Showing posts with label Charisma News. Show all posts

Monday, April 29, 2019

Prophecy: God Is Raising Up End-Times Prophetic Messengers - JEREMIAH JOHNSON CHARISMA NEWS

Prophecy: God Is Raising Up End-Times Prophetic Messengers

4/28/2019 JEREMIAH JOHNSON CHARISMA NEWS

God is raising up end time prophetic messengers who will proclaim Jesus Christ and all of His glory to the ends of the earth. Even now, these lovesick forerunners are preparing the bride to meet their bridegroom King. The Word of God burns inside of them like fire in their bones that they cannot contain. They are daily experiencing intimate encounters with the Son of God as they sit with Him and learn how to meditate upon His Word day and night.

These sons and daughters will help usher in revival to the church, centered upon the knowledge of God and encountering the person of Jesus. This company of burning and shining lamps will devour the Word of God. They will say "yes" to fresh encounters on the road to Emmaus where the unveiling of Christ will be made known to them through the Law, the Psalms, the Prophets and the New Testament. As these prophetic messengers learn to walk the road to Emmaus, they will continually invite others to join them on this incredible pursuit for the truth that can only be found in God's Word.

Is your heart burning within you to personally encounter the glorious person of Jesus Christ and make Him known to the world around you? Revelation 19:10b says, "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." In other words, when the spirit of prophecy begins to move among a fellowship of believers, they will begin to declare with a passionate and burning heart cry who Jesus Christ really is to a generation.

A Revival of the Word of God

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Some of our churches today have become full of people who are spiritually starving, while stuffed with every physical comfort and pleasure. We have in many ways successfully birthed a churchgoing generation addicted to video games, movies and entertainment, but has no real appetite for the Word of God. Jeremiah cried out to his generation and said, "Indeed, the word of the Lord is a reproach to them; they have no delight in it" (Jer. 6:10).

In the midst of this crisis where the Bible has become a reproach to many Christians and they no longer take delight in it, God is raising up a generation of plumb line prophets who are going to help the body of Christ rediscover hearing, delighting in, trembling before and obeying the Word of God. A bored generation of churchgoers who are desperately searching for ways to get through their quiet times with God are going to encounter prophetic messengers who burn with the fire of God's Word in their bellies.

I see a hungry and growing remnant of saints and church leaders who will absolutely love the Word of God and build their lives and ministries upon it. Plumb line prophets are emerging who will be used mightily in a spirit of wisdom and revelation to enlighten the eyes of the church to the power found in the Bible. There is a man who lives between the lines of Scripture; His name is Jesus. Many Christians say, "I know that verse," but my question is, "Does that verse know you?"

Overemphasis on Personal Prophecy

I'm deeply concerned that in some parts of the contemporary prophetic movement, there is an overemphasis on the giving out of personal prophecy at the expense of the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. I have had multiple pastors and saints at different conferences and churches throughout the world tell me, "Put down your Bible and prophesy to us."

If we drift from the foundation of the Word of God in the contemporary prophetic movement, we will create a generation of prophetic people who are hungry to be stimulated with words of blessing but do not want to get impregnated with the truth of God's Word. Many will hunger for personal prophecy but reject the foundation and place of encounter in the Bible. We must have prophets and prophetic people who want more than to be tickled with promises of destiny and wealth. We must be provoked into holy and righteous living through biblical teaching and preaching.

I see God raising up plumb line prophets in the earth who are going to teach and encourage a generation to primarily give themselves to the study of the revealed will of God found in Scripture and less time chasing after the hidden will of God often times revealed in experiences. We desperately need to see the Word of God handled accurately and with integrity in the contemporary prophetic movement.

Jeremiah Johnson is a gifted teacher, prophet and author of multiple books. He travels extensively throughout the United States and abroad as a conference and guest speaker. Jeremiah has been a guest on Christian television and radio shows including The Jim Bakker Show, Sid Roth's It's Supernatural and "Ask Dr. Brown," as well as on networks such as Daystar, TBN and GodTV. For more information, please visit jeremiahjohnson.tv. or check out the fivefold full-time school of ministry Jeremiah leads in Lakeland, Florida, called Maranatha School of Ministry at maranatha.school. Purchase your copy today of his new book, Trump, 2019 and Beyond at jeremiahjohnson.tv/trump-2019-beyond.

