Discover Your Kingly Authority

Discover Your Kingly Authority

The post Discover Your Kingly Authority appeared first on Colin Dye.

Whatever the disciples where expecting as they obeyed Jesus’ command to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them, I am sure that the sights, sounds and sensations of that first Pentecost must have taken them by surprise.

Whatever the disciples where expecting as they obeyed Jesus’ command to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them, I am sure that the sights, sounds and sensations of that first Pentecost must have taken them by surprise. But surprised or not, they were ready when the ‘power from on high’ came to walk out of the room and immediately begin their ministry.

It was the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that changed them from waiting disciples into the mighty men of God we see in the book of Acts. On that day Peter was able to stand up and boldly present the Gospel at the first ever evangelistic rally and see 3,000 added to their number.

As Pentecostals today we know that we do not have to wait for Pentecost Sunday to pray for people to be baptised in the Holy Spirit but we take time to ensure that all new believers understand that he is Jesus’ promised Helper to release each one of us to stand up and speak for him wherever we are – our schools, colleges, workplaces, homes and communities. We will be praying for everyone at the services on Pentecost Sunday to be filled or refilled with the Holy Spirit.

We know also as part of the discipleship cell vision that we need training to help each one to rise up in the calling that the Lord has given them to make disciples of all nations. From Living Free! to full-time IBIOL there is something for everyone! And this month we are introducing a new initiative to give everyone the tools to form relationships with the intention of sharing the gospel, it is called Share Life and details can be found on page 13. As the first disciples heard that they were to be witnesses for Jesus in “Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8) so may we live our lives immersed in the Holy Spirit as we reach out to London and the World for Christ!

The post Pentecost Power appeared first on Colin Dye.

Today I want to challenge you to allow the oil of God?s encouragement to be poured into you so you can rise above negative thinking and prepare to fulfill God?s plan and purpose for your life

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and he found Philip and said to him, “Follow me”. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph!’ And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” John 1:43-46

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?? That was the cynical, piercing remark of a man who probably lived in Bethsaida, a colourful, cosmopolitan, attractive place. Nathaniel, along with others, had nothing good to say about Nazareth.

Is that how others talk about you? More importantly, is that how you talk about yourself? God is more interested in what you say about yourself, than what others say about you. Many people are influenced by a form of negative thinking which is destructive and inhibits them in everything they seek to do. You may have a bold exterior, but you know that on the inside you are plagued by self-doubt that comes out of negative experiences. And the enemy, of course, puts his spin on it all so that God?s will for our lives is frustrated through the negativism that I call ?Nazareth thinking?!

Nazareth was a remote, tiny Galilean town, high up on the hills. It was inaccessible, insignificant and wasn?t even included in the census lists of the period. It didn?t count! Nothing great or particularly important ever happened there. Nazareth was a byword for insignificance itself.

Are you suffering from ?Nazareth negativism??

Now, this deep seated negativism surrounding Nazareth is a problem that we can all face. You may say, ?None of my family ever amounted to much? and therefore you have a very low expectation of yourself. You may be suffering from Nazareth negativism. It?s like a weight that presses you down and holds you back – an inferiority that chokes your self-confidence. You keep saying to yourself over and over again, ?I can?t! I can?t!.? But it is time to learn to say, ?I can! I can! I can!?

It is not just a question of positive thinking. We are walking with Jesus, so Christians ought to be the most positive people on the earth. But sadly, we?re often the most negative people because the enemy has a vested interest in accusing us and tearing us down. We become slaves to the opinion of others as we strive to show them that we?re not really as bad as we think we really are! And then we?re trapped in an encircling gloom of depression and hopelessness. You wake up morning by morning to the daily realisation that you are living in Nazareth!

Jesus is at your address!

