Even If!

 When I had left Taiwan in August 2020, it was because I had become sick.  I had been in the hospital for a long time; Thirty-five days, actually.  Churches all over the world had been praying for me, at the time, but I continued to get sicker.  I started out with one thing, but it developed into Covid and then into pneumonia.   I had tubes down my throat and all kinds of IVs.  I was in intensive care and my doctors were telling my family, to have my daughter come back; even they thought I would die. 

All of my friends in Taiwan thought I would die; everyone but me.  I just kept thinking, “When I get out of here…”  I had other plans, and death didn’t really fit into them.  I don’t know that I had great faith, maybe it was just the lack of oxygen to my brain.  It was a huge trial for me, but somehow, I managed to stay optimistic.  One Friend told me: 

“You were dying!  You won’t admit it, but I saw it with my own eyes.”

Yet, here I am…still alive.  It’s an actual miracle, I’m sure of it.  God delivered me, just like Meshach, Shadrack and Abed-Nego.  That’s what I want to post about today – God’s deliverance from trials.

Daniel 3:15-25 NKJV

Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?" Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

People Have Always Struggled

How many times in your ife have you faced things that you thought were insurmountable?  How many times have you faced circumstances that seemed impossible?  When lie throws things at us we try to solve those problems in our own ways, don’t we?  We think we have to find a solution by our own intellect.  The Bible calls it our own understanding, but is that what God is thinking?  Is that what God is looking for from us?  Look at what the Bible says:

Proverbs 3:5 NKJV

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

Trust in God, lean not on your own understanding.  Some things are beyond our ability to figure out.  Look at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, how could they figure out a way to escape their circumstances?  They’re tied up; they’re being tossed into a fiery furnace.  There’s no way they can solve this dilemma with their intellect.  They have to trust in God.

What about you?  Maybe you’re facing fiery trials in your marriage, in your finances, maybe even in your health.  Where are you looking for deliverance?  Is it in the world?   

“The government will save me!”

There was a huge hurricane that just recently made landfall in North Carolina.  Western North Carolina was destroyed by the hurricane and then flooding that followed.  People were waiting for the government, but it took a week before the government showed up. Meanwhile, people had no food, no electricity, no communications.  Hundreds, maybe even thousands died waiting for the government to save them.  Former President Ronald Reagan once said: 

“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: “I’m from the government and I’m here to help!”

That’s kind of a funny thing for a president to say, but it points out that if you’re looking for help from the government to help, they can let you down.

Are you looking for deliverance from inside yourself?  If you are, then let me ask you a question.  Have you ever been wrong before?

Are you looking for answers from science?  You know they used to think all the planets orbited the earth. But not now…Science can also be wrong.

The only one who’s never wrong  is Jesus.  He’s the creator of everything.

John 1:1-3 NKJV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

If He created everything, then He understands how it works, and He can solve any problem you’re facing. 

God is With Us!

In Exodus 33, God is telling Moses that He wants him to lead His people to the Promised Land.  Moses is nervous, though, and He demands of God, “Who will you send with me?” 

Exodus 33:12-13 NKJV

Then Moses said to the LORD, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people.' But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.' Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people."

He doesn’t want to face this all alone.  He knows that he’s not up to it, but look at God’s answer:

Exodus 33:14-15 NKJV

And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.

God said, “I will be with you!”  Moses said, “If you don’t go, I don’t want to go either!  That should be our prayer when we’re faced with some daunting circumstance.  “I can’t do this without you God…I need You to help me through this!”  God says He will be with us through trials!

Look at this example in Acts Chapter12:

Acts 12:5-10 NKJV

Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

Peter was in prison.  Herod planned to kill him.  Peter was chained between two guards.  There were two others standing outside the doors.  It would have been impossible for Peter to escape by himself.  Even if he was able to escape the chains, he would still have to get by the guards at the door.  This was an impossible situation, but God was with him.  God moved supernaturally and sent an angel to help him escape.  God used the angel to cause the chains to fall off.  He helped him to pass by the guards at the door unseen and brought him to the place where the others were praying for him.  God did all of this for Peter and He will do it for you, as well. 

There’s one more thing that I think is important to see.  God delivered all of these people.  All of them were in the will of God; all of them had faith that God would deliver them. 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego said to Nebuchadnezzar, “God will deliver us!”

Moses said, “If you’re not coming with me, then I don’t want to go!”