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Sunday, April 28, 2019

To Catch Coming Wave of Revival, We Must Adopt This New Apostolic Paradigm - MICHAEL BRODEUR CHARISMA NEWS

To Catch Coming Wave of Revival, We Must Adopt This New Apostolic Paradigm

4/27/2019 MICHAEL BRODEUR CHARISMA NEWS

As I mentioned in this article, God is moving on the earth in unprecedented ways in preparation for the next wave of revival that could produce the greatest harvest of souls in human history. In order for us to prepare, we need to build thriving churches that maximize the mobilization of every member according to their God-given design and destiny. The key to this result is what we call the apostolic family church model.

Now before we go too much further, let me take a moment to define our terms. There are many well-intentioned leaders in the body of Christ who are convinced that the apostolic gift no longer exists. They believe it ended with the original 12 apostles of the Lamb. However, according to Paul, the apostolic gift is one of five aspects of the ministry of Christ that was given to the church at the time of His ascension and is clearly intended to function throughout time (Eph.4:7-16). These gifts were given:

At the same time: The ascension of Jesus: verses 7-11.
For the same purpose: The equipping of the saints for the work of ministry: vs. 12.
Until the same time: "Until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, into a complete man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (vs. 13-16).

It's impossible to read these verses with an open mind and not see the importance of these gifts to empower God's people to fulfill His purposes on the earth. The church has not yet come into the fullness of Christ so we must conclude that each of these gifts is still in operation today. I imagine that scholars will continue to debate this issue, but the simplest rendering of Scripture clearly supports importance of these gifts working today.

Unfortunately, there have been some who have used the title and position to control others or promote false ideas. This is why I assert that the gifts listing in Ephesians 4:11 are not about position and titles but about function and fruit. We have been commissioned to make disciples who make disciples (Matt. 28:18-20). A key dimension of disciple making is equipping the saints for the work of the ministry. This is the qualifying function and fruit of the five ascension gifts of Jesus.

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One of the biggest obstacles to every-member ministry is the overemphasis of the pastoral gift and the underemphasis on the apostolic gift. A quick word study in the Greek will reveal the impulse of both gifts.

The impulse of a pastoral leader is to "gather, care and keep."
The impulse of an apostolic leader is to "gather, train and send."

We live in a day when most local churches are centered around the pastor and teacher. Yet, according to Scripture, the church was never intended to be built on the foundation of the pastors and teachers but rather on the foundation of the "apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone" (Eph. 2:20b). Some would argue that this is a reference to the Old Testament prophets, but a few verses later, Paul says that God is now revealing things to his holy apostles and prophets (see Eph. 3:5).

Pastors and teachers are both essential to a healthy, thriving church. However, when the pastoral gift is in the driver's seat, the church will always become increasingly consumeristic and spectator-oriented. We must reset the foundation of apostolic leadership to see the vision of every-member ministry fulfilled.

My goal in this article is to help us look in the mirror—not to focus on the spots and blemishes of the bride, but rather to see the possibility of fulfilling God's desires by becoming everything He created us to be. I'm approaching the church as a doctor trying to diagnose a disease. I am speaking to the church as a concerned coach trying to help an Olympic athlete to win the gold. What are the real issues holding us back from maximum health and impact? As a catalytic consultant to churches and movements around the world, I believe we must experience a massive paradigm shift from the pastor-teacher model to an apostolic family model of church.

As I see it, there are three kinds of churches: fantasy, factory or family. Or some combination of all three.

Fantasy church is what John Wimber called, "playing basketball without a ball and without a hoop." In other words, we go through all the motions of buildings, budgets, programs and services, but we rarely score. The sincere efforts of well-intentioned people produce only minimal impact in the areas of winning souls, making disciples, training leaders and multiplying ministries.

Factory church is often a response to the frustration of fantasy church. Factory church focuses on the right outcomes but with the wrong foundational values. These kinds of churches tend to be hierarchical and program-driven and often lead to burnout and a high turnover.

Family church is our solution to both of these extremes. Apostolic family church does not merely focus on helping people belong but helping people become everything that God created them to be. In our next article, "The Tale of Three Churches", we will go into greater detail about each of these kinds of churches and help you begin to build the spiritual family that God desires.

