ANOINTED WITH POWER by Ilene Wood
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ANOINTED WITH POWER by Ilene Wood August 09, 2007 01:16PM |
ANOINTED WITH POWER
by ilene wood
Acts 10:38 "How 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."
Luke 4:1,2,14 "Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Ghost .... and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for 40 days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry." (The Holy Spirit kept Him during the fast from food.) {This is true fast food
) "Then Jesus returned IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT ...... ."
In vs. 3-12 Jesus overcame temptation by prayer and by the word of God. Food was not His priority; the word of God was ["Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."]. He waited upon God (His Father) in prayer; it was a personal relationship. He only worshipped the One True Living God, and not any other thing or person; Life comes from the Spirit, and God is Living, for God is Spirit; and it is God who anointed Jesus (as the Son of Man) 'with' the Holy Spirit 'and' with power, and He went about doing good 'and' healing ALL who were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him. I note it interesting that Jesus was anointed and with power, then He did the works of God, for this 'showed or proved' that God was with Him! The Spirit came upon Jesus with the anointing and with power in order to do the works of God! We, in the church world, think we have it, when we have nothing but a religious shadow that casts forth oppression and religious duty.....no works coming forth that shows the Almighty God - no works that show forth Christ! God confirms His Word with signs following! So, where's the power today?! The answer is in a lack of prayer to the Father who sits on His Throne. We think we go before Him, in which we do, but, we do not get close to Him to hear His heart beat, to know His will. We do not bow before Him in true worship, for we must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Our hearts are deceitful, who can know them. But God knows the heart, even the innermost parts of our hearts. But we still refuse to know Him intimately [that close to be discipled, to be disciplined, to be humbled, to let things go - to surrender all for it all belongs to Him, to receive instruction - His ways for His will, His love, OBEDIENCE]. Our will still stands in the way so that His will is not done. But God is raising up a people unto Him who will surrender all, who will obey Him, who will seek Him out and receive from Him His standard for this day; a people holy unto God who will stand in the gap and pray, who will intercede for the people, who will put on Christ and Love so that the world may see Him who is faithful and true. A people who will humble themselves before Him as their Lord and God; who will not rule nor reign over others, who work together under Christ as the Head where the gifts of the Spirit can flow, who will worship Him in spirit and in truth with their whole hearts to love God with all their strength, with all their minds, with all their souls; a people truly surrendered unto God because they know His love for them, and are willing to give their all to Him; a people repentant and humbled, a people set apart unto God to do His will and not their own - truly following God and obeying Him. For God seeks those who will and who do and who are.
Christ is the One who covers us [by His Spirit], and who is also within us as believers. We are told to put on Christ, that is, put on the Anointed One and His anointing (for it is He who anoints us with HIMSELF - with the same power of the Holy Ghost!), for it is ALL GOD - ALL CHRIST JESUS the Hope of Glory! When the gifts of the Spirit begin to manifest in different believers, it is all the same Spirit. HE comes upon us with His power to do the works of God. We must be submitted unto God so that He can move in our hearts and from our spirits and in our midst; it is Christ who lives and who pours out His Life so that we might live and that the world might live through Him as He makes Himself known to draw all men unto Himself (and not unto the church for she is not God). I say might because we have to make a choice: we have to believe God. When we begin to exalt Jesus, HE will draw all men unto Himself; we worship HIM as God.
Christ within us. It is His Kingdom come. When we are born again, God's Kingdom comes within us through the Sonship of Christ Jesus who sits on the right hand of the Father. And when we put Christ Jesus on our right hand we are under His authority. Psa. 16:8 "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved." Only when we have set the Lord always before us, and when we set Him at our right hand (because we are in obedience to His will and to His Lordship) shall we not be moved because we are in a position of authority (in Christ Jesus for we belong unto Him). "To those who overcome, I will sit on My Throne." {Rev.) We as/in the church have not overcome the world, for the world has come into the church for the world sees itself there and it will not come into that which has no answers and no power. We fight for position, for our agendas and programs, to lord over others -- it is from the top to the bottom! It must not be anymore! It's time to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God! When we overcome these temptations of power control, we will open ourselves to the position of being seated with Christ in heavenly places. Now, as believers we are seated together in the heavenly places, but that means that we are seated together, not in the position of sitting on the Throne of Christ as overcomers. Overcomers have a place because of their humility before the Lord with Christ; they do not look at themselves as anything; they are of a broken and contrite heart/spirit - they want God's will and they seek Him. They do not want the things of the world; they only want God because they love Him; and they pray for His will to be done and not their own. Overcomers will have their day with God and in this world as He comes for His Bride without spot or wrinkle. The train of the Bride will bring in all with Her for it is the Glory of the Lord who prevails. All will not be lost, but be found in Him when one believes.