Jesus is forever known as ?Jesus of Nazareth?. That is what made Nathaniel jump in and say, ?This is ridiculous. The one who is supposed to fulfil the law and the prophets is from? Nazareth?? God had a purpose in raising Jesus in Nazareth! First of all, it was a means of protection. He came up out of Egypt and was raised in Nazareth – a place of security, a place remote and out of view – where Jesus could be kept secure and where he wouldn?t be noticed for a period of time. But also it was a fulfilment of prophecy. It was God?s way of doing things!

God caused Jesus to arise out of the obscurity of Nazareth because he specialises in picking up the lonely, the despised, the rejected, the forgotten and the forsaken and giving them a place in his kingdom. If you are living in Nazareth today – God is on your side. Look at the marvellous way the apostle Paul puts this:

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.

1 Corinthians 1: 26-29

Because we serve the God of Nazareth we?ve been delivered from everything that makes us insignificant including the accusations of the enemy. God will bypass the complacent and the arrogant, the mighty and noble, and put his Spirit upon the hungry hearts of the lowly people who say, ?Lord I may not have much to give you, but such as I have I give it to you.? You are a brand snatched from the fire. In Zechariah 3 we read the story of Joshua the high priest who was clothed in filthy garments. Standing next to him was Satan, the adversary, accusing him constantly.

And the Lord said to Satan, ?The Lord rebuke you, Satan. The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you. Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?? Zechariah 3:2

And then the Lord commanded that Joshua?s filthy clothes be removed and that he be given the beautiful, dignified, spotless garments of the high priestly ministry. And so God silenced forever the accusations of the enemy!

You count before God!

God has set you free, given you new clothes and has silenced forever the accusations of the enemy. Jesus Christ God?s Son cleanses from every sin! The accusations of the enemy have no more power over you. No weapon formed against you shall prosper and you shall refute every tongue that accuses you. This is your heritage because you belong to him! He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that he may seat him with princes ? with the princes of his people. Psalm 113:7-8

We are a kingdom of priests

The Lord Jesus raised us out of the dung hill and he?s set us among princes. And now the stench of the dung hill is no longer around us. Instead there is a fragrance of heaven, the sweet perfume of the kingdom resting upon us. It speaks not of who we were but of who we are. We sit now in a dignified place among the other nobles in the kingdom of God. We are a kingdom of priests, a royal priesthood. That?s what he?s made us because he?s the God of Nazareth! Another reason why Jesus is identified with Nazareth is because God takes the devil on his own grounds.

God doesn?t do his battles in the safety and security of heaven – he goes into enemy territory! He doesn?t play at home, he goes and plays in enemy territory. Because that?s where it counts, and that?s where he wins! He?s the God of Nazareth. God has no fear of the devil. He defeats him on his own ground. Where is the devil?s ground? What is the devil?s territory? Sin, sickness, demonisation and death – and Jesus met each one and defeated them at the cross!

Isaiah 53 tells us this so clearly: For He was despised and rejected hy men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:3-6

That?s what it means to be a Christian! You acknowledge that Jesus Christ has carried your sins on the cross and that by believing in him you are set free! Jesus had no fear – he went straight into sin?s territory itself and broke the power of the enemy.

He still calls himself ?Jesus Christ of Nazareth?

After Jesus had emerged from the grave as the victorious, resurrected Lord, he still called himself ?Jesus Christ of Nazareth?! Forever he is recognised as Jesus of Nazareth – not Jesus Christ of Bethlehem, the place of his birth, nor Jesus Christ of Jerusalem, the place of his death, but Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the place of his obscurity! And it?s that name he?s pleased to honour.

Throughout the book of Acts, starting in chapter 3:1-10, when the beggar outside the Temple is healed, disease, demons and death itself are challenged by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. It?s that name that the Father is pleased to honour and it?s that name that Jesus is pleased to give credit to!

