The Kingdom of God!

 

Chapter 139

 

 

Back in 1976 Lanny Wolfe wrote a song about God's Wonderful People. Here are some of the lyrics that he wrote.

 

I love the thrill that I feel when I get together with God's wonderful people,

I love the thrill that I feel when,

I get together with God's wonderful people!

 

What a sight just to see all the happy faces

Praising God in Heavenly places

What a thrill that I feel when

I get together with God's wonderful people!

 

Now it can be just anywhere,

Two or three are gathered there,

That the Spirit of the Lord will be there too

There's no fellowship so sweet,

There's no thrill that can compete,

With the thrill I feel

Whenever God's children meet!

 

If we have a personal relationship with the Lord, there is something going on in our spirit when we come together with one of God's children. You may think that this is strange, however, In Luke 1:39-45 (NIV), Luke told this story,

 

"At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?' As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"

 

Even when John the Baptist was in his mother's womb, he recognized the presences of the Lord's chosen. Wouldn't it be something if the whole Church today would be that sensitive to the Spirit of the Lord?

 

I know that you believe every word that Jesus spoke. If He said something was possible for us, that should settle it for us! When we read about what Jesus said was for us then we should seek it until it becomes a reality in our life. We don't dare to take something He said nonchalantly without meditating on it and seeking the Holy Spirit for a clear understanding of what the Lord said!

 

He said in John 10:4, 14-16, (NIV)

Verse 4-"When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice!

 

Verses 14-16-"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me"just as the Father knows me and I know the Father,and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd."

 

I talked with you last week about learning to discern the thoughts that come into your mind. Are they from the Lord or from the desires of the flesh, or are they thoughts devil has planted there? The way you can learn to distinguish where these thoughts are coming from is by comparing them with the Word of God. It doesn't really matter what you think about the thoughts that come into your mind. What matters is what the Lord has to say about them.

 

When I was about 24 or 25 years old, I was living in Kansas City, Mo. and I was teaching a teenage class one Wednesday evening and was illustrating to them how different it is now that we are living under the grace that Jesus brought to us. So, I was having them read out loud from Leviticus the blessings and the curses of the Law.

 

One of the girls in my class was a bit slow in understanding things and when it was her turn to read, she read Leviticus 19:29, which says,

 

"Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness."

 

I can remember being in the teenage class when I was younger and when some of the deeper questions were asked the teacher would just sidestep them. When I realized that the Lord had called me to be a teacher, I made a vow to Him that I would never sidestep a question from one of my students.

 

Well, this young girl said to me, "Brother Dave, what does the word prostitute and whore mean? Needless to say, the whole class gasped and couldn't believe she had asked me that question. In 1964 there was no internet and understanding sex was not a subject that most wanted to talk about. Things have certainly change now days, wouldn't you agree?

 

One of the deacons of the church was in the class and his face turned red. My mind was racing as to how I could explain this to her. In the meantime, I reminded the class that I had told them that they were free to ask me any question and if I didn't know the answer I would study and get back to them with the answer.

 

So, this is the thoughts that came to my mind, and I told her that any woman that would go through the acts of marriage that a mother and father does to have a baby with any man and charges him for it, is a prostitute. And any woman that does it for pleasure with any man is a whore. Now, if that isn't clear enough to you, ask your mother and if she can't explain it to you, let me know and I will ask my wife to explain it to you.

 

Well, she never did come back and ask for more help. At that time, I wasn't schooled in the deeper things of the spirit, but I did recognize that the Lord had given me the words. I later asked our pastor and one of our elders how they would have answered her, and they had no idea.

 

In cases like this, you have to step out in faith and speak what comes to your mind that is in line with the word of God. This is why Bible study is so important for us if we are to be a leader of God's people. Paul said in Rom. 12:2,

 

"Be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." 

 

Another time when I forty-four years old and was in South Africa speaking at a Full Gospel Church in the morning service and was being led by the Holy Spirit and I told the people that if any of them wanted to have a word from the Lord to be at the evening service. Well, after I got to thinking about what I had promised them, I said to the Lord, "What have you got me into?" By this time, I had been baptized in the Holy Spirit for ten years and I knew how to be led by Him.

 

Even so, you must walk by faith and believe the Lord will give you the words to say. Well, that evening after I had spoken, I asked if anyone would like to have a word from the Lord. There must have been over one hundred and fifty people that came forth. I said to the Lord, "I yield my voice to your Spirit to speak to these people."

 

I asked the pastor to come with me as I laid hands on the people and begin to give them a word of knowledge or a word of wisdom. When I was through, I told the pastor that I wanted to pray for he and his wife. I don't even remember what I said to them.

 

After the service, they invited me to their home for some refreshments and they were almost jumping up and down with excitement. The pastor said that I was right on in every word I gave to the people. His wife jumped in and said that the words I gave to the two of them was amazing and that I told them things about their life together that only they knew about. I told them that the Lord was speaking through me to give them this message and that I didn't even remember what I said to them.

 

How does this happen? It's by stepping out in faith and yielding to the Holy Spirit to give you the words to say to these people. You will never be able to do this unless you are willing to step out in faith.

 

You may not be called of the Lord to be a minister, but you have been called of the Lord to speak what He gives you to speak! You must step out in faith and open your mouth. Jesus said in John 7:37-38,

 

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.)" 

 

Out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living waters! Yes, you can feel the anointing of the Holy Spirit as He speaks through you. My wife is a caregiver and has the anointing of the Lord to minister to the people that she takes care of, and they love her. The Spirit of the Lord allows her to reach even the tough cases that other caregivers cannot reach. The love of God flows through her to her patients. Jesus said in Matt. 5:16,

 

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

 

That light is Christ in you is the hope of glory! Paul said in Col. 1:25-27, (NIV)

 

"I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations but is now disclosed to the Lord's people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

 

You Must realize that it is the anointing of the Lord that rises within your spirit and He uses you to speak to others as He wills. Paul said in 1 Cor. 12:11, (NIV)

 

"All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines."

 

In other words, He uses us as we are willing to express ourselves as He directs us to do. In Zech. 4:6 the Lord says,

 

"It's not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit!"

 

I encourage you to step out in faith and be not afraid to speak the truth to others as the Spirit motivates you to do!