baptizo) you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire (Matthew 3:11). So you were immersed in the Holy Ghost and in fire, you are in the Holy Ghost and in the fire, and the Holy Ghost and the fire is in you. Just like the cloth is immersed in the dye, the dye is in cloth and the cloth in the dye. You are “torch man” or “torch woman” as God explained to Moses in Exodus 3:2-3; and out of your mouth fire proceeds, like we have explained in the bible study: Power Of Confession.

For Jeremiah tells us: I said, I will not make mention of God, nor speak any more in His name. But His word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay (Jeremiah 20:9). The Lord said to Jeremiah: is not My word like as a fire? Says the LORD; and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces (Jeremiah 23:29)? So not only is the flame of fire upon you, like it was on the burning thorn bush Moses saw; but the flame of fire is also in you, as God explained to Jeremiah. In Exodus 3:2-3, Moses saw a flame of fire on a burning thorn bush, and that bush was not consumed. Jesus tells us: every tree is known by his own fruit; for of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush [raspberry bush or blackberry bush] gather they grapes (Luke 6:44). Now the fig tree is symbolic of the nation of Israel and it talks of righteousness; and the fruit of the fig tree is practicing righteousness. The nation of Israel is also compared to vine producing grapes (Isaiah 5:2). The wine, extracted from those grapes, is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, and the grape is symbolic of the fruit of the Spirit.

Thorns are to be burned in the fire, even hell fire (Isaiah 33:12, Matthew 7:16-19). Thorns also choke the word of God in their own life, and in the life of other people (Matthew 13:7). Paul was a real thorn to the church; for he persecuted the church to death (Acts 8). Moses also was a thorn; he murdered the Egyptian and was deserving of hell fire (Exodus 2:11-13, 1Corinthians 6:9-10). All of us, before we came to Christ, were but thorns and bramble bushes, deserving hell fire. But in Christ Jesus we have become profitable. No fig or fruit of righteousness was found in us, instead we practiced sin; no grape or fruit of the Spirit was found in us, instead the works of the flesh were abounding in us. But when we received Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, we were no longer an ordinary thorn bush!

People who knew our past life still see in us the unprofitable and worthless thorn bush; but the flame of fire of God that is now in us, and upon us, has made us profitable to our God, the flame of fire of the Holy Ghost does not burn us. And God speaks through us now, like He spoke out of that burning thorn bush (Exodus 3). Jesus says: it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you (Matthew 10:20). Paul, who used to be a thorn bush to the church, says: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives 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 (Galatians 2:20). People, who used to know your past life as a thorn bush and bramble bush, now wonder: how come figs and grapes are being gathered from you? How come you are practicing righteousness, and exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit? Of Moses it was said: the man Moses was very meek, above all the men who were upon the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). Oh, grapes were now being gathered from Moses! So shall it be for you and me in Jesus’ name!

At times you cannot change how people view you, some people will always see you as being that old thorn bush and bramble bush you used to be, and will never accept that you have become a new creation, and that old things are passed away and behold all things are new, and all things in you are of God; God has reconciled you to Himself (2Corinthians 5:17-18). If they do not believe you for your words, they will believe for the sake of the works, even the fruit of the Spirit you are now bearing, and the signs and wonders God is performing through you, which are bearing witness that you are now His son or His daughter (Isaiah 8:18, John 14:11). We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us (2Corinthians 4:7).

The disciples, who lived in the Gentile nations, were never asked to go to Jerusalem into the upper room to have the “residue of the fire of Pentecost”. Those who preach such a thing today, are only after your money, so that you will pay for their organized trip to Jerusalem, or you will pay for their conference fees. In Acts 2, when the Holy Ghost fell on those 120 men and women, and baptized them with the Holy Ghost and fire; there, every one of them was spiritually burning like that burning thorn bush Moses saw (Exodus 3:2-3). The bible says tongues of fire fell upon each one of them, so it did fall upon you. But the 120 opened their mouths and began to share the word of God, and kept on going all over the world to share the word of God, and do the word of God.

The problem with some of us is we have received the tongue of fire and have never opened our mouths to share the word of God with anybody, we have never gone anywhere, not even to our relatives’ house to share the word, and heal the sick, cast out devils and raise the dead. All we do is speak in tongues! Things must change from this day forward, in Jesus’ name! So all the gifts of the Spirit are in you and me, we need to start using them, and we will mature in them. If we do not use them, we will always feel like we need someone to come and jump start us, because our spiritual batteries will be going down, because of spiritual inactivity. You have heard of the expression “practice makes perfect”, meaning doing something over and over again, is the only way to learn to do it well. It is not entirely true. If you are practicing that thing the wrong way, it does not matter how many times you practice it, you will not have the right result. If we take the example of learning to play a musical instrument; you are playing the wrong notes and cords, do not expect the have the right melody. You must be willing to be corrected and taught what is right, and practice right notes and cords over and over then you will improve your musical skills.

The same way also for Christianity; first you must be born again; second you must choose a sanctified life; third you must receive the revelation of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and become a doer of that revelation, fourth you must embrace the lifestyle of prayer with fasting, and fifth, you must receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, with evidence of speaking in tongues; then as you use the gifts of the Spirit over and over, you flow more easily in them. Paul explains to us saying: solid food belongs to those who are of full age, even those who because of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). The truth of the matter is, the flame of fire we received never goes down; it is us who are sitting down in our comfortable chairs. Jesus says: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew or vomit you out of My mouth (Revelation 3:15-16). Let us be hot not cold or frozen.

3-3 Do not be intimidated by people’s genealogies

Luke tells us: then His, Jesus’ mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. And it was told Him [by some], who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You. But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it (Luke 8:19-21). And again Luke tells us: it happened, as Jesus spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed [is] the womb that bore You, and [the] breasts which nursed You! But He said, “More than that, blessed [are] those who hear the word of God and keep it [obey it, observe it and do it] (Luke 11:27-28)!

In Christendom many people try to intimidate you, and make you feel like they are better than you. They tell you they have been in faith longer than you, praise the Lord for that! They tell you that “great men of God” have laid hands on them, praise the Lord for that! They tell you that they received their teaching from “great men of God”, praise the Lord for that! But Jesus is telling us, that we do not need to be intimidated by any of that, even if someone was a biological half brother of Jesus, like James was; or was the earthly mother of Jesus, like Mary was; or was breastfed with the very breast that breastfed Jesus, like James was; we praise the Lord for their lives, but we are not intimidated by that. Because in the heart of God it has nothing to do with earthly genealogy, but it has to do with hearing the word of God, and becoming a doer of that word.

Therefore Jesus tells us: if we are hearers and doers of His word, then we are His brothers and His sisters. Jesus said: many [who are] first will be last, and the last first (Mark 10:31). Many people do not understand what Jesus meant by that. He was telling us: it is not because you heard the message of salvation or the Perfect Redemption Plan of God, or all the promises of God, that you will also be first to experience them. Some people have been born again for years, and even heard the message directly from Jesus Himself; but they did not believe it, nor did they act on it, like some of the Pharisees and rulers of the Jews; yet the tax collectors, harlots and sinners, when they heard it, believed the message, and became doers of that word, by repenting, so they entered into the kingdom of God before the leaders who heard it first (Matthew 21:32).

Some people, even ministers of the word of God, who have been born again for years; they for instance do not believe in the healing promises of God. A young born again believer, would believe the healing promises of God and become a doer of them, and will not only experience personal healing and divine health; but will also be ministering healing to other people. So that last convert experienced the healing promises of God before the first convert, though he be the first convert, and versed in the letters. Paul had that revelation, and in Galatians he explained to them that when he went to Jerusalem, he met Peter and John who were the apostles of Jesus, who were with Him from the beginning, and ate with Jesus and slept in the same place with Jesus physically. And He also met James the half brother of Jesus, who was born from the same Mary, the mother of Jesus, who drank milk from the same breast Jesus drank from. Yet Paul tells us He was not intimidated by all that, saying: As for those who were held in high esteem–whatever they were, makes no difference to me; God does not show favouritism–they added nothing to my message (Galatians 2:6).

3-4 I feel like I am the least in the kingdom of God!

Many times believers would say things like: “I feel like I am the least in the kingdom of God, and I will get nothing done for God. I cannot do what other believers are doing; they are so spiritual and so mature”. They always feel like they are not equipped for the work of ministry, they think they are not fit for ministry. It is not about how you and I feel, but about what God says about us. For we walk by faith not by sight (Eidos: sight, appearance) (2Corinthians 5:7). We must believe what the word of God says about us, and not how we feel, nor how we see ourselves; for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

Jesus told us: verily I say unto you, among those who are born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist; notwithstanding he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (Matthew 11:11). For I say unto you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he (Luke 7:28). The question we may ask ourselves is this: why is John the Baptist, who performed no miracle (John 10:41), greater than all who were born in the Old Testament, and greater than all the prophets of the Old Testament? Moses performed mighty miracles, so did Joshua, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah and other prophets; how can John the Baptist be greater than all these? The answer is simple. A prophet is God’s spokesman, one who delivers the message or oracle of God. So what was the message of all the prophets before John the Baptist? They all prophesied that the Messiah, who is called the Christ, was coming (John 4:25-26), from the book of Genesis to the book of Malachi, it is the same message: the Christ is coming. This was the message of Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Malachi, and others.

But John the Baptist had a greater message, his message was not that the Messiah who is called Christ was coming; but the Messiah who is called Christ has come, and there He goes! John the Baptist saw Jesus coming unto him, and said: behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29, John 4:25-26). The next day again John stood with two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he said: behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus (John 1:35-37). When Jesus said: among those who are born of women, there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist. What He meant was, that no human being in the Old Testament, whether prophet or not, could see the Messiah, but John was privileged to see Him, and to know that this was the Messiah. Jesus said to the Jewish leaders, who could not recognize that He was the Messiah, who is called the Christ: your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad (John 8:56).

Abraham had that privilege to see Jesus in His pre-incarnated form, who visited him on His way to Sodom (Genesis 18). Abraham entertained Jesus and ate with Him, and was glad to see Jesus. But John the Baptist saw the incarnated Christ. The Word made flesh, Jesus in flesh and blood. But Jesus tells us: whether we have seen Jesus in the flesh or not; it does not matter, when we are born again, even if we feel like being the least in the kingdom of heaven, we are actually greater than John the Baptist. The question that is in our mind is: how can this be? I know myself and I feel like the little toe of the body of Christ! Okay, here is the answer. The testimony of Jesus Christ, is the Spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). We are all prophetic people in the kingdom of heaven, so as prophetic people in the kingdom of heaven, what is our message? The message of the prophets of old, was the Messiah who is called Christ is coming! The message of John the Baptist is: the Messiah who is called Christ is here, I can see Him and there He goes! But the message of every born again Christian is this: the Messiah who is called Christ is here, and He is going nowhere; for He dwells in us.

We have a greater message than John the Baptist, Jesus is not only with us, but He dwells in us. Jesus’ domiciliation or permanent residence is in every born again believer. People may say: but at least John the Baptist saw Jesus in the flesh, I have never seen Jesus. Paul tells us: therefore henceforth we know no man after the flesh; even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth we know Him no more (2Corinthians 5:16). For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1Corinthians 2:2). We have the resurrected Christ dwelling in us, God is at work in us through Christ, to will and do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). Many born again Christians do not have this revelation yet, so they dream of the days of Moses, the days of Elijah, the days of David, the days of Ezekiel, and they even sing it!

They fail to realize that greater than Moses is here, greater than David is here, greater than Elijah is here, greater than any of the prophets of the Old Testament, and greater than any apostles of the New Testament is here: the Man Christ Jesus, and He dwells in you, and also in every born again believer (Matthew 12:42). Let us act upon that revelation! All those men and women that God mightily used from Genesis to the book of Acts of the Apostles, have the same nature you and I have. God is no respecter of persons nor of generations; for His faithfulness is to all generations; but those men and women of old, feared God and practiced righteousness; therefore their fervent prayers availed much and God could perform mighty miracles, signs and wonders through them (Acts 10:34-35, Psalm 119:90, James 5:16-18).

Paul tells us: Remember those leading you [the prophets in the Old Testament and the Apostles of Jesus], take their godly lifestyle and their walk with God as an example, and see what God did through them, and James tells us in James 5:10-11, they have spoken to you the Word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conduct: [if you choose to follow Jesus the way they follow Him]; Jesus Christ who worked mightily through them yesterday, will do the same for you today, and for the generations to come, provided they choose to walk in the same steps of Jesus (Hebrews 13:7-8).

Believers, because they do not know who they are in Christ Jesus, are always looking into the past, thinking they had it better than us. No, these are the greatest days to live in. Paul, having listed all the heroes of faith and their exploits in Hebrews 11, tells us: all these heroes he mentioned, having obtained a good report through faith, did not receive the promise: God, having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect (Hebrews 11:39-40). They did not receive the promise of the Spirit: that God will come and dwell in them. But you and I have received that promise of the Spirit, the Godhead dwells in us. We have something better than them. Christ is in you the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Jesus Christ who now dwells in you, is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He wants to do the same works He did when He was here on earth, because He now dwells in you and He tells you: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do, he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father (and I will come back to dwell in them permanently). And whatsoever you shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask any thing in My name, I will do it (John 14:12-14).

3-5 I feel like I am of unclean lips: not worthy to stand in the presence of God

In Isaiah 6:1-4 Isaiah had a vision of heaven and saw the Lord Jesus seated on His throne, as John explained to us in John 12:41. But when Isaiah saw The Lord Jesus he was afraid and said: woe is me, for I am undone or cut off, or but a dead man! Because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts (Isaiah 6:5). Yes in the Old Testament they did not have the imputed righteousness, yet they practiced righteousness whereas in the New Covenant we have the imputed righteousness of God. They had the righteousness of the Law, but we have the righteousness of faith, which is the imputed righteousness.

Being righteous is having the right to stand before the presence of God and being in accordance or agreeable to the law of God: a just and upright person. In the Old Testament, their iniquities separated them from God; and their sins hid His face from them, that He would not hear (Isaiah 59:2). And the wages of sin is death, so if they stood in the presence of God without their sins and iniquities being atoned for, they would die. That is why, when Isaiah saw the vision of the Lord; he knew he was but a dead man!

In order for him not to die, one of the Seraphims flew to him, having a live coal or burning coal of fire, which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched the mouth of Isaiah with it, and said to him: behold, this (the live or burning coal of fire) has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is purged or atoned for (Isaiah 6:6-7). So the live coal or the burning coal of fire, taken from the altar of incense in heaven, which is the altar of the prayer of the saints, was to take away the iniquity and atone for the sins, so that mankind can stand in prayer in the presence of God, without any fear of being struck down dead.

In Leviticus 16:12-16, the Lord gave Moses instructions concerning the high priest who was to enter the holy of holies, and stand in the presence of the Ark of the Covenant, which was symbolic of the presence of God, with the blood of the atonement. The high priest had to take the burning coals of fire, or live coals from the altar of incense, put it in a censer (a vase or pan in which incense is burned. Among the Jews, a kind of chafing-dish, covered by a dome, and suspended by a chain, used to offer perfumes in sacrifices) and put incense on it, and enter with that censer, inside the veil where the presence of God was, lest he die. In Numbers 16, when Korah rebelled and the plague struck the people and they were dying, Moses instructed Aaron to take the censer filled with live coals or burning coals of fire, from the altar of incense, and put the incense on it and then take it to the congregation and make atonement for them (Numbers 16:46).

After Aaron had done it, the plague stopped and people were no longer dying. But in the New Covenant, Jesus did not merely atone for our sins and take away our iniquities, but He remitted our sins and took away our iniquities. We are no longer of unclean lips when we are born again. We should not be afraid to come before our Father, God imputed His righteousness unto us, we can come boldly before the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4;16). Even better than that, God placed us in heaven in His presence, we are now seated with Christ Jesus in heavenly places. Now that you and I know what God has spiritually done for us, let us become doers of who we are in Christ Jesus. Paul tells us: do not allow or let not any filthy word or corrupt communication go out of your mouth, but if any is good to building up in respect of need, that it may give grace to the ones hearing (Ephesians 4:29). Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks (Ephesians 5:4). Let us watch what comes out of our mouth, and what our body language is, let us be careful as well of what we watch on television, and read in papers. What I say to all, I first say it to Gery!

We should never feel like we are not worthy to speak to our Father or to Jesus, or to the Holy Ghost. We can approach our Father and our Lord Jesus with boldness and confidence. John, in Revelation 4:8, had the same vision Isaiah had in Isaiah 6:3; yet John did not say: woe is me for I am but a dead man; because I am a man of unclean lips. What then, is John holier than Isaiah? No, John is not holier than Isaiah, and John is not thinking in his mind that he is holier than anybody, for he knows that God hates it when we think that way. Isaiah says that the people who say to other people: stand by yourself; do not come near me; because I am holier than you. These kind of people are a smoke to the nose of God, a fire that burns all day long (Isaiah 65:5). Just like smoke irritates your eyes these people irritate God all day long, by thinking they are holier than others. Such were the Pharisees, some Levites and some priests, who would walk on the other side of the road, so that people who were unclean in their eyes would not touch them, or come near them (Luke 10:30-36). The priest and the Levite walked on the other side of the road, because they did not want to be ceremonially unclean by touching a wounded person.

John understood what took place in the New Covenant. Jesus, by taking away our iniquities and remitting our sins, spiritually touched our lips with the live coal, or burning coal of fire, from the altar of incense in heaven, and made the lips of all born again believers spiritually clean. Peter because of the Jewish traditions, was at times acting like the Pharisees, who thought they were holier than other people, and they should not associate with other people. Peter testified to Cornelius, saying: you know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew, to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean (Acts 10:28). Stop thinking you are holier and cleaner than other people, whether they be Christians or not, it is smoke in the nose of God, it irritates Him!

Unfortunately I still hear born again Christians praying like Isaiah: “Lord I am not worthy to talk to you, or to come into your presence”, “Lord I am of unclean lips”. You are not of unclean lips anymore; what God has cleansed, do not call unclean (Acts 10:15)! You are now righteous, stand boldly in the presence of your Father; Jesus made you worthy to be there. If you are still using filthy language, then repent of that, and purpose not to use it anymore, if you and I are still watching filthy television programmes, let us repent and stop watching them!