But what about Nazareth and you? You say, ?Well, the world doesn?t recognise me! It doesn?t even notice me!? But that may be part of God?s plan. The world and mankind in general look on the outside but God looks on the inside – otherwise David would never have been chosen to kill Goliath or to become King. When Samuel the prophet was called to anoint one of Jesse?s sons, he went through all of the sons – the finest, the oldest, right through all the way down to the shepherd boy tucked away in the hills (see 1 Samuel l6:1-l3). God said to the prophet Samuel, ?You anoint him.? And there was an argument going on. The others where strong and attractive but it?s what?s going on in the inside that counts. If the world looks on from the outside and discounts you, know that you count before God!

Jesus? hidden period, the period of his obscurity in Nazareth was an essential time for him. Before Jesus was to be revealed publicly he had to first satisfy the Father privately. That?s why, after those years of obscurity, he had this testimony from the Father: ?This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!? Before you ever set foot in the public arena to be noticed you need to know what it is to please God in the private place. It is far more important to get commendation from heaven than to yearn after the approval of men which is short-lived.

The world may not notice you but God is watching! And when the time is right he will tell the world about you! That?s what Nazareth living is all about!

You need to change how you see yourself

God can take your negative Nazareth and make it his glorious Nazareth! It?s time to stop empowering the enemy with your weakness and to start giving God an opportunity to show his strength through your weakness. You can allow the enemy to beat you and manipulate you and bring you down so that you are forever imprisoned by Nazareth thinking, or you can yield your life to God and say, ?God, come and take my weaknesses and make them an occasion for your strength!?

It doesn?t matter what you?ve done, or how much you feel you still have to learn. It doesn?t matter how much you feel you?ve failed, the God of Nazareth is with you! Jesus is living on the inside of you!

That, after all, was the great strength of the apostle Paul. On one occasion he put his finger on it when he testified how he asked God to remove a certain weakness from him and God said to him, ?My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in weakness?. It wasn?t just Paul?s evaluation of himself. It was God?s way for his life and Paul knew it: ?When I am weak, then I am strong?. The anointing of God was upon him! And so he said, ?Now you know that when I preach, you?re not believing me because I?m good-looking. You?re not believing me because I?ve learnt how to polish my diction. You?re believing me because the anointing of God is upon me and you see in my weakness God?s strength made perfect! So I would rather glory in weaknesses than to try and boast in some supposed strength that I don?t have anyway.?

God himself… was living in Nazareth!

No-one noticed Jesus when he lived in Nazareth and the very first public announcement linking Jesus? name with the town met with scepticism and cynicism: ?Can anything good come out of Nazareth?? But God himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, was living in Nazareth!

Be ready to believe that God lives in your Nazareth and be ready to live your Nazareth unto him! Make it your aim to please God no matter what your circumstances and despite your weaknesses. If you are going to wait before you get completely healed of everything before you do anything, you?re going to end up doing nothing! You have to accept the fact that you are surrounded by weaknesses, but you need to know that you can please God despite such things.

God cares for you and he?s willing to bind you up if you?ve been damaged in some way. If you felt that you?ve been isolated in some ghetto of Nazareth thinking, he says, ?It?s time to change your thinking!?. You?ve got to stop saying, ?I?ll never amount to anything.? You?ve got to say, rather, ?I am his workmanship in Christ Jesus. He?s making something beautiful out of my life! God is always working in me to do his will and his good pleasure.? You can also stop saying, ?I?m no good? and you can start learning to say, ?God has chosen me for good!?

You?ve got to see yourself as God sees you!

This is not arrogant boasting – it?s boasting in Christ and in what he has made you. Turn your back on the things that hold you. And say, ?Lord, I am now living in the new identity you have given me. I am no longer dominated by, ?I can?t! It?ll never work! I won?t be able to do it!?? That?s why so many people fail to serve God as well as they could, because they don?t think God is interested in them. They don?t think God can do anything with what they?ve got. No, God can use you and will use you!

You?ve got to change your thinking. Stop being so down on yourself. You?ve got to see yourself as God sees you! From now onwards when you think of Jesus of Nazareth, say, ?YES, Lord! That?s me! That?s me!?