Jesus Christ knew God's word and He knew God, so that He did not misuse the Scriptures. He was truly led by the Spirit because He was filled with the Spirit. He knew His Father's voice, and another He did not follow. We must know our Heavenly Father's voice, and stop following the voice of the flesh and of the soul.
I believe that Jesus did not fight the devil so-to-speak, but fought through the good fight of faith in God who is the Word. HE sought God through prayer, and kept His focus on His Father by receiving the word of God [as living bread/manna] as food for His spirit and soul, and by worshipping God and serving Him which exalted God in His heart for Kingdom living and Kingdom rule and reign, and He did not listen to His soul which is reasoning (mind), feelings (emotions), and misleadings (will).
It could be that the devil tempted Jesus with other things indirectly [like when one of us cannot tell what/which voice is talking to us like of our soul, flesh, or another spirit] (and so that He can show us endurance and also focus by the Word of God) for the 40 days, and when he could not get to Jesus he began to go the direct route by saying "you". And that is when the personal attack began, and Jesus took recognition of the devil and rebuked him with the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God so that the devil finally left until a more opportune time [he will come back]. Jesus kept His eyes, heart, mind and will on His Father. We hear of nothing of Jesus saying anything to the devil during the 40 day fast, but it was afterwards - when He was hungry, when His soul and body was awake so-to-speak. The devil is around waiting for us to be 'in the soul', to be in the flesh, and not in the spirit. We are to walk in the Spirit so not to fulfill the lust of the flesh, and to live in the Spirit. We live in a real world, but we are not of the world. We are not to be led by our souls [mind, will, emotion]. Jesus was not a soulish person, even in His youth He was kept by the Spirit [for He could do nothing of His own]. We see Him in His mother's womb as born of the Spirit, and in His childhood as of the Spirit, but yet, He did not have the power of the Spirit which comes from the Holy Spirit coming upon a person as we see after Jesus' baptism with water and then baptism with the Spirit. I believe that Jesus spoke with tongues [with the fire of the Holy Ghost!]. Why would He give us something He did not have Himself here on earth. Jesus Christ shows us the Way.
Now, many of us have been baptized with the Holy Ghost by speaking in tongues, but the fire has almost burned out; many are depressed or oppressed and have no passion to do anything for the Lord anymore because of religious control. But God! HE has made the way out if we will only believe and continue to pray and to come before our Heavenly Father in repentance (if need be) and in crying out to Him and in listening to Him; sometimes we just need to soak in His Presence, and to wait on the Lord. Many have lost the power because of this religious control, but also that we have not taken the time to pray as Jesus did many times. I believe that He prayed in the Spirit waiting for the Holy Spirit to come upon Him with power -- He was being immersed/filled with the Spirit because of all the outpouring He was doing. We, too, have to be continually filled! Jesus was called the Son of Man, and He shows us His example for here on earth; we are to follow Him, not the precepts of men and their principles. God's Word is true, may we follow it/Him.
In Matt. 4 and Luke 4 we see that after Jesus was baptized and filled with the Spirit and then returned with POWER that He made Himself known to the people and later to the religious so that the word of the Lord given through Isaiah was fulfilled. HE was sent! HE was sent by His Heavenly Father. Whatever He saw His Father doing He did, and whatever He heard His Heavenly Father saying He said. HE knew when to go, where to go, and what to do because He was led by the Spirit. So many of us disobey God because we do not do what He has told us or revealed to us to do; we withdraw from Him, and this causes the power to leave. We do many sacrifices in the church, but we are in disobedience to Him when we do not obey what He has told us to do. "Obedience is better than sacrifice." We have often wondered about what we saw or what we heard not knowing what to do. Why? Because we are so inexperienced (or just unwilling to do it), we have no fathers, no teachers. It's time to see what God will do if we will but simply obey. Know His voice and know His will by reading and knowing the Word. And then we see in these chapters that He began to preach, and signs and wonders followed confirming the Word of God. Jesus taught, and He healed, and He cast out demons. This is what the Word of God does.
[Don't fear. Don't be down. Ask God to forgive you. Look up unto Him who is the Author and Finisher of your faith. (I have done the same of what I have been speaking about; but revelation comes to teach us, to set us free if we will but apply it because we have a heart after God.) Look unto Jesus Christ as the One who does the works because it is His power. "It's not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts." It is all Christ. Believe on Him, trust in Him; may the Lord deliver you this day.]
And all this was done 'after' He spent time in prayer. He prayed in the Spirit [in tongues], so that He was immersed with and in the Holy Spirit who empowered Him for the work of the ministry. And so must we be empowered this day.
