your presence oh god

7/29/2019 Your Presence Oh God

1/21


2/21

Your Presence,Oh God,

or I Die!


3/21

3

As always, if we can help you in any way, please contact the church here atP.O. Box 68309, Indianapolis, IN 46268 USA.

www.JesusLifeTogether.comCopyright 2009 [email protected]

Copyright laws, as crazy as they are when we are talking about Gods Word,require us to say the following: Tis material is copyrighted and may not be

quoted and/or reproduced without its complete context (the entire document)except by the authors permission. You may, however, freely reproduce this in

its entirety. And, of course, this publication is never to be sold for any price(2 Corinthians 2:17, Matthew 10:8).

Sick of Statistics

I want to share some things with you to try to express the

intensity o the battle thats raging inside o me. Im abouttwo-thirds o the way into a orty-day ast right now andthe thing thats driving me more than anything else is thatIm so sick o the statistical, probable, o the earth kindso things that happen in the church world.

As I look around, I see people starting to get some rightideas about relationships and worship and restoring truthsrather than just accepting orm and ritual. But even withthat, there is something inside o me as I go rom place to

place, that craves to see something undeniably, indisputablyGod. I want to see something thats just God and nothingelse. Its not or God. Its not burning incense to appeasea God thats somewhere out there. Rather, its somethingthat is absolutely, undeniably God.

For example, Pentecost wasnt something God did.Pentecost was God. God showed up, and there was nodenying that. About the rst-century church, even in a

weak church like Corinth, Paul could say, When youre

gathered in the name o the Lord and the power o theLord Jesus is present (1 Cor. 5:4) And then later on hespoke o the unbeliever alling on his ace and crying out,God is really among you (1 Cor. 14:25). God was reallydoing something! His presence was maniested in a waythat couldnt be disputed.

As I go rom place to place, I meet oodles o wonderulsaints who love God and want to serve Him and be His

people. Tats wonderul and certainly the right position

to be in. But even so, there is an element that only God


4/21

4 5

can add as we position ourselves and lay our lives beoreHim. And that is simplyHim. Its His presence and notsomething that can be manuactured. You cant conjure itup with a hip-hip-hooray hyper worship leader. You cantmake it happen by having a dynamic, energetic preacher.You might eel the ever pitch o the worship service,but the end result, generally speaking, is that aer you

leave, it begins to ade. When you get back to your ownhouse, what are you going to do next? You look around at

your neighborhood and you see all these houses and theshopping centers teeming with masses o people. Ten

what do you do? Whats going to happen next? You are byyoursel again, right?

So many people are learning about true worship andabout a people that are joined and knit together by everyligament and sinew. We are learning about cruciying the

idols, the oolishness, the bitterness, the unorgiveness,and the selshness that divides us rom one another. Itstrue that learning and doing those things are paramountto being positioned. But there is something yet remainingthat goes beyond statistical probability. Tree thousand

people baptized in one day wasnt something that was thepredicted, statistical outcome o a shermans unpolishedsermon. Unlearned and ignorant men dont just pull othat kind o thing. It was something that God did. It wassome way that God met humanity. God somehow joined

Himsel to the hearts and the prayers o the people thatwere o one accord in that upper room. Tat is a pattern inthe Old and the New estament God somehow meetingman. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and orever(Hebrews 13:8).

I just cant tolerate in my soul any longer seeing things thatare statistically probable. Tere are good people, honestpeople, sincere people, and people that genuinely love andserve God in places all over the world. And yet so much o

it is just or God. Its not with God and in God. Itsnot In Him and rom Him and through Him, which is the

unsearchable riches that Paul speaks o (Rom. 11, Eph. 3).Its not something thats obviously Deity.

I were going to be honest about it, most things today couldbe done by a group o atheists that know their Bibles andknow the songs. Teres something that really bothers meabout that. I its just a matter o singing a ew songs andstudying a ew Bible verses, and being honest with eachother, then some atheists could do that, right? Can you seethat? Similar things happen with the Buddhists and theMuslims. But they are missing something they are missingthe only Wise and rue and Living God. So Im crying outor a testimony o Gods presence, His purpose and Hisheartsomething that is undeniably, indisputably God andcant be missed.

Making a Name for Himself

Lets read some verses and talk about each o them anddraw some conclusions. Im reading rom the New King

James version and the rst is rom 2 Samuel.

And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nationon the earth whom God went to redeem or Himsel asa people, to make or Himsel a nameand to do orYoursel great and awesome deeds or Your landbeore

Your people whom You redeemed or Yoursel rom Egypt,the nations, and their gods? (2 Samuel 7:23).

Who is like you, oh Israel? You are that people, the onenation on the earth that the God o heaven and earth wentto redeem. He did this to make or Himsel a Name and todo or you great and awesome deeds.

I you were to search out that idea, that pattern, to makeor Himsel a name, you would nd that it is Gods heart

above all things to have an inheritance in His people. InEphesians 1, again and again it says, to the praise o His


5/21

6 7

glory, to the praise o His glorythat He might havean inheritance. In the book o Ezekiel by itsel, that ideacomes up over and over again in chapters 20 and 36, tomake or Himsel a Name.. or My holy Name

David said, You, my God, have revealed to your servantthat you will build a house for him. So your servant has

found courage to pray to you. O Lord, you are God!(1 Chron. 17:25-26).

Its Gods heart and Gods will that He would build achurch that the gates o hell wont prevail against. Its Hiswill that He would be maniested to destroy the workso the evil one and that He would make a great name orHimsel, on earth as it is in heaven. Because thats Hisdesire, its got to be our passion toothat God wouldmake a name or Himsel.

Who is like you, oh Israel? You among all the nationsyou, Church, have been chosen. All the nations are ruledby Jesus or the church (Ephesians 1:22-23). God gaveHim a name and a place above every name, above everyauthority and above every kingdom in the seen and theunseen world. Its or the purpose o redeeming HisChurch and bringing His Church to a place where thegates o hell wont prevail against it. It is Gods will tomake a name or Himsel, and in the process He will dogreat and awesome deeds or your land.

Ten with the stones he built an altar in the name othe LORD; and he made a trench around the altar largeenough to hold two seahs o seed. And he put the woodin order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood,and said, Fill our waterpots with water, and pour it onthe burnt sacrice and on the wood. Ten he said, Doit a second time, and they did it a second time; and hesaid, Do it a third time, and they did it a third time. Sothe water ran all around the altar; and he also lled the

trench with water (1 Kings 18: 32-35).

Just beore this Elijah was marching around and makinga mockery out o the prophets o baal saying, Oh, yourgod must be on vacation! Maybe hes asleep. Yell a little bitlouder. Wake him up.

Where did Elijah get the courage to do that? Here he isagainst the 450 prophets o baal and Jezebel. o everyoneelse, it seems like hes there all alone. Yet he wont just leave

well enough alone and stand there quivering and biting hisngernails, waiting to see what God might do. Instead hemade a big production out o it and had a great time reallyhamming it up. Ten he poured water all over it just to addto the whole drama o it.