God is now asking us to atone for the sins of our enemies, saying: therefore if your enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:20-21). Not that God will send down fire to burn him alive, not like Aaron in Leviticus 16 who brought those burning coals of fire in the censer, to the congregation to atone for their sins, or cover their sin, for that is the meaning of atoning for, and take away their iniquity. We do not repay anybody evil for evil, because we are called for love in the New Testament. And love covers or atones for all sins (Proverbs 10:12). Therefore let us never be overcome by evil but rather overcome evil with good.

You have heard that it has been said: you shall love your neighbour, and hate your enemy. But I say unto you: love [love unconditionally] your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; so that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you only love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the publicans the same? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the publicans do so? You, be therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:43-48). This is the whole essence of the Perfect Redemption Plan series and its Application; we want to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. And unto he who smites you on the one cheek offer also the other; and he who takes away your cloak forbid not to take your coat also. Give to every man who asks of you; and of he who takes away your goods ask them not again. And as you would that men should do to you, do also to them likewise (Luke 6:29-31).

3-6 I do not want to grieve the Holy Spirit

Paul tells us: do not grieve or vex the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). Sometimes when I am in a church, and they have finished the praise and worship, the person who is rounding up the praise and worship, would tell the congregation: “let us be silent before the presence of God, let us not grieve the Holy Spirit. God wants to speak to us”. Praise the Lord; sometimes we need some silence in the church! But some Christians; because God used the symbol of a dove to describe the Holy Ghost as being a gentle Spirit (Mark 1:10); think that the Holy Ghost is scared of our noise, and if we make a noise we will scare Him, and He will fly away like a natural dove! Please remove that picture of the Holy Ghost from your head. Your noise or the noise of people around you, does not scare the Holy Ghost at all. In heaven there is a lot of singing going on, and the only time in the book of Revelation when there was silence, it was so special that they had to record that silence, it lasted only for half an hour (Revelation 8:1).

The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God and of Jesus. The voice of Jesus is described by John as the sound of many waters (Revelation 1:15). I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps (Revelation 14:2). If the Holy Ghost was that natural dove that is in the head of some Christians; then whenever Jesus speaks or the Father speaks from heaven, He will fly away because the noise of many waters and of great thunder will scare him off! The silence, after the praise and worship, is mainly for the people who have only trained themselves to hear a still small voice or whisper of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks in different ways, please read the bible study on “Divine Guidance” and learn the basics on hearing from the Lord. Okay, so what was Paul trying to communicate when he told us: do not grieve or vex the Holy Ghost of God by whom you are sealed unto the day of redemption? Paul being a scholar of the Holy Scriptures knew in what instances God said to the Jews, that they had vexed or grieved His Holy Spirit. Grieving someone is to give him pain of mind or to wound his feelings.

Isaiah said: I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, and according to the multitude of His loving-kindnesses. For He said: surely they are my people, children that will not lie; so He was their Saviour. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed or grieved His Holy Spirit: therefore He was turned to be their enemy, and He fought against them (Isaiah 63:7-10). We have already explained in length in the Perfect Redemption Plan bible studies that the Angel of the presence of the Lord, or the Angel of the Lord, is the pre-incarnated Jesus Christ. Here Isaiah was talking about the salvation of Israel, out of the house of bondage of Egypt, which is symbolic of our salvation. God the Father bestowed great goodness toward us, when He gave us His salvation, according to His mercies and to the multitude of His loving-kindness.

Jesus Christ, the Angel of the Presence of the Lord, came to execute that salvation of the Lord, and became even like us, a human, and was afflicted in all our afflictions, in His love and pity, Jesus saved us and redeemed us. So what Isaiah was explaining here is the Perfect Redemption Plan of God, that Jesus executed. And he details it better in Isaiah 53. The Holy Ghost of God dictated that revelation of the salvation of the Lord to His Prophets, who recorded them in the bible. But once they were delivered from the house of bondage of Egypt, the Jews refused to walk according to the newness of life God had for them; they chose to walk in their own ways which were evil ways. They despised the salvation God bestowed upon them. They rejected what the Holy Ghost told them about the promises of God concerning His salvation, and it grieved the Holy Spirit. God was not happy with those Jews, because they grieved His Holy Spirit, thus He fought them.

Paul says the same thing to Christians today. He says: do you despise the riches of His kindness, and the forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and your impenitent heart do you treasure up wrath for yourself in a day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each according to his works; indeed to those who with patience in good work are seeking for glory, and honour, and incorruptibility, everlasting life. But to those, who indeed, disobeying the truth out of self-seeking, and obeying unrighteousness, will be anger and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man, who has worked out evil; of the Jew first, and also of the Greek. But He will give glory, honour and peace, to every man who works good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no respect of faces with God (Romans 2:4-11)

The way they grieved the Holy Spirit was not by making noise; but by rebelling against the knowledge of the salvation of the Lord. They built their golden calf and started to worship it, saying it was that golden calf that saved them (Exodus 32). They practiced sexual immorality (Revelation 2:14, Numbers 31:16). And God destroyed them for their idolatry, and their sexual immoralities. So if we have been born again and decide to reject Jesus our Lord and Saviour by worshiping some idols, practicing the sins leading to death listed in 1Corinthians 6:9-10, or turning our back on Jesus to go back to the world; it truly vexes or grieves the Holy Spirit. Or if we practice sexual immorality and other sins, it also grieves the Holy Spirit, because we have the knowledge of what Jesus did for us, when He saved us, sin has no dominion over us anymore. That is why the verses before and after the verse of not grieving the Holy Ghost, have to do with sin, for sin grieves the Holy Ghost.

Paul writes: put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Therefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him who stole, steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands what is good, that he may have to give to him who needs. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you (Ephesians 4:22-32). To sum it up: sin and un-forgiveness are what grieve or vex the Spirit of God.

Isaiah came to king Ahaz, the king of Judah, who was being harassed by the Syrian armed forces, which were deployed in Ephraim. So God sent Isaiah to King Ahaz to tell him that God would deliver him from the Syrian forces, and how God would destroy his enemies (Isaiah 7:1-9). The Lord was trying to help king Ahaz believe that the promise of God concerning the deliverance of Judah, would truly come to pass; so God said to him: if I show you a sign maybe you will be able to believe that I will keep my promise about the deliverance of Judah. Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord: make the request deep or make it high above. But Ahaz said: I will not ask nor will test the Lord! Then Isaiah said: here now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary (la’ah: to grieve, to weary, to disgust) men, but will you weary (la’ah: to grieve, to weary, to disgust) my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call His name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:10-14).

Some Christians are acting like King Ahaz, they think they are testing God if they ask for a sign. Jesus told us: these signs shall follow those who believe; in My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 16:17-18). And Isaiah told us: behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me, are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells in mount Zion (Isaiah 8:18). Let us not have a man-made religion full of man’s false humility, which has nothing to do with God’s humility. God wants to demonstrate His Spirit and His mighty power. And when we do not believe that He will perform the signs He promised us, or when we act in false humility, or in man-made religion, saying: we do not want to test God by asking Him to perform signs and wonders He promised; it grieves the Holy Spirit.

In some churches because the shepherds are insecure and afraid of losing their members, they will say to the members, you are not supposed to run after signs and wonders, stay in this church, be faithful and loyal to your denomination and to your pastor. Do not go down to the other church to receive your healing or your deliverance. Do not call another minister of God to pray for your sickness or your deliverance. We are one body of Christ, members of the same body. If a couple is barren, and in your church you do not experience the miracle working power of God, please send that couple to another minister of the gospel who walks in miracle working power, to deliver them from their barrenness. If a couple has cancer and you do not walk in signs and wonders yet, send them to a minister of the gospel who walks in signs and wonders. Do not let people die, because you are afraid to lose their tithes and offerings. Please read the Lord is my Shepherd, in the Perfect Redemption Plan series.

Of course, you need to check that minister first, whether he or she is truly from God; if it is the case, then send people who need help to him or her. There is no spirit of competition in the kingdom of God, but a complementary spirit, we are combined in such a way as to enhance, or emphasize the qualities of each other. Paul tells us: you, the spiritual ones, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfil the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:1-2).

Competition, according to the Webster dictionary means rivalry, mutual strife for the same object, also, strife for superiority. James tells us: But if you have bitter jealousy and strife in your hearts, do not glory and lie against the truth. This is not the wisdom coming down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife are, there is confusion and every foul deed. But the wisdom that is from above is first truly pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace (James 3:14-18). We complement one another in the Kingdom of God, we are not in competition. My prayer is that you will shun that earthly, sensual and devilish wisdom!

The Sprit of God was so grieved, that He gave Ahaz the prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus, as a sign of our deliverance. If we do not believe the miraculous is for today, that Jesus still does signs and wonders through us, it truly grieves the Holy Spirit; because in a way we are calling Him a liar. For it is the Holy Ghost who wrote the bible, including the promises of the signs and wonders. Nobody likes being called a liar, it really vexes or grieves a person when He is being called a liar. When I walk in the street, or I am in the bus or in the mall, the Holy Spirit speaks to me; He is not vexed or grieved by the noise around me. But when I see someone who needs my help, and I know that according to the scriptures I can help him or her, but I say within myself: maybe God did not mean what He wrote in his bible, and do not help that person; that is what vexes or grieves the Holy Spirit.

3-7 Becoming known in the kingdom of God and of darkness

Luke tells us: Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name. And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven (Luke 10:17-20). The first thing each one of us must do is, to have our name written in heaven, we do that the day we are born again. John tells us that in heaven there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 21:27). Satan, his cohorts and the unsaved, their names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life, only the saints: born again believers, have their name in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 13:1-8).

So if a person is not born again, de facto he belongs to the kingdom of darkness, whether willingly or because he is a captive. And if a person is born again, he willingly belongs to the kingdom of God. God knows those who are His, and those who are the Satan’s. Having your name written in the Lamb’s book of life, is not automatic, do not be deceived: not everybody who goes to church is born again, not everybody who quotes scriptures is born again, and not everybody whose parents are born again, is automatically born again. Jesus tells us: do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as [our] father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 3:9-10). For the Jews also thought because they were fleshly descendants of Abraham, whose name was in the lamb’s book of life, that they were automatically in that book. No, you need to be born again; you and I are listed in the Lamb’s book of life because we willingly gave our lives to Jesus.

So once one’s name is found in the lamb’s book of life, you belong to God; for we are no longer numbered among his followers or his captives. Yet many Christians are not a threat to the kingdom of darkness. Luke tells us in Acts 19:13-17, saying: then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you, by the Jesus, whom Paul preaches. Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you? Then the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

So those sons of Sceva did not have a personal relationship or fellowship with Jesus, they thought, because Paul cast out devils in the name of Jesus; they could do the same in the name of Jesus whom Paul preached. John tells us: if we claim to have fellowship or a relationship with God, and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth (1John 1:6). Paul tells us: walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). For he who practices sin belongs to the devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning; for this purpose the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil (1John 3:8). The devils knew that an unsaved person does not have power over demons, for they are his captives, and Satan is their master. And born again Christians who practice the same sin the heathens do, are also captives of the devil; for by whatever a man is overcome, he becomes slave of that (2Peter 2:19).

You are either a slave of sin and the devil, who sinned from the beginning, or a slave of righteousness and God. You as a born again Christian, must willingly choose whose slave you want to be. Paul tells born again Christians: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under Law, but under grace? Let it not be! Do you not know that to whom you yield yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves to him whom you obey; whether it is of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness. But thanks be to our God that you were the slaves of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. Then being made free from sin, you became the slaves of righteousness. I speak in the manner of men because of the weakness of your flesh; for as you have yielded your members as slaves to uncleanness, and to lawless act unto lawless act, even so now, yield your members as slaves to righteousness unto holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. What fruit did you have then in those things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, being made free from sin, and having become slaves to God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:15-23).

Let us examine what Peter says in Acts 10:34-35. Peter opened his mouth and said, Truly I see that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he who fears Him, and works righteousness, is accepted with Him. So Peter is giving us the requirements to fulfil if we want to be greatly used of God, like the early disciples of Jesus. First you must be born again according to Jesus in John 3:7. Second you must have the fear of God, which means to hate evil and depart from evil according to Proverbs 8:13 and Proverbs 16:6. Third you need to practice righteousness and stop sinning, for the person who sins belongs to the devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning, according to 1John 3:7 and 1Corinthians 15:34. In other words you need to embrace the sanctified life of Jesus, His way and His truth, if you want to be greatly used by God (John 14:6-12, Hebrews 1:9, John 17:16-20). Then you need to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues, like Peter and the early disciples of Jesus did, and like Cornelius and all his household and friend received, while Peter was preaching to them in Acts 10.

John tells us: that if our heart accuses us or condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not accuse us, or does not condemn us, we have confidence or boldness toward God. And whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight (1John 3:20-22). The person who is not practicing righteousness or living in holiness, but rather in sin, his conscience will be accusing him, and his heart will be condemning him; because he is not walking in the spirit, which means being doers of the written word of God, not a hearer or reader only, but is walking in the flesh, which means doing the desires of Satan and being conformed to this world (Romans 8:1, Romans 2:15).

When a person practices righteousness, he has boldness or confidence toward God when He comes in prayer. Solomon tells us: the wicked flee when no man pursues: but the righteous are bold or confident as a lion (Proverbs 28:1). You will challenge powers of darkness and their agents like Elijah did on Mount Carmel in 1Kings 18. James tells us: The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much. Elijah was a man of like passion, as we are. And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for the time of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth caused its fruit to sprout (James 5:16-18). When we embrace the way of Jesus, His truth and His sanctified life, not just do we keep His commandments, but we do the things that are pleasing in His sight. That is why we are confident or bold that whatever we ask of Him we receive.

Peter tells us that God was pleased with Jesus too, saying: Jesus received honour and glory from God the Father, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And this voice which came from Heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount (2Peter 1:17-18). Peter was referring to the experience they had on the Mount of transfiguration in Matthew 17, John, James and Peter accompanied Jesus on that mountain. So Peter and John are telling us the same things, in Acts 10:34-35 and in 1John 3:20-22. If we want to be greatly used by God, we will need to keep His commandments, hate evil and depart from it, practice righteousness and do those things that are pleasing in His sight; in other words, we need to embrace the sanctified life of Jesus, His truth and His way, and then just like God was pleased with Jesus Christ, He will also be pleased with us.

You can deceive men and women, but you cannot deceive God and demons. In the spirit realm you are known by your fruit, even the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus tells us: You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruits, nor can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you shall know them (Matthew 7:16-20).

John tells us: He who practices sin is of the Devil, for the Devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed, that He might undo the works of the Devil. Everyone who has been born of God does not commit sin, because His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the Devil: everyone not practicing righteousness is not of God, also he who does not love his brother (1John 3:8-10). So in the spirit realm they only know you by your fruit, even the fruit of the Spirit. If you are practicing sin, you belong to the devil, and he is ruling over you. If you are practicing righteousness, you belong to God, and God is ruling over you. That is why the demons said to the sons of Sceva, who were trying to cast them out: Jesus I know, Paul I know, who are you? In the spirit realm you are known by your fruit, even the fruit of the Spirit is all goodness and righteousness and truth (Ephesians 5:9). If you are still practicing the works of the flesh, the devil knows that you are his, and Paul tells you, you will not inherit the kingdom of God, but if you exhibit the fruit of the Spirit you belong to God, and you will inherit the Kingdom (Galatians 5:19-25).

Let us look at the account of the sons of Sceva. Certain from the strolling Jews, exorcists, undertook to name the name of the Lord Jesus over those having evil spirits, saying, we adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches. And there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. But answering the evil spirit said, Jesus I know, and I comprehend Paul, but who are you? And the man in whom the evil spirit resided, leaped on them, and overcoming them, he was strong against them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded (Acts 19:13-16). Everything must be defined according to the scriptures, and according to the scriptures from the mouth of Jesus and of John, we have seen that in the spirit realm, you are known by your fruit.

We also have explained the concept of the Triune God and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit in the Perfect Redemption Plan, Part IV. We saw that you cannot dissociate the fruit of the Spirit from the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In that Olive tree of the Triune God, God the Father is the Root, Jesus is the Vine, the Holy Spirit is the Sap. You and I are the branches. The leaves talk about our confession or profession. You do not have olive oil by pounding the leaves. You can “blab it and grab it” ten thousand times, like some American preachers teach you. You will not have the manifestation of those promises, unless you decide to possess what you profess.

In Mark 11, Jesus cursed that fig tree which with its leaves, was deceiving people, that it possessed the fruit. Now the fig tree is the symbol of Israel, even a tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord (Hosea 9:10, Isaiah 61:3). They professed to be righteous but they did not have the fruit of the spirit; for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth (Ephesians 5:9). Whatever we profess, we must possess. True confession as we have explained in the bible study: The power of confession, starts by saying the same thing God says about a thing, thinking the same about that thing, and doing the same thing God does. Faith or belief without works is useless, worthless and dead (James 2:17). The olive oil is obtained by pressing the olive fruits, not by pounding the leaves of the olive tree. Thus the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit, which is in all goodness, righteousness and truth, cannot be dissociated.

If you refuse to embrace the sanctified life of Jesus, His way and truth, you can blab the promises of God, even ten thousand times, and try to grab them; it will be in vain. Jesus calls it vain repetitions. He tells us: when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Therefore do not be like unto them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask Him (Matthew 6:7-8). Do we confess scriptures in prayer or in our daily circumstances? The answer is yes! Please read the bible studies on the Power of confession and the Abecedary of Prayer. I do not need to repeat it a thousand times, that is vain repetition. I need to find out what my part to play is, and go and act on it. That is the fastest way to believe a promise of God!