Acts 1:5,8 "..for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. ..... But you shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me ... .
Acts 2:3 ..."tongues, as of fire, ... ."
You've heard the phrase: fight fire with fire. We go through fiery trials, even like the 3 Hebrew men who were persecuted for their faith in the One True God, who would not bow the knee to a false god {like Daniel who would not), and they were bound up and then thrown into a fiery furnace; BUT, THE SON OF GOD WAS WITH THEM! And they were free! They may have been in the fire, but they were free in the Spirit because they had put their faith/trust in God who provided Himself! In the natural they were bound, but not their hearts and minds and spirits! Like I said, we go through fiery trials, but the FIRE of the Holy Spirit will keep us! Hallelujah! amen And in this fire of the Holy Spirit will the devil see his end > hell fire!
Mt. 3:11 John speaking: "I indeed baptize you with water {that is all that man can do!) unto repentance, BUT HE who is coming after me is mightier than I ....., HE will baptize you with the Holy Spirit 'and' fire!" The word of the Lord will be coming in from those who like John the baptist who has the spirit of Elijah {Elijah means: the Lord He is God) preaching repentance and that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, because they have been prepared with a powerful message from God to turn the hearts of the people towards Him and to bring forth reform/change along with revival. Jesus Christ comes! And He comes to His house suddenly! Be ready!
Now, back to the prayer. We see many times in the Word of God [the Holy Bible] that Jesus drew away to pray; He was being filled with the Holy Spirit and being empowered for what was next [to come His way]. For example, Mark 6:45-52 ........ vs. 46 "And when He had sent them away, Jesus departed to the mountain to pray." The mountain is the prayer closet. It is hard to climb up that mount at times, but it has to be done. There are times when it is easy, but there are times when it is hard. The easy times is when there isn't any pressure, but oh those hard times of pressure it can be hard to get down on one's knees and worship God in spirit and in truth! To praise Him is totally hard on the soul when the soul is focused on the problem, but in prayer if we will humbly submit ourselves unto God, the devil will flee when we resist him with what God says for it is the devil who is tormenting our souls. Mt. Zion is the place that we take a stand and be established. King David had to take Mt. Zion for it had been inhabitated by another people. We see today many of false religions praying; there has to be something going on as they are praying to their father the devil who is the god of this world for they are deceived, but he is powerless against the One True Living God. Mt. Zion is where Jerusalem is built upon - that holy city of David. Anyways, after Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat and to go to the other side, He went to the mountain to pray. And from that place He came to the disciples walking on the water. {Mt.14:22-33.) Now, we may not walk on water, but it could happen, but, we are to walk in that kind of power and authority over the winds and the sea. God has given man dominion here on earth, and we are to use it for His glory.
By being filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit after prayer, we will be sent to those who are in need: to get them out of fear, out of doubt and unbelief, to get them to stretch their faith and believe the Word of God! "All things are possible to those who believe!"
We do not tempt God by saying that we are going to walk on water which is for a personal gain; but that we are sent by God for a task - for an appointment to minister by the word of the Lord and with power.
Mark 8:22-25 a blind man healed at Bethsaida
Mark 8 and Mt. 16 we see that Jesus says some words to the religious
Matt.16:13-19 Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ; but also, "on this Rock I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it"
Mark 9:1-13 Jesus transfigured on the Mount {Mt.17:1-13)
Mark 9:14-29 a boy healed when demon cast out {Mt.17:14-21)
(read scriptures above.) After 6 days? What about 'after 6 days'? Where were they? What were they doing? We see that Jesus spoke of taking up our cross and following Him; we are to clearly deny our selves, to walk with Him carrying His burden for the lost. We do our part, but also as we do our part, it is Christ in us who helps us to do that which only He can do in His strength. We work together with Him who is the Word.
The religious were always seeking for a sign to believe, but yet, many were given not to them but to the lost so that they may be found. They really did not want to believe, but to scoff at a man (in which they were scoffing at God). With all the signs that did come, they still would not have believed because they had no faith in God but faith in their religious works (which was dead) and them selves. That's why we are to take up our cross so that we do not follow after the religious works of men. Peter had received the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. It was the Father who had revealed this to Peter because of his love for Jesus, but his love had to be refined as we see later when he denied Jesus Christ, and when he was restored and was talking with Jesus after His resurrection on the beach when Jesus asked him if he loved Him, then he was to feed His lambs, to tend His sheep, to feed My sheep. {John 21:15-19.) Our love will be refined also, but be at rest for it is the Lord who will fulfill His calling upon you and within you as He pours out His Spirit. "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit." With the revelation from the Father will God give us the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Revelation is the fresh manna from heaven -- it is a word alive! It breathes life into us by His Spirit so that we might live if we will receive it and apply it.