Peter, even though, he thought it might not be real, got up and followed the angel!

All of these are expressions of faith, but did God solve all of their problems immediately? No, even though they had faith in God, they still had to go through the trial. 

Meshach, Shadrach and Abed-Nego still had to face the fire!

Moses still had to stand in front of Pharaoh and say, “Let my people go!”

Peter still had to go to prison!

In the end God brought them through it.  We sometimes have to face difficult circumstances, but we are not alone.

Daniel 3:24-25 NKJV

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

The three men weren’t alone in the furnace, Jesus was there with them.  I think that’s extremely encouraging.  We think we’re all alone when things go wrong.  We think no one else is going through what I’m going through.  “I’m out here in this wilderness all by myself,” but we’re not.  We are never alone.  Jesus said, “I will not leave you nor forsake you.”  Don’t you think that’s comforting?  When I have to face something uncomfortable, I’m always glad when my wife is with me.  She can give me the confidence to face things, sometimes. 

When I have to face impossible situations, I’m glad that Jesus is with me, like He’s promised.  He gives me strength and confidence. 

Philippians 4:13 NKJV

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Jesus has the strength, and He can loan it to me!  We can have faith in Him. 

Prayer is Key!

James 5:16b NKJV

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Prayer is the key to deliverance from all of our trials.  This is why in our church services we pray for our fellow believers.  We pray for those who are sick.  We pray for those who have needs.  We pray for our leadership.  We’re calling on God to help us.  We’re calling on Him to be a part of our lives.   We’re looking for His blessing, leadership and guidance.  We need him in our lives and circumstances. 

When I got sick, it was during CFM Prescott Bible Conference.  Someone mentioned it to our fellowship leader Pastor Greg Mitchell, and he made an announcement during the prayer requests that I needed urgent prayer! Remember, everyone thought I was dying. 

People all over the world watch that conference on the internet.  So, everyone joined in that prayer.  I got a text from a friend in Panama that said, “The whole world was praying for you last night!”

I really believe that all of that prayer was key to me surviving that sickness, because I know that God answers prayer.  When Peter was in prison all the saints in Jerusalem were praying for him.

Acts 12:5a NKJV

Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. (emphasis mine)

Look at what the Bible says about prayer:

Matthew 21:22 NKJV

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

It doesn’t say that Some of the stuff you ask in prayer, I might do for you. It says, “Whatever you ask in prayer, believing you will receive.”  It may not be immediate.  Peter was rescued from the prison just before Herod had him killed.  The Hebrew men were in the furnace before being rescued. 

God was faithful to deliver them and answer their prayers.  God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  That means He is still faithful to answer prayer  We can believe God to deliver us because God is faithful still!

Dominion: Words Can Move Mountains - Part 2

Dominion is the ability to overcome and defeat the devil, and his plans for you!  This week’s post is basically part 2 of last week’s post. So, today, I want to post about one place that dominion can be found in our lives:  The words that we speak!  What we say and how we say it can affect what happens in our lives.  Let’s start with our text:

Mark 11:22-23 (NKJV)
^11:22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Agree with God

Even a cursory look at Genesis, chapter 1 will show you the power that words contain.  The entire universe was spoken into existence!  Eight times in Genesis, the Bible says, “And God said…”  You might say, “Well, that’s God, of course His words have power!”  Today, I want to show you that your words, spoken in faith, have power, as well.

There are two ways to look at everything you face – every circumstance – every problem – every sickness!  Many times, we tend to take ownership of the problem.  “I have Muscular Dystrophy,” as if I own it – I possess it – “It’s my MD.”  There’s a different way to think of it and speak it! If you speak the issues, the symptoms, the disease as belonging to you, you become, what I call “problem conscious.”  You’re thinking about those things; you’re reinforcing them.  Your thought processes are focused on the suffering.  Speak always what you want the end result to be.  In that way you become “God conscious.”

There is the story of the leper that came to Jesus for healing, in Matthew chapter 8: “If you having a desire you can cleanse me.”  Jesus replied, “I am desiring it from all my heart.” (Matt 8:2-3 Weust) God’s desire to bring healing, comes from all His heart.  So, we need to speak as if He’s going to do just that!  We need to come into agreement with God.

God told Abraham that he would be the father of nations; that his descendants would number as the sands on the seashore.  Abraham at that time was almost one hundred years old, and his wife Sarah was barren.

