FATHER intends for us to impact history as Jesus did!
This requires us to fully surrender to the same mindset of Jesus. Many believers don’t consider this as a realistic expectation even though Jesus expressly commanded us to change history when He spoke in Mark chapter 16:
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My Name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
As I wrote yesterday, the Baptism of The Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in Tongues did not cease with the early church. Many believers who don’t speak in Tongues today contest the reality of Acts chapter 2. Their unbelief prevents them from fully accepting this gift from THE FATHER.
When Jesus gave us the command to lay hands on the sick, this was not an optional command to carry out when you feel that you are ready with great confidence. It is not based on your own perception that you are somehow gifted in that area. We are to have faith in GOD and to believe that HIS Word contains the power within Itself to cause Itself to come to pass. Our responsibility is to deliver The Word, not somehow make it happen.
For years, I was taught that grace simply meant “unmerited favor”. However, it means much more than this simple definition.
Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 4:
16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
17 And He was handed the Scroll of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the Scroll, He found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
Aren’t those Words effectively the same as what He commanded us to do in Mark chapter 16?
20 Then He closed the Scroll, and gave It back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
The moment He spoke those Words, the atmosphere changed in the synagogue. This was not the first time He had read passages in the synagogue. What was different this time? He had just gone through the forty days in the wilderness being tested by the adversary. He returned in the power of The Holy Spirit (v 14).
22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the grace-filled Words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
Jesus’ mindset was tested and proven when He overcame the adversary. He trusted FATHER fully and completely. He knew The Word and used It against the devil, the great deceiver. The devil failed in his attempt to deceive Jesus. His attempt to distort The Word was met with the True Word applicable to the situation.
The people marveled at The Word Jesus spoke. They all bore witness. Their spirits were affected by the change in the atmosphere, but they didn’t understand what was happening, so they questioned in their minds about who He was. Joseph’s son? Jesus was impacting history before their very eyes, and they had no clue!
Jesus’ grace-filled Words seem to energize and bring Life to their very being but then someone says, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”. What happened? They were exposed to the Eternal, and it got reduced to the familiar. They were exposed to the unlimited grace of GOD that was sufficient for everything in their lives, and it got reduced to “Joseph’s son”, the familiar. They just highlighted the familiar and it cost them the Eternal. Nazareth was then known as the city of unbelief.
FATHER’S grace is the empowering Presence of GOD, and we are meant to walk in HIS grace. In doing so, we will also impact history as Jesus commanded us to do.