Romans 10:17 (Amplified) says, "So faith comes by hearing (what is told), and what is heard comes by the preaching (of the message that came from the lips) of Christ (the Messiah Himself)."
John 14:26 (Amplified) says, "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."
Just hours before He would carry the cross to Calvary, Jesus explained to His disciples, the Holy Spirit's upcoming ministry in their lives. Jesus told them that the very Holy Spirit Who worked and lived in Him, would live in them and bring to their remembrance everything Jesus told them. Many things concerning the new covenant had been shared with the disciples over the last three years of Jesus' life, but they were unable to understand them yet. John 12:16 (Amplified) says, "His disciples did not understand and could not comprehend the meaning of these things at first; But when Jesus was glorified and exalted, they remembered that these things had been written about Him and had been done to Him."
They didn't have the revelation of Jesus' message, even when they read prophecies from the Word concerning Him, without the the illumination and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We previously read that, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God," from Romans 10:17. When we do not hear what this new covenant entails, then we do not put faith in what isn't preached. The things Jesus, and His disciples went on to do, were the result of what was preached and seen during His earthly ministry.
In many of today's churches, we only hear a portion of what Jesus called the Church to do. Many haven't had faith for our lives and for our time because it hasn't been preached and we haven't heard it. The Good News that Jesus preached was revealed to His disciples and continued far into the second century, before it was watered down. Today, the Holy Spirit is bringing to our "remembrance" all things Jesus said.
The healing ministry of the Holy Spirit is being renewed in the Body of Christ, like it was in the early Church, like never before. We have seen evidence of all these things trickling down through the years by early men and women of God. As it was being preached by such persons like Katherine Kuhlman, Oral Roberts, William Brannon and John G. Lake, faith arose in the people to receive. Many hadn't heard this powerful portion of the gospel preached very little or not at all.
We cannot have faith in what we haven't heard. Once we hear it preached and we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us, our faith will arise to meet the promise. Our biggest enemy of faith has been not hearing the real or full gospel. If we don't know what the Father's will is for us and for our time, then it's difficult to have faith for it in our lives.
All Christian denominations love God to the extent of what we know about Him. We've all put faith in what we do know, some believe it's just for the hereafter, because that's all they've heard preached. "The Holy Spirit confirms the Word with signs and wonders," according to Mark 16:20 (Amplified) which says, "And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied it, Amen (so be it)."
The Holy Spirit is waiting for the Word to once again be preached everywhere, so that the Lord has something to "confirm." Jesus said that it was the "Father's Own Word He spoke" and that it was "the Father doing the work He did." The Holy Spirit is only obligated to "confirm" God's Words and not our own. Jesus said, "It is not My Own Words, but the Father's Words" He spoke.
Many of us seem rather reluctant to believe beyond what they were taught, but the Holy Spirit will teach us in things beyond our local church meetings and denominational teachings. We seem to be reluctant to "hear' beyond our own things.
I attended the denomination church my wife belonged to, after I first was born again. The people there were good, sincere people in their faith. I had a "hunger" for more of God than I was being fed there and began a search for more. I didn't leave our church, but went further into the Word than they were teaching.
As I heard others teach different things from the Word, my faith in God grew and I believed more about Him than I had previously believed. The teachers from my wife's church weren't teaching incorrect things, they just weren't teaching the complete Word. What I heard had inspired faith for some things, but not for other things. As the teaching of the Word increased in my life, the Holy Spirit began confirming what I heard and what I had begun preaching.
I discovered that God's Word hadn't lost any of its power, but I had lost sight of that Word. The Holy Spirit brought revelation of its "living" place in my spirit as I searched God's Word. The Holy Spirit still will bring all that Jesus preached to our "remembrance." The Word on paper becomes the Word living in our lives by the Holy Spirit.
It doesn't matter what we did or didn't believe before...we can still learn to believe more of the Father's will and Word through the Holy Spirit. Some people are afraid to venture into certain things because they fear not "being in God's will" or they fear succumbing to "false teachings." We must learn to trust in the Holy Spirit as our Teacher and Counselor, in the things of God. Let's read 1John 2:27 (Amplified) again, "But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides (permanently) in you' (so) then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But just as His (the Holy Spirit) anointing teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, so you must abide in (live in, never depart from) Him (being rooted in Him, knit to Him) just as (His anointing) has taught you (to do)."
For the most part, we haven't been taught to lean on and listen to the Holy Spirit as our Guide, like we should. Many of us weren't even allowed to cross over from one denomination to another. We operated in fear of being deceived. 1John 4:18 (Amplified) tells us, "There is no fear in love (dread does not exist) but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the though of punishment and (So) he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (is not yet grown (into loves complete perfection)."
\ The Holy Spirit will not allow someone who is walking in love (God is Love) to be misled, if we will listen to Him. There is no need to fear if our heart is right before God. If we get caught up in our own selves or pride, then we can be deceived.
When Paul was caught up into heaven and given the revelation from on High, he had to trust in the Holy Spirit to guide him. The things he taught after that were things no one ever heard before or dared to believe. If he hadn't trusted the Holy Spirit to lead him, then Paul would never had the ability to preach the things he had heard. He preached the revelation knowledge to the world and the Jews. Now the Gentiles could become covenant with God and the Jew would have to change his covenant with God.
Some people have exchanged the true ministry of the Holy Spirit for their own ministry, for various reasons. Many throughout the years, have been deceived because they didn't listen to or study to show themselves approved by God.
God hasn't changed His original plan for mankind. He still desires to have an unlimited fellowship and relationship with us, like in the beginning. Satan will do anything possible to limit this relationship and make us think it's not God's plan for our lives. We strive to "get into" or "remain" in God's will for His Church. The last thing any true believer would want, is to become a preacher of false doctrines. We figure the best way of avoiding that is to simply remain in what we know.
That decision is fairly safe, but very confining for the Liberty of the Gospel. It might be safe for us to stay put, but it doesn't do much to "set the captives free." We keep waiting for the world to come into the church to hear the Gospel, when we should be going into the world to reveal the Gospel. Going out into the world doesn't always involve going to another country, but going to the unsaved. There are probably unsaved people in your work, school, neighborhood or family. If we will trust the Holy Spirit and let Him guide you, then you will be amazed at the things He will do through you.
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