Michael and Diane Brodeur served as a pastors in San Francisco for over 33 years, and by God's grace, established one of the largest churches the city had seen during that era. Michael and his family moved to Redding, California, in 2010 and have served in a number of ministries, including Jesus Culture, Global Legacy and the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM). Michael launched PastorsCoach.com in 2014 and is currently equipping and coaching hundreds of churches around the world. He is the author of several books, including Revival Culture: Prepare for the Next Great Awakening. He also travels globally as a conference speaker and catalytic consultant for churches and organizations. Michael and Diane have seven children and eight grandchildren.

Listen to the podcast below to find out how the movement of Unite My City is making a powerful impact and what you can do to change your city.

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Friday, April 26, 2019

Is America on the Brink of a Second Civil War? - Rick Joyner Charisma News

Is America on the Brink of a Second Civil War?

04/25/2019 Rick Joyner Charisma News

Rick Joyner dreamed about America's history—past, present and future.

"It was so dramatic and so important, the content and message of the dream," Joyner tells Sid Roth. "I felt in some ways that my whole life had been a preparation for receiving this dream, for understanding it and for being able to convey it."

In the dream, Joyner says he was able to see U.S. history from heaven's perspective.

"And it was very different, radically different," Joyner says. "We say there's fake news, but there's fake history out there to that's been, I think, colored by prejudices, by political opinions and things like that."

Joyner says it was also a revelation for God's purpose for our country.

Watch the video for his explanation. Here: Rick Joyner on Sid Roth's It's Supernatural Show

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Modern-Day Wimpy Jesus vs. Jesus as Warrior-King - JOSEPH MATTERA CHARISMA NEWS

Much of what has been written and preached about Jesus the past decade has often amounted to nothing more than a watered-down milquetoast version of the real Jesus.

This has been largely done to appease contemporary society's "anti-masculine" culture and to attract more followers and fill up more church buildings on Sundays. However, as we do a quick scan through the pages of the New Testament (that's right, I said the New Testament), we see that Jesus came to reign on the earth and in the heavens as the warrior King.

What the Scriptures Teach

First of all, we remember how Jesus affirmed to Pilate that the reason He came to the earth was to show that He is the true King and to demonstrate this truth (see John 18:37,38). We can also think about how Jesus is depicted in the last book of the Bible, which is dedicated to revealing who He is (See Rev.1:1).

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

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In the book of Revelation, He is not only called the Alpha and the Omega (Rev.1:8) but is also referred to as "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" in 5:5.

The lion is called by many "the king of the jungle," who is strong, fierce and who fears no one and never backs away from a fight.

Proverbs says, "the terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own soul" and "the king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as dew on the grass" (see Prov. 20:2;19:12). Hence it is no accident that Jesus is described as similar to this amazing and ferocious animal.

Related to our cosmic struggle against the forces of darkness, the apostle Paul admonishes the church to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God" (Eph. 6:10b-11a). He is therefore depicting Jesus as our No. 1 warrior, arrayed in battle attire (See Eph. 6:10-17.)

Near the end of the book of Revelation, Jesus is described as the warrior King who rides on His white horse, leading the armies of heaven (the saints and angelic beings) to slay (or subjugate) the nations with the sword of His mouth (See Rev. 6:2, 19:11-19)—which is referring to His divine decrees as well as His Word being proclaimed (Eph. 6:17, Heb. 4:12) to the nations of the earth throughout human history since His ascension into heaven.

One of the most quoted psalms in the New Testament is Psalm 2 (See Acts 4:25-26), which refers to Jesus as the King of the nations, whom He rules (or breaks) with a rod of iron and shatters like earthenware. The kings of the earth are warned to worship Him with reverence and rejoice before Him with trembling and to do homage to Him lest He become angry and they perish due to His wrath being released against them (see Ps. 2:6-12 as well as Rev. 2:26-27).

Then there is, perhaps the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament, Psalm 110, which speaks about Jesus sitting in the heavens until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet (see Matt. 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42, Acts 2:34-36). Not much of a milquetoast, lovey-dovey, hippie Jesus here in the New Testament thus far!