Think about this then allow the Holy Spirit to bring these words into your heart, deep into your spirit. The devil has a vested interest in bringing you into self-condemnation – don?t do his work for him – neither in your own life nor in the lives of other people! You must see yourself as God sees you! Secure in Jesus Christ. Don?t let accusation or criticism, coming from outside or coming from within, hinder you. Show the devil who you are in Christ by your attitude, your words and by your actions.

Be set free in Jesus? name from anything that holds you back. You can do what God has called you to do. God loves you, God wants to lift you up. God wants to bless you and use you. You are a royal person! You?ve been made in the image of God! You?ve been redeemed by Jesus Christ! You are part of his body on the earth, and the Spirit of God lives in YOU!

Yes, good things do come from Nazareth!

The post Something Good from Nazareth appeared first on Colin Dye.

You are in the ministry, right now if you are a believer. God expects you to fulfil this ministry.

Discover your motivational gift

For example, I would say that my motivational gift is enabling. I know that because, over the years, that is what I have found myself doing more than anything else. Everything I do in ministry – the preaching, teaching, praying, prophesying and working with people – has enabling as its primary objective. You too may be an enabler. Or, you may be an encourager, or a motivator; you may be a listener, or a communicator. You may best describe yourself as an intercessor, or a thinker; you could be a promoter or a campaigner. The list is almost endless, but God has placed something special deep in each one of us, that will determine our best course in ministry.

The scriptures give us a number of ‘gift lists’, which are often referred to as spiritual gifts. For example, we have Romans 12:3-8; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12:7-12, 18 &14:26. As you study these lists, you will find some examples of motivational gifts such as evangelism, or teaching, or caring, or administration. You will also notice some ‘spontaneous gifts’ that the Holy Spirit may show through your life at any time and on special occasions. For example, words of knowledge, words of wisdom, faith, and miracles.

Get to know what God says about spiritual gifts

As you get to know these gifts, you will be able to identify how they operate both in you and in others. That way you will begin to flow more easily in your ministry.

Do not despise your own desires for ministry because God says,

He fulfils the desires of those who fear him.?Psalm 145:19

If you have been careful to give God first place in your life, your desires will have been shaped by God to suit his purposes. If you take God seriously, then you will have a realistic view of yourself. Ask yourself what you would most like to do for God if all obstacles were to be removed. You may be surprised how close this comes to what God wants you to do with your life!

Once you believe you have identified the gift (or gifts) God has given you, look for ways of serving with your gift and developing your ministry. Always keep open to the Lord, and constantly review what he is saying to you. He will be leading you step by step, and developing you now for what he has for you in the future.

Begin your ministry right away

I would advise you to begin your ministry, right now, right where you are. Find a need and fulfil it even if you do not think it is your ultimate ministry. After all, there is no need to receive divine revelation about the things so clearly spoken of in scripture.

We have the Great Command of Jesus – to love.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbour as yourself.?Luke 10:27

This is your ministry to God and to others. The apostle John explains that this involves practical service. Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18 Everything you do, do for the Lord, no matter how practical or seemingly insignificant, it appears to be.

Be faithful in small things

It is important to develop a servant attitude from the beginning. Often what is needed most in ministry is practical service. Do these ‘little things’ with great joy and faithfulness. Do not draw attention to yourself. God will reward you as Jesus says in the parable of the talents,

Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!?Matthew 25:21

Don’t look on certain things as unimportant. Many of those who have major ministries today started off quietly, serving behind the scenes. They collected the garbage, cleaned the toilets and swept the stairs!

Often enthusiastic Christians come to me thrilled with their calling to ministry. They have a vision to be a pastor, an evangelist, a missionary or some other kind of ‘major minister’. I always ask them about the fruit they have already produced in their ministry. Usually, my questions will focus on their cell ministry, as this is one of the most effective ways of discovering and developing ministry.