Romans 4:19-21 (NKJV)
^4:19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. ²⁰ He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

He believed God; He came into agreement with God.  All that God needs to move in your life is your agreement.  God will not override your will.  So often we say things like, “I believe God for His promises,” but what do the other words we speak say?  “I’m so deep in debt!”  “I can’t solve this problem!”  “Maybe this is God’s will!”  It’s not His will!  Jesus came to give abundant life.  It’s the devil that comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

Think about this – Every miracle in the Bible involved words.  Jesus healed with words – He rebuked storms with words.  If we want to come into agreement with God, we need to speak faith-filled words – OUT LOUD - and we need to believe the words we speak!

Abraham was fully convinced that God would perform (notice that I said would, not could), would perform what He said.  Speak of it as if you know that it’ll happen!

Jeremiah 1:12 (AMP)
^1:12 Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.

God will perform His word – He’s watching over it so that He can perform it.  God is fully capable and willing to move in our lives.  Usually, we are the roadblock to miracles in our lives.  It’s us that speak words of doubt and unbelief.  It’s us that think our circumstances are unsolvable.  When we can’t see a way for them to be solved, then we’re not in agreement with God.

We forget that God isn’t bound by the limitations that we’re bound by.  The Bible says, “With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible!”  Do you really believe that?  We have an intellectual belief in that, but are you like Abraham?  Are you fully convinced that God can perform His word?  Do you live and speak as if you’re fully convinced?  Because that’s where the miracles are.  That’s how the mountains move – Living and speaking as if it will be so!  

The Power of Your Words

“Years ago, a famous basketball player had a heart attack and died at thirty-nine years old.  His collapse on a basketball court during a pickup game was a shock to most people!  What most of them didn’t know was that, for years, he’d repeatedly said, “I’ll never live to be forty years old.”  That young man was the prophet of his own life.”

Source:  10 Hours to Live, Brian Wills, Whitaker House, page 99

You are the prophet of your life!  Here’s a young man, he made a claim that he would never live to be forty years old.  He said that over and over, and as if it was a prophecy, it came true in his life.  I want to contrast that story with this one:

“As I lay there on what my doctors called my death bed, I began to say with my mouth, ‘I call my body healed.  I call my body whole.  I declare that my body functions according to the way God created it to function, and I forbid any malfunction in Jesus’ name!’  I spoke that way to the tumor that measured nine inches across my abdomen.  I woke up one morning and the tumor was gone!”

Source: 10 Hours to Live, Brian Wills, Whitaker House, page 101

Here’s a young man who spoke the exact opposite of the words of the other man.  He spoke words of healing.  He spoke words of promise.  He spoke faith-filled words – He was in agreement with God!

What both of these stories have in common is that these men’s lives were affected by words that they spoke.  You can’t convince me that words don’t have power.  When the words that we speak line up with God’s words, then God “watches over His words to perform them.”

I’m not talking about the words of your thoughts, I’m talking about the words you speak – out loud!  I pray out loud, so I can hear my words spoken.  Why you ask?  Because faith comes by hearing.  If you want to have faith that God will move in your circumstances, the hear the words of faith spoken out loud. 

When I pray for people, I don’t just put my hand on their heads and pray silently.  Do you know why?  I want them to hear the words that I’m praying, so that they can believe them.  Then they can apply them to their lives..

Receiving a miracle is an active thing.  It’s more than just thinking that God will heal us.  I had a friend that always told me, “I know God is going to deliver me from smoking,” but he just kept on smoking.  He never stopped.  He’d been saved for twenty-five years, and thinking that for twenty-five years.  It never happened.  He didn’t speak like it was something that God was doing.  He didn’t live and act like it was something God was doing.  It was always something God was going to do; never what God was doing!  So, he sat there and smoked and waited – He died of Lung Cancer.

Why didn’t God deliver him?  I think its because he never really thought it was possible.  I wonder what would have happened if he put down the cigarettes and said, “God deliver-ED me from smoking!”  Faith filled words of agreement with God.  My thought is that he would have been delivered.

What problems are you facing in life?  What words are you speaking?  Are you agreeing with God or wallowing in unbelief?  Are you like the basketball player, prophesying your death or like the cancer patient, fully convinced that God will heal?  Are you waiting around for a miracle?  Waiting for God to move in your circumstances, or living like God already did it, and declaring what God has done?