And it came to pass, at the time o the oering o theevening sacrice, that Elijah the prophet came near andsaid, LORD God o Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it beknown this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your

servant, and that I have done all these things at Yourword. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people mayknow that You are the LORD God, and that You haveturned their hearts back to You again. Ten the re othe LORD ell and consumed the burnt sacrice, and thewood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up thewater that was in the trench. Now when all the peoplesaw it, they ell on their aces; and they said, Te LORD,He is God! Te LORD, He is God! And Elijah said to

them, Seize the prophets o baal! Do not let one o themescape! So they seized them; and Elijah brought themdown to the Brook Kishon and executed them there (1Kings 18:36-40).

You can see the war and the battle that is going on. Tatsame warare exists in this room over your own hearts, youramilies and your lives. It exists in our work places and inthe neighborhoods we live in.

Who is the Lord God?And Elijah said, Show them. Bring

down re rom heaven. Hear my prayer so that everyone


6/21

8 9

will know that this is o God. Tis isnt philosophy. Tisisnt just a way to believe in order that we might have abetter lie. Show them, oh God, that this is You.

Tat same battle still exists today. Our battle is not withesh and blood, but with principalities and powers. Its not

just a philosophy o living and behavior modication so wecan all be happy. We will be happy i we live Gods way,because He designed us so that His Word is what rightlyorders our lives. But its certainly not limited to that andthats not the real issue.

Te real issue is in Ephesians 3:10 where it says that God,through the Church, will make known His gloriousmaniold wisdom to the principalities and powers. Tats

where the real issue is. Tis universe exists so that all othe demons and the authorities and principalities and

powerseverything thats not subject to Jesuswould behumiliated and put under His eet. Tat work was begunand actually nished on the Cross when Jesus made a publicspectacle o the principalities and powers, triumphing overthem (Col. 2:15). Now were enorcing and proclaimingand declaring that. Tats where the issue is.

So, in Elijahs lie it wasnt just a matter o his getting hisown way. Rather, it was Show them that You are the LordGod! Show them that all o the heavens and the earthbow beore Your Name. Maniest Your presence here to

humiliate the enemies o Christ, the enemies o AlmightyGod. Do this to show them that it was at Your Word thatIve done all these things.

Again, that has got to be our heart as we go out into theworld. Weve got to be crying out as Elijah was, that Godwould do something to show Himsel to be a great andan awesome God. Tere has to be something beyond justour words. Te Kingdom o God does not consist o mere

words, but o power. Well look at that some more a little

bit later.

A Heart Desperate for God

Again, I hope I can impart to you what has been so muchon my mind lately. Im willing to pay my lie to see itbecause when you consider the idea o asting or 40 days,

you are taking your lie into your hands. You dont do thaton a whim. Something has got to be that important to you.Its not a joke. Were talking about lie and death, and youbegin to eel that aer a while. Its not even a matter o sel-control. I mention it again or your benet because Imbegging you to have that kind o heart. Youve got to seeGod and not just have words about God. Its got to be Godmaniest in His purposes. His heart and His will on earthas it is in heaven. Come, Ty Kingdom. Be done, Ty

will. Tat has got to be the heart with which we pursue

the things o the Kingdom o God.Were not talking about doing little optional good deedsor one another and having little optional meetings moreoen than we used to. Its not about adding little optionalrelationships that are a little deeper than Sunday-morning-go-to-meeting. Were talking about the very nature o theGodhead and the maniest wisdom o the glorious, eternalGod being made known to the principalities and powersthrough the Church. Were talking about the gates o hell

not prevailing against the Church that Jesus is building.Weve got to care very much or Gods Honor and HisWords and His Name. Its a heart o, Show them, Father.I beg You or Your Names sake, that these things be done,not that Id be gloried or that any attention would bebrought to me.

All that drama and production that Elijah did wasnt orhis own sake or benet. It was so Gods Name would begloried. As Jesus cried out in John 12, Father, gloriy

Your name. Tats got to be our heart too. Even years romnow on our deathbed it would still be, Father, gloriy


7/21

10 11

Your name. And a voice rom heaven comes back, I havegloried it. And I will gloriy it again. Tat has to touch

your heart. It cant be just a maze or hypnosis o goingthrough religious activities. Weve got to care. Weve gotto command the rains to be shut up or three and a hal

years. Weve got to have that kind o heart thats desperateor Gods Name to be made great among the nations. Tats

His heart too, so like David, we can pray in condencebecause God has promised that the gates o hell wouldnt

prevail against His Church and that He would make Hismaniold wisdom known.

As in the days when you came out o the land o Eg ypt,I will show them marvelous things.Te nations shall see and be ashamed o all their might;Tey shall put their hand over their mouth;Teir ears shall be dea.

Tey shall lick the dust like a serpent;Tey shall crawl om their holes like snakes o the earth.Tey shall be aaid o the LORD our God,And shall ear because o You (Micah 7:15-17).

God, show Yoursel strong in Your people. Let the nationsquake and ear and tremble at the Name Jesus. Every kneeshall bow at the Name o Jesus.

What does that mean? Is that poetry? No! Let it be suchthat when someone hears the word Jesus, they dont say,

Oh, youre just a anatic, but they tremble and drop totheir knees. All o His enemies will be made His ootstooland well wait patiently yet persistently or that. Hell utilizethe Church to do greater works than He did. Tat isnt justa bunch o hocus-pocus doctrine. Tat has to do with the

principalities and powers being humiliated. Its not a magicormula o a right way to do something. Its not a gimmick.It has one purpose only: that the sons o God be maniestand we grow into the ull measure o the stature o Jesus

Christ (Romans 8).

Were not here to be entertained or made to eel better orto just be encouraged and motivated. We are here to growinto the ull measure o the stature o Jesus Christ. Tenthe demons will know our names like they knew Paul or

Jesus, but didnt know the seven sons o Sceva (Acts 19).Te demons will know our names. Tats Gods will or us,and thats got to be our heart. Im going to keep going back

to these things because I hope its true that Ill die or whatGod wants to do on the earth. Ill live or Ill die beore Ill

put up with mediocrity and the statistically probable andpredictable meetings and conversions and relationships.Im tired o the mundane.

James 3 says that the wisdom o this world is unspiritualand o the devil. Tis worlds wisdom has to do with the

predictable philosophies, activities and results o men.Tey are unspiritual and o the devil. Whats o the earth is

clearly o the devil, according to the Scriptures. Whats oGod is clearly o God.

So there is no place in my heart and I hope not in yours orwhats statistically probable. I we allow that mentality, wewill go to our graves having never seen God and the Tingsthat statistics couldnt predict. It ought to break yourhearts to go into meetings week aer week and nothingever happen that cant be explained by what humans areable to do with a little motivation, imagination, raw ability,

and a little knowledge. It can all be completely explainedin the natural realm by natural means. You could set up150 atheists and give them their lines, and they could doexactly the same thing that you did. Tat ought to make

you sick. Tat ought to kill us inside.