Solomon tells us: I have seen all the works that are done under the sun [even the vain repetitions of promises contained in the bible by some Christians, who deliberately refuse to embrace the sanctified life of Christ, His way and truth], and indeed all that exercise of blabbing scriptures is vanity and grasping for the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14). They are just wasting their breath, for they will not have the materialization of what they are blabbing. I perceive that this also is grasping for the wind, even vexation of spirit; for after they have blabbed those promises ten thousand times, they realize that they have not seen any manifestation of them in their life (Ecclesiastes 1:17).

And in spiritual warfare, they will be as people beating the wind, they will not be able to beat the enemy. Like the sons of Sceva, they were trying to beat the devil, but in the spirit realm they were beating the wind! The devil showed them how it is done properly by beating them and wounding them, and they fled naked from that demon possessed man. But as for you and I, who have embraced the sanctified life of Jesus, His way and truth; we have this confidence or boldness toward God, knowing that whatever we ask of Him, we received it; because we keep His commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in His sight (1John 3:22). And when it comes to spiritual warfare we are not beating the wind, we are beating the devil and he flees from us!

Paul tells us: everyone who strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. They do it that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. So then I run, not as if I were uncertain. And so I fight, not as one who beats the air. But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest proclaiming to others, I myself might be rejected (1Corinthians 9:25-27). That is why the devil could say: Paul I know, Jesus I know, they do not beat the air, but their spiritual fists truly beat the hell out of people! It is not the devil in the demon possessed man who beats them, and causes them to flee naked and wounded, like he did to the sons of Sceva; but they are the ones who beat the pants off of demons and parades them. As it is written of Jesus: He stripped rulers and authorities, He made a show of them publicly, triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2:15). Yes, truly the demon said: Jesus I know, Paul I know, for they beat the pants off of demons; but who are you?

You are the only one who can answer that question in the light of what we have shared! Remember what Paul tells us: You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men, it having been made plain that you are the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, not having been written with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tablets of stone, but in fleshly tablets of the heart. And we have such trust through Christ toward God (2Corinthians 3:2-4). You and I are open books, even the word made flesh; men, angels and demons read our life, and they know to whom we belong, based on the fruit we bear, not based on what we profess to be. You will know them by their fruits!

Some born again Christians also act like the sons of Sceva, though their name is contained in the lamb’s book of life. They do not have a personal relationship with Jesus; they refuse to live a life of holiness. They do not know who they are in Christ, and they think Paul and Peter are so special, or another believer is so special, so they cast out demons in the name of Jesus, whom that believer, whom they hold in high esteem, preaches. If we do what Peter, John and Paul did by embracing the sanctified life of Jesus, His way and truth; we will be greatly used by God in our generation, just like they were in their days.

Some Christian will even say: “I am a spiritual daughter or spiritual son of bishop so-and-so; because I donate money to his ministry. Therefore I claim the blessing that is in the life of my bishop, or I claim the healing “anointing” that is in the life of that bishop!” Thank God for men and women of God who are mightily used by God. Yet your blessing is not flowing from that man of God, but from God, who has blessed you with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). You have received the same Anointing of the Holy Spirit that is in Jesus, and the same power of the Holy Spirit that came upon Jesus. You just need to learn how to allow the Anointing of the Holy Ghost to flow through you, as we have already explained in this bible study. My prayer is that we will remove our eyes from people, and put them on Jesus Christ, we will stop lifting up people, but we will lift up Jesus. Paul tells us: for while one says, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man (1Corinthians 3:4-5)?

Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas or Peter, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and you are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s (1Corinthians 3:21-23). Let us stop making a big deal out of men and women of God, and neither Paul, nor Peter died for you, but Christ did! Men and women of God are just ministers of the gospel, and so are you, and God wants you to have the same relationship with Him, that Peter, John and Paul had with Him. John tells us: that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, so that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write unto you, so that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1John 1:3-5).

You need to see Jesus in the Holy Scriptures, then see Jesus in men and women of God that are discipling you, but the third and most crucial part is, to see Jesus in you. Christ in you the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). If you do not see Christ in you, you will always be thinking that He has some special people, or loves some believers more than he loves you. But the moment you see Jesus in you; you change your way of thinking. You say: if I do what those disciples of Jesus did, God will work through me just like He did through them.

Paul tells us about the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 and says: they were persuaded of the promises of God and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they who say such things declare plainly that they seek a fatherland. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from which they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they stretch forth to a better fatherland, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13-16). These things were shadows of the better things we have in the New Testament. They saw themselves as people from another country, even a heavenly country. And because of that, they had a lifestyle of sanctification, because they wanted to live according to the heavenly country, rather than the earthly country. They believed and embraced the promises of God concerning them, and they confessed it and acted in accordance with them.

For us it means, the moment we are born again, our citizenship is now in heaven, and here on earth, we are the ambassadors of Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:20, 2Corinthians 5:20). We choose to live in sanctification according to our heavenly country, and no longer being conformed to the world (Romans 12:1-2). Jesus, in His prayer for us to the Father, says: They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Your truth: Your word is truth. As You have sent Me into the world, even so I have also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they also might be sanctified through the truth (John 17:16-19).

We need to embrace the promises and the truth of Jesus, and confess them and become doers of the word, not hearers and readers only, deceiving ourselves (James 1:22-25). We need to embrace the life of Jesus, the truth of Jesus and the way of Jesus (John 14:6). Then God will not be ashamed to be called our God. For if we are ashamed of Him, and deny Him by our ways and lifestyle that are conformed to the perishing world; Jesus says to us: Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me, and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:38). Whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father who is in heaven (Matthew 10:33).

I encourage you to have the revelation of the Perfect Redemption Plan of God and who Christ is in you. The psalmist says: I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed (Psalm 119:46). Paul says: I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation (healing, deliverance, prosperity) for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Romans 1:14-16). The gospel is the power of God, John tells us: we overcame Satan by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). What John is telling us is that the written word, our testimony, has caused us to overcome Satan. The blood of Jesus has given us access to all the promises of God and all the Perfect Redemption Plan of God. Without the blood of Jesus, none of the promises contained in our testimony would apply to us; but because of the blood of Jesus, which was shed at Calvary, the testament is now in force for every born again believer (Hebrews 9). We need to embrace the truth of the word of God, confess it and become doers of the truth, if we want it to benefit us.

Think of it as a police officer who used to be a gang member, but now he is a police officer and has his uniform, his badge and his loaded gun. The gang members know that he used to be one of them, and they used to oppress him and bully him; but now he has this new position as a law enforcer. They will test him to see if he knows who he is now, and what authority has been invested in him by the government. So if he sees one of the leaders of the gang committing a crime, they will intimidate him, and tell him: you know how powerful we are and how we used to oppress you; so leave us alone, do not disturb our illegal businesses. So the former gang member has three choices, the first one is to be a mole for the gang in the police and leak information to the gangs. The second one is to walk away and look away, when he sees one of the illegal activities of the gangs. The third choice is to understand that he has authority and power over all gangs and gang members, to arrest them and destroy all their illegal activities, and use his given authority and power to do so, and even his gun power to kill some of them if they resist the arrest.

Once upon a time we were captives of the devil, and he oppressed us and bullied us. We, either willingly or unwillingly, did his errands, but now we are part of the kingdom of God, we have been delivered and made free, and have been given authority and power over all demons (Luke 9:1), and we should destroy the works of the devil, starting with sin in our lives (1John 3:8). So the word of God is the power of God, the enemy wants us to be ashamed of our testimony, never embracing it, confessing it and never becoming a doer of the testimony of the scriptures. He does not want us to share the word of God with people around us, nor stop sinning, never heal the sick, never cast out devils, never raise the dead, and never lead anyone to Christ.

By so doing, we are like the police officer who used to be a gang member and is afraid of them, and looks the other way when he sees their criminal activities. Some Christians even become moles for the devil, in the midst of the brothers and sisters. They always lift up the works of the devil, instead of lifting the name of Jesus, thus putting fear of the power of darkness in the hearts of people. They always share the testimony of the devil, how the devil is destroying people’s lives and tormenting people. They always share the testimony of how the children of the devil are famous and wealthy. They continue to practice sin in their life, and refuse to embrace the sanctified life of Jesus. They do not share the testimony of God, how Jesus defeated Satan, disarmed him and made a public spectacle of him and his cohorts, triumphing over them when He rose from the dead (Colossians 2:15).

They are like the ten spies who brought a bad report to our fathers in the wilderness, and caused them to waste forty years in the wilderness. They lifted up the enemy, saying: they are giants and we are grasshoppers. While Joshua and Caleb lifted up the testimony of God and said: we are able to take the promised land (Numbers 13). Caleb said about these ten spies: I [was] forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as [it was] in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God (Joshua 14:7-8). They are also like Achan who stole the accursed thing of the Babylonians from Jericho, thus sinning against God (Joshua 7:1-24). We should not be the mole of the enemy in the midst of brethren, making the heart of the saints melt; because we are lifting the report of the devil instead of lifting the report of God and living in sin.

God is a giant killer: See now that I, I am He, and there is no god with me. I kill, and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is no deliverer out of My hand. For I lift up My hand to Heaven and say, I live forever! If I sharpen My glittering sword, and if My hand takes hold in judgment, I will give vengeance to My enemies and will reward those that hate Me. I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword shall devour flesh, with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the hairy scalp of the enemy. Rejoice, O, nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance to His foes, and will be merciful to His land, to His people (Deuteronomy 32:39-43). The Lord is a Man of war; Jehovah is His name (Exodus 15:3).

He will start by destroying sin in our life; for those who practice sin belong to the devil (1John 3:8). We are of God and have overcome them, because greater is he who is in us, than he who is in the world (1John 4:4). At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2;10-11). Behold, I will send for many fishermen, says the Lord, and they will fish them. And afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes (Jeremiah 16:16-17). For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro in all the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him (2Chronicles 16:9).

Now that you are born again and your name is found in the Lamb’s book of life, embrace the sanctified life of Jesus, His truth and His way, confess who you are, and become a doer of the word. Then as you go about sharing the testimony of Jesus, and are not ashamed of it, healing the sick, casting out devils, cleansing lepers and raising the dead, your reputation in the kingdom of God will be greatly increased, and so will it be in the kingdom of darkness; because you will be destroying their works, starting with sin in your personal life (1John 3:8). Do not worry about anything; Jesus is with you, always until the end of the age, amen (Matthew 28:20). He will never leave you nor forsake you, so that you may boldly say: the Lord is my helper, I will not fear, what can man do to me (Hebrews 13:5-6)?

4. You are the minister of God

4-1 God is looking for a man or woman and has found you

Isaiah wrote: I, Isaiah, heard the voice of The Lord (Jesus) saying: whom shall I send, and who shall go for Us (The Godhead)? Then I, Isaiah, said: here am I send me (Isaiah 6:8). John explains to us, that what Isaiah saw and said in Isaiah 6, is when he saw the glory of the Lord Jesus and spoke of Jesus (John 12:41). The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong (Shazaq: to cure, to conquer, to prevail) on the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him (2Chronicles 16:9). We have already explained according to the scriptures, that the eyes of the Lord talk about the Spirit of the Lord, and His seven aspects. God is looking for people in the entire world; His eyes are literally scanning the world, searching for men and women who will respond to His call. Jesus said: many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). When people read it, they think that there are only a few people that God is calling, it is not what Jesus meant. The whole world is called. Jesus says: Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Mark 8:34).

So Jesus is saying everybody is called. Do not buy into the idea that the only people Jesus told to follow Me, are apostles. Jesus is calling everybody to follow Him. But few respond to that call, when you respond to that call by becoming born again, that is when you become chosen or elect, for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men (Titus 2:11). Therefore whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13). Peter explains that some people, when they hear the call to come and follow Jesus, they stumble at those words, and are disobedient, and they should not blame anybody; for they also were appointed to be among the chosen, but they refused (1Peter 2:6-8).

As for you who have obeyed the message of salvation and become born again: you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people (a people who belong to God and to God only, this is what peculiar people means); so that you should show forth the praise (Arete: manliness [qualities of a man: dignity, bravery, boldness], strength, praise, virtue or power) of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light (1Peter 2:8-9). God wants to help people around you, to show His power to the world around you, to conquer the world around you, to cure sickness and disease around you. He is looking for a man or a woman. When you became born again you responded to His call. Whether you realized it or not, what you actually said is what Isaiah said: “here am I send me!”

You and I need to follow Jesus now, to be like Him, do the works He did and teach people the way He taught us. Many believers think being born again is just an Exit from hell, fire door! They think of it this way: a house is on fire, and there is that Exit fire door, with a light on top of the door. So they go through that door, and are out of the house in flames. They stand outside the house and watch it burn down to the ground, they are the only ones who have made it outside the house, and everybody else will burn in the fire, and they just watch it happen. Peter tells us that the earth, our habitat, and the heavens which are now, will be destroyed by fire and God will create a new earth and heavens for the righteous (2Peter 3:6-13).Unfortunately many Christians stand idle, and watch their fellow humans go to hell, and are just waiting for the world to be destroyed by fire.

Of course we know that those who are in the world, if they do not have Jesus, who is the Door according to John 10:7-9, they will not escape from hell fire. That is why we ought to show them the Door, who is Jesus; so that they do not have to perish. For Jesus said: I am the door: by Me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture (John 10:9). Many Christians exited the world through that Door, and saved themselves from hell fire, and now they are no longer of the world, they have found green pastures. God has healed them, has prospered them financially, and has blessed their offspring. Let us not stand idle watching and waiting for the world to be destroyed by fire.

God is happy that we took Jesus, our exit Door, from hell fire. Yet God wants more from believers. Think of it this way. A fireman sees a house on fire; for some unknown reason, he is the only one in the fire brigade who can come that day. So He enters in their vehicle, takes with him a lot of fire fighter suits and equipment. When he gets to the scene, he has his fire fighter suit on. The flames have no power over that suit. The fumes cannot affect him, because he has his breathing mask on, and oxygen bottles on his back. He knocks down the door, and enters the house in flames; he grabs the first person in the house, and brings him out of the house in flames. Then he shouts: those of you who can walk, follow me, I will show you the way out of this house in flames, for I have knocked down the door. And some more people who can help themselves, follow him out of the house in flames. So he tells those he has brought out of the house on fire, I was on my own, trying to save everybody who is in that house in flames.

I do not want any of them to perish in those flames, but as long as I was on my own, I could not do much. Now that you are out, there is hope; we can save all of them. So put on the fire fighter suits, take your fire fighter equipment and come with me into the house of flames, and let us bring as many as we can out of that house. And those of you who are outside, start pouring water on the house in flames, so that it will slow the flames and delay the collapsing of the house on itself. Those who are wounded and injured, I want you to bandage their wounds and heal them; for you have the same equipment as I have. You see this is the scenario God has in mind, but many believers do not understand it. We know that this world will be destroyed in fire (). You and I do not have to fear that day of the coming of the Lord; for 2Peter 3:6-14we are no longer of the world, though we are in the world (2Thessalonians 1). Jesus decided to come on earth to save us, to deliver us, to heal us. He was the only one who could do it. But after He died and rose from the dead, heaven has a new hope: that through you and me, the inhabitants of the earth can be saved too. He wants us to empty hell, and populate heaven!

So now that you are saved from hell fire, Paul tells each one of us: But you put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ (Romans 13:14, Galatians 3:27). Just like the fire fighter put on his suit; you also put on the Lord Jesus, meaning embrace His life, way and truth (John 14:6). Paul tells us of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, saying: they were persuaded of the promises of God and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they who say such things, declare plainly that they seek a fatherland. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from which they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they stretch forth to a better fatherland, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13-16).

Just like the fire fighter picks up his equipment, you will also need to be equipped, endued or anointed with power from on high, as you receive the promise of the Father, which is the baptism of the Holy Ghost, with evidence of speaking in tongues (Luke 24:49). That Anointing, unction or endowment of the Holy Spirit, abides upon you, it is your responsibility to learn, according to the scriptures, as we have already explained in this study, to flow effortlessly and efficiently in the Anointing of the Holy Spirit.

4-2 The gospel of the kingdom of God or Kingdom of heaven

Jesus said to His disciples: as you go, preach, saying: the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10:7-8). The disciples at that time did not have the understanding of the Perfect Redemption Plan. They did not know that the gospel was the death, burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus, according to the scriptures as Paul explained in 1Corinthians 15. For when Jesus told them that He was to go to Jerusalem, suffer at the hand of the Jewish leaders, and be crucified and raised on the third day, Peter objected and rebuked Jesus (Matthew 16:21-23). So Peter and the other disciples did not even understand at this time that Jesus would die, and be raised from the dead. So what did they preach then, when Jesus sent them? Even when Jesus was raised from the dead and the women saw him, and reported to the apostles, they still did not believe the women, and thought it was an idle tale (Luke 24). So if none of them understood that Jesus would be crucified and raised on the third day, what then did they preach?

Understanding the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ according to the scriptures, is what makes the gospel of the Kingdom work. All the studies on the Perfect Redemption Plan and its application, constitute the gospel: what Jesus accomplished for us by His death, burial and resurrection, according to the scriptures. Yet the gospel of the kingdom of heaven or the gospel of the kingdom of God, that the disciples preached, is the gospel of the superiority of the kingdom of God; the good news that the kingdom of God is superior to the kingdom of darkness. And to prove that the kingdom of God is superior to the kingdom of darkness, they broke the power of sin in people’s lives by converting them; they healed the sick, cast out devils, cleansed lepers, and raised the dead; for all these are the works of the kingdom of darkness, and by destroying the works of darkness they proved, that the kingdom of God is superior to the kingdom of darkness. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil (1John 3:8).

So Jesus has sent us to preach the same gospel of the kingdom. Paul explains: for our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake (1Thessalonians 1:5). And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. But, we speak wisdom among those who are perfect; yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, that come to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, which God has hidden, predetermining it before the world for our glory; which none of the rulers of this world knew (for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory) [1Corinthians 2:4-8].

The gospel literally means good news, many Christians do not understand that they are sent to proclaim the good news to people. They always preach judgment and doomsday, for they want to put fear in the hearts of people, and they wonder why people are not responding to their “gospel”. It is simple: because they are bringing bad news instead of good news. The prophet Nahum said: behold on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaim peace (Nahum 1:15)! Because the Lord will restore the excellence of Israel (Nahum 2:2). And Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah: how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things (Romans 10:15, Isaiah 52:7)!

