Most Recent Blog Posts
-
Post 86 The Great Exchange: Authority for Weakness.
Over the last number of weeks, I have been looking at something called the Great Exchange. The Great Exchange represents a transaction that took place through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. As a result of the New Covenant ushered in by Jesus, our Lord, there are specific weaknesses that Jesus took upon Himself in exchange for His strengths He has made available to us. The exchange is characteristic of covenants. The more powerful one exchanges gifts with the weaker one.
Just as a review, let’s look at what is made available to us:
- (Post 80) Jesus took our sin and gave us forgiveness; (2 Cor 5:20-21).
- (Post 81) Jesus took our death that we might have His life; (Rom 5:10).
- (Post 82) Jesus experienced Hell that we might experience Heaven; (Eph 4:9, 10).
- (Post 83) Jesus took our lost and homeless condition and gave us an eternal home; (John 14:2).
- (Post 84 and 85) Jesus took our weakness and gave us strength or power; (Acts 1:8; Eph 3:14-16).
Authority for Weakness
Today we will look at the fact that Jesus took our lack of authority and gave us His authority; “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and overall the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). (Note: Serpents and scorpions are symbolic of demonic forces.)
Authority
What does it mean that Jesus has given us authority? The word authority in this verse is the Greek word “Exousia.” Both Dynamis and Exousia are translated as power in the New Testament. Dynamis, as you know from our last post, is explosive miracle-working power, which is made available through His Holy Spirit (Acts:1:9). Exousia is a power that also comes from God and is supernatural boldness or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.
As Believers, we have the authority to act as a representative of Jesus Christ. We are ambassadors of Jesus; therefore, we operate on His behalf (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are empowered to be ambassadors for Christ because we are citizens of Heaven, and the Kingdom of God is in us (Philippians 3:20). In a natural sense, ambassadors represent their countries and speak for their President, King, or Ruler. In the same spiritual sense, we speak for our King- King Jesus!
Authority and Boldness.
Knowing we have His authority gives us boldness! There is a strong correlation between being filled with the Holy Spirit and courage! Now, remember being filled means to be influenced or controlled by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 states that we are “… not to be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit”. Just as too much wine can cause boldness, being filled with the Holy Spirit produces boldness to represent God. This idea of being committed to represent God reminds me of an old story I heard called “Moody’s Monopoly.”
A committee of ministers in a certain city was discussing the possibility of having D.L. Moody, the famous 19th-century evangelist, to serve as the evangelist during a city-wide evangelistic campaign.
Finally, one young minister who did not want to invite Moody stood up and said: “why Moody? Does he have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit?”
There was silence. Then an old, godly minister spoke up: “No, he does not have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit; but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly of D.L. Moody.”
Do you see it? Moody was submitted and yielded to the Holy Spirit; He was Baptized in the Holy Spirit! He was a true ambassador of Christ because he knew that he was a citizen of Heaven. The true meaning of Spiritual Authority is to boldly proclaim the Kingdom of God!
Boldness
In Acts 3, you may recall that Peter and John healed, in the name of Jesus, a lame man by the gate beautiful. Then in Acts 4, we see that this miracle created quite a stir. Leading many to believe in Jesus and others to resist Him. The priests, captain of the temple, and Sadducees came upon Peter and John, and they were disturbed that they “taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.”
As a result of their teaching, they were thrown in jail. “5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, 6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”
In the face of such intimidating leaders, Peter verse 8 says, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them.” In plain language, Peter surrendered to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and spoke with authority. He didn’t worry about what man would say or do; he only cared about obeying the Holy Spirit. This act would be seen as boldness or authority by others. In verse 13, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”
The religious leaders tried to figure out what to do with Peter and John and finally decided to command them (18) them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” That is all we are called to do, be a witness to Jesus. In other words, speak what you have heard, seen, or know in the Spirit.
Prayer for Boldness
It isn’t easy being a Christian who is not ashamed of their faith. There will be times when we are challenged and tested. When we face these kinds of difficulties, we are to stir up the Holy Spirit in us. Remembering the words of Peter found in verse 29, “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
31 “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”
Here is the conclusion which each of us must face, “Do you have the Holy Spirit, or does the Holy Spirit have you?”
Finally, keep your focus on what is essential!