Jesus also appeared as the King/Priest of Salem-Melchizedek who approved of and blessed Abraham and offered him bread and wine (a type of the New Testament practice of Communion) after He defeated the kings of the nations and forcibly rescued his nephew Lot (see Gen. 14:17-20, Heb. 5:5-10, 7:1-11). However, He is not only a fierce king against the nations of the earth (which we have seen throughout human history the past 2,000 years related to Him rewarding and exalting certain nations and casting them down when they neglect His moral laws and abuse their people; see Deut. 28) but we also see stern language utilized in the New Testament when it comes to His people falling away from His precepts and commands.

First of all, to those who don't think there are any laws in the New Testament and only grace, Jesus said to believers "If you love me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Thus, as King, He gives His people commands—not options. Also, the apostle John explains much more regarding what commandments He is referring to in his first epistle (see 1 John 3-4). Furthermore, the apostle Paul warns the church in Galatia and says to them "Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that will he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). Then there is his letter to the Ephesian church, where he uses even stronger language when he warns the church that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience because of immorality, impurity, covetousness, idolatry and greed, among other things (See Eph. 5:3-8).

Moreover, Jesus warns the Ephesian church only one generation later that He will remove their lampstand (the church—see Rev.1:20) if they do not repent and applauds them for "hating" the deeds of the Nicolaitans whose deeds He also hates (see Rev. 2:4-6.)

Jesus also tells the church of Pergamum that if they do not repent, He will "come to [them] quickly" and "war against them" (Rev. 2:16b; in this case Jesus is at war against a church) with the sword of His mouth. When God comes, Scripture most often depicts Him coming in judgement (see also Amos 5:18 and Rev. 21:20, in which Jesus says He is coming quickly in the context of a warning to those who attempt to add or take away from the words of the book of Revelation (see 22:18,19.)

He also threatens to put a false prophetess (in the church) on a bed of sickness as well as kill all her children with pestilence as a warning to the rest of the churches (see Rev. 2:22-23). Jesus again uses language most Christians only think refers to the "rapture," when He threatens the church in the city of Sardis to wake up, or else "I will come upon you as a thief" (Rev. 3:3b). Finally, Jesus tells the church of Laodicea that He is about to "vomit them out of His mouth" (Rev. 3:16, NKJV) if they do not repent, which is reminiscent of the strong language God uses when He warns Israel not to participate in the abominable practices of the nations (see Lev. 18:25).

Ultimately, the book of Revelation is replete with language that speaks about the sovereignty of God, in conjunction with the accumulated prayers of the saints both in heaven and in earth (See Rev.5:8, 6:9-1, 8:3-5) who releases judgments on the earth (which includes natural disasters and plagues) in conjunction with the sevenfold release of seals, trumpets and bowls (see Rev. 5-18) against unrepentant sinners and nations.

The above passages should forever eradicate the unbiblical depiction of Jesus as some flower child, coming to bring peace (by accommodation) to the earth without exerting His sovereign, kingly rule—which sometimes also includes expressing His divine wrath against disobedient sinners and nations.

This should also dispel the unbiblical teaching of hyper-grace advocates who only teach their perspective on the goodness of God and teach a Gnostic dualism that pits the God of the Old Testament against the New Testament God (Jesus); as if the Old Testament version of God is mean and the New Testament version of God (Jesus) is good and would never enact judgment on the earth.

Of course, the Advent of Christ revealed the fullness of grace and love of God in a way the Old Testament only depicted in types and shadows (see John 1:17,18). However, as we can see from reading the Gospels, Jesus loved sinners without compromising His holiness. For example, He protected the woman caught in adultery, but He also told her "go and sin no more" (John 8:11b); He ministered to the woman at the well and offered her the water of life, but He also revealed the fact that she was living a life of sin, with numerous men in her life (see John 4:16-19); He told the man unable to walk for 38 years, "Sin no more lest something worse happens to you" (John 5:15b) after He healed him.

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be moved, let us be gracious, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:28-29).

Dr. Joseph Mattera is an internationally known author, interpreter of culture and activist/theologian whose mission is to influence leaders who influence nations. He is renowned for addressing current events through the lense of Scripture by applying biblical truths and offering cogent defenses to today's postmodern culture. He leads several organizations, including The United Coalition of Apostolic Leaders (uscal.us). He also has a blog on Charisma News called "The Pulse." To order one of his books or to subscribe to his weekly newsletter go to josephmattera.org.

