Even if we know Jesus, there’s more to know. The whole world has talked and debated Jesus throughout history. “Who is Jesus?” His life has had a great impact on people, greater than any other person in history. Are we satisfied to know Him as we know Him today, or do we desire to know Him deeper? Is there anything left to surrender that is in the way of knowing Him more? Is there any part of your life that His love doesn’t touch?
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Matthew 16 : 13
Unity, Stability and Maturity in The Body of Christ – God is accomplishing it through the building of the Five-Fold Ministry. Jesus gave us Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds and Teachers, representing His own ministry. We are shifting from a One-Man Ministry to a Five-Fold Ministry – the divine wisdom of God, and He is restoring it in the Earth today. It is for the equipping of the saints for the work of service for the building up of the body of Christ.
We’re familiar with Pastors and Shepherds. The body of Christ has been over-pastored and under fathered, which is why we have a culture of being a nursery and not an army. We have tried to build the church in our own wisdom and have built an atmosphere of immaturity in the body.
God is waking us up, and changing how we have perceived church, and He’s calling us back into His Word.
Ephesians 4:7-16 NASB 1995
YouVersion Notes
When we receive Holy Spirit, we should expect to speak in tongues.
Holy Spirit doesn’t take over your tongue, but does tell you what to say, giving you the words to speak out of your mouth. We have to speak what He says.
First – We are filled with the PERSON of HOLY SPIRIT.
THEN – Holy Spirit tells us what to say.
It’s Holy Spirit’s job to give us the “utterance,” but it’s our job to do the speaking.
“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.” Acts 10:44-48
Luke 24:48-49 , Acts 1:4-8, Acts 2:1-4 , Acts 10:44-48 , I Corinthians 14:1-2, I Corinthians 14:4-5
“He sees crowds of people doing their own thing, making their own way, putting their trust in their own abilities and doing what is best for themselves. And He is saying, ‘Excuse me, you’re in My way.'”
God wants to move in our lives, but we won’t slow down, stop and listen and give up what WE want to to do, while wanting Him to bless our desires. If we would let Him through and let Him lead, paths would begin to open up for our lives that we have no idea.
Will you allow Him to take the lead? To lead you and guide you? Will you listen to His voice? It requires surrender. In your surrender, He will take you where you’ve never been before.
I hear the Lord saying, “I will stay close to you,
instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life.
I will advise you along the way
and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide.
So don’t make it difficult; don’t be stubborn
when I take you where you’ve not been before.
Don’t make me tug you and pull you along.
Just come with me!”
Psalm 32:8-9 TPT
God made it possible through Jesus for believers to have a “tuner” on the inside of us to hear from Him. Because you have indwelling Holy Spirit, you can tune into Heaven and hear the voice of the Lord.
4 Ways God Speaks to Us:
1 God speaks to us through the BIBLE.
2 God speaks through HOLY SPIRIT.
3 God speaks through OTHER PEOPLE.
4 God speaks through CIRCUMSTANCES.
Isaiah 30:18-22 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. 19 For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. 20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. 21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. 22 Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”