In Luke Chapter 10, Jesus sent out 70 followers with instructions. In particular to heal the sick in body, soul and Spirit. Luke 10:17 “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy (sickness, disease, fear, and depression), and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven.”
Pray for Boldness that comes from understanding your Authority from Heaven!
-
Post 85 The Great Exchange: Power for Weakness, Part-2
I am going to pick up from my last message on The Great Exchange: Power for Weakness! Last time we examined Acts 1:9, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Last time I discussed the word “Power” and the phrase “when the Holy Spirit has come upon you“.
Today we will continue with looking at “you shall be witnesses to Me”
The word Witness comes from the Greek word “martys”; which means a witness, a “martyr,” to record, witness.
Take a look at the following two scripture verse:
Luke 7:22 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the Gospel preached to them.”
Acts 4: the Jewish religious leaders commanded Peter and John not to teach in the name of Jesus. “19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
A witness is one who speaks what he or she has personally heard or seen! Boldness to speak out is what is required. To boldly speak as to what God has shown or done in us is to be a witness.
The next phrase is “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria”
We need a little geography lesson here. The Kingdom of Israel was one nation, but after King David passed away, the country was split into two parts. It was divided into Israel in the North and Judah in the South. Jerusalem was the capital of Judah, and Samaria was the capital in the north, Israel. Judea is the Roman/Greek name for Judah. So, the phrase “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria” refers to everywhere Jesus ministered while on earth. While Jesus ministered to the nation of the Hebrew people first, He didn’t end there. Jesus made it clear that the Gospel be preached to the ends of the earth.
If we extend this model to our circumstances it means, we are responsible for our village, town, city nation first, then to take the message of the Gospel to the “ends of the earth!”
Conclusion:
Some try to teach that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Post 84) was for the Apostles only, and when they died off, so did the work of the Holy Spirit. How can we believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is no longer available to us as believers when the scriptures say in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” God does not change!
To overcome this kind of negative thinking requires faith. In the Kingdom of God, if you don’t believe it, then it will not be possible. You get what you believe for! The opposite of faith is doubt, distrust, or denial.
Faith is believing in the unseen faith is the key to unlocking what has already been provided for you by God’s grace. Remember, faith doesn’t create the supernatural; faith makes it available.
Keep in mind that God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways are not our way of doing things. It was His idea that faith should unlock the gifts of Heaven. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the assurance of things unseen!” That means it is not about figuring things out or human logic. To the natural mind, faith may seem foolish and unreasonable, but you are putting your trust not in logic but in the One who makes the promise. Don’t worry about how God will accomplish it; rest in the confidence that He will achieve it.
Let me close with the words of the Apostle Paul, probably the greatest of the Apostles of Christ. He said in 1 Corinthians 2, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
-
Post 84 The Great Exchange: Power for Weakness!
As we continue to examine the concept of the Great Exchange we will look at the following exchange: Jesus took our weakness and gave us His strength; “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8; Eph 3:14-16).
The beginning of the Christian Church started on the day of Pentecost. The term Church means “the called-out ones” these are the believers in Jesus Christ. The Church started in a powerful explosive way with the Holy Spirit being released into the Believer. In the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit was “on” or “with” a person. Now in the New Covenant the Holy Spirit “lives in” the Believer.
The Church, as we know it today, did not start until the Day of Pentecost, 40 days after Jesus rose from the grave. Before the crucifixion, Jesus ministered in the synagogues as an Old Testament Prophet. He preached that the Kingdom of God was present in the hearts of Believers, which, as you can imagine, did not go over well with Jewish teachings. In the beginning, they tolerated Jesus, but as time passed and the followers of Jesus grew, the Jewish leaders felt threatened, and they looked for ways to expel Him.
What Jesus taught was “new wine,” but it was received in “old wineskins” and, therefore, rejected. This means that God was doing a new thing, and the religious Jews preferred the old familiar ways! As Jesus said in Matthew 21:42, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” This verse was a reference to Psalm 118:22 and meant that the devout Jews who trusted in their religious practices stumbled over the message of Grace and Faith that Jesus taught.
Prelude to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
The gift of the Holy Spirit did not happen without prior notice. It was foretold in the Old Testament (read Jeremiah 31:31) and foretold by Jesus beginning in John 7:37, “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
Then in Acts 1:4, Jesus said, “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
- The term “promise of the Father” is found in Luke 24:49. Jesus said, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued (put on) with power from on high.”