Let it be God who shows up. Let it be God! Let it be a pieceo the Deity, o the Creator o the universe rather than justevents and words. Te Kingdom o God does not consist orhetoric. It doesnt consist even o teaching but odunamis,

o power (1Cor. 4:20). Dynamite is unmistakable. Can youput it in your coat pocket and light it and try to pretend


8/21

12 13

that it doesnt exist? No way! Its going to have an eect.Teres something real about God. Amen?

Signs Follow His Word

But that you may know that the Son o Man has power

on earth to orgive sinsthen He said to the paralytic,Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. And hearose and departed to his house. Now when the multitudessaw it, they marveled and gloried God, who had givensuch power to men (Matthew 9:6-8).

Te issue in the unseen world was the orgiveness o sins andthat was larger to God than this man being able to rise upand walk. For their sakes Jesus said, In order that you mightknow the power o God, let me demonstrate it or you. Ill

show you something that your physical eyes can see. Heressomething that your ve senses can eel and touch and seeand hear in order that you might know the innite andmaniold wisdom o God. Ten youll know that this isnt ajoke or a game. Let it be seen on earth as it is in heaven. Andthe multitudes marveled and gloried God.

Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John thethings which you hear and see (Matthew 11:4).

Oen times testimonies are given to the natural man inthe seen world because God has to coddle us. As immaturebabies were not able to see what He sees. We should beable to see ruth or what it is, but because we cant, God

will work through things we can physically see and hear inorder to convict us o ruth.

Again, its not a game. Jesus taught that i someonewouldnt believe Moses and the prophets, then even ia man were raised rom the dead, it would prot themnothing (Luke 16:31). I everything is a gimmick andfesh-on-parade and something were pursuing externally,

then there wont be any power in it. But those things thatconrm the Word o God and challenge us to grow intothe image and stature o the ullness o Christ are thethings God works through.

But that you may know that the Son o Man has poweron earth to orgive sinsHe said to the paralytic, I sayto you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house(Mark 2:10).

And they went out and proclaimed everywhere, the Lordworking with them and conrming the word through theaccompanying signs. Amen. (Mark 16:20)

Another version says, conrmed the word by the signsthat ollowed. Yet theres a whole world ull o people outthere who are ollowing signs instead o signs ollowing.You have to be aware o that. For those people, its not a lie

and a message and a proclamation. Teyre just ollowingsigns. Its not about truth that causes men to repent anddrop to their knees, and being cut to the heart or havingcrucied the Son o God. Tere is a serious question aboutthe validity o what is happening because its a game tothem and isnt about God. Auditoriums ll up with people

who are ollowing signs, rather than people who see signsollowing the proclamation o the Word o God that cutsthem to the heart. It causes them to repent and to ollow

Jesus Christ with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.

I signs happen at all, it is Gods heart that they ollow oraccompany the proclamation o the living and active Wordthat lays bear the motives and intentions o the heart.

Again, theres a countereit out there that causes peopleto gratiy their esh. Jesus was angry at that. One minuteHes multiplying the loaves and shes, and the next minuteHes rebuking them or ollowing Him just or the bread. I

were aer the external rather than aer the internal (withthe conrmation ollowing the internal truth), then its the

wrong religion.


9/21

14 15

Because people are aer the external, thats why theres somuch conusion in the world today about God actuallydoing things. Teres the camp that says God doesnt doanything. And theres the camp that says God is our servantand our genie-in-a-bottlei we do the right incantationsthen Hell do something or us. Its very sel-centered. Its

wrong and sinul and its countereit. Satan hears those

prayers just as much as God does.Sometimes God might listen because o our ignorance,but by and large, it is Gods will to have things in theseen world ollow ruth. Its ruth that lays bare theintentions o the heart and causes us to come to Himon His terms. It causes us to repent and to have our liepurged and cleansed by the washing o the Word. Ten Heaccompanies that with external conrmations. So thatyou will know that the Son o Man has power to change

your lie, I will do this external thing or you. Ill give youa testimony that you cant orget. Ill do something oryou to prove My aithulness. Youll always remember itjust like the Israelites always remembered the parting othe Red Sea. All the way through the Old estament yousee it: Remember the Red Sea. Remember the Red Sea.So God says also to us, I will ollow My Word. Ill dothings that will make your ears tingle i youll obey Meand walk with Me and turn to Me with all your heart. Illgive you something to remember Me by so youll always

know My aithulness.

When satan tries to steal your joy rom you, youll rememberthat God is alive. Youll remember the great and awesomedeeds that Hes done or you, and nobody in the world oruniverse will be able to take that away rom you. No onecan steal the joy and the celebration that you have. Tatsthe purpose o signs that ollow. Its not about ollowingsigns, but rather the signs ollowing. You need to keep thatin mind.

Tis beginning o signs Jesus did in Cana o Galilee, andmaniested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him(John 2:11).

Do you see that? His glory was maniested and then Hisdisciples believed in Him. Tey were already ollowingHim at the proclaiming o His Word, and then they sawHis glory maniested.

In Luke 5, Jesus was teaching to the multitudes by thelake and rom the boat by the shore. He was teachingand teaching, and Peter was there hearing all this greatteaching. Its just great, its antastic. Yet there was noreal eect on Peter, was there? Remember how Jesusnext tells Peter to push out in the boat and cast out intothe deep. Let down your nets. And Peter says, Wevenot caught anything all night, but at your word, well doit. Ten the catch o sh nearly sinks the boat theyre

in. What was Peters response to that? Poo! Hes cut tothe heart and alls to his knees, Depart rom me. Im asinul man!

You can see how the teaching o the Word o God isparamount as a oundation. Its so important to hear theseed o the Word o God that endures orever. Nothinggrows without a seed, and like with Peter, aer that seed

was planted, then the Glory was maniested. It was thenthat Peter dropped his head, ully believed, and trusted

and ollowed Him.

So the two things have got to come together. Tats theGospel and thats who Jesus is, yesterday, today and orever.It is Jesus who proclaims the Word and teaches, butteaching all by itsel can leave us pretty dull. Maybe werea little convicted, but at best weve only been taught. Wedont actually walk in one-tenth o what we know, do we?Do any o us need to know more? It can be good to knowmore, but the more we know, the lower the percentage is o

what were actually walking in.


10/21

16 17

So Peter was soaking in the teaching o Jesus, really enjoyingit all and thinking, Tis is good! Ten God showed upand maniested His glory and thats when Peter was cutto the heart. Now the teaching all o a sudden made somesense to him. Te disciples had been with Him or sometime, ollowing Him and listening to His teaching. But Heconrmed His Word by maniesting His glory, and His

disciples believed in Him. So, the two come together.Tis man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi,we know that You are a teacher come rom God; or noone can do these signs that You do unless God is withhim (John 3:2).

Tough he was immersed in the law, even a Pharisee couldsee that these things were out o the realm o what man isable to do. Im asking you to cry out to God or somethingthats out o the realm o what man is able to do. I youre

showing people the way o ruth and the Word o God,and theyre a little stubborn and reluctant, ask God to dosomething to conrm His Word. Ask God to wake themup. Ask Him to give you understanding or discernmentabout their lives that will rip them open. Ask Him orsomething that you couldnt have known about that willrip open their heart and lay them bare.