What we proclaim to people is: no matter what the enemy has done in their life, no matter how he destroyed their life with sin, sickness and disease; or how he destroyed their finances, their family and everything that is theirs, God is greater than the devil who did that to them. God will restore what the enemy has destroyed, God will forgive them if they repent and are converted, God will give them peace: nothing will be missing and nothing will be broken that is theirs. This is the good news. God will deliver them from the oppression of the devil. God is no longer mad at them, but sent Jesus to bear the punishment for our sins, and to bear all our sickness and disease.

The prophet Joel saw our days coming and prophesied: the Lord will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust (Joel 2:25). The Perfect Redemption Plan is to let us know what God has restored in our life. Everything we lost, because of the fall of mankind, God has restored to them, by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. As we go and tell people about the gospel, let us remember that it is good news, glad tidings; that God wants to restore everything the devil has destroyed in their life, God is not mad at them. Jesus told us the reason we preach the gospel of the kingdom is, so that the love with which God loved Jesus, may be in them also, and Jesus in them (John 17:26). God so loves people, just as He loves Jesus His own Son, and wants to restore their life; to destroy the works of the devil in them, to deliver them from the power of the kingdom of darkness, where they are being oppressed, and translate them to the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13).

The Gospel of the kingdom of God is a violent gospel; we must understand that there is warfare going on between the kingdom of darkness, and the kingdom of God. Jesus told us: from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:12). We are to be violent spiritually not violent physically. We must understand that the enemy, who is the Devil, will not let go of his captives and slaves without putting up a fight.

The gospel of peace which we preach, is peace to the people, whom God desires to deliver from the oppression of the devil, that is the entire world; but it is war for the devil. We must be confrontational with the devil and his evil works: sin, sicknesses, diseases, premature death, poverty, divorce, etc. The gospel of peace which we preach is good news for the people who are in bondage to Satan, and his evil works; but it is bad news to Satan, his cohorts and vassals. If we look at Elijah when he confronted (stood face to face in full view) the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel (1Kings 18); the prophets of Baal were put to shame and destroyed, and the people turned to God.

We must confront (stand face to face in full view) sin, sickness, diseases and all the works of the devil in people’s lives. Jesus tells us: when He has come [the Holy Ghost], He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment (John 16:8). Micah tells us: truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin (Micah 3:8). John the Baptist said: repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:1-2). Jesus says: repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17). If we truly preach the kingdom of Heaven, instead of the kingdom of the world, which is under the influence of the devil (1John 5:19), people will repent of their sins and be converted, even born again, or born from above.

Second those who are born again, having their citizenship in heaven, will no longer be conformed to this world, but they will be transformed by the renewing of their mind, according to the Holy Scriptures, they will choose the sanctified life of Jesus, to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 12:1-2, Romans 8:29, Ephesians 5:26). Third the demonstrations of the power of God to heal the sick, cast out devils, raise the dead, and set the captives free, and the manifestations of the Holy Ghost, in signs and wonders, will put a reverential fear of God in people, which will draw them ever closer to God, and walk on the highway of holiness.

It is a contest like it was on Mount Carmel. We want to strive earnestly to hold onto every inch of ground that God has freely given us in our promised land, and conquer the enemy’s ground; for in all the contests and confrontations we have with the devil and his evil works, we are more than conquerors through God who loved us (Romans 8:37). The God who does the miracle, shall be worshipped and the god who does not do the miracle, is a worthless and useless thing (Acts 14:15; 1Kings 18:20-24), a dungy idol, and a lie. The God who does the impossible is the true God. As Elijah said to the prophets of Baal: you can call on the name of your gods and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God (1Kings 18:24). Let God be true and every man a liar (Romans 3:4).

You must believe in your heart that your God is more powerful than the demons out there: greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world (1John 4:4). Jesus Himself was also confrontational like Elijah was: He said to those Jews who did not believe, and wanted to kill Him; let us make a deal: if I do not the works of My Father, do not believe Me. But if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works: that you may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him (John 10:37-38). You have the same Father, who so loves you as much as He loves Jesus, you have the right to speak like Jesus, your elder brother. Jesus told you, you will do the same works of the Father He did and even greater works (John 14:12).

Paul also understood it, and was very confrontational, even with other believers who despised him. He said to the Corinthians: my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom (Peithos: entice, convince, as one who is trying to be at peace with everybody, or being apologetic, or one who will compromise the truth of the word of God, just so that you may like me, and be my friends), but in demonstration and manifestation of the Spirit, and of power (miracle working power); so that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power (miracle working power) of God (1Corinthians 2:4-5). Now some are puffed up (inflated with vanity and pride), as though I would not come to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of those who are puffed up, (inflated with vanity and pride), but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power (1Corinthians 4:18-20). You see Paul did not believe in what we call today Christian apologetics, or trying to compromise the word of God, so that people will like us.

Basically, he said to them: there are some among you who have big mouths, and they criticize everything I say or do. They think they are better than I; I will come to you very soon and confront those people. I do not want to listen to their eloquent speeches, or their worldly wisdom and knowledge; but we will see who has got the power of God. If they have the power of God, then listen to them, I am wrong; but if I have the power of God, and they do not, let them shut up and all listen to what I Paul, say; for I will demonstrate and manifest the Spirit of God, and the miracle working power of God, before your very eyes. I do not have empty words but I have proof that what I am saying is the truth. If someone speaks like that in church today, they will say: brother you do not have love for the brethren, you are proud. No, Paul is just doing the same thing Jesus did to those religious Jewish leaders, who were fighting Him, or what Elijah did to the prophets of Baal. Basically religious people are the ones who will always give you troubles; because you are acting according to the scriptures. You are not proud; but you are standing on the word of God, and you have love; because when you perform miracles, sick people are healed, demon possessed people are delivered, etc.

Paul said to the same Corinthians: but if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain (useless and empty), and your faith is also vain (useless and empty). Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God, that He raised up Christ: whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not (1Corinthians 15:13-15). If after the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me, if the dead rise not? Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die (1Corinthians 15:32). Basically the whole salvation deal or perfect redemption plan works, because Jesus died on the cross, rose from the dead, and now lives in us. So if Jesus is not risen from the dead, we are all false witnesses of God; we cannot do the works of Jesus, since He is dead. Nothing in the salvation deal or perfect redemption plan is true! We have all been wasting our time, let us go back into the world and live like pagans: eat and drink for tomorrow we will all die!

But if Christ Jesus is risen from the dead, and now lives in us, our witness and preaching are not empty words, or useless words, they transform people’s lives. They convert people and empower them to live a sanctified life, they raise the dead; they cast out demons, heal the sick and diseased and prosper people. The whole salvation deal or perfect redemption plan, is real it is not an old woman’s fable! We are right to have faith in God. He is not a man to lie, nor a son of man to change his mind. We are not wasting our time serving the Lord, believing His promises and fighting His battles. There is a heaven, and there is a hell and we are going into heaven, because we have received the resurrected Christ in our heart. All His promises to us are yes and Amen, to the glory of God the Father by us (2Corinthians 1:20).

Jesus who is our example, was not apologetic, He demonstrated what He preached. It is only when people lack the demonstration of the miraculous power of God, and the manifestations of His Holy Ghost, that they become apologetic in their preaching. Jesus’ gospel was not in words only, but in the demonstration and manifestations of the Spirit, and the miracle working power of God. In one instance John the Baptist, calling unto him two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying: are you He who should come? Or do we look for another? When the men were come unto Him, they said, John the Baptist has sent us unto you, saying: are You He who should come? Or do we look for another? And in that same hour He cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind He gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them: go your way, and tell John what things you have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me (Luke 7:19-23).

John the Baptist is not the only one asking these two questions in his heart: are you He who should come? Or do we look for another? If John, a strong believer who knew the scriptures, because of the trouble that came his way, even imprisonment, was struggling in his heart, whether he had made the right choice in his life to believe and follow Jesus; how much more unbelievers! Jesus did not open the scriptures and tell John the Baptist’s disciples all the prophecies about Him in the Old Testament, to prove that He was the Christ: the One everybody should follow and worship (Deuteronomy 18:15, Isaiah 7:13-14).

But Jesus in that same hour performed miracles, and told the disciples of John to go and tell him the things they had seen and heard, concerning the miracles Jesus was performing. When you give people testimonies of the miracles you have seen God perform in your life, or in the life of people; it creates faith in them, and a hope that this Jesus is truly the Messiah. We are not following a dungy idol, but the living God! Some believers and many unbelievers do not know if Jesus is the one who can help them in their troubles; so they are asking themselves, is Jesus the One who is coming to my rescue, or do I need to help myself or find help in one of the religions of the world, even get help from Satan? Jesus is the solution for all your problems.

God is greater than sin, sickness, disease, poverty, divorce, premature death, and whatever evil work the devil is throwing at you, or at the people you are ministering to; there is no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, He will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will, with temptation, also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it (1Corinthians 10:13). Therefore be confident that if you ask anything according to His will, or written word He hears you, and since you know that He hears you, whatever you ask you know that you have the petitions that you have asked of Him (1John 5:14-15). In every confrontation and every contest with the devil and his evil works: God will always cause you to triumph through Christ Jesus (2Corinthians 2:14). For Jesus is risen from the dead, and now dwells in you.

Paul tells Timothy: preach the word; be instant (ephistemi: be instant, be friendly, be present, assault) in season (eukairos: in time of need, opportunely, in season, conveniently), out of season (akairos: inopportunely, lack of opportunity, out of season); reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine (2Timothy 4:2). We know that the Gospel that we preach, is not in words only, but in demonstration and manifestations of the Spirit, and the miracle working power of God. Therefore we are to preach the Gospel, and demonstrate the Spirit of God, and the miracle working power of God, when we have an opportunity, but when we do not have the opportunity, we create the opportunity. Paul tells us to befriend people; to be present in their time of trouble, in their time of need, and to offer them our good news, and divine help.

Sometimes it will be convenient for us, but sometimes it will not be convenient for us; yet we still have to find a way to present the good news to the people around us. Sometimes the people we are sharing the word with, will be truly in need of the Gospel, and will be responsive, but some other times, they will act as though they are well, and have no need of our Jesus. Sometimes people will be friendly to us, but some other times they will not be friendly, and we will need to confront them in love, and always in a friendly way, like Elijah did, like Jesus did, and like the disciples of Jesus did. We will literally need to assault the kingdom of darkness, and deliver its captives. Always remember you are not fighting flesh and blood, but the devil which is behind the flesh and blood. Thus always be friendly with people, even if they do not respond to your sharing of the good news in a friendly way.

There have been people who insulted me, and called me all kinds of evil names; but I confronted them in love, and was always friendly with them. And five years later, they received Jesus Christ, and are devout Christians now. What Christians must understand is, that they are military emissaries or military ambassadors of the Kingdom of God, sent to deliver a war decree to the kingdom of darkness. They basically say to the kingdom of darkness, its inhabitants, and it’s evil works: surrender or be cast out and utterly destroyed today; for I have come in the name of My King Jesus to destroy your works: sin, sickness, disease, death, poverty, divorce, etc (1John 3:8). For I have been given authority and power over all the works of the devil, to trample them underfoot, and nothing shall by any means hurt me (Luke 10:19).

Jesus explained these things to us, saying: what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first, and consult whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an ambassador (pres-bi’-ah= an embassy, a military emissary, an ambassador, a senior military officer), and desires conditions of peace (Luke 14:31-32). So the king of the inferior kingdom, sends a senior military officer to the superior kingdom, to ask the conditions for peace. We need to get it in our mind that we are at war, the Kingdom of God is the superior kingdom that outnumbers and is more powerful than the kingdom of darkness. You and I are the military emissaries or ambassadors of the kingdom of God, who have been sent to issue the decree of our King Jesus to the kingdom of darkness. The kingdom of darkness is always trying to negotiate with us, like Pharaoh tried to negotiate with Moses; but we never negotiate with the devil, we utterly destroy its entire kingdom and its evil works.

Paul and the apostles of Jesus understood it, and they wanted all the disciples of Jesus to understand it as well. Paul tells us: I am an ambassador (pres-byoo’-o= ambassador, a military emissary of the kingdom of God) in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak (Ephesians 6:20). So that is how Paul saw himself, because Jesus explained to him that He was a military emissary of the kingdom of God. Paul now tells us also that we are also military emissaries of the kingdom of God. Now then we are ambassadors (pres-byoo’-o= ambassador, a military emissary of the kingdom of God) for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be reconciled to God (2Corinthians 5:20). So do not think it will happen in the future; no, now you are the military emissary of the Kingdom of God for Christ Jesus our King of kings, He has sent you to deliver His military decree to the inferior kingdom of darkness, saying to you and me: as you go, preach or proclaim, saying, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand [meaning: surrender your life to King Jesus]. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 4:17, Matthew 10:7-8).

This war is on, but the good news is that we are fighting against a defeated enemy, and we need to know who we are. We are not the one asking for conditions of peace from the kingdom of darkness; but they are the ones asking conditions of peace, and we should never have peace with the kingdom of darkness, but destroy them all! Jesus said: Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34). The Lord is the Man of War, Jehovah is His name (Exodus 15:3). And He says, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted? Who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you; let it be your hiding place. See now that I, I am He, and there is no god with me. I kill, and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is no deliverer out of My hand. For I lift up My hand to Heaven and say, I live forever! If I sharpen My glittering sword, and if My hand takes hold in judgment, I will give vengeance to My enemies and will reward those that hate Me (Deuteronomy 32:37-41). So you shall say to them: the gods who have not made the heavens and the earth, they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens (Jeremiah 10:11).

Yes we have no peace with the kingdom of darkness and its works; but we use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, that proceeds out of our mouth, to destroy the kingdom of darkness and its works: sin, sickness, disease, death, poverty, etc. Jesus exemplified it for us throughout the four gospels, when He led people to repentance, healed the sick, cast out devils, raised the dead, and fed multitudes with bread and fish. In one instance when Jesus had come to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes, two demon-possessed ones met Him, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one might pass by that way. And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with You, Jesus, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them, a herd of many swine, feeding. And the demons begged Him, saying, If You cast us out, allow us to go away into the herd of swine. And He said to them, Go! And when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea and perished in the waters (Matthew 8:28-32).

So you see, it was the kingdom of darkness and its demons, begging Jesus for conditions of peace, not the other way around, but Jesus used the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, that proceeds out of His mouth, to cast them out, and set those two persons free (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12, Revelation 19:15). Jesus says to all of us: Repent; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth (Revelation 2:16). I remember I was living in a shared house with other students, and they were living in fornication; but their girlfriends or boyfriends never came into the house to fornicate.

They always went elsewhere; in fact they were so afraid of me. As we will explain later in the works of the flesh, fornication, adultery and all sexual immoralities, are governed by the spirit of harlotry, or spirit of prostitution (Hosea 5:4). I took authority over that spirit, and I cast it out of that shared house. So one night I was praying and I had a vision, one of my housemates came to ask me politely: can my girlfriend come this weekend and sleep here? In the vision I knew it was not my housemate speaking, but the spirit of harlotry in him asking my permission to come into the house and fornicate. I rebuked that spirit and commanded it not to even dare come into the house; that girlfriend of his never slept in the house again.

I will give you another example. I had just come back to Manchester, England from Glasgow, Scotland. I entered the bus, and as I was heading home, a crazy Asian woman got on the bus. She was dirty and was talking nonsense to everybody on the bus. I was on the upper deck. And she also came onto the upper deck, and started speaking nonsense. She stood before me, and was speaking, when I look intently at her eyes, I knew there was nobody home. She was not there! So I was singing unto the Lord, but I did not want to cast out those demons in her; after all we were in a bus, people will stop thinking that she is crazy and think that I am the crazy one! So I got off at my bus stop, and went home. But the Lord spoke to me, saying: will you let that woman be tormented by those demons when you can actually set her free?

I said: I am sorry Lord! I repent of my sin, it is in the power of my hand to set her free from those demons, and I was ashamed of your Gospel. So the Lord told me that she would get off three bus stops from where I got off, so I walked to that bus stop, and there she was. People were walking on the other side of the road, but I walked straight to her. And said to her: can I hug you? And she hugged me, as I was hugging her I cast out those demons, saying: you demons of insanity, I command you in the name of Jesus to leave her body now, in Jesus’ name! I commanded a soundness of mind in her, and I said to her: Jesus Christ loves you, and has set you free from those tormenting demons; you are free and loved by Jesus! When I stopped hugging her, she looked at me and said: that was strange! I know that Jesus loves me! And when I looked at her eyes I could see that someone was there now. And she asked me: who are you? I told her: I am the friend of Jesus; I have come to set you free; because Jesus loves you. And I went back home praising the Lord, Jesus still casts out devils in people’s lives through us!

Many people want to have long deliverance séances; they want to appear to men to be specialist in exorcism. They talk with demons and demons talk back to them, and they enjoy it. And those séances last for hours. In the gospel Jesus only talked to the legion of demons (Mark 5:1-15). Jesus did not command us to dialogue with demons, to ask them their name, how many they are in that man, how long they have been there? It is all irrelevant. Demons are liars, they are like their master Satan who is the father of lies (John 8:44). They will lie to you and feed you with lies, because they enjoy it when people give them attention. It makes them feel good, and they speak all those lies to put fear in the heart of the person, who is supposed to cast them out.

Jesus did not send us to counsel out demons, but to cast them out in His name. Most of the time Jesus did not allow those demons to talk to Him; But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him (Mark 1:25)!” They were trying to have a conversation with Jesus saying: Let [us] alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are, the Holy One of God (Mark 1:24)! Though what they were saying was true about Jesus; but it does not matter, Jesus has no fellowship with demons, and does not receive honour, recommendation and approval of who He is, and of His ministry, from demons. He rebuked them by commanding them to come out of that man.