Let’s take a look at the term “Baptized with or in the Holy Spirit.” The word Baptized means to be totally immersed or submerged. In the case of Water Baptism, you are fully submerged in water. In Spirit Baptism, you are immersed in the Holy Spirit. In other words, you are surrendering to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
While Jesus ministered with His Disciples, He spoke of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. After His resurrection, He mentions it again in Acts 1:9, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
“you shall receive power“
Dynamis; force, miraculous power, a miracle itself: — ability, abundance, meaning, mighty deed, worker of miracles, power, strength, violence, mighty wonderful work. We get the word dynamite from Dynamis.
We are referring to supernatural works of God. No matter how talented or gifted you are, your natural ability can only take you so far. When your natural ability has run-out, that is when the power of God takes over.
“when the Holy Spirit has come upon you“
Eperchomai (Gk); to arrive, come, occur, impend, attack, or influence. The Holy Spirit of God somehow invades the person and empowers that person to do supernatural acts.
1 Corinthians 12:8-10 describes the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, all of which are supernatural in origin.
“The word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.”
There are other gifts as well such as the ministry gifts of the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher.
That’s all we have time for now. I will be continuing this message in my next post. Until then keep this in mind. The work of the Holy Spirit in sharing, witnessing, preaching the Gospel is best done under the leading and the influence of the Holy Spirit.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the commitment you make to God to allow Him to direct your path in your personal life and in your ministry life.
All believers are called to the Great Commission, which is to make Jesus Christ known by words and deeds.
-
Post 83 The Great Exchange: A Home for Homelessness!
Introduction
In this episode, we will examine another “exchange” accomplished at the Cross of Calvary. Jesus took our lost and homeless condition and gave us an eternal home. This truth is based upon the verse in John 14:2, where Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
Grace and Faith
Before we go there, let me remind you of the relationship between Grace and Faith. God offers the free gift, and we describe it as Grace. Something that is unearned or undeserved but is made available by Faith for every Believer of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 11:1 states that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In simple terms, Faith makes something already available a present reality. That which is available is what God has provided by Grace!
This reminds me of a story I heard many years ago. A wealthy Christian father promised his son a new car when he graduated from school. On graduation day, the son was filled with excitement, anticipating a new car. The son expecting the keys to a new car was shocked and angry when the Father gave him a bible instead.
The son was so disappointed and upset at the gift of a Bible instead of a car that he left the Father’s home and refused to speak to his Father for ten years.
The Bible sat on a shelf unopened all that time. One day the young man was moving things around on his bookshelf, and the Bible fell to the floor. As he bent down to pick up the Bible, an envelop fell out of the Bible. He opened the envelop to find a bank check made out to the car dealership for a new car! The young man broke down and cried, now realizing that he always had what his Father had promised, but the promise sat on a shelf unopened for ten years.
Faith is believing what God the Father has said, which is His Grace, and then acting upon what was promised. All of the promises of God are given to us by Grace, but it is our Faith that acts upon the promise-keeper and makes it real. That is an important point; our Faith is not in the promise alone, but in the Promise-keeper, Jesus!
The Exchange
In the last three episodes, we have mentioned three promises made available by Jesus. These particular promises are called exchanges, a term used with scriptural covenants. Jesus took something and gave us something better. He gave us Forgiveness for Sin, Life for Death, and Heaven for Hell.
A Home for Homelessness
As I said earlier, we will be looking at the truth that “Jesus took our lost and homeless condition and gave us an eternal home.” The key scripture is John 14:2, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” In other words, we have a home in Heaven.
While we don’t know a lot about Heaven, we do know that it is a place of great joy, peace, and worship. God says in Revelation 21:4, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Therefore, by Faith, we believe that every good thing will be made available to us in Heaven.
The verse before John 14:2, Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In other words, don’t worry about your future simply trust in Him. Jesus then confirms that He is “the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
Present Situation
No matter what your situation is at present, God has a plan for your future, and it is a good plan; it is a plan to prosper you. You may be living in wealth and security, or you may just be getting by. Jesus promised to give you what you need. Too often, we worry about what we don’t have instead of being grateful for what we do have.