These are important questions that speak to actions of faith.  We can all say, “Yeah, yeah, I know God can do miracles,”  but do you live and speak like God can do a miracle in YOUR life?

The world tries to convince us that these things are fake, or weird.  The world has its own system, but the world’s system is “death oriented”.  It doesn’t take into account a personal, concerned and loving God that can and will change circumstances.  The world’s system is focused on “science” and medicine, or mankind’s intellect.  There’s no room for a supernatural move of God, but that’s where miracles are found…in the supernatural.

Words Move Mountains

I want to close with this:

Matthew 18:18 (NKJV)
^18:18 Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

What that means is:

Matthew 18:18 (NLT)
^18:18 “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.

This goes back to speaking.  Think about what the cancer patient spoke.

“I call my body healed.  I call my body whole.  I declare that my body functions according to the way God created it to function, and I forbid any malfunction in Jesus’ name!”  

I forbid any malfunction in Jesus’ name.  What you permit on earth will be permitted in Heaven. What you forbid on earth will be forbidden in Heaven.  If you don’t speak and forbid those things then you’re permitting them.  The young basketball player permitted an early death.  My friend permitted an early death.

Think about that cancer patient. even though the doctors were all convinced that he was going to die – even though the psychologists were warning him to make funeral arrangements while he still, “had time.”  They told him he couldn’t be healed.  They told him it was hopeless.  They told him death was inevitable, but he didn’t believe their report.  He believed the word of God and told them:

Psalms 118:17 (NLT)
^118:17 I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done.

Whose report will you believe?

Editor’s note:  If you are sick, please go to the doctor and take advantage of their education and training.  I’m not anti-doctor, but also know that you can influence a supernatural move of God in your life by speaking words of faith, and living like God has already moved.  In my life, I listen to my doctors and also proclaim God’s word over myself.

We Need the Supernatural

What I think we need is the supernatural!  We need God to move beyond our abilities.  God has used the supernatural before, as a way to draw people in to hear the Gospel. 

We want to have an impact on our community.  We want to see the will of God working in the lives of our friends, families, coworkers and neighbors.  If people see the supernatural working in us, then they will be able to believe that God who can have an impact on their lives.  Today, I want to post on God’s use of the supernatural.

Acts 8:5-8 (NKJV)
^8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. ⁶ And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. ⁷ For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. ⁸ And there was great joy in that city.

Signs and Wonders

How many know that people are looking for real power?  That’s why there are so many religions.  People are looking for a power that will move them beyond where own abilities can take them.  People need a God who has power, it that right?  Don’t we all want a God who can meet needs that we have struggled to meet?  Everybody is searching for a God that has power.

Well, here is the good news – WE serve a God of miracles.  He opened the Red Sea.  He rained food from Heaven.  He brought water out of a rock.  He held the sun in one place.  God is a God of the supernatural.

Jesus also brought about miracles:

Acts 10:38 (NKJV)
^10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

So we are serving a God of power.  It’s one thing to explain that to people.  We can tell people that Jesus did miracles.  We can tell them what Jesus did and people will accept it.  There’s a difference, though, between accepting what we say and seeing the miracle happen before their eyes.  There’s a difference.  In our text, Philip preaches Jesus and people listened and accepted what he said because of the miracles that Philip did. 

Nicodemus was a leader of the Jews.  He had a seat on the Sanhedrin.  He was a Pharisee and he said to Jesus, “We know that you have come from God because no one can do the things you have been doing unless God is with him.”  That element of the supernatural is what convinced Nicodemus of who Jesus was.  Look at this scripture:

Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV)
^16:17 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."

In other words, there will be signs that follow us: Demons will be cast out.  We’ll speak with new tongues.  We’ll lay hands on the sick and they’ll recover.  What are those things?  They’re miracles; they’re signs.  Jesus performed those signs and people believed.

John 11:43-45 (NKJV)
^11:43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" ⁴⁴ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." ⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

They believed because they saw the miracle.  Philip performed those signs and people believed.  We need a visible dimension of the supernatural in our church.  We need to be like Philip and demonstrate the Power of God. 

One of the things that was really exciting as a new convert was seeing the miracles of healing.  This week, as we did communion a couple of people got healed and it was refreshing to hear them just say, “Hey it’s gone.”  It was fun to see them get as excited as I did, when I was a young believer.  People get saved because they can see the Power of God.