Before the transfiguration, Jesus had spoke to His disciples about taking heed and to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. These religious knew about God's Word but did not truly believe it nor apply it; it was but religious works to them. Religious works will contaminate you, it will lead you astray, it will look to the work instead of to God who is alive.
Peter had revelation, but, he did not know the will of God. And there are many in Christiandom who do not know God's will, they just think that they know, they are not led by His Spirit nor do they know Love. We see where Peter rebuked Jesus for talking about His death and resurrection, but Jesus rebuked the devil for influencing Peter to say the wrong things that he knew not of, and that He also rebuked Peter in the same process. Then Jesus addressed them about taking up their cross, and saying, "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake wil find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works." Have that personal relationship with the Father by His Word and by His Spirit so that you may know Him, for it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us all things for we have no need of man [that is, we do not rely upon man to teach us, but God]. It is God who gifts men to teach us His Word, but that is by His Spirit.
During this time of 6 days, Jesus was speaking to His disciples about the Kingdom of God present with POWER. Mark 9:1 "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the Kingdom of God present with POWER." Wow! What a statement! Will we press in to the Kingdom of God to push aside our self nature, to push aside what we want! Will we allow the Kingdom of God to flow from our innermost being where the Spirit of God dwells! It is His River that is to flow from His Throne room of grace! And there are rivers to flow from His Throne! There is an abundance ready of His power, authority, and Life! Are we willing to receive it without the self being in the way? Will we really lay our selves down? Will we pay the price? We've counted the cost, and many back away, even ourselves, but with God we can do it, if we will but trust in Him all the way through, for it is Christ's all in all!
Now, back to the prayer part again. In Matt. and Mark we see the words "led them up on a high mountain by themselves". This was Jesus, Peter, James and John, his brother. I believe that the other disciples were on a lower part of the mountain........praying, but not fasting. Jesus took these 3 higher because he recognized something in them......a desire for the things of God but also for God, but flesh still got in the way as we will see. On the higher mount, Jesus was transfigured before them - they saw the Glory of God by way of the spirit realm. It is a place that we do not see from our natural eyes, but in the spirit; and the devil can see that glory upon us as we press in to God and in doing His will. We do not see what is going on in the realm of the spirit, but God does, and He reveals in due time; we must walk by faith and not by sight; we are not given over to the realm of the spirit, but only in times as the Spirit reveals for His purpose. We are to live by faith here on earth trusting in God at all times, and we will see results if we faint not. We then see how the flesh got in the way when Peter talked about the making of 3 tabernacles for Jesus, for Moses, and for Elijah. Peter got his eyes off of God and onto the religious works of man. But God's response was and is: "This is My beloved Son, hear Him!" We must stop listening to the lies of the devil. We must stop hearing and receiving his influence to set up kingdoms for ourselves for there is no other power nor authority that is above God's! And we must not worship another! It is only God's Kingdom that shall prevail for He is Lord and King and God!
Now when they came down, they saw a multitude gathered. These other disciples who did not go up higher were trying to cast a demon out of a boy, but could not, for Jesus had said that this kind comes not out but by prayer and fasting.
Jesus was showing [teaching about] the power of God to destroy the works of the devil. We cannot build tabernacles [containments] for Jesus nor for any other person whom God has used for His glory. That's why these 3 men missed what God was doing and wanted to do because their eyes got on others and themselves. But Jesus showed them the way to Truth which brought forth Life and freedom.
I am reminded of Benny Hinn's ministry, as well as Kathyrn Kuhlman's, that they spent 'time' in prayer getting saturated with the Holy Spirit and POWER so that He is/was upon them with POWER. We can have the same as believers in Christ Jesus. It's time for disciples to move up higher, and to fulfill their call and purpose in life. I've spoken all that I can at this time, for this is already a mouth full [since this was a very long writing, but needed to be said]. I had received this message one morning after I woke up, and spent some time in prayer. And since it was just after waking, it was a fast. And it was not an hour of prayer, nor even a half hour, but it was because of a question that I had been asking and pondering on for quite awhile from time to time talking to God about it. See, for me it has been my daily walk with the Lord of talking with Him during the day at any time (or even night) that has kept me close to Him, and the devil has tried to destroy that, but God has restored me each time. And because of my seeking Him, He has answered. I was not really seeking an answer from Him that morning about this, but God revealed in His time, and this is what came forth. It is because of His love for us as our Father to make these mysteries known, and because He recognizes our hearts with true motivations for Him.