Paul also had the same understanding of not fellowshipping with demons, and not counselling them out, but casting them out. He had no fellowship with demons, and did not receive honour, recommendation and approval of who he was, and of his ministry from demons. Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation. And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour (Acts 16:16-18). What the devil in that girl was saying, was true, but Paul did not converse with him, but commanded him to come out in the name of Jesus! The word rebuke means: to express sharp disapproval or criticism of (someone we have authority over) because of their behaviour or actions. Jesus gave us authority and power over all demons, all sicknesses and all diseases, do not just say I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. No, express what you want that demon or sickness to do, because you have authority over it in the name of Jesus. Paul commanded him to come out of the girl, in the name of Jesus.

Paul tells us: I do not want you to have fellowship with demons (1Corinthians 10:20). And John tells us whom we are to have fellowship with, saying: truly our fellowship [is] with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, and we desire that you also may have the same fellowship with us (1John 1:3). Do not fellowship with demons, rather fellowship with the three persons of the Godhead: Father, Son and Spirit.

4-3 Christ in you the hope of Glory

Paul tells us: the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: To whom God would make known, what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:26-27). God’s Perfect Redemption Plan was a mystery, a hidden truth; Satan could not comprehend it. That wisdom of God was a mystery, God ordained it before the world unto our glory; and none of the princes of the world, Satan and his cohorts, knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified Jesus the Lord of Glory (1Corinthians 2:7-8). God had a plan; He only had one Son, His only begotten Son Jesus, who was not of the world. So He sent Him with the glory of heaven into the world, to save us from the flames of hell. He pulled as many as He could out of the fire, and healed those who were sick and diseased; for sin, sickness and disease come straight from the pit of hell.

Satan did not understand what Jesus was doing, so he said it is only one of Him, I will kill Him and it will be the end. What he did not know is that by killing Jesus, God would raise Him up from the dead, and the same glory that is upon Jesus, will be upon every follower of Jesus. Jesus said to the disciples in prayer: Neither do I pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word; That they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that You have sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me, I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one (John 17:20-22).

Satan did not see it coming, it was an ambush. When he killed Jesus he thought he had won; but he actually lost big time! Jesus went straight into hell, defeated him on our behalf, opened the prison door, so that the captives can go free. And when Jesus rose from the dead He promised: everybody who is born again, will become a son or daughter of God; the same glory that Jesus has, is the same glory that every believer has. Everything that Jesus has, is now everything that every believer has. So instead of having only one fire fighter with the fire fighter suit on and the equipment, every believer is now a fire fighter and has the same fire fighter suit on, their oxygen mask and the same equipment to rescue people from hell fire, to heal the sick and injured. That is why Jesus sends us now, saying: Peace be unto you: as My Father has sent Me, even so I send you (John 20:21).Jesus who is the captain of our salvation, brought many sons and daughters to glory, by the things he suffered on the cross and his resurrection (Hebrews 2:10).

So just like a captain of a fire fighter brigade, has the same equipment and the same fire fighter suit, and the same oxygen mask as people in his brigade, so Jesus tells us to be at peace; we can do what He does, for He has given us the same glory His Father gave Him. We have the same Holy Spirit, our oxygen system; the fumes of that burning world will not intoxicate us. We have put on Christ Jesus, our spiritual fire fighter suit, for as many of us as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). We have been equipped, or endowed or anointed with the power from on High, when we received the baptism of the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues (Luke 24:49). We can go into the world, which is the house in flames, and extract people from those flames.

Jude tells us: keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference; and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh (Jude 1:21-23). So in the mind of Jude, people are burning alive in the world, they simply do not know it. You and I must pull them out of the fire. Jesus had compassion on us, and came to deliver us from that hell fire, and heal us; we must have the same compassion, and do something about people around us.

So let us put on the Lord Jesus, our spiritual fire fighter suit by embracing His life, way and truth (John 14:6), and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil its lusts (Romans 13:14). Let us not be afraid to go into that house in flames, because we have put on Christ Jesus, our spiritual fire fighter suit; thus the fire has no power over us. Isaiah prophesied: when you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you (Isaiah 43:2). If Jesus had saved us from hell fire, and that was it, Satan would be mad because he had lost us, but he still would be fine, for he knows he has many other people who are going to burn in hell with him. But the fact that Jesus gave us the same fire fighter suit and equipment, so that we can go back into that burning house, and save as many as are willing to follow us, so that we can show them the Exit Door from that house in flames, is what makes him red mad.

Let us be moved with compassion and go and help somebody, let us not stand idle outside the house with our spiritual fire fighter suit on, and equipment and watch the house burn down with people inside. Just like fire fighters pour water on the house, to slow down the flames, and try to get everybody out of the house before it collapses on itself; so you also share the word of God with unsaved people and saved people, so that they can come out before it is too late. Everyone who dies without Christ goes to hell, so it is already too late for such a person. We need to extract the people from that burning house, not just before the house collapses on itself, but also before the people die.

Therefore He says, “Awake, sleeping ones! And arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil [the house is burning and people are dying inside it, it is a race against the clock, we need to redeem the time]. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:14-17). Peter tells us: the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2Peter 3:9).

Many believers do not understand it, they are praying: “God come tomorrow, let it be the end of the world tomorrow; God you are slack concerning your promise of the end time, look at the world and how they hate You, and do things that violate Your word”. But God is saying: the end will come, but it is not truly your problem, you will not be affected by the end of the world, you are already safe (2Thessalonians 1). If I come now too many people will be going to hell, so keep giving them the word of God, keep pouring the water of the word of God on that house on fire, until many are saved. My friends, let us not stand idle and see people around us burn in hell fire, and die in their sins; let us do something about it.

God has equipped us to deal with the world around us. What would you think of a fire fighter who has his fire fighter suit on, and all his equipment with him, but stands idle outside the house in flames, and watches it burn down to the ground with people inside. He does not even try anything to save one life, and when one person helps himself out of the house in flames, that fire fighter does not even attend to that person’s wounds. Unfortunately many Christians act that way! Jesus the Captain of our salvation, sends us to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of heaven, saying: repent and be born again. Then we are to heal the sick, cast out devils and raise the dead.

Jesus told us: works that I do you will do, and greater works than these shall you do, because I go to My Father (John 14:12). Yes, after my death and resurrection, I will bring many sons and daughters to glory. The same glory that I have, I will give them, that is why they will be able to save people from hell fire, when people believe their gospel and are born again, to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease; because sin, sickness and disease, originate from the pit of hell, and are the works of the devil.

They will have power to resist Satan and his works, and not just resist Satan, but destroy his works, starting with sin. For he who sins is of the devil; for this is the purpose I the Son of man, was made manifest to destroy the works of the devil (1John 3:8). Christ is in you, heaven has a new hope, that the sons and daughters of God, who have been brought to glory will do the very works of their elder brother Jesus, who dwells in each one of them. Everything the captain of our Salvation has, we have; for He is in us. We are now one with Jesus, like Jesus is one with the Father, because Jesus is in us. We love the things Jesus loves, and we hate the things Jesus hates; he hates sin, sickness, disease and premature death, so do we. Let us willingly choose to put on Jesus, by embracing His way, truth and life; so that we will be effective in our witnessing to the lost souls (John 14:6, Romans 13:14).

4-4 You are the saviours and deliverers of your generation

Obadiah prophesied: saviours or deliverers (Yasha: saviour, deliverer, get victory, help, rescue) shall come up on mount Zion to judge (Shaphat: Judge, to vindicate, to execute judgment) the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S (Obadiah 1:21). Do you mean, God intends that the kingdom of this world, that lies under the influence of the Kingdom of darkness, shall become the kingdom of our Lord? Yes, that is what Obadiah is saying. God reveals the same thing to John. As it is written: the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:15).”

God’s plan is to evict Satan and all his cohorts from areas and spheres of life, which have been under their influence, and then to enthrone Jesus Christ as Lord. We start first with the salvation of individuals; we deliver them from the power of darkness, and translate them into the Kingdom of God and His Christ (Colossians 1:13). Then we get their whole family saved and their acquaintances; and then we disciple them; for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 10, Acts 16:31). God is after the whole family being saved; for even in Exodus He brought them out by families, 600,000 families; there was a lamb for a house (Exodus 12:3). God wants Jesus, the Lamb of God, to be in the life of every member of your family. And your house must become a house of prayer for all nations or peoples; a place where you share the word of God, you pray and worship God day and night (Isaiah 56:7).

Christians with the word of God in them, infiltrate all spheres of society and change the wicked laws of the land, change the ungodly customs, and ungodly traditions of the land; to Godly laws, Godly customs and Godly traditions. Christians stopped slavery in the days of John Newton and Wilberforce. It is not just about healing the sick, casting out devils and raising the dead; but also changing communities, changing ungodly nations to Godly ones, by the power of the Holy Ghost. Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 14:34). Born again Christians are world changers, and planet shakers!

For through faith we understand that the worlds [Aion: the ages, worlds, the different eras, different periods of history: the godly legislation they voted, the lifestyle they had] were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen, were not made of things which do appear (Hebrews 11:3). Now God has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will not only shake the earth, but also the heavens.” And this word, “Yet once more,” signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, so that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and Godly fear, for also, “Our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:26-29).”We shake the ungodly things out of our life and society, so that only the Godly things remain in our life and society; the word of God will once again frame our society and lives.

Obadiah was talking about us; for you and I have come upon mount Zion, like the writer of Hebrews says: you are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel (Hebrews 12:22-24). Mount of Esau was the habitation of the descendant of Esau, the brother of Jacob. From the very beginning Esau hated Jacob, because of the blessing with which His father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart: I will slay Jacob (Genesis 27:41).

My friends we have one enemy called Satan, who wants to slay us; because of the blessing with which our Father God has blessed us, through Christ Jesus the firstborn (Ephesians 1:3). Satan the devil comes but to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). He takes different names today, he might be called Esau, tomorrow Moab, Amalek, Ammon, Assyria, Syria, Egypt, etc. The name may change, but it is the same enemy, Satan the devil. Please do not stumble over a nation listed in the bible, it is a spiritual thing, see Satan behind that nation. John explains it saying: And their [the two witnesses’] dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified (Revelation 11:8). We know that Jesus was not physically crucified in Sodom or in the land of Egypt; but in Jerusalem, in the land of Israel. Here Sodom and Egypt are spiritual analogies.

Those two witnesses of Revelation 11 will be persecuted and killed; just like Lot was persecuted by the ungodly men of Sodom, because of his righteousness, and just like the Hebrews were persecuted and killed in Egypt, during their 430 years of captivity. And we have already explained, in the Perfect Redemption Plan series, that it was Satan that was behind the captivity of the Hebrews, and their physical deliverance is a shadow of our spiritual deliverance. Paul also explains to us that the Arabs, descendants of Ishmael, and the Israelites descendants of Isaac, are also just a type of two covenants: the Old and the New covenant; God has nothing against the Arabs, in fact He is the one who blessed Ishmael (Galatians 4:22-31, Genesis 16, Genesis 17). And we also have explained that Assyria in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 was talking about Lucifer.

Therefore Christians have no business hating the physical Egyptians, the Palestinians who are the descendants of the Philistines, Arabs who are the descendants of Ishmael, the Syrians or any other nations or people groups. If you hate people, or a nation, then you are still ignorant of God and His love. If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if he does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And we have this commandment from Him, that he who loves God, should love his brother also (1John 4:20-21). Having clarified that, to avoid any foolish hatred in the kingdom of God; lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices (2Corinthians 2:11).

Jesus tells us: shall not God avenge His own elect or chosen ones, who cry day and night unto Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth (Luke 18:7-8)? Isaiah said: the LORD is our judge(Shaphat: Judge, to vindicate, to execute judgment), the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; He will save (Yasha: saviour, deliverer, get victory, help, rescue) us (Isaiah 33:22). God wants to save, rescue and deliver us; give us the victory in life and over those who hate us. God wants to vindicate us and avenge us. But He needs a human vessel to work through. Jesus is the perfect Saviour, Deliverer. We are to imitate Jesus, who dwells in us, in every way; the only thing we cannot do is die to save people. Jesus is the only one who needed to die to save the whole world. Nobody should think that he must die physically to save anybody; Jesus did it once for all.

You and I must appropriate the benefits of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. And go and share that with people, and deliver people around us, and save people around us; because Christ who is the Saviour of the world, dwells in us. David said: bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from destruction (“even hell fire”); who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed (Psalm 103:2-6).

The benefits God gave you are contained in the Perfect Redemption Plan, never forget them. God works in us both to will and do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). Because you believe in Christ Jesus all things are possible to you (Mark 9:23). He is the Saviour and He wants to save people through the gospel that you share with them. He is the healer and He wants to heal them through your words, and the laying on of your hands. In the book of Judges God raised individuals: men and women to deliver Israel. The LORD raised up judges (Shaphat: Judge, vindicator, executer of judgment), who delivered them out of the hand of those who spoiled them (Judges 2:16). When the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer (Yasha: saviour, deliverer, get victory, helper, rescuer) to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother (Judges 3:9).

The book of judges is not the book of judges as we would understand that in English. When we hear judge, we think of someone who settles disputes between people. The book of judges is actually the book of shaphatim which is the plural of shaphat. In other words it is a book of people, men and women, whom God raised to deliver Israel out of the hands of those who spoiled them, out of the hands of those who oppressed them. To spoil someone is to strip by violence, rob someone of his goods or possessions. So those judges knew what was freely given unto them by their God, they knew their God-given promises and inheritance. So those judges were not merely deliverers (Yasha); people who knew how to fight, people who would be able to get the victory, but they were also Shaphatim, people who knew what God had said concerning them, and what their inheritance in God was.

Like in Judges 11, the Ammonites came against Israel telling them to give back part of their land, for it used to belong to them. But Jephthah who was the judge of Israel, knew the promises of God, and what was written about their inheritance, and how the land came to be theirs. Through the series of the Perfect Redemption Plan we have explained succinctly what our inheritance is, and how that inheritance came to be ours. You see, Jesus said Satan is a thief and a robber. He is a thief because he wants to take what is yours without violence, he banks on our ignorance. My people perish for lack of knowledge, says God (Hosea 4:6).

If you do not know something belongs to you, another person will be occupying your possessions, and enjoying your goods, without you even knowing it. And you will never fight for what is yours; because you do not know that it is yours in the first place. God said: you shall not remove your neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in your inheritance, which you shall inherit in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess (Deuteronomy 19:14). Cursed be he who removes his neighbour’s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen (Deuteronomy 27:17). Remove not the ancient landmark, which your fathers have set (Proverbs 22:28). If you and I do not know the ancient landmark that God has set for us, which our fathers in the faith enjoyed; the enemy will be co-habiting with us in the promised land. That is why those judges who were to deliver Israel, needed to know the Word of God. God has sent you today to deliver His people; you must know what the ancient landmark is, and not settle for less.

Read the Perfect Redemption Plan, this is the ancient landmark God gave us. We should not be the generation who will remove the ancient landmark which God set for our fathers in the faith. Satan is a robber because he takes our goods and possessions by open violence. When he sees that we have the truth in us, and are not ignorant of the things that have been freely given to us (1Corinthians 2:12), he moves from being a thief to a robber. Jesus said: from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:12). We should not be wimps, we should fight back; God wants us to get the victory for His people: victory over sin, over all manners of sickness and all manners of disease, over premature death, over poverty, etc. And He promised to give us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1Corinthians 15:57). He promised to always lead us to triumph through our Lord Jesus (2Corinthians 2:14).

God will never lead us to a defeat; no, not even once, but always to triumph; if we choose to follow His leading through the Holy Ghost and the Holy Scriptures. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear Jehovah and depart from evil. Healing shall be to your navel and marrow to your bones (Proverbs 3:5-8). And He watches over His word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). The Lord looks upon you and says unto you: go in this your might, and you shall save My people from the hands of Satan, the devil their true enemy; have I not sent you (Judges 6:14)? I will surely be with you, and you shall smite all your enemies as one man (Judges 6:16).

4-5 Take the battle to the enemy’s gates

Many Christians always wait for the enemy to bring the battle to their gates, instead of taking the battle to the enemy’s gates. Think of it this way, you are living in a semi-detached house, and the house next door is on fire. You are a professional fire fighter, and you have your fire fighter suit and all your equipment at home. It is better for you to go and help them, to put out the fire, and get all the people out of that house, than for you to watch the their house burn down to the ground. For if you do not go and help them fight that fire, and save their house and the people therein, sooner or later your house will be on fire too. We should be on the offensive, and never on the defensive; active not passive.

Jesus said: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed are you, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood have not revealed it unto you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say also unto you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:15-19).

Many people do not have the revelation of who Jesus is, let alone or much less, His Perfect Redemption Plan. He is the Christ, the Saviour, and the Deliverer. Christ was with them, and now Christ is in you, the hope of glory. This revelation must dawn on every born again believer. Flesh and blood cannot reveal it to you, but only God. Jesus is inside every believer and is building His church on the revelation of who He is, and what He has done for the world, and who He is in us: His Perfect Redemption Plan. Jesus wants us to take the battle to the enemy’s gates, the gates of hell; those gates of hell will not prevail against us.

We will literally knock down those gates, enter the enemy’s properties, and set the captives free. We would occupy the positions which were once held by the enemy: Jesus the Captain of our salvation tells us: occupy until I come (Luke 19:13)! We need to dislodge the enemy from his position, and enthrone Jesus as Lord where the throne of Satan used to be. Jesus says: I know your works, and where you dwell, even where Satan’s seat is: and you hold fast My name, and have not denied My faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells (Revelation 2:13).

So where you are currently living, might be ruled by the devil and his evil works, but it will not be that way for long. Jesus is sending you and I to the territory that Satan is illegally sitting on, to dislodge him and occupy it in the name of Jesus! Power shall change hands, the territory that used to be ruled by Satan, and under the power of darkness, will be ruled by Jesus and be under the power of the gospel of Christ. John tells us: there were great voices in Heaven, saying: the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ. And He will reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:15).

That is what Jesus did when He was on earth: God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him (Acts 10:38). Every repentance and conversion of souls, every healing, and every deliverance, was an open act of war, which Jesus did against the kingdom of darkness. He went into their territory, blasted their gates, entered their properties, and set their captives free, and occupied possessions that were illegally held by the devil. Christ is in you, the hope of glory, and He wants to do the same thing through you. The Lord God is a Man of war (Exodus 15:3). And He has enlisted each one of us into His army, the very day we became born again. You therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man who wars, entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who has chosen (enlisted) him to be a soldier (2Timothy 2:3-4).

