In John 14:25-6 (Amplified) Jesus said, "I have told you these things while I am still with you but the comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Stand-by) the Holy Spirit. Whom the Father will send in My Name (in My place) to represent Me and act on My behalf, He will teach you all things, And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you."
Today's Church has never fully realized the full impact of the Holy Spirit's ministry. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would be sent in His Name, in His place and would represent and act on His behalf. This means that the same One Who directed Jesus' earthly ministry, would now be here to teach us how to function like Jesus did. As our Advocate (Lawyer), the Holy Spirit would reveal to us the spiritual laws that heaven functions in.
We have already been raised and seated together with Jesus in Heavenly places where He sits with the Father. Ephesians 2:6 (Amplified) says, "And He (God) raised us up together with Him (Jesus) and made us sit down together (giving us joint seating with Him) in the heavenly sphere (by virtue of our being) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One)." Matthew 28:18-19 (Amplified) says, "Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, ALL authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me; Go then and make disciples of all the nations."
Disciples are students training up in the teachings of the Master. The Holy Spirit was sent in His place to represent Jesus and act on His behalf and is now present to teach the Church it to function in this relegated authority. The Holy Spirit has given that same authority to the Church, which is His Body on earth. Just as your body is joined to your head, the Body of Christ is joined to our Head-Jesus. The body and head both have the same Name and authority. Our body does what our head directs it to do and the Church does what our Head tells us to do.
Jesus stated that "All rule was given to Him" and we need to understand this power of rule. Heaven isn't some weird place where little, naked cherubs sit around on soft clouds, playing harps. Heaven is the Kingdom of God and has rules and laws that govern it. The main rule or law that operates in His Kingdom is the Law of Love. Jesus didn't heal the sick to impress others. He healed them because love couldn't stand to see them in such pain and suffering.
Matthew 14:10-14 (Amplified) says, "He (Herod) sent and had John beheaded in the prison. And his head was brought in on a platter and given to the little maid, and she brought it to her mother. And John's disciples came and took up his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus." Verses 13-14 go on, "When Jesus heard it, He withdrew from there privately in a boat to a solitary place. but when the crowds heard of it, they followed Him (by land) on foot from the towns. When He went ashore and saw a great throng of people, He had compassion (pity and deep sympathy) for them and cured their sick."
Even in the midst of His grief over John's beheading, Jesus only retaliated in love and healed the sick by His compassion because the main rule or law of God's Kingdom is love. Men should never desire to have the Holy Spirit work through them for any other reason, except love. 1Corinthians 12:31 (Amplified) says, "But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts (the gifts of the Spirit and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way (one that is better by far and highest of them all-love)."
We read in 1John 4:16-17 (Amplified), "And we know (understand, recognize, and are conscience of by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put forth in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love, dwells and continues in God and God dwells and continues in him. In this (union and communion with Him) love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment (with assurance and boldness to face Him) because as He is, so are we in this world."
This love law or rule is the cardinal law that moves heaven. When we understand the power of grace, we can put faith in this great love and can flow in it. No other rule of the Kingdom is so great as love. We quote John 3:16 repeatedly without ever realizing that this is the law that rules over everything. We've misunderstood this great love and many of us still live under condemnation over our past. Many fear failure because we're still not perfect. Other are afraid they don't qualify for the Gifts of the Spirit because of our not measuring up to what we think are God's standards. What we fail to understand is that, His great love has already qualified us in Jesus.
The power of the Holy Spirit in us, is the same Holy Spirit Who was in Jesus. We've never learned to hear His voice like we should. The Holy Spirit is speaking to us all the time. If we would become serious about hearing His voice, then He would deliver us from things we would otherwise walk in. If the Holy Spirit should lead us into a dangerous place, then is isn't to destroy us, but to lead someone out. He's not "trying" us. He will protect us in that place.
Jesus was lead of the Holy Spirit into many place where we would never go. But, in every case, the Holy Spirit took Him through it and brought others out with Him. There is no place God will lead you, that love cannot deliver you. Even in the Apostle's lives, Jesus told them beforehand what was going to happen and they consented to it. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus knew beforehand what love demanded and He consented to do what love needed done.
The laws that govern heave or the rules and laws of the God's Kingdom, are things we must learn from the Holy Spirit. All of our unanswered prayers remain so because we asked "amiss." We make up many excuses for unanswered prayers, but Jesus said that, "Whatever you ask in My Name, He will do it." He said in John 15:7-10 (Amplified) that, "If you live in Me (abide vitally united to Me) and My Words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. I have loved you, (just) as My Father has loved Me; abide in My love (continue in His love with Me). If you keep My commandments (if you continue to obey My instructions) you will abide in My love and and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father's commandments and live on in His love."
He continues in Verse 12 to point out what His commandments were saying, "This is My commandment; that you love one another (just) as I have loved you." We continue trying to keep every one of the ten commandments given in the old covenant. These commandments are still valid, but when you walk in love, then you will not break any other rule of the Church or God's Kingdom.
We've not looked at love as a commandment of God's. We've struggled with doing what God has instructed, but our human emotions won't allow it. We feel like a hypocrite when we lose our temper with someone. Remember! Love is not an emotion, but A Person. God is Love. We don't measure love by how we feel because our feelings can change from one minute to another. We measure our love by how much we're committed to Jesus. We must treat even those we dislike with the same respect and dignity as those we do like. One cannot walk his Christian walk by emotions...this is carnal Christianity. We walk in love through obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ. Your emotions will come in line with your spirit, because God's love is in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
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