Do Not Worry
Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little Faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
The key is to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Remember, Jesus knew how to get by with what He needed instead of what He wanted. In Matthew 8:20 Jesus said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Jesus said this in the context of giving up everything to follow Him. However, it also shows that Jesus didn’t overly concern Himself with the trappings of success in this life. Jesus didn’t own homes, have a big bank account, or anything else that in His time would indicate wealth. However, He had the greatest treasure of all! That was the peace of God that comes with the knowledge of God that surpasses all understanding.
As someone once said, “We sometimes think that poverty is only being hungry, naked, and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for is the greatest poverty.” Through the Great Exchange, God, through Jesus Christ, has made you wanted, loved, and cared for by the Creator of this Universe!
Always remember that there is a “Mansion” for you in Heaven where there is joy, peace, and love. All of this because Jesus gave you a home.
-
Post 82 The Great Exchange – Heaven for Hell!
As we continue to examine what was purchased for us by Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary, let me remind you that we can look at what Jesus accomplished as an “exchange.” You will recall that a covenant requires an exchange of assets and liabilities. In the New Covenant, of which Jesus is a covenant head, He gives us His blessings and takes upon Himself what we deserve as sinners.
In episode or post 80, We said that the Bible teaches that Jesus took our sin and gave us forgiveness (2 Cor 5:20-21). We have been forgiven of our sins in the past, the present, and the future. While this is difficult to comprehend, we must accept by faith that Jesus is able and in fact, did forgive us of all of our sins.
In episode or post 81, we examined the fact that Jesus took our death that we might have His life; (Rom 5:10 Hebrews 2:9). Our death, which meant eternal separation from God, has now become eternal life with God.
We have received Heaven instead of Hell.
Today we will look at the truth that Jesus experienced Hell that we might experience Heaven. Before we were born-again, we deserved Hell, but because Jesus took our punishment, we have been given Heaven. That was the exchange.
As Jesus hung on the Cross and took on the sins of humanity, He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). This moment represents His experience of what Hell was like, burdened with the sins of humankind and separated from Father God. However, this experience of Hell could not hold the King of kings and the Lord of lords!
How did this exchange take place?
The book of Hebrews was written to a Hebrew audience. In particular to Jews who were very familiar with the Sacrificial System. It is in this context of the Law that Hebrews 13:11-12 are understood. “11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the Sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate”.
What does this mean? Jesus was identifying with the Hebrew practice of making a “sin offering.” “Inside the sanctuary,” the Temple priest would take an unblemished animal and lay hands on its head (Jesus was unblemished by sin). This was done to transfer or impute the sins of the priest and the sins of the people to the animal. (As believers in Jesus Christ our sins have been imputed or transferred to Him). The priest would then kill the animal, drain its blood, (Jesus shed His blood for us) and then the sacrificial animal containing all the sins of the people was taken “outside the city” to be burned. (Jesus was taken outside the city not to be burned but to be buried).
Jesus stripped Satan of his power over believers in Jesus Christ and led “captivity captive”.
On the Cross, Jesus took our sins upon Himself and He accomplished two more important things for us. He stripped Satan of his power over those who are born-again. Remember, Hell is for those who are not in the New Covenant purchased by Jesus Christ.
- Colossians 2:15 Having disarmed principalities and powers (demonic), He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
- Luke 10:18-20 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions (demonic), and overall the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven.”
Jesus also led “captivity captive.”
As a side note: Sheol (OT), Hades (NT), and Hell (NT) represent the same place. Old Testament theology believed that Hell had two areas, the place where the unrighteous dead went called Gehenna and a place where the righteous dead went called Paradise or Abraham’s bosom (The account of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Luke 16:19-31).
Ephesians 4:7-8 “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.’” Jesus led those who were in captivity in Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom. These would be the Old Testament saints who were righteous under the Law and awaiting the coming Messiah or Christ.
What the Devil intended to be a defeat for our Lord Jesus turned into a glorious victory for our God and the people of God!
Conclusion
You are (1) forgiven and (2) therefore have eternal life with God in Heaven, and (3) Satan with all of his demons have no power or authority over you!
God’s gifts are received by faith.
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes (the promise), and in Him Amen (the confirmation, so be it), to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee (or down-payment).Remember all of the exchanges that the New Covenant provides are already present and available to receive as a result of God’s grace. However, they must be received by faith, that is we must believe it and then we must live our lives as if we believe. Not in doubt, fear, uncertainty or confusion. “For we walk by faith and not by sight”! (2 Corinthians 5:7).