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Power of God Falls on Church That 'Singlehandedly Kicked George Soros Out of Hungary' - STEPHEN STRANG CHARISMA NEWS

Evangelist Rodney Howard-Browne (right) ministered at Pastor Nemeth Sandor's (left) Faith Church in November 2018. (Facebook/Nemeth Sandor)

Power of God Falls on Church That 'Singlehandedly Kicked George Soros Out of Hungary'

4/23/2019 STEPHEN STRANG CHARISMA NEWS

Some say Europe is post-Christian. But although there's a great deal of spiritual darkness in that continent, pockets of revival are also springing up. In a recent interview with evangelist and pastor Rodney Howard-Browne, he told me how God is moving across many European nations through his revival tour, Europe Ablaze. (Click here to listen to the interview or scroll to the bottom of this article.)

One area where the Spirit of God is stirring up revival is Budapest, Hungary. Faith Church in Budapest, where Howard-Browne recently ministered, has experienced revival nonstop for 20 years. This Pentecostal church single-handedly kicked George Soros out of Hungary, Howard-Browne says.

"This is what is so significant about this church, Faith Church, in Budapest, Hungary," he says. "That church has a university, they have a seminary, they have a weekly newspaper that covers the whole nation, and they have a 24-hour television news network—the third-largest news network of its kind in the country. That church single-handedly kicked George Soros out of Hungary. So [Faith Church Pastor Nemeth Sandor] said to me, 'Look, I need your help, because Soros is trying to work to shut my money down and is attacking tithing and everything.'"

Howard-Browne ministered to Faith Church during his tour in Europe this past November. But Faith Church wasn't even on his itinerary. He had no idea he was going to Budapest until God spoke to the evangelist while he was ministering in Bratislava, Slovakia.

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"I heard the audible voice of the Lord," he says. "And the Lord said, 'Go and strengthen Sandor.' I did not know what he was going through at the time. I had visited that church 20 years before. So when I heard the audible voice alone, I began to weep uncontrollably."

Howard-Browne was so overwhelmed by the power of God in that moment, that he wasn't sure he would be able to speak that night at the revival service. But 50 churches got together that night, and the Holy Spirit moved mightily. Howard-Browne says that when the power of God hit the 1,300 people in that arena, it looked like "tornadoes picking up whole groups of people."

Thankfully, Pastor Sandor's church was only a 2-hour drive from Bratislava. Howard-Browne had visited that church in 1998, and he recalls the weighty glory of God falling during his time of ministry there. When he returned to the church, he felt as though nothing had changed.

"It was like we finished on a Friday night, and I was there Saturday night of the exact same week except 20 years had expired," he says. "It was the most surreal moment. ... They're all weeping. The fire of God hit that place. Over 3,000 people came forward to the altar, people committed to win souls. ... So here's a 70,000-member church in Budapest that is shaking the nation, and I was so encouraged."

But Howard-Browne couldn't figure out how this church managed to keep the Spirit's fire going for 20 years. The church only has one service a week. Each Saturday night from 5 to 11 p.m., its 10,000-seat sanctuary is packed with believers. Howard-Browne asked Pastor Sandor what his secret was.

"[Sandor] said, 'Oh, it's very easy,'" Howard-Browne says. "He said, 'I took all the kids everywhere. And I spoke to them destiny and I put the fire of the Holy Ghost on them. And I took all the youth, and I did the exact same thing.' And then I suddenly realized why his church is so in revival after all these years."

Howard-Browne witnessed the power of Sandor's discipleship method. The two drivers who helped the evangelist get to and from the meetings were 24 and 26 years old. Both of them remember Howard-Browne's last revival meeting in their church, even though they were only 4 and 6 respectively.

"So I began to see the power and the impact when the Holy Ghost comes with power, and how He brands people's hearts for eternity, for souls and for shaping the nation," Howard-Browne tells me.

Budapest was only one stop in Howard-Browne's incredible revival tour in Europe this past year. I was so fascinated by what he shared with me in this interview that I invited him back to the show to share more, so stay tuned for tomorrow's Strang Report to learn more supernatural ways God is moving in Europe.

Be sure to listen to my entire conversation with Howard-Browne below and share this encouraging story of revival with your friends on social media!

