This morning I will provide a message that does flow in the vein of “Refined Focus”, but one that is somewhat of a departure from the passage we have been studying. It’s a message that helps drive home the importance of what we have been learning.
My church is having a Pastors and Leaders Conference for the next couple of days. The conference started last night with a message from God through Pastor Ramson Mumba. Pastor Mumba has planted churches literally all around the world as he seeks to do what God has called him to do. Just in the last week he has ministered the Gospel — with signs and miracles following the Word — on four continents. As he travels, preaches and then releases God’s power for miracles, he can only say what he hears the Father say and only do what he sees the Father do. He cannot manufacture healing, but he can most certainly say what He is hearing and release what he is receiving. That’s how Jesus lived and that’s how we are supposed to live.
Last night we had people walk without their walkers, backs here healed, arms and shoulders were healed, the effects of injuries were reversed, and one young lady had her ear opened. When the time came to release the power of God, Pastor Mumba simply called out what he heard the Father highlight. The Holy Spirit would tell him to call for people with this or that, and the people would come and get healed. While he was ministering he called out and said, “Someone here has partial hearing in one ear. Who is that?” The young lady came. I know her. She identified the ear with hearing loss in and validated that it had been that way for years. Pastor Mumba touched her ear, prayed a quick prayer, healing was released and hearing was restored. We tested it, having her to cover her good ear and then repeat what she was hearing, and the young lady went back to her seat visibly shaken by the power and restoration of God.
Now, Today’s Word goes out to people all over the world, so I am sure there will be some who don’t believe what I am saying. Why? Because some Christians have confined God to their experience. They have never experienced the power of God, so they relegate God to be the God they know, as if God is limited to their experience. Many are even offended if you preach and teach on the supernatural power of God, because to them, God is more like man than He is like God. They don’t want a God they can’t wrap their little minds around. They want a God who fits in their box. Another group talks about the supernatural, but they never experience it. They preach about the healings and miracles of Jesus, but they never really expect to experience them today. It’s a shame, but there is a generation of believers who don’t even know that our God supernatural. Our preaching is not supposed to be with just words. We are called to demonstrate what we preach. And it has nothing to do with titles, clergy collars, seminary degrees, or fancy words. From the least to the greatest, every Born-Again believer is supernatural.
John the Baptist was the forerunner for Jesus. He was the last great Biblical figure BEFORE the establishment of the New Covenant. He represents the best the Old Covenant had to offer. The Bible says, “The truth is that John the Baptist is greater than anyone who has ever come into this world. But even the least important person in God’s kingdom is greater than John.” (Matthew 11:11). Did you catch that? John the Baptist represented the BEST of the Old Testament. He was the best humanity had to offer. He was born supernaturally to pave the way for his cousin, Jesus. But even the least Born-Again believer is greater than John the Baptist, because we get to LIVE WITH and IN the Holy Spirit.
Adam had the Holy Spirit in the Garden and He lost his connection to the God’s Spirit when he sinned. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit lived in the Temple, in the Most Holy Place, behind the veil, above the Ark of the Covenant. When Jesus cried, “It Is Finished!”, from the cross, the veil of the temple was torn from the top to the bottom; representing the fact that God Himself reached down and ripped the veil from the top. This was symbolic of the fact that the Holy Spirit left the temple at that moment. 50 days later, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was restored to man, because of Jesus, and we are now the Temple of God and the Holy Spirit lives IN us! (1 Cor 3:16). We get to walk with God like Adam did.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. God never intended for you to know Him only in words. You don’t truly know God until you experience Him.
2. We are called to be JUST LIKE JESUS in this world (1 Jn 4:17). We are called to do what Jesus did and to live like Jesus lived.
3. Jesus could have done whatever He wanted, but He confined Himself to ONLY do what He was led of the Father to do. Why? To model what it is like for a human to be completed submitted to and reliant upon the Father, through the Spirit.
4. If Jesus had operated as God in the earth, then He could not be our example, because we are not God. But Jesus operated as a MAN in the earth; a MAN submitted to and led of the Father, through the Spirit. Why? To give us an example we can emulate. Jesus is our model. Jesus is the person we are called to pattern our lives after.
5. Jesus only said what He heard and did what He saw. Therefore, it is critical that we can hear and see in the spirit:
a) If you can’t hear from God, you don’t know what to say or do.
b) If you can’t hear from God, you don’t know what checks to write. God will tell you what’s in the account in heaven and then ask you to write the check in the earth.
c) Last night when Pastors Mumba and Brazelton were calling for things the Father wanted to heal — arthritis, back pain, partial hearing in one ear, and etc. — they were simply hearing from God what He wanted to do. They were hearing what was in God’s account and they were then required to write the checks here in the earth.
d) The Lord does not require you to come up with the power or resources in the account, but He does require you to have the faith to write the check.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I am learning how critical it is for me to hear and see in the Spirit. I can no longer live my life as a mere man. You gave me Your Spirit so I could live my life as a God-man. By faith I declare that I only say what I hear You say and I only do what I see You do. Living this way, I am JUST LIKE JESUS in the earth. You reveal to me what is in the account in heaven and I write the checks in the earth. And You then turn around and make sure the checks clear, because this has nothing to do with my power or ability, it’s ALL ABOUT YOU! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
