We are to understand our assignment given to us by Jesus Himself!
Our authority comes from the commission given to us by Jesus. Our power comes from the encounter. As I wrote yesterday:
Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 2:
32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
33 Therefore being exalted to the Right Hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
And in verse 38:
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Peter speaks of three different actions:
Repent
Be baptized in water
Receive the gift of The Holy Spirit
These are commands, not suggestions!
Peter continued:
39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
In other Words, God’s promise of the Holy Spirit is for you and your families, for those yet to be born and for everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself.
This Word includes you and me.
Concerning the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 20:
16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”
An angel spoke to John and he recorded by The Holy Spirit in Revelation chapter 17:
14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
Notice that those who were chosen are also known to be faithful.
The Baptism of The Holy Spirit was given to that initial generation of disciples and believers. It started with the 11 in the upper room. It went to the upper room with 120, and then it spread to thousands. In the first day, there were 3,000 more added. The Promise of THE FATHER continued to spread.
People realized that they were not just on planet earth to occupy space and lead a good upright life, but they were here to make a difference in the course of history for entire nations.
This Promise is for you, your children, the next generation, and to all who will come forth in the future. What started 2,000 years ago was never meant to decline. It was supposed to increase in momentum in every generation following.
When you give your children what you received and you steward what you were given correctly, it actually creates the platform for increase.
For whatever reason, people dropped the responsibility for healing, dropped the responsibility for deliverance, and in many cases, dropped the responsibility of preaching the Gospel for salvation.
Thankfully, there was always a remnant. There was always people living in what I am writing about.
Jesus spoke in John chapter 14:
12 “I tell you this timeless Truth: The person who follows Me in faith, believing in Me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with My Father!
This Promise of The Holy Spirit was always meant to increase, never to decline.
The outpouring of The Holy Spirit was supposed to be the New Testament standard for how we do Life. That lifestyle of walking in the assignment of THE LORD, the commission of THE LORD, the power of THE LORD, is for every single believer.
After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples to commission them (and us) in Matthew chapter 28:
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth.
Jesus is identifying Himself as the Son of man in this statement for GOD has never lost authority. Since Jesus took on flesh, in doing so, the Perfect Lamb of GOD qualified you and me for an inheritance. He got for us a position, an assignment, Eternal Life, but a specific purpose for Life that we could not have earned if we had all of Eternity to earn it. It was a gift! HE qualified us for it through His death and resurrection.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Jesus conveyed to us His authority to do what He has called us to do. Our authority comes in our “YES” to His commission. If Jesus has all authority, it tells us that the accuser of the brethren has no authority. All he can do is talk until somebody with authority believes him. Don’t be that “somebody”! It is time for us to walk in His authority, but there’s more.