Faith – We all have a measure of faith that enables us to do great things for God. Faith gives deep assurance, and our faith can grow through experience as we find Him trustworthy.

Anointing – Anointing is the power of God given to different people for different purposes. It comes from God through the Holy Spirit, and we must obey Him in order to receive it.

Glory of God – God’s glory comes from His presence, goodness and love being made evident in the earth.

The glory of the Shekinah God, the God who dwells among us. God Himself present. Glory is mystical and it happens when God comes down. God’s glory comes when we rest, worship and let God lead. Glory is the weight of God and cannot be quantified.

What should we do when the glory comes? We need to be sensitive, dying to self and adopting a posture of the heart that is completely for God and His ways. You can long for His glory, but you cannot force it.

The Fire of God

Life brings many challenges, and we need the fire of God to endure them and emerge victorious. We must learn to focus on His holy fire and not our problematic circumstances.

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. (Isaiah 64:1-3)

The mountains and nations tremble in His presence. When we enter His presence, our spirits should boil over with passion to serve Him.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

We need the baptism of fire to serve Him, and our lives will be miraculous.

… for our “God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:29)

But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you. (Deuteronomy 9:3)

Our God is like a consuming fire; He will devour our enemies.

Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. (Psalm 97:3)

“And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,” declares the LORD, “and I will be its glory within.” (Zechariah 2:5)

Our God surrounds and protects us like a wall of fire.

“As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. (Daniel 7:9-10)

He is a River of Fire.

There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. (Exodus 3:2)

In Exodus 3, the angel of the Lord appeared in the flames.

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

(2 Chronicles 7:1)

We must ask for a fresh fire of God upon our lives.

By His Stripes We Are Healed

Healing is our inheritance, and so are joy and peace.

One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’” She replied, “I have a home among my own people.” “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked. Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.” Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!” But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her. The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. He said to his father, “My head! My head!” His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out. She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.” “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.” “That’s all right,” she said. She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’” “Everything is all right,” she said. When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me why.” “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?” Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.” But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her. Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.” When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.” She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out. (2 Kings 4:8-37)

What an amazing story about the power and mercy of God. First the Shunammite woman was barren. Then, she had a child, for she knew the power of God and His servant. When her son died at an unappointed time, she never gave up but claimed healing through the servant of God.

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. (John 6:63)

Do not be blinded by the things of this world. We need to be like the Shunammite woman who built an upper room for the anointing of God. We need to make room in our lives for the King of Kings, and we will be required to make sacrifices for holiness. Does God have a prominent place in your heart? God dwells in the praises of His people; if your heart does not praise Him, you cannot expect Him to dwell with you. Make room for Jesus in your heart, for He is preparing a room for you.

Second Kings 4 records that the boy sneezed seven times, and then he opened his eyes. Sneezing is the body’s way of expelling irritants that do not belong. Similarly, in order to experience God’s healing, we need to purge ourselves of unholy things that do not belong in His temple.

Claiming Your Inheritance

Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.” But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat. His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?” He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” (1 Kings 21:1-7)

We need to be like Naboth who stood firm against the king, even to the point of death, in order to keep his inheritance. God honored Naboth by bringing a curse upon King Ahab’s household.

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” (Hebrews 1:1-4)

Inheritance must be claimed. Mark the four corners of your inheritance and guard it. We are the heirs of God the Father by the royal blood of Jesus. Watch out for pride, for it will always blind you. Jesus said that if He is lifted up, He will draw all men unto Himself, and those whom He sets free are free indeed. When you know your inheritance, the devil cannot gain ground, for in Christ he has been defeated.

We are made in God’s image, and your blood fights for your survival. Abel’s blood cried out to God, and in Jesus’ blood were the white blood cells that are present in your blood stream. He is the vine; we are the branches. He is a God of miracles, so do not sell your inheritance.

Recovering Your Inheritance

David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.” David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.

David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. (1 Samuel 30:1-10, 18-19)

God always sees you according to what He has ordained you for. He chose you, and you are defined by what God says about you, not the words of other people. David was a man after God’s heart; he yearned for Him. For this reason, God ordained him to be a king. You must always guard your heart and allow God to use it.

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. (1 Peter 4:12)

As the Word says, we will be tested; do not be surprised. The Amelekites were Israel’s worst enemies; they always attacked their weaknesses and exploited them. At their hand, David lost everything including his two wives, but in his great distress, he sought God and received comfort and encouragement. When you go through a trial and do not know what to pray, speak in tongues, allowing the Holy Spirit to intercede for you. You are the bride of Christ. Abigail was one of David’s wives, and her name means “joy.” The joy of

the Lord is your strength. It is the anointing that comes and makes you whole. When God restores your inheritance, the crowd will be drawn to you. When David restored everything he had lost, those who were against him came back to him

“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” Then the LORD was jealous for his land and took pity on his people. The LORD replied to them: “I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations. “I will drive the northern horde far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land; its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise. ”Surely he has done great things! Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things! Do not be afraid, you wild animals, for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches. Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls. (Joel 2:12-32)

We need to develop a prayerful life and develop the desire to pray daily. God reads our hearts. If we do not receive an answer to prayer, we should check our hearts to make sure we have not placed any idols above God. These could take the shape of materialism, television, a spouse or loved one, work, or anything else that you esteem above the Lord.