John 2:23 (NKJV)
^2:23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.

Many believed in His name when they saw the signs.  The signs He did persuaded them.  Jesus even sent out His disciples and told them:

Matthew 10:7-8 (NKJV)
^10:7 And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' ⁸ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

He’s telling the “Use the signs.”  Use the supernatural – show them the signs.  In our day and hour we also need to show the Power of God.

The Early Church

The Book of Acts is full of men showing the Power of God.  There is huge growth in the early churches men like Philip were scattered from Jerusalem and ended up in far-flung places, preaching Jesus and performing miracles.  There will always be arguments against logic.  People can counter just about anything that you’ve said, but it’s difficult to argue against a leg growing out when you’ve seen it with your own eyes.

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the enemies of God platted to kill Jesus because of that act.  They also plotted to kill Lazarus.

John 12:9-11 (NKJV)
^12:9 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, ¹¹ because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

How could they deny Jesus’ power when this man who everyone knew had died is standing right there?

Acts 3:6-7 (NKJV)
^3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

Peter and John, at the Gate Beautiful raised a lame man and the Bible says many heard the word and believed; about five thousand of them.

Acts 5:15-16 (NKJV)
^5:15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. ¹⁶ Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

People brought out the sick and lame in the hopes that Peter’s shadow would fall across them and they’d be healed.

Acts 19:11-12 (NKJV)
^19:11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

Paul gave people handkerchiefs and articles of clothing and people got healed.

This is how the church was birthed.  This was God’s strategy for reaching men.  The Bible tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.  I believe that this same strategy is available to us today.  All of this is the power we were told we would receive through the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:8:

Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
^1:8 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."

God is telling us that when we receive the Holy Spirit we receive power to be witnesses of Him, and we can use that power to do the things that He did.  Thank God for the Holy Spirit.

This is for believers. It’s not just for pastors and evangelists.  It’s for believers like you and I.  Anything pastors and evangelists can do – you can do.  I think we need to use the supernatural on outreaches and in church services.  We can show people that there’s an alternative to the traditional Taiwanese religion.  We can show them the power that God has and that the idols don’t have.

A Plan of Attack

I think there’s a problem in a large part of the church world, today.  I believe that a big part of the problem is that people don’t have faith.  They don’t have faith to give. They don’t have the faith to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  They don’t have faith to witness and testify, and they don’t have faith to pray for the sick.  Some people I’ve prayed for don’t even have the faith to accept that they’ve been healed.  I pray for them and we see God do something powerful in them and I ask them, “What about the pain?”  They say, “Well, it doesn’t hurt…RIGHT NOW.”  There are even those who don’t even have the faith to be prayed for.

We’re Pentecostals.  We believe that what happened on the day of Pentecost is still happening today.  At least, that’s what we’re supposed to believe.  What did Peter have that we don’t?  He was uneducated.  He was a fisherman, not a theologian.  He was an average guy, not really special in any way, but God did powerful miracles through him.  People thought, “If his shadow falls on me, I can be healed.”  What did Peter have that you don’t?  Maybe it’s the faith that God could use him:  Faith that the promise of the Holy Spirit is real.

Acts 2:39 (NKJV)
^2:39 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."

WE are the ones who are afar off – As many as the Lord will call.  He’s not looking for someone who’s special.  If you’re saved – You’re called.  WE are the ones who will prophecy and have visions.  WE are the ones this promise is for.    THESE are the last days.  We need to pray and contend for the supernatural in our churches.  We need to stand in faith and pray for the sick.  We need to contend for more of the Holy Spirit.  We need to pray, read our Bible and come to church to bolster and strengthen our faith, and we need to step out in that faith.

In the Old Testament, there’s a moment when the Ark of the Covenant is captured.  The Ark of the Covenant is proof of the power of God because it contains the Ten Commandments written with the finger of God.  There is also a bowl of the miracle food that God provided to Israel while they were in the desert.  Finally, it also contains Aaron’s rod that, through a miracle budded in the desert. The ark was captured by the Philistines and they put it in a room with their gods, particularly Dagon, who is the fish god.  The next morning Dagon had been thrown down from his shelf and shattered.  Dagon, the idol lay in pieces on the ground, as God showed his power is beyond that of the idols.  God did that supernaturally.  He threw Dagon down supernaturally.  I believe that it’s time that some idols fell in our cities and nations.  Let’s cry out for a supernatural move of God.