Where we live weve prayed many times that God wouldbring crises and events to conrm His Word. We might ask

God to cause a person to have a car wreck i thats what ittakes, but to keep their bodies and spirits sae. We ask orsomething to alert them to the railty o lie. We could tellthem, Lie is a vapor, but so what? Tey say, Yeah, yeah,I know that. So we ask God to make it real to them. Letit be something that would rip them open so that they say,Hey, depart rom me. Im a sinul man. Let God showup. Let it be an act o God where He maniests Himsel byshowing His Glory.

And many o the people believed in Him, and said, Whenthe Christ comes, will He do more signs than these whichthis Man has done? (John 7:31).

For the Jews, they had an understanding o the phrase, theKingdom o God. Tese people had an understanding o

what that meant. Tey also understood the phrase, theChrist o God and the Anointed One o God. Tey knew

what that meant and that He would come with action andnot just with words. So they said, Wow! Could the Christactually do more than this man has done?

Now it was the Feast o Dedication in Jerusalem, and itwas winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomons

porch. Ten the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him,How long do You keep us in doubt? I You are the Christ,tell us plainly.

Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe.Te works that I do in My Fathers name, they bearwitness o Me (John 10:22-25).

Jesus was saying, Heres the proo. Heres the testimony owho I am. It is in the works that I do. Later you see Paulspeaking in 1 Corinthians 15 o the signs that accompanythe work o someone o apostolic stature. He said, Tis isa proo. Tis is a testimony that these things are true.

In John 17, Jesus says as You have given Him authority

over all fesh, that he should give eternal lie to as many as youhave given him (John 17:2). He is speaking o Himsel to theFather. Teres an authority in the seen world that testies towhats happening in the unseen world. Youve got to be cryingout or that. Im begging you to not be satised with anythingless than the testimony in the seen world o what God is doingin the unseen worldon earth as it is in heaven.

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presenceof His disciples, which are not written in this book

(John 20:30).


11/21

18 19

Testimony in His People

Lets talk now about the expression o Jesus in His people.Jesus being here was an awesome thing, but He said, It isbetter or you i I leave It was better that He leave thanthat He stay (John 16:7). Why was that? He said, Imsending you the Spirit that he would no longer just be with

you but he will be in you, and that you might do greaterworks than Ive done (John 14:12, 16-17). Tis is to myFathers glory that you bear much ruit, showing yourselvesto be my disciples ( John 15:8).

In His people there will again be on earth a testimony othe Lie o Jesus Christ. Te Christ is what 1 Corinthians12 calls the people o God. How will the maniold wisdomo God be made known to the principalities and powers?

Is it by Jesus? No, its byJesus in His peopleby the Church.Te gates o hell wont prevail against what? Against Jesus?No, against Jesus in His people, the corporate Christ lie,the called-out ones o God. Hell wont prevail against theChurch, the Bride o Jesus Christ thats o His same natureand that lives by His same Spirit. Te same Spirit that raisedHim rom the dead now dwells mightily in us to allow usto do more than we could ask or imagine. According tothe power that works in us is how that verse reads (Eph.

3:20). So now lets read about Jesus in His people.Men o Israel, hear these words: Jesus o Nazareth, a

Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, andsigns which God did through Him in your midst, as you

yourselves also know

Tis Jesus God has raised up, o which we are allwitnesses. Tereore being exalted to the right hand oGod, and having received rom the Father the promiseo the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see

and hear (Acts 2:22, 32-33).

Peter is saying that God attested to them the nature oJesus lie. He proved that Jesus was who He said He was bythe signs that ollowedby a testimony in the seen worldo what Jesus was saying and speaking o in the unseen

world. Peter went on to say, Jesus is raised up, and we areall witnesses. Te same God that raised Jesus rom the deadand testied o who Jesus was by the things that He did, is

also pouring out what you now see and hear.Te rst time I really read that a couple o years back, I

wrote in my margin, Oh, God, or something that mencould see and hear. Pour something out that man can seeand hear that would testiy that this is not just mans idea.Tis isnt just a neat thing. Yes, I could prove what Imsaying to you with sound argument, but what good doesthat do?

Someone says, Its in the Bible so it has to be true. Te

other person says, How do you know the Bible is the Wordo God? Te rst person says, Because it says it is. Tatscalled a circular argument in the philosophical world anddoesnt hold up as valid. Te Bible says its the Word oGod. Te Bible says its the Bible.

You say youre Julius Caesar? How do I know you areJulius Caesar?

Because I say I am.

Oh, okay.

I might say I m a Christian, but on what basis do I say I ma Christian? I say it on the basis that the Bible says Ima Christian. Is that the Word o God or is it the wordo men?

So you can see why heathens and atheists really dont listento our arguments. Have you noticed that? Its true becauseit says so right here.

So what? they say. I could show you three thousand


12/21

20 21

other books and say those are true too. I you expect meto do something about your book, what will you do aboutmy book?

Do you see what I mean? You get caught because its justcircular arguments. Tats why weve got to be crying out,Oh, God! Pour out something they can see and hear!Pour out something to testiy to who You are and whatYoure doing. Pour out something thats beyond my ability.I cannot make anything happen, but God, You can. Pleasehear my prayer.

I you think about it, were not talking about anythingmore than prayer. Do you see what I mean? Te very basisand oundation o Christianity is that we can talk to Godand ask Him to intervene. Were asking God to somehowintervene in ways that wouldnt happenstatisticallyand probablyi He didnt intervene. Its just prayer, and

theres no disputing that its essential to Christianity. Itssimply asking God to get involved in doing somethingthat we cant conjure up on our own. Te Spirit andtheBride say, Come. Both o those things have got to be inconjunction with each other.

Let it be your constant prayer that men will be le with noexcuse. Let it be that men see that there is no mistaking thatour lives are o God. I they turn away rom Him, it wont bebecause our arguments were too pathetic. Our incomplete

knowledge and lack o persuasive skills better not be thecause o other peoples demise. God, Youre going to haveto intervene here. I will do everything I can to presentit clearly as I ought, as Paul prayed. We want to presentthe Gospel clearly. We want to speak the ruth accuratelyand handle the Word o God correctly. Weve got to dothat, and weve got to be equipped or the works o servicetoward that end. Tats all true. But when everything issaid and done, we cannot do anything by ourselves. Apartrom Me, you can do nothing. Weve got to get it throughour heads that our knowledge and persuasive skills are not

the end o things and that God Himsel has got to workwith us conrming His Word. I He doesnt do that, werewithout hope.