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Saturday, April 20, 2019

5 Resurrection Realities That Will Rock Your World - EDDIE HYATT CHARISMA NEWS

5 Resurrection Realities That Will Rock Your World

3:00PM EDT 4/19/2019 EDDIE HYATT CHARISMA NEWS

While teaching a week-long course on revival at a Bible school in Canada, I found myself wide awake at 3 a.m. one morning. My mind was gripped with the truth of Satan's absolute defeat through the resurrection of Christ, and I knew I was to share it with the class that morning.

It was appropriate, for I discovered that many had been indoctrinated with an approach to spiritual warfare that attributes too much to the devil and tends to put the child of God in fear. Such an approach relies too heavily on the Old Testament and ignores the cosmic shift that occurred when Jesus was raised from the dead.

Here are five resurrection realities that will remove all fear of Satan and rock this world in which we live.

Resurrection Reality No. 1
Jesus Inflicted on Satan a Mortal Wound and Fulfilled the Prophecy of Genesis 3:15

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Genesis 3:15 (NASB) reads, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel."

These words were spoken by God to the serpent after the fall of our first parents. The "seed of the woman" in this passage is an allusion to a future descendant of Eve who will defeat the serpent and reverse the curse brought on by his deception.

According to this prophecy, the "seed of the woman" will receive a temporary wound from Satan—"you shall bruise His heel"—but the "seed of woman" shall inflict on Satan a final and mortal wound—"He shall bruise your head."

The first part of this Messianic promise, that refers to the "seed of the woman," was fulfilled through the virgin birth of Jesus, which occurred without the involvement of a man. The second part of the prophecy was fulfilled at the time of the resurrection when the Seed of the woman bruised the serpent's head, inflicting on him a fatal and final wound.

That Satan had been decisively defeated was obvious when Jesus emerged from the tomb and declared, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28:18b). As a Bible school student, I heard a question posed by a guest speaker that I never forgot. He read this passage and then asked, "If Jesus has all authority, how much does that leave the devil?"

The majestic authority of the risen Lord was clearly seen by John on the Isle of Patmos. When John saw Him in His resplendent power and glory, he said, "I fell at His feet as though I were dead" (Rev. 1:17). Jesus then laid His hand on John and said, ""Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, though I was dead. Look! I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death" (Rev. 1:17-18).

Resurrection Reality No. 2

The Believer is Now Seated with Christ Far Above All Principality and Power

If for Paul, the cross of Christ is the ultimate demonstration of God's love, the resurrection of Christ is the ultimate demonstration of God's power. It can be said that the resurrection of Christ is the greatest demonstration of power the universe has ever known, even greater than the power exerted in creation, for the resurrection brought life out of death and defeated the spiritual enemies of God, such as sin and Satan.

The overwhelming victory of Christ over Satan is delineated by Paul in Ephesians 1:15-23 where he speaks of Christ being raised from the dead by the mighty power of God and then being seated "at His own right hand in the heavenly places" (v. 20b).

The "right hand" in Scripture is symbolic of authority and power. Psalm 98:1b, for example, says of God, "His right hand and His holy arm have accomplished deliverance." When Paul says that Jesus is now seated at the "right hand" of God, he is saying that Jesus is seated at the pinnacle of the universe, in the place of ultimate authority and power.

This place where Christ is seated, Paul says, is "far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come" (Eph. 1:21). It doesn't matter what kind of principality or power it may be—even Satan himself—the place where Christ is now seated is far above them all.

And here is what is incredible! In Ephesians 2:5-6, Paul says that those who have put their faith in Christ are seated with Him in that place of authority. In other words, as His people, we share in that authority. No wonder Satan trembles at the child of God who knows his/her position and authority in Christ.

Resurrection Reality No. 3
Christ's Resurrection Power Is at Work in You

In his discussion of the resurrection of Christ in Ephesians 1:19b, Paul says that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is "toward us who believe. The word "toward" is a translation of the Greek preposition eis, which literally means "into." The NIV has translated eis as "for," and the Amplified translates it as "in."

We can say, therefore, that the resurrection power of Christ is directed "toward" us; that it is "in" us, and it is "for" us. Paul alludes to this in 2 Corinthians where he said, "For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that also the life of Jesus might be manifested in our mortal flesh." In other words, we are not yet in heaven. Nonetheless, even here in this fallen world where death is at work, resurrection life is at work in us.