We must consecrate ourselves as holy unto God. We need to connect with Him and enter into His presence through prayer. We should also intercede for the nation in which God has placed us.

We must ask God for forgiveness, for revival comes only after repentance. We need to be sanctified and refined in Christ and pray without ceasing that God will fulfill His promise to pour out His Spirit on the young and old.

Through a lifestyle of prayer, God will activate your gifting, and you will live supernaturally with miracle-working power, healing and saving everyone you encounter in the name of the Lord.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1)

For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36)

From the day we are born, everything in our lives is about our Lord. From Him we come, for He is our Creator. Through Him, by His grace we live every day, and for Him we do all things. God is calling every individual as well as the corporate Church, and we have a choice whether or not to respond to Him. Billy Graham said we can miss the kingdom by a foot, meaning that our heads are with God, but our hearts are far from Him. When our hearts are with God, we will offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, and we will experience His power at work in our daily lives.

There are four powerful reasons to respond to God’s call:

1. Dedicate and consecrate your body.

It is common sense that we dedicate our bodies to God because Christ did the same for us when He died on the cross. If God has your heart, He also has your body, for it is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:12-14)

Let your body be an instrument of righteousness rather than wickedness. The world will know your God through your actions.

2. It is a place of confession and declaration.

But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:8-10)

If you believe with your heart, then you will confess your belief with your mouth. There must be evidence of God in our lives. There is no such thing as a closet Christian.

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. (Matthew 10:32-33)

We are called to be the light and salt of the earth. How can a light be hidden?

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

(2 Corinthians 4:3)

We have life, and that life is everlasting.

My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever. (Psalm 45:1-2)

The psalmist compared his tongue to the pen of a skillful writer. When we are guided by the Spirit of God, He anoints our tongues to confess and declare His goodness to the world, and we are blessed forever.

3. It is a place for spiritual impartation.

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord. (Acts 13:1-3, 9-12)

When God is lifted up, you will experience the impartation of His blessing. As we focus on lifting the Lord higher, He will draw all men to Himself. When we minister unto the Lord rather than to ourselves, His gifts begin to flow. The verses above are clear examples of how the Lord moves when He is lifted up.

4. It is a place of total surrender.

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. (Hebrews 11:17-19)

When you surrender everything to God, you activate His blessing. Abraham did exactly that when he stood, dagger in hand, ready to sacrifice Isaac. As a result, everything changed.

When you are willing to totally surrender to God’s instruction, you will activate His miracles. You have to lay everything on the altar in order to see how He will multiply it. As a result of Abraham’s heart of surrender, his descendants were blessed and a nation was born, the only nation God chose to call His own.

1. The Passover Level.

The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover. “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. (Exodus 12:5-13)

This passage tells us that the nation of Israel was delivered from slavery. Salvation is the beginning of everything. This is a stage of groaning.

2. The Pentecostal Level.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? (Acts 2:1-8)

At this level, everyone should speak in tongues as illustrated in the verses above. Do not worry about whether you understand what you are saying; this is one of the mysteries of the Spirit that we should accept and do in faith.

3. The Tabernacle Level.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. (Matthew 27:51-53)

When Jesus died on the cross, the Bible says that the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This is symbolic of our direct access to the Holy of Holies. Jesus paid the price so that we now have direct access to God. And because there is no longer separation between God and man, there is no more need for continual sacrifice.

We need to have a close relationship with God. With the help of the Holy Spirit we must listen to God in the Holy of Holies which is now our hearts. Through times of intimacy with Him, we will begin to walk in divine ability, for His anointing gives us supernatural power and authority. And remember, the greater the test we receive from God, the greater our testimony will be. The higher the flood waters rose, the higher the ark floated.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:26-38)

Christmas can take on numerous meanings, but the truth is, Christmas represents the beginning of God’s personal encounter with mankind. God came to Earth in the flesh, lived victoriously among us and conquered death. We should celebrate Christmas every day because not only did Jesus choose to interact with us, He gave us the Holy Spirit who is with us all the time.

So, how can we encounter God and walk and talk with Him daily? According to Luke 1:37, we can fully rely on God’s Word, for it will never fail. As Mary said, let it be done according to His will, for with, God nothing is impossible.

God knows your address.

God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary’s home. When you live in God’s purpose, He will send His angels to you. The encounter happens where you live.

God knows how obedience to Him can impact your life.

God chose Mary to fulfill His purpose. When God chooses you, it affects your personally and the people around you. God does not bless us just for our own benefit.

God knows that you are afraid.

It is quite normal to react with uncertainty as Mary did, but do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God. Verse 35 says that the Holy Spirit came and overshadowed Mary. God is with us in all our circumstances.

We need to believe God’s word.

Jesus works every day, not only on Christmas Day. What happens when we don’t believe?

The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” (Luke 1:19-20)

Evidence causes us to believe with our natural minds, but we need to have faith to believe in the Spirit. We must choose to believe God at His Word that with Him, nothing is impossible.