Tats why the Mormons, Jehovahs Witnesses, and Muslimsare converting more people than we are. Its because we arerelying on argument rather than on God. Do you see that? Itsbecause weve not asked Him, Conrm Your Word by theacts rom heaven that ollow it. We try to argue people intobelieving what we believe. Te end product o that is usuallyshallowness. We go over land and sea to make a single convertbut theyre just as impotent as we are. Have you noticed that?Am I saying something that you dont recognize as you lookaround and scan the religious horizon? Its not right, and itsnot the Christianity you read about in the book o Acts. TeKingdom o God does not consist o mere words, ideas andbelie systems, but o power. It consists o God intervening

on the ace o this earth. Come, Ty Kingdom. Be done,Ty will. Intervene with humans and it will testiy to Yourpresence, Your holiness and Your purposes.

Care Enough to Die

God is looking or a people that will be an inheritance toHim, as Paul said (Eph. 1:18). We have to have that kind oheart and be willing to die to see that come to ruition. Jesus

taught us to pray, Come, Ty Kingdom. Be done, Ty will(Mat. 6:10). He said those words in the imperative tense sothats why Ive been saying it that way too. In teaching usto pray that way, He gave us two examples. One was aboutthe persistent widow and the judge (Luke 18). You can seethe drive and great persistence there. Te other example

was the man at midnight that went to his riend in orderto get bread (Luke 11). It says the man didnt give himbread because he was his riend, but because o the mans

shameless persistence. Because o that, he came down andgave him as much as he wanted.


13/21

22 23

In James it says, Te eectual ervent prayer o a righteousman avails much (James 5:16). Right aer that it says thatElijah was a man just like us. He was just like us and he

prayed and the heavens were shut up or three and halyears. He prayed again and heaven released the rain. Teeectual ervent prayer o a righteous man avails much.Like the man at midnight and like the widow with the

judge, weve got to be pushing and driving into thesethings. Weve got to care enough to die, to see on earth asit is in heaven. Te Kingdom o God is entered orceully,and the violent take it by orce (Mat.11:12). Tats got tobe our heart, our passion, our purpose and the only thingthat we live or. Its got to be that the reason we breatheair is to see the maniold wisdom o God made knownto the principalities and powers. We live that the gateso hell would no longer prevail against our children, ourco-workers, and the marriages around us. We live so that

the drugs, the attitudes, the blasphemy, the hostility, thecheating, and the immorality would no longer prevail.

Its got to be our ull heart and will to die or thosethingsand dying isnt such a big deal i you understandthe Kingdom o God. What, aer all, am I really risking?

What i I was to die o starvation? Or what i I died in acar crash or or some other reason? I I lost my lie while inthe pursuit o on earth as it is in heaven, there would benothing but reward rom it. I would lose nothing.

Why should I make an idol out o my lie? I its my will tonot make an idol out o my job, or amily, or possessions,or hobbies, why should I make an idol out o my physicallie which has no more eternal value than my CD player?

What does it matter i we risk even our lives to see on earthas it is in heaven? So what? Tats what the Kingdom oGod is all about.

Im urging you to put aside anything that stands in the way.I its selshness, put it aside. I its immorality, drive a stakethrough it now like Phinehas did (Num. 25:7-8). I its lust

or pride or ambition, drive a stake through it like Phinehasdid. I not, you will be turned over to your delusions andhave no part in the Kingdom o God. Te Kingdom will betaken away rom you and given to a people who will bearits ruit (Mat. 21:43). Drive a stake through those things or

youll live to regret it.

Tere are some things or which there can be no repentance.Esau sold his birthright or a little bit o eshly-appetiteindulgence, and even with tears he couldnt change Godsmind it was over with (Gen. 25:29-34). Moses struckthe rock and it was over with (Num. 20:7-12). Tere wasno going into the Promised Land or Moses, and he couldnot bring about a change o Gods mind. (We dont haveany record o him even trying, but I think he knew Godtoo well or that.) Or remember when the spies went intothe land and came back with a bad report? Ten they

changed their minds and said, Oh, lets go in and take theland anyway. Do you remember what happened to them?Executed. God struck them down (Num. 13-14).Teycould not bring about a change o His mind. We cant justsay, Oh okay. I get it. Now Ill go in. Wrong.

Your lives are very short, and Id encourage you to naileverything that stands in the way. Put them totally aside. Belike the persistent widow and like the man at midnight withhis riend. Be like Elijah, a man just like us. Te eectual

ervent prayer o a righteous man avails much. Drive intoGods will and dont give up. Care about these things.

Care that God would make or Himsel a great Name onthis planet. Care that the mountain o the Lords emple

would be established as Chie among the mountains, andall the nations would say, Come, let us go to the house othe Lord (Is. 2:2-3). And they would stream into it becausethey know the Lord, He is God. Cry out that He wouldmake or Himsel a great Name. Make that the passion o

your existence and let absolutely nothing get in the way othat. Dont let marriage, or romance, or jobs or anything


14/21

24 25

at all get in the way o that. Joel said, Let the bridegroomand the bride come out o their chamber (Joel 2:16).Forget your wedding night because this is so much biggerthan that. Tats got to be our heart.

Oh, I just bought some oxen. I have to go try them out.

I just got married (Luke 14:15-24). Let none o those

things stand in your way. Remember that Esau couldbring about no change o Gods mind once he had soldhis birthright. oday is the day o deliverance, so do notharden your hearts (2 Cor. 6:2; Heb. 3). Youre going tohave to move on ahead.

After Gods Own Heart

Te God o Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God o ourathers, gloried His Servant Jesus, whom you deliveredup and denied in the presence o Pilate, when he wasdetermined to let Him go (Acts 3:13).

God gloried His servant Jesus. Why did He do that? Whydid He exalt Him and give Him the Name above everyother name? He exalted Him because He made Himselnothing and took on the orm o a servant and becameobedient to His Father, even though it cost Him His lie.Zeal or His Fathers House consumed Him and just lit are in Him. He was a torch burning or the glory o God.He had no other selsh ambitions or vain conceits, but Heemptied Himsel. Let this mind be in you that was also inChrist Jesus is the introduction to that passage. BecauseHe had that attitude, God highly exalted Him and gaveHim that Name above every name (Php. 2).

God conrmed Him because He was a man aer His ownheart. He was the Man aer His own heart. He gloried Hisservant, Jesus. Why? Because His servant, Jesus, lived or

Him. David was a man aer Gods own heart too. Why was

he a man aer Gods own heart according to Acts? Becausehe did everything I told him to do (Acts 13:22). Tats whyhe was a man aer Gods own heart. It wasnt that Davidsat around and hummed and swayed back and orth andlied his hands in the air. It wasnt a mystical idea. He was aman aer Gods heart because he did everything the Father

wanted him to do. Tats the challenge thats in ront o us.

It is entirely possible to harden our hearts at this instancein time. Tat is what tends to happen over the course otime when you hear the Word o God and it comes to youand touches you and your eyes light up but you dont doanything about it. So, harden not your hearts and insteadcry out to God and give Him no rest until He establishes

Jerusalem as the praise o the earth (Isaiah 62:6-7). Tathas to be your heart. Give God no rest until He establishesHis people as the praise o the earth. Give Him no rest until

His mountain is established as chie among the mountainsand not a byword among the nations (Ps. 44:14) or a landcalled desolate (Is. 62:4), which is what the world thinksabout it right now.