Sometimes I am disappointed by the responses I receive. It appears that the cell ministry is not grand enough for some people. They seem to think that they will suddenly become effective ministers for Christ just as soon as they get some title, are appointed to lead a church or travel a thousand miles from home! The plain truth is, there is no other ministry than the ministry of Christ – making, maturing and mobilising disciples. The cell ministry centres on these essentials directing all our manifold gifts and talents toward the one great objective – the Great Commission.

I am most disturbed, however, when people seem to want to express their ministry in the context of traditional church models. For the most part, these models work against the New Testament vision of every member ministry. How can we expect to see the fullness of Christ in his body unless the entire church is structured to facilitate this vision of the Lord? Small group ministry is vital. Don’t despise ‘the day of small things’. Everything in the kingdom starts small – even the baby Jesus! The essence of the ministry is carried in the cells. There is no need to think that you must graduate from the cell ministry, even if you do have a calling to one of the five major ministry gifts of Christ. Start doing the ministry in the cells, and keep on doing the ministry through the cells and just watch the results. You can multiply many, many disciples through the cells and grow into everything God has for you. If Jesus the greatest minister of all time, spent the better part of his ministry developing his closest disciples and then releasing them on the world, why shouldn’t you do the same?

Minister in the ‘market place’

I find many people think of Christian service either as being ‘full-time’ in the church, or as doing a job in the church. These things are important and have their place, but the real ministry is out there in the world. Every calling is a holy calling, not just the calling to be a preacher or a teacher who stands in front of a congregation in the church building on Sundays.

The Holy Spirit is bringing a fresh appreciation of ‘market place ministries’ – those called to serve Jesus full-time in their home, their place of study, or employment. Real ministry is not just doing work in the church but doing the work of the church in the wider community. That is where we must act as salt and light and draw people to Christ.

That is why you should be prayerful about what job you take or what profession you choose. This is the main location for your ministry, and the place where you can be most effective for Christ. Your home, neighbourhood, place of study or workplace, will probably be your best opportunity to reach those who would never normally come to a Christian meeting. Jesus ministered both in the synagogues and the market places of his day. He performed some of his most powerful miracles in the public place where the multitudes were.

Training is the key to success

Make every effort to train and prepare yourself in your gifting. Enrol in a training programme that will help you develop your calling. Spend time with people who have the same gift and learn from their experiences. Let their wisdom and knowledge rub off on you. Study what the Bible says about your particular gifts and about the use of the Holy Spirit’s gifts in general.

Ask trusted friends if they have seen God’s blessing upon you in any area of ministry. Give them a copy of the Spiritual Gifts Discovery Chart and let them fill it in for you. Then compare your assessment with the one they have made about you and discuss any distinct differences. But only do this if you are willing to listen to what they have to say!

Discovering God’s plans is not a logical pursuit. Rather, it is a matter of revelation which flows from the relationship you are building with him. So through prayer and waiting on the Lord, keep seeking him to guide you, until you receive a clear word from him.

Don’t forget the Great Commission

We have already spoken about the ‘Great Commission’ which is to evangelise the world and make disciples of all nations. But, it is necessary to continue to stress that this is the one, over-arching call upon all our lives. Everything we do must be in obedience to the command of Jesus, given in Mark chapter 16, and in Matthew 28:

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”?Mark 16:15

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”?Matthew 28:18-20

Both these scriptures set out clearly and unmistakably what the ministry really is. It is about making, maturing and mobilising disciples of Jesus Christ. This is Jesus’ command to every one of us. It is not just for the socalled full-time ministers, as we are all full-time for the Lord! Neither is it just for those who carry special gifts and anointings of the Holy Spirit, because we are all anointed to follow Jesus and to serve him.

People seem to believe that to be successful in business or political life, to become someone important in the world, is an adequate substitute for obeying the Great Commission. It is not. True success is measured by obedience to the things Jesus has called us to do. Unless your life is lived for the express purpose of fulfilling the Great Commission, then you have made a ‘great omission’ in your life. You will have failed in God’s purpose for you – whatever else you may have achieved for him.