The USA understood it, they did not wait for the enemy to bring the battle to their gates; but they took the battle to the gates of the enemy. In the First World War and in the Second World War, they came and fought the enemy in Europe and Asia. In the war against terrorism, they made a mistake to wait for the enemy to come, and it was not good. As a result we had the 9/11 attack on USA soil. This must be our mind-set, for Jesus told us to take the battle to the enemy’s camp, and not wait for them to come and bomb us. Gideon who was a judge of Israel, understood it. In Judges 7, he came with his three hundred men to the camp of the Midianites, their enemies and destroyed them. Joshua also came to Jericho and fought them, and destroyed them (Joshua 6).

Many Christians are still asking Jesus the same questions Gideon asked: Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us of, saying: Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? But now the LORD has forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites (Judges 6:13). God is with us, but if we do not do anything, we are the ones to be blamed; for we are co-labourers with God (1Corinthians 3:9). God wanted to save His people from the oppression of the Egyptians, but Moses had to go from Midian to Egypt, and speak to Pharaoh, and God did all those miracles through Moses, in the book of Exodus.

So Jesus said to Gideon: go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have I not sent you (Judges 6:14)? We are all asking these questions in our heads: who will be the next deliverer of our people? Who will perform miracles in our generation? Jesus’ answer is: you are the ones who will deliver an entire nation, even a whole continent; you are the ones who will perform all those miracles; because I have sent you, and not only I am with you, but I am in you, Christ in you the hope of glory. Ask of Me, and I shall give the nations for Your inheritance; and the uttermost parts of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel (Psalm 2:8-9).

As you choose to put on Christ Jesus, by embracing My way, truth and life, and receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire (Romans 13:14, John 14:6, Matthew 3:11, Luke 24:49). Works that I did, you will do and greater works than these shall you do; for I, Jesus, am the same yesterday, today and forever (John 14:12-14, Hebrews 13:8). I did not lose my miracle working power when I moved into you. So start sharing the gospel around you; for God is with your mouth, and will teach you what you shall say (Exodus 4:12). Start leading people to repentance and salvation, healing the sick, casting out devils, cleansing lepers and raising the dead; for Christ is in you, and has not changed. Isaiah prophesied of Jesus saying: behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given Me, are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells in mount Zion (Isaiah 8:18).

Jesus enlisted us into His army (2Timothy 2:4). Which earthly army would train its soldiers to lose battles? Will they tell them: you must lose some battles to keep us “humble” as an army? Or which army takes pleasure in seeing their soldiers suffer under the hands of their enemies? The goal of the army is to train its soldiers to win every battle. They expect to win all the time. But Christians do not get it, they think: if God saves all the people they preach to, heals all the sick they pray for, and raises all the dead they pray for; they will be in “pride”. It is God’s will for us, that every person we share the gospel with be saved, heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out devils, and He promises to give us the victory through our Lord Jesus (1Corinthians 15:57).

He promises to always lead us in triumph in Christ (2Corinthians 2:14). He expects us to conquer the enemy’s positions, and utterly destroy the works of the devil; for in all these things, in all the battles we are involved, we are more than conquerors through God who loved us (Romans 8:37). We are of God, and have overcome Satan and his works; for greater is the Lord God, the Man of war (Exodus 15:3) who is in us, than Satan, his cohorts and his works, who are in the world (1John4:4). We overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11).

Joshua understood it, when they went to war under the leadership of Moses, they did not lose a single man, their wives were not bereaved. The officers, who were over thousands of the army, over the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses, and they said to Moses, Your servants have counted the men of war who are under our charge, and there is not one man of us lacking. And we bring an offering for Jehovah, what every man has found, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before Jehovah (Numbers 31: 48-50). Yes they lost no one, truly God said: a thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes you shall look and see the reward of the wicked (Psalm 91:7-8). Joshua when he was leading the people after the death of Moses, won the battle of Jericho, but at Ai he lost thirty six men, and the army was routed before the people of Ai (Joshua 7).

Joshua fasted the entire day before the Lord. Some of us with our human mind would say: those casualties are acceptable, what is thirty-six dead people in an army of hundreds of thousands? It is insignificant! But they are lives and those people have relatives who have been bereaved! So Joshua humbled himself in prayer and fasting. God, you said to me that I should lead these people to the promised land and just like you were with Moses you will be with me (Joshua 1). Moses did not lose people in war, how is it I am losing people in war? The heart of the people will be weakened, and no one will be willing to fight the Lord’s battle if they believe their children might not come back home, that the enemy will defeat them. They will play it safe and stay at home!

God answered Joshua that the people needed to live a sanctified life, and to remove the accursed things from their midst, and then God would fight for them (Joshua 7). Christians are still playing with fire: they want to serve God and the devil at the same time. They do not want to live a sanctified life. You are on your own in those battles, when you willingly refuse to live a sanctified life. Joshua and Israel repented, removed the accursed things from their midst, and sanctified themselves. And after that day, God delivered Joshua the same way He delivered Moses.

Have zero tolerance and hatred for sin, sickness, disease, premature death or any work of the devil (Hebrews 1:8-9, 1John 3:8). It is not God’s plan for us to practice sin, to die of sickness or disease. Even though Jesus told us that some believers would be martyred, yet we should confess the word of God. Never have a defeatist mind-set, but believe that He will deliver us, according to the written word of God, like He delivered Daniel and his friends, from the burning fiery furnace and from the lion’s den, etc.

We outnumber Satan and his cohorts; fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them (2Kings 6:16). One angel can potentially slay 185,000 soldiers of the enemy overnight (2Kings 19:35). Jesus told Pilate that He could ask the Father to send Him twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53); which is 72,000 angels and they can potentially slay 13,320,000,000 soldiers of the enemy overnight. But to you and I, God did not only assign twelve legions as Paul tells us: but you are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels (Hebrews 12:22). You cannot even number the angels assigned to you, believe the written word of God that you will always win, even triumph through Christ. Bless the Lord, O angels of His, who excel in strength, who do His command, listening to the voice of His Word (Psalm 103:20). The Lord shall give His angels charge over You, to keep You in all Your ways. They shall bear You up in their hands, lest You dash your foot against a stone (Psalm 91:11-12).

5. It is easier to cast out devils, than to cast out Christians into God’s vineyard.

Jesus had already sent the twelve apostles and told them: as you go, preach, saying: the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out (ekballo: cast out, eject) devils: freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10:7-8). After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place, where He himself would come. Therefore He said unto them: the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray therefore the Lord of the harvest that He would send forth (ekballo: cast out, eject) labourers into His harvest (Luke 10:1-2). And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Your name (Luke 10:17).

Jesus used the same word ekballo when He told the disciples to cast out devils. Devils at least know that when they are commanded to come out of a person, in the name of Jesus, they have to obey. But Christians think that they can choose to disobey the command of God. James tells Christians: you believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But do you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead, or useless (James 2:19-20)? If we say we have faith in Jesus, we will work in the vineyard: proclaim the gospel to save souls, heal the sick, cast out devils and raise the dead. Every believer is to proclaim the gospel to people around him or her, to his sphere of influence, in order for them to be saved: starting with those of his own household, and then friends, co-workers, etc; heal the sick, cast out devils and raise the dead. It is not good enough that our church is doing that, if you and I are not doing it personally, then we are not doing that, simple!

5-1 We ought to be wise sons and daughters of our Father God

Some Christians are always learning and doing nothing with what they have learned, according to James, that is a useless faith; because they do not act on what they have learned. They think they have to know all the scriptures and all the doctrines, before doing anything in the kingdom, before laying hands on the sick, before sharing the word of God with people, before raising the dead. Jesus is saying: anybody can do it, you do not need to be skilled or be a theologian; you just need to embrace the life, way and truth of Jesus, be available and have compassion on your fellow humans, and want their life to be transformed for good!

Think of it this way. My younger brother was living in Metz, France. He had no work experience in farming, and had never worked before in any industry. When he applied for a job, even a cleaning job, or at a fast food restaurant, they asked him if he had work experience. Since he did not have any work experience at all; they did not give him the job. But there was an agency that was looking for labourers to harvest melons, no experience was needed. If you just showed up, you got the job. They were desperate for labourers for the harvest was truly great and ripe. It did not matter if the labourers were ready, trained or skilled; they would learn and be trained on the job. The owner of the field lodged and fed the labourers, and he paid them their wages. Every day the field was not harvested, they lost part of the harvest. After the harvest of those melon fields, the agency called the labourers again, and asked them to go and harvest grapes in another region of France; but in that field, the owner would not feed them only lodge them.

Jesus is telling us, the emphasis is not on the labourers being ready, trained or skilled; but on the field which is ripe for harvest. People are dying of sickness, or are dying without Jesus and going to hell; we must get to them before it is too late. Just like the owner of the melon fields lodged and fed the labourers, Jesus sent the disciples to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. And He said unto them: take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip (small bag), neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. And whatsoever house you enter into, there abide, and thence depart (Luke 9:2-4). And like in the owner of the grape fields, Jesus, in another instance sent them He said: When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, did you lack any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he who has a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one (Luke 22:35-36).

I went into Glasgow Scotland one day, to share the gospel; I arrived there at 6 am. I had no money to book a hotel, or feed myself. I could walk to the place where I was to share the word of God, and I sat on the coach station. I saw a family friend of a friend of mine. He was coming from London, England. When he saw me sitting on a bench at the coach station, he looked intently at me, and walked toward me, and asked me: are you not the friend of so and so? I said yes I am! And he told me, come with me to my place. And on the way he told me: I want you to come every Sunday to my place to eat, and if you come on Saturday, you can stay at my place until Sunday evening when you go back to Manchester, England.

You see Jesus did not lie to me! I did not always stay at that new friend’s place, many weekends I took my purse with me, and stayed in a hotel and Jesus provided for the hotel. Jesus will use anybody who willingly embraces His way, truth and life, and then shows up to go and work in the field; He will perform miracles of salvation of souls, healing and deliverance through that believer, who decides to go and harvest the field. So Jesus is saying: the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray therefore the Lord of the harvest that He would send forth (ekballo: cast out, eject) labourers into His harvest. Just like that agency recruited everybody who showed up, regardless of the labourers having a work experience or not. They literally ejected, cast out labourers into the field for their time of harvest was limited. God will use anybody who is willing to embrace the way, truth and life of Jesus; you do not need to know all the doctrines, the little you know, do it, and learn as you go on the job. He or she who gathers in summer, is a wise son or daughter of Father God; but he or she who sleeps in harvest, is a son or a daughter who causes shame to his or her Father God (Proverbs 10:5). My prayer is, that we will all be wise sons and daughters of our Father God; we will not cause shame to Him. We will go and work in the vineyard of our Father, because summer is here, the field is white for harvest.

As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard or lazy person to those who send him or her (Proverbs 10:26). We ought not to be lazy sons and daughters of God, who sleep during the harvest, for Jesus has sent us to work in the field, like our Father sent Him (John 20:21). Let us not be as vinegar to His teeth or as smoke to His eyes. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he or she who wins souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30). We must become wise sons and daughters of our Father God. He sees us as wise people when we win souls, not when we are full of head knowledge of scriptures but when we share the little knowledge of Him with the hurting and dying world around us. We are now righteous people and the fruit of that righteousness is the tree of life. Everybody who comes to us ought to receive the life of God that is now in us: in their souls when they are born again, in their body when they are healed, and in their mind when they are delivered from those demons which torment their mind, and even drove them crazy.

Even if you do not know anything about the word of God, at least share what happened to you when you were born again, what has changed in your life; share your personal testimony. The maidservant of Naaman the Syrian captain, did not know much about the word of God, but she could share the testimony of what her God can do to sick people. She said to her mistress: if only my master Naaman were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy (2Kings 5:3). Naaman believed her testimony and went to Samaria to see Elisha, and be healed of his leprosy, and he was healed and changed in his heart; and believed in the God of Israel. You see brethren, you and I even if we do not know yet how to pray for sick people, we can refer them to a brother or sister who can pray for them, while we are learning how we pray for those sick people ourselves. Tell somebody around you, what your God is able to do, nothing is impossible with our God (Luke 1:37) and all things are possible to him or her who believes in our God through Jesus (Mark 9:23).

5-2 We ought to be self-motivated sons and daughters of God

The harvest is ready now, not tomorrow, not in a month’s time nor a year’s time, but now! Jesus wants us to see with His eyes, and not postpone the harvesting of the field. Jesus said: do you not say; there are yet four months, and then comes harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reaps, receives wages, and gathers fruit unto life eternal: that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, one sows, and another reaps. I sent you to reap that whereon you bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and you are entered into their labours (John 4:35-38). We must go to work in the field with Jesus, the harvest is truly great, and every available hand is needed. So the question is: when will you and I join Jesus in the field, and help Him harvest the field? Jesus has sent you and me to reap the harvest now; so let us live a sanctified life, preach the gospel, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils and raise the dead in His name.

Go to the ant, you sluggard or lazy person; consider her ways, and be wise. Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provides her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest (Proverbs 6:6-8). God is telling us to learn from the little ant. Sometimes Christians are waiting for someone to come and tell them what to do, and when to do it. They wait until their church is doing a so called programme of evangelism, to go and talk to somebody. God called all of us to be His witnesses. If your church does a program of evangelism, or an outreach program to the community, praise the Lord! But unsaved people smell all those programmes from afar, and close their doors, and shut their blinds.

But, if you go and have a normal conversation with your relatives or your neighbours, or your co-workers, they will invite you into their houses or into their office, or they will go with you to a restaurant, or to the playground with the children. And as you talk about everything, you share with them your testimony, and what you think God will do for them, for their sickness, for their marriage, for their children, for their finances, etc. You do not need anybody to oversee you, when you are talking to these people. Your sanctified life is the first great testimony they have already seen. Go to people around you, and share your testimony in your own words.

The ant is wise, because when it is summer and harvest time, she does not need anybody to tell her what to do; but she knows she must provide for meat and gather food. We have seen according to the scriptures: he or she who is wise, wins souls (Proverbs 11:30). Jesus told us that the harvest is already ripe, it needs harvesting now! We ought to be working in the field harvesting souls for the kingdom of God, healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead, without anybody having to force us; but by our own leading. We must become self-motivated and self-driven like the ant, who has no need of a guide or a captain, ruler, or overseer to go and harvest the field. God tells us: how long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall your poverty come as one who travels, and your need as an armed man (Proverbs 6:9-11).

Jesus who is our Master; when He was on earth, was busy about His Father’s business (Luke 2:49). He was in the field harvesting it. And now He has travelled to heaven, He will come back to earth to rule over it, and establish His throne. But while He is away, He has entrusted us with the harvest, we are to go and work in the field, so that at His coming, the house will be filled with souls, not empty. We must awake from our sleep, stop sinning, to embrace a sanctified life, and go and bring souls into the kingdom of God (Luke 19:12-27). Paul says: Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame (1Corinthians 15:34).

5-3 As sons and Daughters who serve their Father, God expects us to do greater works than Jesus our model.

As we have seen in Malachi 3:17 God promised, saying: they shall be Mine, says the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son, who serves him. Therefore we are sons and daughters who serve their Father. Jeremiah also prophesied it, saying: God said, How shall I put you among the sons, and give you a pleasant land, a beautiful inheritance among the hosts of nations? And I said, You shall call Me My Father, and shall not turn away from Me (Jeremiah 3:19). And Paul tells us that we are no longer slaves or servants, but sons and daughters of God; because we are in Christ Jesus the Son of God (Galatians 4:7). When you have just joined a household, even been adopted into a family; you do not know how things are run in that new household, so you need someone who has always been living in the house, to brief you on the way of the Father, and the works done in the household. Jesus came to show us the way and the works of the Father, and tells us to take Him as an example, and go and do the same thing (John 13:15).

For instance in Luke 17:5-10 a conversation is recorded between Jesus and His disciples. The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. And which of you, having a servant ploughing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself, and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant, because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do”.

We want to increase our faith, but God is telling us to start doing the works of Jesus, and the more we do them, the more confidence we have in God. The truth is, we have received the measure of faith, even the faith of Jesus (Romans 12:3). Some sons and daughters of God, who are serving their Father God, act like that unprofitable servant, who wants to be told everything he needs to do, and does not take any initiative at all. Jesus our elder brother and our master, came to show us how we must serve our Father. He expects us to start acting on what He told us, and showed us.

When I was growing up we had many servants working for us. For instance when a new domestic started working for us, my mother would, on her first day on the job, take two to three hours explaining to her, how she was supposed to clean the house, to my mother’s standards, how she was supposed to cook food, according my mother’s standards, how she was supposed to be clean, when she came to work, and wash her hands before cooking our food. But after that day, the domestic did more work than my parents. When I was growing up in the house of my parents, they taught us the ways of the house, according to our parent’s standard, and what work we were supposed to do.

And every day we would do the work, according to the standard of our parents: clean ourselves, clean the house, cook the food, etc. When they travelled, they did not have to worry about anything; for they knew we would take care of ourselves, and the house, according to their standards, and they did not have to dictate everything to us, like that unprofitable servant. We knew what was supposed to be done, and we went about our Father’s business (Luke 2:49).

On Sunday my mother almost did nothing, for we cleaned ourselves, took care of the house, and even cooked. It brought joy to the hearts of our parents, for they saw how mature their sons had become; they could entrust us with the entire house. That is why Jesus, our Master told us: A servant is not greater than his master (John 15:20), but a servant is expected to do greater works than his master. That is why Jesus told us: as your Master, and your elder brother, I came to show you the way of the kingdom, and how to live a sanctified life, and work in the kingdom of God (John 17:16-19). Now He tells each one of us: Most assuredly, whoever chooses to embrace My way, truth and life; I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do, because I go to My Father (John 14:6, John 14:12). And the more you become a doer of the word, the more God confirms His words through you.