"To whom much is given, much is required." Oh, the price! But it is worth it in the end!
God bless you.
ilene wood
by ilene wood
Acts 10:38 "How 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."
Luke 4:1,2,14 "Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Ghost .... and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for 40 days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry." (The Holy Spirit kept Him during the fast from food.) {This is true fast food
) "Then Jesus returned IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT ...... ."
In vs. 3-12 Jesus overcame temptation by prayer and by the word of God. Food was not His priority; the word of God was ["Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."]. He waited upon God (His Father) in prayer; it was a personal relationship. He only worshipped the One True Living God, and not any other thing or person; Life comes from the Spirit, and God is Living, for God is Spirit; and it is God who anointed Jesus (as the Son of Man) 'with' the Holy Spirit 'and' with power, and He went about doing good 'and' healing ALL who were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him. I note it interesting that Jesus was anointed and with power, then He did the works of God, for this 'showed or proved' that God was with Him! The Spirit came upon Jesus with the anointing and with power in order to do the works of God! We, in the church world, think we have it, when we have nothing but a religious shadow that casts forth oppression and religious duty.....no works coming forth that shows the Almighty God - no works that show forth Christ! God confirms His Word with signs following! So, where's the power today?! The answer is in a lack of prayer to the Father who sits on His Throne. We think we go before Him, in which we do, but, we do not get close to Him to hear His heart beat, to know His will. We do not bow before Him in true worship, for we must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Our hearts are deceitful, who can know them. But God knows the heart, even the innermost parts of our hearts. But we still refuse to know Him intimately [that close to be discipled, to be disciplined, to be humbled, to let things go - to surrender all for it all belongs to Him, to receive instruction - His ways for His will, His love, OBEDIENCE]. Our will still stands in the way so that His will is not done. But God is raising up a people unto Him who will surrender all, who will obey Him, who will seek Him out and receive from Him His standard for this day; a people holy unto God who will stand in the gap and pray, who will intercede for the people, who will put on Christ and Love so that the world may see Him who is faithful and true. A people who will humble themselves before Him as their Lord and God; who will not rule nor reign over others, who work together under Christ as the Head where the gifts of the Spirit can flow, who will worship Him in spirit and in truth with their whole hearts to love God with all their strength, with all their minds, with all their souls; a people truly surrendered unto God because they know His love for them, and are willing to give their all to Him; a people repentant and humbled, a people set apart unto God to do His will and not their own - truly following God and obeying Him. For God seeks those who will and who do and who are.
Christ is the One who covers us [by His Spirit], and who is also within us as believers. We are told to put on Christ, that is, put on the Anointed One and His anointing (for it is He who anoints us with HIMSELF - with the same power of the Holy Ghost!), for it is ALL GOD - ALL CHRIST JESUS the Hope of Glory! When the gifts of the Spirit begin to manifest in different believers, it is all the same Spirit. HE comes upon us with His power to do the works of God. We must be submitted unto God so that He can move in our hearts and from our spirits and in our midst; it is Christ who lives and who pours out His Life so that we might live and that the world might live through Him as He makes Himself known to draw all men unto Himself (and not unto the church for she is not God). I say might because we have to make a choice: we have to believe God. When we begin to exalt Jesus, HE will draw all men unto Himself; we worship HIM as God.
Christ within us. It is His Kingdom come. When we are born again, God's Kingdom comes within us through the Sonship of Christ Jesus who sits on the right hand of the Father. And when we put Christ Jesus on our right hand we are under His authority. Psa. 16:8 "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved." Only when we have set the Lord always before us, and when we set Him at our right hand (because we are in obedience to His will and to His Lordship) shall we not be moved because we are in a position of authority (in Christ Jesus for we belong unto Him). "To those who overcome, I will sit on My Throne." {Rev.) We as/in the church have not overcome the world, for the world has come into the church for the world sees itself there and it will not come into that which has no answers and no power. We fight for position, for our agendas and programs, to lord over others -- it is from the top to the bottom! It must not be anymore! It's time to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God! When we overcome these temptations of power control, we will open ourselves to the position of being seated with Christ in heavenly places. Now, as believers we are seated together in the heavenly places, but that means that we are seated together, not in the position of sitting on the Throne of Christ as overcomers. Overcomers have a place because of their humility before the Lord with Christ; they do not look at themselves as anything; they are of a broken and contrite heart/spirit - they want God's will and they seek Him. They do not want the things of the world; they only want God because they love Him; and they pray for His will to be done and not their own. Overcomers will have their day with God and in this world as He comes for His Bride without spot or wrinkle. The train of the Bride will bring in all with Her for it is the Glory of the Lord who prevails. All will not be lost, but be found in Him when one believes.