The same applies to those who consider themselves pastors or ministers, that is, leaders of congregations. Many people want to become pastors or full-time leaders because they wrongly identify the ministry with these things or they believe that is the only way they can be effective for God. Sadly, they are mistaken. In fact, many people who take the (often unnecessary) step of being ordained by a denomination, or leave their former profession, to go fulltime in the ministry fail to do the work of the ministry itself. They fail to raise up the body of Christ to do the work of Christ – that is the real ministry.

The professional ministry today is one of the gravest problems we face – people who carry titles and perform a whole range of (sometimes necessary) tasks in the church can forget the real purpose of the ministry, which is to make disciples of the nations.

Don’t fall into that trap – you are in the ministry, right now if you are a believer. God expects you to fulfil this ministry. Right where you are, you can grow many disciples and bear much fruit, and your fruit will remain. We have many so-called lay leaders who are more effective and are bearing more fruit than many people in the formal ministry. Through the cell ministry people are leading hundreds of believers, many of whom they have won for Christ and are discipling for the Lord. Some cell leaders have more people in their groups of cells than the average pastor has in British or European churches today. If Christ has truly called you to one of the five ministries in Ephesians 4:11, get busy with the ministry now. Lead people to Christ, disciple them in the faith, and release them to do the same. That’s exactly what Jesus did, and it is still his ministry today. Trust the Lord, that as you do this, he will raise you to the levels of leadership that are consistent with your calling.

Grow in your ministry

Once you have discovered all this and committed your life to these things, you will immediately want to find ways of serving with your gift and developing yourself in the ministry. Make every effort to train and prepare yourself in your gift and calling. Let me emphasise, once again, these four key elements of preparation:

1. Enrol in a training programme that will help develop you.
2. Spend time with people who have the same gift and learn from their experiences.
3. Study what the Bible says about your particular gifts and about the use of the Holy Spirit’s gifts in general.
4. Pray and wait on the Lord, seeking for him to guide you.

The post 8 steps to Fulfilling your Ministry appeared first on Colin Dye.

This is the first time that the Bible mentions a prophet, and the events of Genesis 20 establish the scriptural link between prophetic activity, intercession and miraculous healing.

The post The Prophets? Anointing appeared first on Colin Dye.

Depending on the Holy Spirit

We start to make spiritual progress only when we grasp that we really can do absolutely nothing on our own. It is only by depending completely on the Spirit that we can minister in the Spirit.

Depending on the Holy Spirit
1 Kings 18 illustrates the differences between a Spirit-filled prophet and false-prophets. The important point for us here is that Elijah did not try to make anything happen, instead he did everything possible to prove to the people that he was not responsible for the miracle.? Like Elijah, we need to make it difficult for people to think that what happens in ministry is due to human manipulation or pressure. We need to make it as clear as possible that it is the Spirit or nothing.
This principle is very clear in Jesus? ministry, for example, John 5:30. Time and again, Jesus insisted that he could do nothing, say nothing and go nowhere on his own authority: it was God or nothing.
A striking feature of Jesus? ministry is the way that he sometimes asked people to tell nobody about the miracle. Mark 7:31-37 & 8:22-26 illustrate his holy desire to work unobtrusively – which is one of the hallmarks of the humble, self-effacing Spirit.
When we genuinely and fully depend on the Spirit of truth, we will surely be characterised by his straightforward speech, and will not feel the need to use worldly methods which overstate facts, ignore mistakes, and rarely focus all attention on Jesus.