So do not worry, God is with you in the field, it is God who works in you both to will and do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). Jesus has already prayed for you, and you will do the same works He did, and even greater works as you choose to embrace His sanctified life. For He prayed to God about us, saying: They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Your truth. Your Word is truth. As You have sent Me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world. And I sanctify Myself for their sakes, so that they also might be sanctified in truth. And I do not pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word (John 17:16-20).

And He tells you, you are not alone, but He is always with you, and the Father is with you: I am not alone, but I [am] with the Father who sent Me (John 8:16, Matthew 28:20). When you speak the word of God the Godhead backs you up; for it is the Holy Spirit who is speaking through you (Matthew 10:20). As you open your mouth wide to share God’s word, He will fill it (Psalm 81:10). It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I, Jesus, am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me, bears witness of Me (John 8:17-18). He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me, receives Him who sent Me (John 13:20).

God made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel (Psalm 103:7). My prayer is that each one of us will be like Moses who knew both the ways of God, and His acts or works. And Moses lived a sanctified life and took care of the house of God, doing everything in that house of God, according to the pattern that was shown to him from above. As it is written: Moses was warned by God, when he was about to make the tabernacle. For, He says “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown to you in the mountain (Hebrews 8:5, Exodus 25:8-9).”

5-4 Sons and Daughters who bear fruit not mere professors.

In Mark 11:12-21 we have the account of Jesus being hungry and seeing a fig tree from afar, which had lots of leaves, came to it expecting to find some fruit, but found none. And Jesus cursed that fig tree, that no one should eat from it anymore, for it was deceiving people with its leaves. And the fig tree dried up from the root. Now the fig tree is symbolic of the nation of Israel (Hosea 9:10). Fig trees produce fruit before leaves start appearing on them, so when you see leaves on a fig tree, it means fruit is already on it, and some are already ripe.

The leaves of the fig tree speak about profession or confession. Thus from afar, that fig tree was professing that it had fruit on it; but it did not possess any, so it was a deception. Israel was like that too; they had a big profession of their faith, but a very little possession of what they professed. Whatever we profess, God expects us to possess it, even if it has not matured yet. Paul says: if you profess that you have repented, then, do the works befitting repentance (Acts 26:20). John says: if we profess that God has imputed His righteousness unto us, even the righteousness of Jesus, then we must practice righteousness (1John 3:10). James says: if you profess that you have faith for a particular promise of God, then show or demonstrate it to us, by your works or actions you take, to bring that promise to pass, let it not be just mere words, for faith without works or actions, is dead and useless (James 2:14-26).

If we profess that the God we serve is powerful, then we must demonstrate it. The church has a big profession of the power of God, but very little possession of that power which ought not to be. Paul had a big profession of the power of God. He says: I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).

His profession of the power of the gospel, was matched by his possession of the power of God. He said: my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but, in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power, so that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but, in the power of God (1Corinthians 2:4-5). 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 (Romans 15:19). God wants to do the same for every born again Christian, so that whatever we profess, we equally possess. Peter says: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation, whoever fears Him and works righteousness, is accepted by Him (Acts 10:34-35).

Jesus tells us another parable of the fig tree that is just using up the ground, saying: A certain [man] had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground? But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize [it]. And if it bears fruit, [well]. But if not, after that you can cut it down (Luke 13:6-9). I always re-read the bible to see what God expects me to do, so that what I profess to be in Christ Jesus, can be found in my life. I know it pains my heavenly Father, when His children are only professors and hearers; but not possessors, not doers, and not fruit bearers, of what they hear and profess to be in Christ Jesus.

Israel, which is represented here by the fig tree, is a son of God, even His firstborn (Exodus 4:22). I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first-fruits on the fig tree, at her first time. But they went to Baal-peor, and set themselves apart to a shameful thing; and they became abominable like that which they loved (Hosea 9:10). When we are born again, we become sons and daughters of God, and belong to the commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:12). Each one of us becomes a spiritual fig tree, even a tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, so that Christ is glorified in us (Isaiah 61:3).

We are now blessed with Father Abraham; because we are in the Seed of Abraham who is Christ Jesus. So Jesus tells us: If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham (John 8:39). We have seen in the study on “biblical prosperity” how Father Abraham obeyed God financially. Jesus is telling us to do the same work Abraham did, if we profess to be children of Abraham, and being blessed with father Abraham. We have seen in the bible study on the “Perfect Redemption Plan: Jehovah Jireh”, how God preached the gospel to Abraham: death, burial and resurrection of Jesus; and Abraham believed the gospel.

If we say Abraham is our father, we must do the same work he did, in believing the Perfect Redemption Plan of God, and become doers of it like Abraham did. Abraham believed in Jehovah Rapha: the Lord who heals us (Exodus 15:26). And we see in Genesis 20:1-18, King Abimelech took Sarah, but God warned him not to touch her, and God plagued Abimelech and his entire household with barrenness. God appeared in a dream to Abimelech, and told him to restore Abraham’s wife, for Abraham is a prophet, and then Abraham will pray for him and his entire household, so that their wombs would be opened, and barrenness would leave his house. So Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his entire household, and they were all healed. So if we profess that Abraham is our father, we must also heal people around us, even our enemies in the name of Jesus. Abimelech was not in the covenant God made with Abraham; but it does not matter, since he obeyed God, by repenting of taking another man’s wife, and restoring her to her husband. Then Abraham prayed for him, and he and his entire household, were healed.

The story that came to my mind, is that of Jesus with the Canaanite woman, whose daughter was demon possessed in Matthew 15: 22-28. Because she was not a Jew, and Jesus had not yet died for the Gentiles, to be part of the New Covenant of God, she was not officially entitled to the healing, which is the bread of the children. But she said to Jesus, even little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the children’s table. So for that saying, Jesus healed her daughter. Gentiles or unsaved people were called dogs by Jews. We have seen how Abraham took the crumbs of his bread (healing) and gave it to Abimelech who was a Gentile (a dog); since he obeyed God, and repented of taking Abraham’s wife, and restored her to Abraham. And we also have the story of Elisha, giving the crumbs of his bread (healing) to Naaman the Syrian (a dog), who was cleansed of his leprosy (2Kings 5).

After Solomon had built the temple, he prayed a prayer that the Lord answered. A part of his prayer that God answered was saying this: Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name, and Your mighty hand, and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple; then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, so that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built, is called by Your name (2Chronicles 6:32-33). Here Solomon was not talking about Gentiles who had converted to Judaism, who were called proselytes, for God asked Israel to make no distinction between them and the proselytes (Isaiah 56). But Solomon was talking about gentiles, who were still pagans, but had come to the temple at Jerusalem, because they had heard of the great name of the God of Israel, and all His mighty works.

Solomon asked God to answer the prayers of those pagan (dogs), who came to Jerusalem, even if they had not converted to Judaism, so that all the people of the earth would know the name of the Lord God, and fear Him. And what does it mean to fear the Lord? It is to hate evil, and to depart from evil (Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 16:6). So the purpose of God healing and delivering unsaved people, is to lead them to repentance and conversion; never forget it! And God said to Solomon that He would do it. You are now the temple of the Holy Ghost; God dwells in you, not in a building made by men (1Corinthians 6:19). So when people come to you; even if they are not yet born again, but are willing to change their evil ways; they can come to you for healing, deliverance or anything else, that they want Your God to do for them. You have the God given right to pray for them, and God will show his goodness to them.

Paul explains it saying: for if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted (2Corinthians 8:12). Abimelech was willing to obey God, and repent of his evil. If he said to Abraham: I refuse to restore your wife to you, yet I want you to pray for me and my house to be healed; he would not have received the breadcrumbs of healing. Paul tells us: do you despise the riches of His kindness, and the forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and your impenitent heart, do you treasure up wrath for yourself in a day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each according to his works (Romans 2:4-6).

The aim of all these signs and wonders God performs, is to plunder the kingdom of darkness of the souls it has held captive, and translate them to the kingdom of the Son of God’s love (Colossians 1:13). For all souls belong to God, including the souls of sinners (Ezekiel 18:4). And Jesus says: all things that the Father has are Mine (John 16:15). Thus all souls, souls of parents, and souls of children, including the souls of sinners, belong to Jesus. That is why Jesus tells us: do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again (John 3:7). The whole planet must be born again, parents and children! You are a son, and you can decide to give the crumbs of your bread to the dogs. God authorised it, so that unsaved people will know how good our God is, and how powerful He is. Besides Him, there is no other God, and they can then decide to give their lives to Christ, who is the rightful owner of their souls.

Jesus tells us: go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and [to] My God and your God (John 20:17). Since we have the same Father as our Lord Jesus, we must work the works of our Father who sent us (John 9:4). Since you and I are sons and daughters of God, as Jesus is, and He tells us: the Father loves us as much us He loves Jesus. Therefore Jesus tells us: Most assuredly, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel; for as the Father raises the dead and gives life to [them], even so the Son gives life to whom He will (John 5:19-21).

We must imitate our elder brother Jesus, in His way, truth and life, since we have the same Father (John 14:6). If we do so, He tells us: Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do, because I go to My Father (and your Father). And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it (John 14:12-14). If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you. In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples (John 15:7-8). In other words, God is glorified when we possess what we profess to be in Christ Jesus. Before now, you have asked nothing in My name; ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full; for I watch over My word to perform it (John 16:24, Jeremiah 1:12).

5-5 Sons and Daughters who harvest where their Father has not cast any seed.

It is very crucial for us, as children of God, to know the heart of our Father. God’s desire is that the whole world must be saved, healed and delivered, from the oppression of Satan. And even when people are not yet born again, God still does not want them to be oppressed by Satan with sickness, disease, demonic possession, sins, etc. Solomon understood what the heart of God was, and we must understand what the heart of God is, for us to be effectively representing our Father God. When Solomon had finished the construction of the temple, and dedicated the temple he had built unto the Lord, he prayed a prayer of dedication to the Lord, for the temple. He asked God to do some specific things toward the temple, when people came in to pray. We can read it on our own, but what interests us in this section is, what Solomon prayed for unsaved people who came to the temple.

And this is what Solomon prayed: moreover concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for Your name’s sake “(for they will hear of Your great name and Your strong hand or strong power and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays towards this temple, hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You. [Why?] So that all peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple, which I have built, is called by your name (1Kings 8:41-43).”

Solomon was not ignorant of the ten commandments of God in Exodus 20, and He knew that the foreign nations were idol worshipers, they had generational curses because they hated God, they were going to hell because they did have the God of Israel. But Solomon knew the heart of God, that God wanted the entire planet to be saved, healed and delivered from the oppression of Satan. This may shock many religious people, but that is the heart of God. So Solomon asked God, that when foreigners who do not belong to Israel come to the temple and pray toward it, God will do according to all for which the foreigner calls to God.

Why should God give the bread of the children to the dogs? God said the god whom you serve, is the one to deliver you. God already said: Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen. Let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation (Judges 10:14). When people have gone all over the world, and have been to all the gods of the world, to all the doctors, and there was no help for them, they have said in their heart, I will try this Jesus Christ. I am still asking within myself: is Jesus the one to come, or do I need to look for another (Luke 7:20)? They are willing to try this Jesus. Paul says: if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted (2Corinthians 8:12). God accepts them, to deliver and heal them; so that they can know that Jesus is the one to come, and they do not have to look for deliverance elsewhere. They will give their life to Christ, and forsake their other gods.

Solomon explained to God that the reason He should answer the prayer of foreigners, is so that all peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel. In other words all the people of the world will know, that Jesus Christ is the one to save, heal, deliver and prosper them, they do not have to look for other gods. They will go back to their places, and tell what they have seen and heard, what Jesus Christ does today (Luke 7:20-23). They will also fear God as we, who are in the commonwealth of Israel fear Him. Which means they will hate evil and depart from evil, and love righteousness (Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 16:6, Hebrews 1:9). They will be born again as we are.

All signs, wonders and miracles, are meant to turn the heart of the people to God, so that they will fear Him, and forsake other gods to serve the only true God, through Christ Jesus. That is what happened on mount Carmel, when Elijah had a contest with the prophets of Baal; the god that answered by fire, is the one the people will serve, and all the other gods will be forsaken, and their agents destroyed (1Kings 18). That is what happened when the apostles preached Jesus, and did signs and wonders. Many who believed, came and confessed and showed their deeds. Also many of those practicing the curious arts, bringing together the books, burned them before all. And they counted the price of them, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the Word of God grew mightily and prevailed (Acts 19:18-20).

Solomon said to God: God first of all, do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, so that he will know that You are indeed a true God, not a worthless thing like the dungy idols that he is serving. You, as a minister of reconciliation, must point people to Jesus, and tell them they must be born again. You must explain to them the ways of God: they must repent of their sins, forsake their idols, and their evil ways, to practice righteousness and be born again, after God has shown them His goodness and kindness (Romans 2:4-6). God said to Jonah: should I not spare Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than a hundred and twenty thousand men, who do not know between their right and their left hand, besides much cattle (Jonah 4:11)? The multitudes of unsaved people who are coming to you, do not know their left from their right, nor the ways of God, we must show them the way to God. That way, is Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

God answered the prayer of dedication of the temple that Solomon prayed, as it is written: the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. And the Lord said to him: I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built, to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually (1Kings 9:2-3). The Lord heard and did according to what Solomon prayed in that temple. Even Daniel knew it, and when he was in captivity in Babylon, he opened his window to pray toward the temple that Solomon built, and God delivered the people from their captivity, according to the prayer of Solomon for the temple in 1Kings 8:46-53.

My friend, in the New Covenant we have it better than in the Old Covenant. Our body is now the temple of the Holy Ghost, God lives in us and walks in us, and talks through us (1Corinthians 6:19; 2Corinthians 6:16). The glory of this latter temple we are, is greater than the glory of the former temple, that Solomon built (Haggai 2:9). That is why it does not matter if people are saved or unsaved. When they come to you for help, as long as they are willing to forsake their evil ways, and their dungy idols, to only serve the living God, not to be concerned about their background, their generational curses, or their sins; but pray to God that He will do according to all, for which they ask you to intercede for them to God, as long as it is not violating the written word of God. And when God performs the miracle, they will know that Jesus is the Saviour of the world, and there is no other Saviour besides Him. And then get them born again, follow Jesus, and forsake all their idols, to serve the Living God.

I have prayed for businesses of unsaved people; God gave them contracts and prospered their businesses; but they have refused to give their life to Jesus. I told them to be born again; some of them after some months gave their life to Jesus. I have laid hands on unsaved people and God healed them of their sickness, and they themselves know it very well, but still they have not given their life to Jesus. Some others gave their life to Jesus afterwards. Jesus cleansed ten lepers, nine of them were Jews, and one of them was a Samaritan. Yet only one of them, the Samaritan, returned to Jesus to glorify God, the nine others walked away with their healing (Luke 17:12-19). The others despised the goodness and kindness of the Lord; for they did not come back to follow Jesus (Romans 2:4-6).

Jesus did not undo the cleansing of the nine other former lepers; because they did not come back to Him. Next time they will come back to God, when they are in trouble; God might speak to them like He did to the Israelites in the days of Judges: I delivered you out of the hands of all your enemies, yet you have forsaken Me, and served other gods; therefore, I will deliver you no more. Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen. Let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation (Judges 10:12-14). My prayer is, that we will love and minister to people with the heart of God, like our older brother Jesus exemplified it for us. Let us also warn the people, not to despise the goodness and kindness of the Lord, but to repent and forsake their evil ways.

Even in church, many Christians still doubt if they are serving the living God, or a worthless thing. Elijah at Mount Carmel, said to the people of Israel: how long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him. But the people of Israel answered Elijah not a word (1Kings 18:21). Yes, why should they follow you, if it is only empty words, for idol worshipers also have empty words? Idol worshipers also dance and sing to their so-called gods, which are but demons. So Elijah understood that, even for the people of God, in order for them to follow God whole heartedly, they need to be convinced, not just with empty words, but with the demonstration of the power of God, and the manifestations of the Spirit of God.

So he said: Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and I am Your servant, and I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me that the people may know that You are the Lord God, and that you have turned their hearts back to You again. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench (1Kings 18:36-38). Paul explains to us that our speech and our preaching, ought not to be with enticing words of men’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that the faith of those hearing us, should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God (1Corinthians 2:4-5).

Now when all the people saw the fire, they fell on their faces and they said: the Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God! And Elijah said to the people: seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let them escape! So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon, and executed them there. (1Kings 18:39-40). So you see, even in church some believers still have the ways of the Gentiles, they still have their idols, but when they see a demonstration of the power of God, and the manifestations of the Spirit of God, in the area of their need; they will make an utter riddance of their idols, and the prophets of those idols.

The reason why some Christians leave God, to go and serve idols, which are but demons, is because in church, some men of God have denied the power of God, and only have empty words. We need to come back to the standard of the bible, not our own standard. If we start believing and doing the written word of God, those who are already born again, will be strengthened in their faith, and the unsaved will come; because they know we have the solution for all their problems in Jesus’ name!

Jesus explains to us the Parable of the kingdom of God and He says: The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a Man who sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto Him: Sir, did You not sow good seed in Your field? From whence then has it tares? He said unto them, An enemy has done this. The servants said unto Him, Will You then that we go and gather them up? But he said, No; lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn (Matthew 13:24-30).

Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and those who do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear and understand (Matthew 13:36-43).

Some religious believers have not understood this parable of Jesus. They want the end of the world to happen right away, and they want all the tares to go and burn in hell! They want to up-root the tares immediately: so they do not want them to be saved, to be healed by God, or to be delivered from their demon possession, or to be raised from the dead. When they see an unsaved person sick, or involved in a car accident or having contracted a STD, they rejoice and say things like: “god is punishing that unsaved person or that believer who is living in sin”. God does not want anyone to die of sickness or disease or prematurely: He does not take delight in the death of the wicked at all; but that the wicked person should repent and be saved; for Jesus died for the whole world (Ezekiel 33:11, John 3:16). People who die without Christ are going to hell. And also at the end of the age, people who have refused to make Jesus their Lord and Saviour, will be sent to hell. Let us not wait for the end of the age, for right now anybody who dies without Christ, goes to hell. So we should be busy saving people from hell fire.