Jesus Christ knew God's word and He knew God, so that He did not misuse the Scriptures. He was truly led by the Spirit because He was filled with the Spirit. He knew His Father's voice, and another He did not follow. We must know our Heavenly Father's voice, and stop following the voice of the flesh and of the soul.
I believe that Jesus did not fight the devil so-to-speak, but fought through the good fight of faith in God who is the Word. HE sought God through prayer, and kept His focus on His Father by receiving the word of God [as living bread/manna] as food for His spirit and soul, and by worshipping God and serving Him which exalted God in His heart for Kingdom living and Kingdom rule and reign, and He did not listen to His soul which is reasoning (mind), feelings (emotions), and misleadings (will).
It could be that the devil tempted Jesus with other things indirectly [like when one of us cannot tell what/which voice is talking to us like of our soul, flesh, or another spirit] (and so that He can show us endurance and also focus by the Word of God) for the 40 days, and when he could not get to Jesus he began to go the direct route by saying "you". And that is when the personal attack began, and Jesus took recognition of the devil and rebuked him with the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God so that the devil finally left until a more opportune time [he will come back]. Jesus kept His eyes, heart, mind and will on His Father. We hear of nothing of Jesus saying anything to the devil during the 40 day fast, but it was afterwards - when He was hungry, when His soul and body was awake so-to-speak. The devil is around waiting for us to be 'in the soul', to be in the flesh, and not in the spirit. We are to walk in the Spirit so not to fulfill the lust of the flesh, and to live in the Spirit. We live in a real world, but we are not of the world. We are not to be led by our souls [mind, will, emotion]. Jesus was not a soulish person, even in His youth He was kept by the Spirit [for He could do nothing of His own]. We see Him in His mother's womb as born of the Spirit, and in His childhood as of the Spirit, but yet, He did not have the power of the Spirit which comes from the Holy Spirit coming upon a person as we see after Jesus' baptism with water and then baptism with the Spirit. I believe that Jesus spoke with tongues [with the fire of the Holy Ghost!]. Why would He give us something He did not have Himself here on earth. Jesus Christ shows us the Way.
Now, many of us have been baptized with the Holy Ghost by speaking in tongues, but the fire has almost burned out; many are depressed or oppressed and have no passion to do anything for the Lord anymore because of religious control. But God! HE has made the way out if we will only believe and continue to pray and to come before our Heavenly Father in repentance (if need be) and in crying out to Him and in listening to Him; sometimes we just need to soak in His Presence, and to wait on the Lord. Many have lost the power because of this religious control, but also that we have not taken the time to pray as Jesus did many times. I believe that He prayed in the Spirit waiting for the Holy Spirit to come upon Him with power -- He was being immersed/filled with the Spirit because of all the outpouring He was doing. We, too, have to be continually filled! Jesus was called the Son of Man, and He shows us His example for here on earth; we are to follow Him, not the precepts of men and their principles. God's Word is true, may we follow it/Him.
In Matt. 4 and Luke 4 we see that after Jesus was baptized and filled with the Spirit and then returned with POWER that He made Himself known to the people and later to the religious so that the word of the Lord given through Isaiah was fulfilled. HE was sent! HE was sent by His Heavenly Father. Whatever He saw His Father doing He did, and whatever He heard His Heavenly Father saying He said. HE knew when to go, where to go, and what to do because He was led by the Spirit. So many of us disobey God because we do not do what He has told us or revealed to us to do; we withdraw from Him, and this causes the power to leave. We do many sacrifices in the church, but we are in disobedience to Him when we do not obey what He has told us to do. "Obedience is better than sacrifice." We have often wondered about what we saw or what we heard not knowing what to do. Why? Because we are so inexperienced (or just unwilling to do it), we have no fathers, no teachers. It's time to see what God will do if we will but simply obey. Know His voice and know His will by reading and knowing the Word. And then we see in these chapters that He began to preach, and signs and wonders followed confirming the Word of God. Jesus taught, and He healed, and He cast out demons. This is what the Word of God does.
[Don't fear. Don't be down. Ask God to forgive you. Look up unto Him who is the Author and Finisher of your faith. (I have done the same of what I have been speaking about; but revelation comes to teach us, to set us free if we will but apply it because we have a heart after God.) Look unto Jesus Christ as the One who does the works because it is His power. "It's not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts." It is all Christ. Believe on Him, trust in Him; may the Lord deliver you this day.]
And all this was done 'after' He spent time in prayer. He prayed in the Spirit [in tongues], so that He was immersed with and in the Holy Spirit who empowered Him for the work of the ministry. And so must we be empowered this day.