In the early days of our marriage and ministry, Sue and I experienced a series of attacks that seemed to devastate our lives and our ministry. When it seemed all was lost, and the vision had died, I heard the Lord speaking clearly to me, "Don't be afraid of death because I am the Resurrection."

We then put our trust in the Lord as never before and saw Him bring the vision back to life in ways we could never have imagined, schemed or planned. We saw His Resurrection life and power at work even in the midst of death!

From that day, I knew Jesus, not only as the one who heals our hurts, but as the one who raises to life dreams, visions and hopes that have died. I now knew the Resurrection to be more than a past event. I knew the Resurrection to be personified in the person of Jesus Christ who by His Spirit lives in me.

We, therefore, do not have to fear death of any sort, for the one who is the Resurrection and the life now lives in us. John had this revelation, which is why he declared, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

Resurrection Reality No. 4
Satan Is a Defeated Foe Whose Only Weapon Is Deception

Stripped of all authority, Satan can only wield influence in the earth through lies and deceptions. He is like a bold and blustery general who is use to barking orders until one day he is found guilty of treason and court-martialed. He is stripped of all authority, humiliated and drummed out of the service.

Now, if this former general can find some troops that don't know he has been stripped of his authority, he will be able to exercise authority over them. But when the truth is forthcoming, the meekest private can tell him to get lost for his authority has all been taken away. This is the situation with Satan and demons.

This is why Revelation 12:9 refers to him as "that ancient serpent called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world." Jesus said of him, "When he lies, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). Satan holds much of this present world in his grasp through lies and deceptions.

This is why Jesus said in John. 8:32, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." The truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what He has done through His death and resurrection dispels the lies of Satan, even as light dispels darkness. When the lie is gone, Satan has no ground or place to operate. Nothing, therefore, can take the place of truth of God's word in the church and in our personal lives.

Resurrection Reality No. 5
There Is No Room for Fear When We Know the Truth of the Resurrection

I recall listening to the elder statesman of miracle evangelism, the late Dr. T. L. Osborn, tell about preaching in an outdoor crusade in Africa. Many thousands were in attendance, including hundreds of witch doctors who had come with their fetishes to work their magic against the foreign preacher.

Before going on the platform, the supporting pastors wanted to lay hands on him and pray for his protection from the devil. Osborne refused their prayer. He said, "I would not insult my Lord in that way." Osborne focused his attention on preaching the good news of Jesus' resurrection that day, and many came to Christ, and many were miraculously set free from all kinds of illnesses and bondages. And some Christian pastors realized that they did not have to fear the devil.

It is said that Smith Wigglesworth heard a loud noise in his basement in the middle of the night and went down to investigate. As he looked around with only a small lamp, he saw what appeared to be a manifestation of the devil in the corner of the room. Smith said, "Oh, it's just you," and walked back up the stairs and went to bed.

We were once visiting relatives, and their small son was very sick. We prayed, but nothing seemed to change. Later, while coming down the stairs, I had a knowing inside that the sickness was caused by a demonic attack against the child. Interestingly, we did not have to do anything else; for from that moment, the sickness was gone. The light had dispelled the darkness.

We are to be sober and alert in our dealings with the devil, but never afraid.

Conclusion

The success of the early church can be attributed to the fact that they preached continually about the resurrection of Jesus. It was not a once a year thing with them; it was an everyday reality in which they lived, walked and breathed. Jesus was alive!

Knowing that we have a message of life—resurrection life—let us never back away from boldly sharing the gospel with even the most difficult cases. Because He ever lives in resurrection life and power, He is able, in the words of the writer to the Hebrews, "save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him" (Heb. 7:25).

This year, let's recover the centrality of the message of Jesus and His resurrection. This is a key to seeing true spiritual awakening in the churches of America and a great influx of souls.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is the founder of America's Reawakening and is convinced that America about to experience another Great Awakening. His numerous books on the great revivals of Christian history are available from Amazon and his website ateddiehyatt.com. Pat Robertson called his book, Pilgrims and Patriots, which documents America's birth out of spiritual awakening, "a must-read."

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Monday, April 29, 2019