Paul says: walk in wisdom toward those who lack wisdom, whether they are saved or unsaved, redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Colossians 4:5; Ephesians 5:16). We need to buy time for the people around us, so that they will not go to hell. We are wise sons and daughters of God, who win souls for the kingdom of God, who turn tares into wheat, by the power of the Holy Ghost (Proverbs 11:30). When they are sick we heal them in the name of Jesus, so that they do not die of that sickness in their unsaved condition, but they be healed and receive Jesus.

When they are demon possessed, we do not leave them in that condition; but we cast out that demon, so that they receive soundness of mind, and accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. When they die prematurely, we go and raise them from the dead, to redeem their time so that they do not go to hell, and when they come back from the dead, we ask them to receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Jesus never asked about a person’s lifestyle before raising him or her from the dead. Jesus never asked what sin the parents committed, that their son or daughter died prematurely, before raising the son or daughter from the dead. Minister healing and deliverance, and then tell the people they must be born again, they shall not despise the goodness, kindness and forbearance of God; but they must repent and be born again.

Some Christians who are only focused on the end of the age, become idle sons and daughters; they no longer work in the kingdom of God: they do not heal the sick in the name of the Lord, they do not cast out demons in the name of the Lord, they do not raise the dead in the name of the Lord, and they do not preach the gospel to anybody around them. They waste their time going from one end time conference to another end time conference. We ought to be busy redeeming the time in people’s lives. The moment we are saved, we decide to learn everything about the will of God, and become a doer of that will of God; so that the work of darkness is stopped; for God’s plan is that the whole world must be saved, healed and delivered, from the oppression of the devil, the enemy of God. God even wants to send us into the field of the devil, to reap those tares, so that they will also become wheat like us.

In the Parable of the talents, Jesus explains that one of His servants, who received one talent, did not use his talent, but buried it; because he was not happy with the way God does His business of the kingdom. Jesus says: Then he who had received the one talent, came and said, Lord, I knew You that You are a hard man, reaping where You have not sown, and gathering where You have not scattered seed: And I was afraid, and went and hid Your talent in the earth: lo, there You have what is Yours. His Lord answered and said unto him: you wicked and slothful servant, you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not scattered seed: you ought therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at My coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him who has ten talents. For unto everyone who has, shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him who has not, shall be taken away even that which he has. And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:24-30).

Jesus called that servant a wicked and slothful servant. That servant was not at all happy, with the fact that God also wants to gather into His barn, those who used to be tares, which were planted by the devil in the field. Some Christians think like that as well, they say: “why should God heal unsaved people? Healing should only be for Christians, let us keep it among us, and let the rest of the world suffer”. He does it so that they will know that He is the only one who can deliver them, and they will come and be saved just like us.

Some will say: “why should God prosper a business of an unsaved person? Prosperity should only be for born again people”. Some will say: “why should God save those murderers, prostitutes, homosexuals, they deserve to go to hell, they are already of the devil, let them go to hell”? If you know the heart of God, you will intercede for those people, and confront their sins; so that they may forsake them and be born again. Father Abraham interceded for Sodom, that God would not destroy it, though they were wicked people, even spiritual tares. Jonah did not have the compassionate heart of Abraham. He did not want to go to Nineveh to preach to them; because they were wicked. He knew that God wanted to forgive them, and not destroy them; so Jonah was not happy about how God conducts His business of the kingdom; so he fled to Tarshish.

Jonah was even more concerned about plants, than the lives of people. That is wickedness in the eyes of the Lord. God said to Jonah, Is it right for you to be angry about the plant? And he said, it is right for me to be angry, even to death. Then said the LORD, you have had pity on the plant, called gourd and its fruits, for which you have not laboured, neither made it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons, that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle (Jonah 4:9-11)? You see some Christians are like Jonah. They have a vegetable garden in their back yard, they take very good care of it, they water it every day, they prune it, when it has an infection or it is attacked by some insects, they buy chemicals to heal the infection, and to repel the insects, when the sun is too hot, they build a greenhouse to protect it from the heat of the sun.

So God is saying to Jonah, and to some wicked Christians: you are more concerned about plants than the lives of humans, whom I made in My own image after My own likeness. You want them to die, but you do not want your plants to die. You want their children to die, but you do not want the fruits of your plants to die. You want them to be sick, but you do not want your plant to have any infection. You want their children to be demon possessed, but you do not want the fruits of your plants to be filled with worms inside, so you spray chemicals on your plants and its fruits, so that no insect will come close to it to eat its leaves, or worms enter its fruit. You want them to burn in hell, but you do not want the heat of the sun to burn your plant, so you build a greenhouse to protect it from the heat.

The remark God made to Jonah about the plant and its fruit, can also be applied to pets. Many people care about their pets more than they care about their fellow humans. They bring their pet to the vet, they feed it, they bath it, they give it drugs when it is sick, and they do not want to see their dog or any other pet they have, die. They will spend a fortune taking care of those dogs; yet they will not even give £5 to a person in need. I used to have 3 cats when I was a growing up, I know how I felt when they were sick, and when they died, I felt terrible. I used also to take care of the vegetable garden of my father, I know how my father cared much about his plants.

I used to take care of my mother’s roses, and they caught lots of infections; so we would buy chemicals to heal those infections, and fertilize the soil. So if you care so much about your plants, your flowers, your pets and want them to be well; should you not want the best to happen to your fellow humans, regardless of whether he is good or wicked, saved or unsaved? Should you not want them and their children to be in good health, should you not want their cattle and animals, which stand for their business and employment, to prosper? Therefore all things, whatever you desire that men should do to you, do even so to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12).

Some people, whether saved or unsaved, cannot discern their left from their right, they do not know the will of God for their life, and the devil has deceived them, to sin against the Lord. So we should have compassion on our fellow humans, regardless of who they are, and what they do: saved or unsaved, wicked or good, carnal or spiritual, practicing sin or practicing righteousness. We must love them enough to want the best for them: heal them of all manner of sickness and disease, and cast out all demons in them, raise them from the dead in the name of Jesus, and then show them the way of the Lord, to be born again, and practice righteousness. God demonstrated His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God did not wait for us to do what was right, He did what was right even before we were born, and now He expects us to respond to the unconditional love He demonstrated toward us, by forsaking all other gods and our wicked ways, and be born again.

Let us demonstrate the same unconditional love of God toward people around us: saved or unsaved; for God even wants to reap the spiritual tares that the enemy planted, so that they will also become spiritual wheat. What that wicked and slothful servant, who had one talent, did not understand is, that all the earth belongs to God; therefore there is not a field that does not belong to Him. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world and those who dwell therein (Psalm 24:1). So the earth does not belong to the devil, the world and everybody who dwells in the world, belongs to God. They were created by God and for God. They might decide to serve the devil, that is their own choice. Behold, all souls are Mine; says the Lord, as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine (Ezekiel 18:4). Whether a person is a spiritual tare or spiritual wheat; his or her soul belongs to God.

We must tell everybody they must be born again, for God who owns the souls of all humans, will cast those, who did not receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, by repenting of their sins towards God, and practicing righteousness, and putting their faith in the finished work of Jesus at Calvary, into hell fire, (Acts 20:21). Jesus says: do not fear those who kill the body [even Satan and his agents], but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him [even God] who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28). But whosoever believes in Jesus should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:15). What is eternal life? This is life eternal, that they might know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent (John 17:3).

What does it mean to know God, or that a person knows God, or Jesus? Hereby we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whosoever keeps His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him, ought himself also so to walk, even as Jesus walked (1John 2:3-6). Jesus hated iniquity and loved righteousness, so walk like He did (Hebrews 1:9). For you were sometimes darkness, but now you are light in the Lord: walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8). Jesus says, I am the light of the world: he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9:5). Now that I have ascended to heaven, You are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth (3John 1:4). I, Jesus, am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6).

God expected that servant, who had received one talent, to even go into the field that the enemy said belonged to him, which is a lie from the pit of hell, to take by force those spiritual tares, so that they will become spiritual wheat. Always remember that from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:12). Do not be deceived: salvation of souls, healing, deliverance, dead raising and preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of God, are violent attacks on the kingdom of darkness, and its unfruitful works, which are sin, sickness, disease, poverty, demon possession, premature death, divorce, etc. If you do not realize it, the devil will always lie to you, saying: “you have no right to be here, it is not the field of God”. The entire world and all those who dwell in the world, belong to our God; so He expects us to reap everywhere (Psalm 24:1, Ezekiel 18:4).

The devil pulled that lie from the pit of hell to Amos. Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel, sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos has conspired against you, in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos says, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive, out of their own land. Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O you seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there; but do not prophesy again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court. Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was a herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit: And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto My people Israel. Now therefore you hear the word of the LORD: you say, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not your word against the house of Isaac. Therefore thus says the LORD; your wife shall be a harlot in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided by line; and you shall die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land (Amos 7:10-17).

In the days of Amos, the twelve tribes were divided into two main kingdoms: Judah and Benjamin constituted the kingdom of Judah, with their capital in Jerusalem, and they were serving the living God; but the ten other tribes came together to form the kingdom of Israel, and they made their capital in Samaria, and made two calves of gold, that they worshipped at Bethel. So Amaziah was the priest of those idols of Bethel, which are but demons, not a priest of the living God. So he came to intimidate Amos, saying, do not prophesy in Israel since we are no longer serving the living God, but our idols; therefore we are no longer the field of God, so go back to the land of Judah, which is the field of God, and there prophesy, preach repentance, heal the sick, cast out devils and raise the dead; but leave our people of Israel alone, since we no longer serve God. Amos knew that the whole world and its inhabitants belong to God, even if some of them do not worship Him, so he could prophesy to any nation, or preach the gospel to any nation, heal the sick, cast out devils and raise the dead.

What is happening in our days is, that most of the time we witness only to Christians, and not to unsaved people. We tell those Christians: come to my church; my church is better than your church. We preach nominations and denominations to other born again believers; we do not preach Jesus Christ. My prayer is, that we will get the understanding of what the will of God is, and become doers of the will of God. We will not be like that unprofitable wicked and slothful servant, who had received one talent and did not want to use it; because he did not like the fact that God reaps even where the devil has sown. We will not be like Jonah, who cared more about a plant and its fruit, than the lives and livelihood of his fellow humans. Father in the name of Jesus create in us a clean heart, and renew the right spirit within us (Psalm 51:10), even a compassionate heart, and a spirit of grace, and the spirit of prayer, of supplication for the lost souls (Zechariah 12:10), so that we will be able to love people unconditionally, the way You love us, and minister salvation unto them.

If we do not know that truth, we will only be ministering to born again Christians, we will only preach to Christians. Muslims and the Arab world tell Christians the same lie of Amaziah. They tell Christians: “we have chosen Islam, do not impose your Jesus on us; do not preach to our people or in our countries”. Atheists and homosexuals pull the same lie of Amaziah on Christians. Yet they preach their Islam, their atheism and impose their homosexual views on everybody in the west, and in Africa, in prisons in the west, they even preach in the streets in the west, etc. Islam is the spirit of anti-Christ, that is why it is so afraid of the preaching of the gospel of Christ, and wants to kill Christians and Jews.

Atheism is a religion of fools in itself. Atheists are people who believe that God is a man-made construction, myths and legends. The fool has said in his heart, There is no God! They acted corruptly; they have done abominable works, there is none who does good (Psalm 14:1). They are greatly deceived by the devil. Agnostics are people who neither believe nor disbelieve in the existence of God. The word agnostic, has its root in Greek and it means without knowledge, or ignorant. So agnostics are ignorant people; they will perish, and go to hell for lack of knowledge, and because they reject the knowledge of God (Hosea 4:6). Tell those agnostics and Atheists the truth of the gospel, if they reject it, do not waste your time; for they have a tendency of arguing too much. Paul says: after the first and second warning, reject the divisive man (Titus 3:10).

It is high time for us to go to the enemy’s camp, and plunder him, of all the souls he is holding captive in the name of Jesus! Target all those Muslims you know, all the idol worshipers you know, all the Satanists, all the agnostics and atheists you know, and preach Jesus Christ to them, until they bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and be born again! Behold, all souls are Mine, says the Lord. As the soul of the father, also the soul of the son, they are Mine (Ezekiel 18:4).

6. The purpose of our life in the kingdom of God

Praise the Lord for all our secular occupations, professions and careers. Yet wherever God has placed us, we all have one purpose in the kingdom of God. So what is that purpose? Jesus says to us: I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: because for this purpose I have been sent (Luke 4:43). I have declared or preached to you the name of God, and I will declare it, [for what reason?] so that the love with which God the Father loved Me, may also be in you and I in you (John 17:26). He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil (1John 3:8). God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him (Acts 10:38).

The purpose of us being in the kingdom of God, is to tell everybody around us about the kingdom of God, we have already explained what the gospel of the kingdom is, it is the supremacy and superiority or pre-eminence of God, over what has come against people’s lives: sin, devils, sickness, disease, death and all the destruction of the devil in people’s lives. We are to get as many people around us as possible saved; since we have been saved, been healed, been delivered, been prospered, etc. As sons and daughters of God, we have been manifested to destroy the works of the devil: sin, sickness, disease, premature death, poverty, divorce, addictions, etc.

People around us must know how much God loves them, not how much God hates them, nor how angry God is with them! God so loved them, that He gave His Son Jesus to die for them, so that none of them should go to hell, so that none of them should to be sick, diseased or die prematurely (John 3:16, Psalm 118:17, Psalm 91:16). He wants to bring them out of poverty and to make their lives better (2Corinthians 8:9, Revelation 2:9). So let us all be busy about our Father’s business, like Jesus taught us, saying: why do you seek Me? Do you not know that I must be about My Father’s business (Luke 2:49)? For the thief [Satan the devil] comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: but you and I, through Christ Jesus, have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Jesus said to Pontius Pilate: you say rightly that I am a king. To this end or intent or purpose I was born, and for this cause or intent or purpose, I came into the world, so that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone who is of the truth, hears My voice (John 18:37). You are a king as well, because you are in Jesus, the King of kings. Peter tells you: you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises [the virtue, even the power] of Him, who has called you out of darkness, into His marvellous light (1Peter 2:9). Jesus has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen (Revelation 1:6). So as a king, under Jesus the King of kings, you were born again and sent to earth as His ambassador, for the same purpose or same cause: to bear witness to the truth. What is the truth? Jesus is the truth and the word of God is the truth (John 14:16; John 17:17). So to bear witness to the truth is, to let people know about Jesus, and let people know about the word of God. But more than just sharing about Jesus and His truth, we must walk in the truth; because we are in Christ Jesus, who is the truth (3John 1:4).

Jesus came onto earth to die, so that He can redeem mankind. For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). You and I also need to die to self, if we want to be effective in our witness. John tells us: by this we have known the love of God, because He laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers (1John 3:16). John the Baptist puts it this way: Jesus must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30). The only Jesus people will see, is you and I; the only gospel unsaved people will read, is your life and mine. That is why it is imperative for the word of God to become flesh in you, and dwell among the people, to behold the glory, grace and truth of Jesus Christ through you (John 1:14).

Paul explains this to us, saying: you are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men, it having been made plain that you are the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, not having been written with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tablets of stone, but in fleshly tablets of the heart. And we have such trust through Christ toward God (2Corinthians 3:2-4). If you do not live a sanctified life, and practice the truth, like Jesus did, many people will blaspheme the name of Jesus. You who boast [in the Holy Scriptures], do you dishonour God through breaking the [Holy Scriptures]? For the name of God is blasphemed among the nations, even the heathens, because of you, as it is written: For circumcision, which is the imputed righteousness of God, truly profits if you keep the [Holy Scriptures], but if you are a transgressor of the [Holy Scriptures], circumcision or imputed righteousness, becomes uncircumcision even unrighteousness (Romans 2:23-25).

Do you not know, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor abusers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God (1Corinthians 6:9-10). So for your own sake and of the people around us, let us embrace the life, truth and way of Jesus. Jesus says: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me (John 14:6). Jesus prays for each one of us to the Father, saying: they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Your truth. Your Word is truth. As You have sent Me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world. And I sanctify Myself for their sakes, so that they also might be sanctified in truth. And I do not pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe in Me, through their word (John 17:16-20).

A true witness of the truth, embraces first of all the sanctified or holy life, truth and way of Jesus, and becomes a doer of the word of God, and of the works of God (John 14:6). James explains this process to believers, saying: become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves; for if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man studying his natural face in a mirror. For he studied himself and went his way, and immediately he forgot what he was like. But whoever looks into the perfect Law of liberty and continues in it, he is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work. This one shall be blessed in his doing (James 1:22-25). In other words the life, truth and way of Jesus, must be incarnated in you, if you want to become a doer of His works too; you will have to put on Christ Jesus every day of your life, not just on Sundays. Paul tells us: put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not take thought beforehand for the lusts of the flesh (Romans 13:14). For as many as were baptized into Christ, you put on Christ (Galatians 3:27).

If we willingly choose to put on the Lord Jesus; He tells us how we will be able to bear witness to the truth, just like He did, saying: I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father has given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me (John 5:36). The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me (John 10:25). And He tells us: since I have sent you like My Father sent Me: verily, verily, I say unto you, he who believes on Me, the works that I do, shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father (John 14:12). You will be able to bear witness of the truth as I, Jesus, bore witness of the truth, when I was on earth; you and Jesus have the same purpose. The works of Jesus you do in His name, will bear witness unto the truth, and will bear witness of you that Jesus has sent you (John 20:21). Jesus Himself told us: If I do not the works of My Father, do not believe Me. But if I do, though you do not believe me, believe the works: so that you may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him (John 10:37-38).

Jesus spoke to Paul and told him what the purpose of his Christian life was. The bible tells us: So I, Paul, said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ‘But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness, both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the [Jewish] people, as well as [from] the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, [in order] to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me (Acts 26:15-18). What Jesus said to Paul, He says to all of us, because we are all ministers of reconciliation, and have been entrusted with the word of reconciliation (Mark 13:37, 2Corinthians 5:18-19).

May God bless you and keep you.

Regards,

G