Acts 1:5,8 "..for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. ..... But you shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me ... .
Acts 2:3 ..."tongues, as of fire, ... ."
You've heard the phrase: fight fire with fire. We go through fiery trials, even like the 3 Hebrew men who were persecuted for their faith in the One True God, who would not bow the knee to a false god {like Daniel who would not), and they were bound up and then thrown into a fiery furnace; BUT, THE SON OF GOD WAS WITH THEM! And they were free! They may have been in the fire, but they were free in the Spirit because they had put their faith/trust in God who provided Himself! In the natural they were bound, but not their hearts and minds and spirits! Like I said, we go through fiery trials, but the FIRE of the Holy Spirit will keep us! Hallelujah! amen And in this fire of the Holy Spirit will the devil see his end > hell fire!
Mt. 3:11 John speaking: "I indeed baptize you with water {that is all that man can do!) unto repentance, BUT HE who is coming after me is mightier than I ....., HE will baptize you with the Holy Spirit 'and' fire!" The word of the Lord will be coming in from those who like John the baptist who has the spirit of Elijah {Elijah means: the Lord He is God) preaching repentance and that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, because they have been prepared with a powerful message from God to turn the hearts of the people towards Him and to bring forth reform/change along with revival. Jesus Christ comes! And He comes to His house suddenly! Be ready!
Now, back to the prayer. We see many times in the Word of God [the Holy Bible] that Jesus drew away to pray; He was being filled with the Holy Spirit and being empowered for what was next [to come His way]. For example, Mark 6:45-52 ........ vs. 46 "And when He had sent them away, Jesus departed to the mountain to pray." The mountain is the prayer closet. It is hard to climb up that mount at times, but it has to be done. There are times when it is easy, but there are times when it is hard. The easy times is when there isn't any pressure, but oh those hard times of pressure it can be hard to get down on one's knees and worship God in spirit and in truth! To praise Him is totally hard on the soul when the soul is focused on the problem, but in prayer if we will humbly submit ourselves unto God, the devil will flee when we resist him with what God says for it is the devil who is tormenting our souls. Mt. Zion is the place that we take a stand and be established. King David had to take Mt. Zion for it had been inhabitated by another people. We see today many of false religions praying; there has to be something going on as they are praying to their father the devil who is the god of this world for they are deceived, but he is powerless against the One True Living God. Mt. Zion is where Jerusalem is built upon - that holy city of David. Anyways, after Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat and to go to the other side, He went to the mountain to pray. And from that place He came to the disciples walking on the water. {Mt.14:22-33.) Now, we may not walk on water, but it could happen, but, we are to walk in that kind of power and authority over the winds and the sea. God has given man dominion here on earth, and we are to use it for His glory.
By being filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit after prayer, we will be sent to those who are in need: to get them out of fear, out of doubt and unbelief, to get them to stretch their faith and believe the Word of God! "All things are possible to those who believe!"
We do not tempt God by saying that we are going to walk on water which is for a personal gain; but that we are sent by God for a task - for an appointment to minister by the word of the Lord and with power.
Mark 8:22-25 a blind man healed at Bethsaida
Mark 8 and Mt. 16 we see that Jesus says some words to the religious
Matt.16:13-19 Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ; but also, "on this Rock I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it"
Mark 9:1-13 Jesus transfigured on the Mount {Mt.17:1-13)
Mark 9:14-29 a boy healed when demon cast out {Mt.17:14-21)
(read scriptures above.) After 6 days? What about 'after 6 days'? Where were they? What were they doing? We see that Jesus spoke of taking up our cross and following Him; we are to clearly deny our selves, to walk with Him carrying His burden for the lost. We do our part, but also as we do our part, it is Christ in us who helps us to do that which only He can do in His strength. We work together with Him who is the Word.
The religious were always seeking for a sign to believe, but yet, many were given not to them but to the lost so that they may be found. They really did not want to believe, but to scoff at a man (in which they were scoffing at God). With all the signs that did come, they still would not have believed because they had no faith in God but faith in their religious works (which was dead) and them selves. That's why we are to take up our cross so that we do not follow after the religious works of men. Peter had received the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. It was the Father who had revealed this to Peter because of his love for Jesus, but his love had to be refined as we see later when he denied Jesus Christ, and when he was restored and was talking with Jesus after His resurrection on the beach when Jesus asked him if he loved Him, then he was to feed His lambs, to tend His sheep, to feed My sheep. {John 21:15-19.) Our love will be refined also, but be at rest for it is the Lord who will fulfill His calling upon you and within you as He pours out His Spirit. "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit." With the revelation from the Father will God give us the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Revelation is the fresh manna from heaven -- it is a word alive! It breathes life into us by His Spirit so that we might live if we will receive it and apply it.