The Spirit?s anointing
Depending on the Spirit means relying on our anointing with him. There is a terrible temptation in ministry to rely more on our personal experience, and the experience of others, than on the prompting and guidance of the Spirit. But we must never forget the anointing of the Holy Spirit and we will do well to remember that the whole of Jesus? ministry was conducted under the anointing of the Spirit. As we see in Knowing the Spirit, it was only after his anointing with the Spirit that Jesus began his public ministry. Jesus chose not to use his divine nature when ministering because he was modelling the way for us to minister and therefore relied just as much on prayer, the Word, the anointing and the gifts of the Spirit as we do. If Jesus needed the anointing of the Spirit for his ministry on earth, how much more must we need the same anointing to do everything that God has called us to do?
Of course, we must always follow biblical principles, and both common sense and experience are important, but we must depend consciously on the Spirit and submit to his authority at all times.

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He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

God?s words for you:

 
If you heed the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.?

Exodus 15:26

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Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases.?

Psalm 103:3

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He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.? ?

Psalm 107:20

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Which is easier, to say, ?Your sins are forgiven you,? or to say, ?Arise, take up your bed and walk?? That you may know the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, He said to the paralytic, ?I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go your way to your house.??

Mark 2:9-11

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God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Acts 10:38

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?They brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ?He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses?.?

Matthew 8:16-17

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Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed.

1 Peter 2:24

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My son, give attention to My words; incline your ear to My sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

Proverbs 4:20-22

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Jesus said to him, ?If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.?? ?????????

Mark 9:23

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He also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes.??

Psalm 105:37

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Great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.??

Matthew 12:15

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Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

3 John 1:2

So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound ? think of it- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?

Luke 13:16

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Jesus answered and said to her, ?O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.? And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Matthew 15:28

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He touched their eyes, saying, ?According to your faith let it be to you.?

Matthew 9:29

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We have the power to do good

Key Thought

The power to do good doesn?t come from ourselves. Christianity isn?t some form of spiritual humanism. We are nothing without God?s power at work in us, but through that same power, we can set the captives free and proclaim a message that gives all people who receive him the power to change.

Prayer

Thank you Lord, for your anointing in my life. Help me to use the Holy Spirit?s enabling today to live my life of freedom and also to point others to you and your deliverance from Satan?s kingdom.

Discipleship Steps

Jesus is your model the standard of true discipleship. But remember, this is not about your ability. Rather it is about learning the secret of releasing his anointing in your life to bring about the full measure of liberation and creativity in you. Let God mightily inspire this within you and in your work, rest and worship today. Be everything he enables you to be. You are his liberation soldier ? let him loose through you and you will see the difference his power can make.

Read: Acts 10:37-38

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Oily hands, a phenomenon that can be caused by the anointing of the Holy Spirit

Critics of the gifts sometimes forced those experiencing them onto the defensive

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Colin Dye preaches at an evening crusade in the new Espaco Renacer building in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1999

One example, among the many I could give, involves one of my Bible students. A few years ago I was bringing an end of term address to the students in the International Bible Institute of London, Kensington Temple’s Bible school. At a certain moment a remarkable sense of God’s presence filled the atmosphere. One of the students came forward to receive prayer. Thick oil came on his thumbs and thumbnails, reminding us of the anointing God gave for the priests in the Old Testament. Before our eyes, a tiny spray of oil came out of the air and settled on his head. Something very special took place as this young man was clearly being anointed for his ministry. From that time God has used him powerfully in church planting and in the miraculous. Shortly afterwards he prayed for a woman who had been born without a womb. It was, of course, totally impossible for her to have children. But God healed her and she now has a child. Nothing is impossible with God. This miracle was verified medically to the absolute astonishment of unbelieving doctors. Our God is able!

But is there really a hunger for God’s great works among Pentecostals today? It seems as if we have forgotten our roots. After all, miracles are integral to our movement’s history as they were to the first Pentecostal outpouring in the Acts of the Apostles. The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Jesus and to demonstrate that He is alive today. But perhaps we are not yet ready to let God have His way.

A young man desperate to see God move went to the hospital and began to lay hands indiscriminately on the many sick people there. When no one was healed he cried out, “Where is the God of Elijah?” To his amazement he heard the voice of God immediately reply, “Where are the Elijahs of God?” Elisha cried out in the same fashion after he had picked up the mantle of his mentor Elijah. He was faced with the Jordan river and the challenge to part it by the power of God as Elijah had done. It happened, but the anointing he received to do it did not come from nowhere.