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” (Mark 9:21-25)

Like the father of the demon-possessed boy, we need to confess our unbelief to God, and ask for His help.

They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. (Acts 4:7-22)

Peter and John walked in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, and when they were questioned about their authority, they proclaimed the name of Jesus. There is power in His name.

According to Acts 4:19-20, we cannot talk about the things we have seen and heard.

Christianity contains the power to change lives.

When the people saw the miracles, there was no argument (verse 14).

There are three evidences of the Power of God:

1. The true message of liberty in Christ.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36)

2. Miracles.

Do you believe in miracles? The world is impressed when they see authentic change in a person they know. The healing of one person can result in 5,000 people giving their lives to Jesus.

3. The man behind the miracle.

Paul and Peter were regarded as uneducated, but their acts proved that they had great wisdom in Christ. Power comes when you have competence and knowledge, and God uses even the uneducated to show His power.

We are not saved by our works but by faith in the Lord Jesus. But if we believe in Him, then our lives should reflect His goodness through our works. In John 14, Jesus said that we can do greater works than He did when He walked on the Earth. Our lives are the evidence of our belief.

Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:10-14)

What are the characteristics?

1. We must accept our God-given greatness.

Though He remained humble before the Father, Jesus never denied His greatness. His claims to represent God ultimately led to His death. Scripture tells us that we are seated together with Christ in the heavenly realms, and a little godly confidence based on the authority we have in Christ would do us good. This kind of confidence is not determined by how many people are beneath you but by who sits above you. As God’s children, we are co-heirs with Christ. We need to accept and walk in the power of this truth if we are to see any evidence of God’s greater works in our lives.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-6)

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:16-17)

2. You must serve unreservedly.

Jesus came to serve, not to be served. He gave up His crown and became a servant. Following in His footsteps, we need to serve unreservedly, helping one another with the love of our Lord. Serving God is synonymous with serving others. We are called to serve one another in love, a love that is unconditional. This is no easy task, and the only way to achieve it by dying to our flesh, as Jesus did on the cross. We can only do this if we constantly submit to the Spirit of God.

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. (Galatians 5:13)

Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:8-10)

3. We must be full of the Holy Spirit.

It is in your advantage to be full of the Holy Spirit. Spirit-filled believers speak inspirationally and do everything according to His guidance rather than their fleshly desires. When filled with the Spirit, your life will become glorious evidence of the reality of God.

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. (Galatians 5:16-17)

Believe in the supremacy of the Holy Spirit. Believe in the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe in the sovereignty of the Father.

Religions of the world seek to do good for mankind in various ways, but Christianity has one distinct difference: Jesus paid the price to atone for the sin of man and make a way to God through His death on the cross. Not only that, He rose from the dead, overcoming sin and is alive today and forever. It is for this reason alone that you and I can live in victory.

1. The truth about Christianity:

Just as there were many who were appalled at him—his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness. (Isaiah 52:14)

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:3-5)

He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. (Hebrews 9:12)

The scriptures above clearly demonstrates our status in Christ. By His stripes, we are healed and therefore have peace. The price of freedom from sin was paid once and for all, giving us resurrection power to live in the abundance of Christ.

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:18)

2. We need to Act on the truth by believing and accepting that Jesus died for our sin.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:45-46)

Jesus was the pearl of great value, and we need to sell everything so that we can have Him.

3. Why should we embrace the truth?

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. (Philippians 3:8-9)

Everything in this world is considered worthless compared to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus, the salvation we have in Him and the victorious life that comes with it.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. (Hebrews 11:24-26)

Moses considered the treasures of Egypt worthless compared to his God.

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:58-60)

Stephen was willing to lay down his life for Christ, even while being stoned to death.

4. How can we embrace the truth?

The common factor among these biblical figures is that they were each supernaturally visited by the Holy Spirit or angels and so received revelation.

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:15-17)

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth Who enables us to understand the things of God.

”All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (John 16:15)

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16-17)

Everything that we are and everything we can ever be comes from Him, and we are nothing without Him. Jesus is God’s precious gift to us.

1. The Mosaic Jubilee.

Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields. “‘In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property.’” (Leviticus 25:9-13)

The above passage describes a time when everything had to come to a stop, and the people returned to their families. Slaves were released by law, and the nation entered into a time of rest, restoration and joy. During this time, God instructed the people to eat only food that had been intentionally sown in their fields.

2. The Prophetic Jubilee.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. (Isaiah 61:1-4)

The jubilee described in this passage is all about spiritual restoration. This can happen to anyone, anywhere.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:18-21)

3. The Messianic Jubilee.

Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:35-36)

John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” (Luke 7:18-23)

In Christ, we are liberated; it is only a question of our belief. The blind will see; the deaf will hear. We must deal with our doubt, or it may lead us astray. In Luke 7, we see that John the Baptist had questions about Jesus, and he was the one who called Jesus the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. During the time of questioning, John the Baptist was in prison, about to be beheaded. When you see God through your circumstances and not through His will, doubt can cloud your belief.

The power of jubilee is dependent on your faith in God.