Before the transfiguration, Jesus had spoke to His disciples about taking heed and to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. These religious knew about God's Word but did not truly believe it nor apply it; it was but religious works to them. Religious works will contaminate you, it will lead you astray, it will look to the work instead of to God who is alive.
Peter had revelation, but, he did not know the will of God. And there are many in Christiandom who do not know God's will, they just think that they know, they are not led by His Spirit nor do they know Love. We see where Peter rebuked Jesus for talking about His death and resurrection, but Jesus rebuked the devil for influencing Peter to say the wrong things that he knew not of, and that He also rebuked Peter in the same process. Then Jesus addressed them about taking up their cross, and saying, "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake wil find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works." Have that personal relationship with the Father by His Word and by His Spirit so that you may know Him, for it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us all things for we have no need of man [that is, we do not rely upon man to teach us, but God]. It is God who gifts men to teach us His Word, but that is by His Spirit.
During this time of 6 days, Jesus was speaking to His disciples about the Kingdom of God present with POWER. Mark 9:1 "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the Kingdom of God present with POWER." Wow! What a statement! Will we press in to the Kingdom of God to push aside our self nature, to push aside what we want! Will we allow the Kingdom of God to flow from our innermost being where the Spirit of God dwells! It is His River that is to flow from His Throne room of grace! And there are rivers to flow from His Throne! There is an abundance ready of His power, authority, and Life! Are we willing to receive it without the self being in the way? Will we really lay our selves down? Will we pay the price? We've counted the cost, and many back away, even ourselves, but with God we can do it, if we will but trust in Him all the way through, for it is Christ's all in all!
Now, back to the prayer part again. In Matt. and Mark we see the words "led them up on a high mountain by themselves". This was Jesus, Peter, James and John, his brother. I believe that the other disciples were on a lower part of the mountain........praying, but not fasting. Jesus took these 3 higher because he recognized something in them......a desire for the things of God but also for God, but flesh still got in the way as we will see. On the higher mount, Jesus was transfigured before them - they saw the Glory of God by way of the spirit realm. It is a place that we do not see from our natural eyes, but in the spirit; and the devil can see that glory upon us as we press in to God and in doing His will. We do not see what is going on in the realm of the spirit, but God does, and He reveals in due time; we must walk by faith and not by sight; we are not given over to the realm of the spirit, but only in times as the Spirit reveals for His purpose. We are to live by faith here on earth trusting in God at all times, and we will see results if we faint not. We then see how the flesh got in the way when Peter talked about the making of 3 tabernacles for Jesus, for Moses, and for Elijah. Peter got his eyes off of God and onto the religious works of man. But God's response was and is: "This is My beloved Son, hear Him!" We must stop listening to the lies of the devil. We must stop hearing and receiving his influence to set up kingdoms for ourselves for there is no other power nor authority that is above God's! And we must not worship another! It is only God's Kingdom that shall prevail for He is Lord and King and God!
Now when they came down, they saw a multitude gathered. These other disciples who did not go up higher were trying to cast a demon out of a boy, but could not, for Jesus had said that this kind comes not out but by prayer and fasting.
Jesus was showing [teaching about] the power of God to destroy the works of the devil. We cannot build tabernacles [containments] for Jesus nor for any other person whom God has used for His glory. That's why these 3 men missed what God was doing and wanted to do because their eyes got on others and themselves. But Jesus showed them the way to Truth which brought forth Life and freedom.
I am reminded of Benny Hinn's ministry, as well as Kathyrn Kuhlman's, that they spent 'time' in prayer getting saturated with the Holy Spirit and POWER so that He is/was upon them with POWER. We can have the same as believers in Christ Jesus. It's time for disciples to move up higher, and to fulfill their call and purpose in life. I've spoken all that I can at this time, for this is already a mouth full [since this was a very long writing, but needed to be said]. I had received this message one morning after I woke up, and spent some time in prayer. And since it was just after waking, it was a fast. And it was not an hour of prayer, nor even a half hour, but it was because of a question that I had been asking and pondering on for quite awhile from time to time talking to God about it. See, for me it has been my daily walk with the Lord of talking with Him during the day at any time (or even night) that has kept me close to Him, and the devil has tried to destroy that, but God has restored me each time. And because of my seeking Him, He has answered. I was not really seeking an answer from Him that morning about this, but God revealed in His time, and this is what came forth. It is because of His love for us as our Father to make these mysteries known, and because He recognizes our hearts with true motivations for Him.
"To whom much is given, much is required." Oh, the price! But it is worth it in the end!
God bless you.
ilene wood
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