I you were to take a poll in the United States or anywhereelse asking what Christianity is to the world, the eedback

youd get is that its just another idea or hobby. Its a byword.Teres nothing about it that would cause men to say,Whoa, these people that have turned the world upside

down have come to our city also! (Acts 17:6). Nobodyresponds that way to todays Christianity. Tey dontcare about it or really notice it. Maybe in a communistcountry they wouldnt like our philosophy, but they arentthreatened by it because Godis in it. Te peoples hearts arenot melting as they did in Rahabs day ( Joshua 2:8-11) or asthey did in the Philistines day because the Ark o God wascoming and a great shout had gone up rom the Israelites(1Sam. 4:5-9).

I want to encourage you all to not get sidetracked withreligion here. Tis is big stu. Its important and its


15/21

26 27

essential. I your heart isnt wide open to what were talkingabout right now, and i youre instead snifng porridge,then youll die in your sins. Youll die in your hardness oheart, and youll always be chasing a new idea or systemor program or ormat. Youll always be running aer littleside things which will never have Gods thumbprint onthem. Itll never be, God pouring out what you now see

and hear. Youll die in a mundane existence o statisticalprobability. I hope that idea makes you sick.

It makes me sick to think o any o us settling or themundane, so thats why Im talking about these things. Youdont need to be sitting around 20 years rom now singinga ew songs and having a ew prayers and God not be init. I dont want that to happen to you. Im all or singingsongs and praying prayersyou know me well enough toknow Im not knocking those. Im just saying that i its

not God, I dont want any part o it. We may as well jointhe Kiwanis Club or the Lions Club. I Gods not in it, Idont want it. And I hope thats true or you all, too. WhereGod is, theres no mistaking it. You dont have to drum itup and you dont have to have a pep rally to prove anything.

Where God is, there will be no mistaking it. He did createthe universe aer all. Hes a Big Guy.

Declare the Kingdom!

Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Yourservants that with all boldness they may speak Yourword, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signsand wonders may be done through the name o Your holyServant Jesus (Acts 4:29).

Te declaration or proclamation o the Word o God andthe testimony o the Word o God by the stretching outo His hand to do something thats undeniable are always

intimately linked together in the Scriptures. God stretches

out His hand to conrm the Word thats been spoken. Yes,this is My Word. Te Lord, He is God. Tat has got to bethe way we seek aer the propagation o His Kingdom.

Its not that I m trying to reason people into the Kingdomo God. Te heart o it is that I am declaring to them thatthe Kingdom o God has come. Im not trying to back-patanybody and use my persuasive skills and beg them to be a

part o the Kingdom o God. My job is a declaration and aproclamation o what God has done and is doing and willdo. And I make no apologies or that.

Friendship evangelism is out or me. Im all or being riendso people, and Im going to lay down my lie or them. Tatswhat Jesus did. He came to serve, not to be served. Tatswho Jesus is, so i Jesus lives in me, I will lay down my lie orevery man I come into contact with, even those that considerthemselves my enemies. Ill die or them i the heart o Christ

is really living in me and through me. By that I dont meanthat Ill be gru and uncaring and rude. But I do mean this:I can put my hand on their shoulder and look at them witheyes o love and say, God is not up or a vote. He doesntneed your permission to be Lord. He is Lord, so bow yourknee. I declare to you the Kingdom o God. I youd like in onit, thats ne. I not, one day all o His enemies will be madeHis ootstool. So, choose to be the ootstool i you wish.

Tats the nature o it and thats the kind o declaration that

God ollows with His testimony. Its a declaration and aproclamation, not idle reasoning or philosophical argumentsor the Romans road approach or door-knocking house tohouse. Its a proclamation that God is sovereignthe GoodNews. Paul says, How beautiul are the eet o those whobring good news (Romans 10:15). Hes quoting Isaiah andi you go back and look it up, Paul just le o the colon andthe end part o it, which is, Our God reigns (Isaiah 52:7).

Tats the Good News: our God reigns. Hes Lord o all,

Hes King o kings, and Hes coming on His white horse,


16/21

28 29

Faithul and rue, to judge the nations with an ironscepter. Hes going to come and tread out the winepress othe wrath o God Almighty. All the enemies o God willbe made His ootstool. Tats the nature o this Kingdomand so we say to people, I you want in, praise God. I youdont, thats your choice, but I beg you and plead with youto save yourselves rom this corrupt generation. Tats the

heart and the message that God ollows: Jesus is Lord. Itsnot that someday out there He will be Lord. Its that He isLord now.

You do not need to beg people, Pretty please, make HimLord? Te message is that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is theKing o all the kings and the Lord o all the lords. He isthe ruler o the heavens and the earth and those under theearth. Tats what its all about. And God will ollow the

proclaiming o that kind o message that lays bare the heart

and declares Him to be who He is.And the multitudes with one accord heeded the thingsspoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles whichhe did (Acts 8:6).

Notice those words againhearing and seeing the miracleswhich he did.

Remember in Acts 13 when Paul met Elymas, Bar-Jesus,the son o Jesus, the impostor o Jesus? Te proconsul

Sergius Paulus was being persuaded by this man, Elymas.Whoever he was, he must have been a very respectablekind o guy to be able to persuade a Roman proconsul.He mustve been a shrewd three-piece-suit-and-leather-briecase kind o guy to have that kind o inuence on aman o proconsul rank. Tis Elymas was no ool and nocourt jester. Paul came to him and said, Youre a child osatan and an enemy o everything thats right. When will

you stop perverting the right ways o God? Paul, beingull o the Spirit o Jesus said those things and then struck

him blind. At that, Sergius Paulus said, I believe.

Do you see what happened there? Let there be somethingthey can see and hear. Let it be so. In Elymas case it wassomething that he could hear and not see! God, joinYoursel to these words. Prove and conrm these words.Let it be so.

Tat has got to be our heart: God do something. Pourout something that can be seen and heard. Prove Yoursel.

Conrm Your Word. I cant do it and its not something Ican persuade men about. Te Kingdom o God does notconsist o all o my words. It consists o power. And God,let these seeds be something that produce a crop. He who

plants is nothing and he who waters is nothing. Only Godcan give the increase, so to Him be the glory.

God Showed Up

And those o the circumcision who believed wereastonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gifo the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentilesalso (Acts 10:45).

At the beginning o Acts 10, you see Peter having a bigargument with God, as you may recall. He went up onthe roo and was a little hungry, waiting or dinner. In atrance he had a vision. A sheet came down with all o these

unclean animals and God said, ake, kill and eat. AndPeter said, No way, Lord.

Teres the power o traditions or you. His tradition wasso strong, so embedded, and so engrained in him, thatGod Himsel spoke and Peter said, No, God. Tats how

powerul traditions are. Tree times he said, No, God. No,Lord. So, Peter is pretty pig-headed at this point. Tena ew things begin to happen. God tells Peter that somemen are going to show up at his door. Ding, dong, goes

the bell. Oh, these must be the men that God just toldme about. All right. So Peter invited them into his home,


17/21

30 31

which in itsel was an act that a Jew wouldnt be very proneto do. And it says Peter became their host.