Elisha had spent a long time walking with his master, watching and learning. Character development and rigorous training came first. Perhaps we have forgotten there is a price to pay. Or is it that we are just unwilling to pay it?

The pursuit of high levels of anointing and power are not compatible with our convenience Christianity. It can be quite uncomfortable pursuing God. He does not entrust His secrets lightly. There is no short cut to power – a short circuit always ends in disaster. No! The long way is the only way. It is worth it in the end. What was the path to the miraculous Elisha had to tread?

The path of servanthood

Elisha was prepared to serve. He poured water on the hands of his prophet-master. Servanthood is the costly key to greatness. Many want the glory of powerful public ministry but are not willing to tread the lowly path that leads to it.

The path of Sonship

Elisha wanted a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. This was not a bid to outshine his mentor but the cry of a true son. The double portion of the inheritance was due to the first born son. Elisha looked to the prophet as a father and pursued the inheritance as a son. Both sons and fathers are lacking in our fatherless generation. Jesus ministered only through the Spirit of Sonship. Sonship is costly. It cost Jesus everything. Overwhelmed by the agony of Gethsemane, He nevertheless prayed, “Abba, not my will but yours.”

Unfinished business

The great motivating influence upon Elisha must have been the uncompleted task he faced. Elijah was soon to go to his reward and yet Jezebel was still on the scene and the house of Ahab was yet to be judged. This must have driven him to his knees in desperation for the anointing. In today’s world, can we be any different? 92% of our national population is outside the professing Christian Church. 23% of the world has never heard of Jesus. Why are we not desperate people? Why do we not cry to God for the only solution – the miracle working God?

The path of persistence

Elisha followed his master’s last movements very closely. Elijah, to test him, tried to shake him off. Three times he told his young follower to remain behind, but Elisha was persistent. I have found after 25 years of ministry that persistence counts. The levels of anointing that we need today do not come in an instant. Persistence prevails in the kingdom. There is no quick fix.

The way of the past

It became obvious that Elijah was leading Elisha through a history lesson in God’s dealings in the past. Every place they went was charged with divine significance.

Gilgal – the place of circumcision. Bethel – the place of encounter. Jericho – the place of victory. Jordan – the entrance to the Promised Land.

At every place Elisha remembered the way God had met Israel in the past. God had done it before and He could do it again.

Today, God is calling us to retread the ancient paths and to redig the wells once flowing in blessing but now blocked up. The Pentecostal heritage is a rich one and our testimony must be revived. The key to our destiny lies in our history. God raised us up to be an apostolic movement of breakthrough power and mission. Thank God for the pastor-teacher gift but we must also rediscover our apostolic, prophetic and evangelistic roots.

Prophetic succession

Elijah had been commanded to anoint Elisha to be his successor. The fulfilment came on the day Elijah was taken up to heaven. The mantle had fallen and it had to be picked up. There are many fallen mantles waiting to be claimed by those who care to seek them out. But do we really value our heritage? At times I feel we do not appreciate who we really are as Pentecostals. We downplay our distinctives and abandon our inheritance. One hundred years ago God began to reawaken the doctrine and the experience of the Spirit. Through the Pentecostal outpouring the worldwide Church once again witnessed the Baptism in the Spirit – a definite experience, which follows faith and is evidenced by the gift of tongues. We must re-establish this testimony in the nation both by our doctrine and our practice

The desperation of the moment

Desperation can be the only way of describing Elisha’s cry for the God of Elijah to show Himself. It was as if he said, “Where now is the God of Elijah.” Everyone has his or her moment, and this was his. Our time has also come. We cannot drift back into a culture of complacency. There is a job to finish and we must have the power of God to do it. Let’s tread once again the old, neglected paths. Let’s pursue Him until He answers. We need His supernatural power today!

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