So, Peter then goes with those menwhich again, therewasnt much o a precedent or going with Gentiles,anywhere. He went into their home too. Te rst thing hesaid was, You know I shouldnt even be in here. But I ambecause God told me to. I saw a trance and it said, Dont

call any men unclean that God has called clean. Peternally understood what the vision was all about. But evenso, he was just getting into his sermon now, and he startso with, What do you guys want anyway?

He still hadnt quite made the link about what God wastrying to do. Hes talking away and to him the Kingdom oGod is consisting o mere words. But then God showed up,and they began to speak in languages they hadnt learned.Something bizarre was going on.

Later in Acts 11, Peter is recounting the issue to theApostles who were questioning him, Peter, what are youdoing, going into the home o these Gentiles? And Petersaid, You dont understand. I had the same attitude youguys have, but God showed up. I couldnt stop it. So I said,What hinders these men rom being baptized in water?God visited them the same way He did us. Remember the

words o John that he would baptize in water, but Jesuswould baptize in the Holy Spirit. So I couldnt stop it. God

showed up. All o my traditions had to melt. All o myprejudices, my biases, and all o my scriptural knowledgehad to go to the wayside, because God showed up and it

was undeniable.

Let that be the thing that marks your liethe Word oGod coming orth clearly. Let your passion and yourervent, eectual prayer, like the man at midnight be,God, pour out something men can see and hear. Breakthe bondage o tradition that is stronger than the Lordship

o Jesus Christ. God, pour out something that will wake

these people up. I cant do it. My words are not persuasiveenough and Im not smart enough. Tey might even knowtheir Bibles better than I do. But God, show up and breakthe prejudices and biases in a way that cant be denied.Make that your prayer, would you please?

I thereore God gave them the same gif as He gave uswhen we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I

that I could withstand God? (Acts 11:17).

Tat ought to be the remark that everybody makes whenthey hear the Word o God rom us. Who am I that Icould withstand God, in spite o all my biases, prejudices,and religious upbringing? Who am I that I could withstandGod? Let that be the comment that people make whenthey walk away rom an encounter with the Christ in you the same way as they responded when they encounteredthe physical Christ when He walked on earth. Who am I

that I could withstand God?

Barnabas had the same attitude when he went to Antiochto see what was happening there:

When he came and he had seen the Grace o God, hewas glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose oheart they should continue with the Lord (Acts 11:23).

Heres Barnabas showing up in Antioch because theApostles who had sent him there were saying, Something

weird is going on in Antioch. Men had been scatteredby the persecution in Jerusalem several years earlier (Acts8). So, men had traveled some 700-800 miles to go upto Antioch, and it says God was giving increase there.Many people, multitudes, were believing in the Lord, andBarnabas shows up at the Apostles command to go andnd out whats going on up there with the Gentiles.

Tese new converts in Antioch werent even Samaritans.Tey didnt have any o the Jewish traditions or know any

o the almud or the Pentateuch. Tey didnt know any o


18/21

32 33

it, so all o a sudden they had a totally non-Jewish churchin Antioch. Barnabas goes up to see whats going on andnds a bunch o uncircumcised Gentiles. How could it be?Barnabas showed up and notice what he said: When hecame and he had seen the grace o God, he was glad andencouraged them all that with purpose o heart they shouldcontinue with the Lord.

He saw the grace o God. He saw God maniested in theirpresence and said, Who am I that I should withstandGod. And he encouraged them. Years later, it wouldstill be an issue whether all those guys should have beencircumcised or not (Acts 15). But Barnabas saw the graceo God and that was all he needed to know. He didnt haveto reason his way through the whole thing. I God showsup, men are without excuse and without argument.

Pray that God will show up and the grace o God will be

maniested. With great power the apostles testied andgreat grace, mega-charis,was upon them all (Acts 4:33).Grace was on them all.

And my speech and my preaching were not withpersuasive words o human wisdom but in demonstrationo Spirit and power, that your aith might not be in thewisdom o men but in the power o God (1Cor. 2:4-5).

I you read through First and Second Corinthians, youll

nd that Paul and Apollos had this thing going on that washard or Paul. Maybe some other time we can talk aboutthat. Paul makes a sarcastic comment about, I didnt needletters when I came to you (2Cor. 3:1). He said that becausei you look back in Acts 18 and 19, youll see that Apollosgot letters rom the brothers in Ephesus to go to Corinth.Paul is leaving Corinth aer establishing the church, andApollos is leaving Ephesus heading toward Corinth, andhes coming with letters in his hand. So Paul is constantlymaking these sarcastic comments like, Well, all right, he

was persuasive and powerul in speech and I didnt come

with that kind o persuasion. I youre comparing mycontemptible speech to that o Apollos, youve got the

wrong man. But let me tell you this much: it was with thedemonstration o the Spirit and o power lest it be basedon my persuasive skills, wisdom, and knowledge.

In 1 Corinthians 4 he says, I apply these things or mysake and Apollos sake, reerring to, my conscience is clear

but that doesnt make me innocent. God will judge on theappointed day, the motives o mens hearts. Paul didnt

want to touch it. He didnt want to deal with it aboutApollos directly, but there was denitely some tensionthere and you see it showing up again and again.

Heres the point I want to make. I you dont have persuasiveskills or eloquent speech, and your knowledge and wisdomarent monumental, thats all right because unlearnedand ignorant men turned the world upside down. Not

many o you were wise, was the comment he made to theCorinthians (1Cor 1:26), because being wise or persuasiveisnt the issue. Te issue is that God has hidden thesethings rom the wise and the learned and the scholarlyand revealed them to those who are as little children, withtender and obedient hearts (Luke 10:21).

Paul said, I dont have to have persuasive skills andeloquence because God attested with the Spirit and with

power. o the Tessalonians he said the message came

to them with power, with the Holy Spirit and deepconviction was upon you (1Tess. 1:5). It was like he wassaying, I rest my case.

God showed up. God showed up! Tats got to be the cryo your heart with every step you take on planet Earth.

With every step you take on this globe let it be with ademonstration o the Spirit and o power. Let great gracebe maniested wherever you go. God showed up. You dont

want to be another good Joe with a dierent philosophy as

you argue your case. Let it be something thats undeniably


19/21

34 35

God. Not with eloquence, human persuasive skills andhuman wisdom, but rather, God, pour out somethingmen can see and hear. Let it be a demonstration o YourSpirit and o power. I risk my lie crying out or that. Let itbe Deity and not man.

Not Words, but PowerWeve talked about this passage some already.

Now some are pued up, as though I were not coming toyou. But I will come to you shortly, i the Lord wills, andI will know, not the word o those who are pued up, butthe power. For the kingdom o God is not in word but in

power (1 Cor 4:18-20).

Te context was that some people claimed they hadknowledge and had it all together. But he said, Ill ndout what these people are made o soon enough. Im notcoming to you with words, but with power. A condenceis there. I know that God is conrming my word by Hisactivity. Its undeniably Deity that ollows me.

He was saying, Some are pued up, but its okay. Its noproblem and I m not worried about it. Well hoe throughthat row. You have 10,000 tutors but not many athers.Examine yourselves to see i you are in the aith. See i theSpirit o Christ isnt living in you. Aer all, thats what itsall about. Has not your lie changed by my interaction with

you? Hes reasoning with them and in this case he says, Ademonstration o Spirit and o power is the proo that Godis in this. Its not just my words.

I have become a ool in boasting; you have compelledme. For I ought to have been commended by you; orin nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles,though I am nothing. ruly the signs o an apostle were

accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signsand wonders and mighty deeds (2Cor. 12:11-12).

He said, Ive become a ool in all o this boasting. But Imnot any less than the eminent apostles though by my ownadmission, I am nothing. ruly the signs o a sent one wereaccomplished among you with all perseverance in signsand wonders and mighty deeds.

And thats not a mark just o an apostle, thats a mark o asent one. Philip did great signs and wonders, and he wasntan apostle, but an evangelist. Jesus said that signs wouldollow those who believe and proclaim His word (Mark16:17). Go into every nation and baptize. each them toobey everything I commanded you and I will be with youto the very end o the age. I will be with you (Matt. 28:19-20). Tats not meant to be something to just comort orencourage us. Tat has to do with a demonstration o the

Spirit and o Power.

Remember what Jesus said when He came down romthe Mount o ransguration and those men said, Why

werent we able to cast out these demons? First Hemade un o them, Oh, you perverse and unbelievinggeneration. He was surprised that they couldnt handle it.Or when they woke Him up in the hull o the ship, Hesaid, Come on you guysIve been with you and you stilldont believe? All right, all right. Peace be still.

Its like Jesus was always surprised at their responses. Hewas caught o guard. God gets caught o guard by ourunbelie. Hes surprised that we think o ourselves as meremen. Hes surprised that we have such a low estimate o His

work in us and on this earth that were caught o guard bya storm. Were not able to deal with it, but He expects usto be able to. Maybe it needs to be dealt with by prayer andastingby that ervency o spirit that says, No, I wontaccept the natural! I wont accept the predictable. I wont

accept the statistically probable. I wont accept it. Some


20/21

36 37

kind only come out by prayer and asting: I you say tothis mountain, Be thou removed and cast into the sea,not doubting, it will be done. Tats normal Christianity,not some hyper-spiritual verse. Tats the nature o theChrist-Lie.

Christ in you, the hope o Glory.

Apart rom Me you can do nothing. Tis is how you showyourselves to be my disciples, by bearing much ruit.

Greater things than these shall you do.

I any o you says to this mountain, Be thou removed andcast into the sea, it will be done.

God has poured out these things you now see and hear.

Te Lord, He is GodHe is God! Paul talked about usingdivine weapons to tear down satans strongholds. We needto see that and we need to see the gates o hell not prevailingagainst His Church. In order to do that, it will involve theuse o divine weapons.

Your Presence, Oh God!

Moses said to the LORD, You have been telling me,Lead these people, but you have not let me know whom

you will send with me. You have said, I know you byname and you have ound avor with me. I I have ound

avor in your eyes, teach me your ways so I may knowyou and continue to nd avor with you. Remember thatthis nation is your people.

Te LORD replied, My Presence will go with you, and Iwill give you rest.

Ten Moses said to him, I your Presence does not go

with us, do not send us up rom here. How will anyoneknow that you are pleased with me and with your people

unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me andyour people rom all the other people on the ace o theearth? (Exodus 33:12-16).

He said, God, dont send us anywhere, dont ask me todo anything unless Your presence is going to go with us.I people cant distinguish the things Im saying and doingrom all the other jargon and philosophy in the world, then

dont even send me. Strike me dead right here. I dont wantto go anywhere unless Your presence goes with me.

I your Presence does not go with us, do not send usup rom here. What else will distinguish me and Your

people rom all the other people on the ace o the earth?Remember this nation is Your people.

Give God no rest until He makes Jerusalem the praise othe earth. Make His people, the Israel o God, the Church,

as Paul called it, the praise o the earth.Father, the tremendous quantity o words, even those thathave gone out in the last little while are a grievance toYou i we are settling or those things merely as words. Te

planting is nothing and the watering is nothing. Only Youand the increase You give means anything in the eternalrealm. Apart om You we can do absolutely nothing. OurGod, we plead with You that our eorts and existence herewont be explained simply by the natural, the predictable, or

the statistical. Our God, we need Your presence to go beoreus and to go behind us as a rear guard. Please dont send usanywhere, to do anything, unless You go with us, always tothe very end o the age.

Te great commission is a joke, our churches are a jokeand our existence here is a sad, sad tale unless Your will,Your purposes, Your presence, and Your glory go beore us.We ask that You would put Your words in our mouths andconrm Your words by Your lie, Your presence, and Yourpower that ollows.


21/21

38 39

Were sick and tired and in ear and trembling like ourbrother Paul was, lest our words be eloquent and lled with

knowledge and stinking scholarship and yet have no Spiritand no Power. Our God, we pray that You would help usto see these things and be bond slaves to Your Word and tothis ruth that was spoken o. I pray that You would exposein every heart, every mind, every imagination, every hand,

every eye, every ear, every lip, every place where our eet go,that You would expose all o those things that are just or us.Expose Esaus bowl o chili, or our rock that we are tempted tostrike, our ambitions, our idols, our golden calves. Our God,give us a clear vision o that golden cal in our lives that weare worshipping and calling on to let us out o Egypt. Free us

om the bondage and please ruin us or anything except Yourcomplete and ull will.

God, we want to be a part o a people that the gates o hell

do not prevail against any longer afer 2000 years o aprevailing kingdom o darkness. We want to be a part o apeople through which are shown the maniold wisdom andGlory that You have, to the principalities and powers and tothe people o this world.

We want to be a part o that and ask that You would exposein our lives anything that separates us om that. We dontwant to have the Kingdom ripped away om us and given to

another people that will bear its uit and dont just talk aboutit and sing about it. Our God, help us in these things and lifus up. We pray to You with everything within ourselves, even

at the risk o our own lives. We pray that You would wake usup and shake out the cobwebs and break the hypnotic trancethat were in and the religious rituals. Break us ee om allthose things and lead us in the path o everlasting into Yourways. We pray in the Name o Your Son Jesus, the Mighty,the Powerul, and Glorious Name. Te Name at which every

knee will bow.

Chariot of Fire

I hope this song typies your heart. It would break myheart i it doesnt

I rise up to worship

I stand to acclaim,Te King o all GloryChrist Jesus His Name.

I ask you, King Jesus,Fulll this desire,Ignite me and make meA chariot o Fire.Come ride on my lie, Lord Jesus Christ,

My King and my Master.Come ride on my lie to this one goal

I wholly aspire.Come ride on my lie, Lord Jesus Christ,

My King and my Master.Come ride on my lie and I will be

A chariot o Fire.

Indianapolis, IN

1988

your presence oh god

Documents