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4. What it Means to Believe

"What Does It Mean
to Believe?"
Amplified Bible Used

"The success of your life, as a child of God, is in direct proportion to the consciousness of the living Christ and the almighty power of God that is in your heart." F J Heugal…

Rest in Him Every Moment

Prov 3:5: Lean on, trust in, {and} be confident in the Lord with all your heart {and} mind and do not rely on your own insight {or} understanding.

Prov 3:6: In all your ways know, recognise, {and} acknowledge Him, and He will direct {, and} make straight {and} plain your paths.

Zech 4:6: not by might, nor by power but by Your Spirit (the Spirit of love) Who is available to do it all through us .. IN and WITH love!

Based on Smith Wigglesworth's Daily Devotional – October 7, Acts 19:11–20

And God did unusual {and} extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, So that handkerchiefs {or} towels or aprons which had touched his skin were carried away {and} put upon the sick, and their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.

Then some of the travelling Jewish exorcists (men who adjure evil spirits) also undertook to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I solemnly implore {and} charge you by the Jesus Whom Paul preaches!

(The seven sons of a certain Jewish chief priest named Sceva were doing this). But [one] evil spirit retorted, Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?

Then the man in whom the evil spirit dwelt leapt upon them, mastering two of them, and was so violent against them that they dashed out of that house [in fear], stripped naked and wounded.

This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and alarm {and} terror fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled {and} magnified.

Many also of those who were now believers came making full confession {and} thoroughly exposing their [former deceptive and evil] practices.

And many of those who had practised curious, magical arts collected their books and [throwing them, book after book, on the pile] burned them in the sight of everybody. When they counted the value, it amounted to 50,000 pieces of silver (about $9,300).

Thus the Word of the Lord [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] grew {and} spread {and} intensified, prevailing mightily.

What is Belief?

Let me sum it up in a few sentences. It is not to believe in the word Jesus but to believe in the nature of Christ, to believe in the vision of Christ.

For all power has been given unto Him, and greater is He Who is within you in the revelation of faith than he (Satan) who is in the world.

(See 1 John 4:4 Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated {and} overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.)

And so I say to you, do not be discouraged if every demon has not gone out. The very moment they have gone, do not think that is the end of it. We have to see that if all it takes is using the name of Jesus, those evil powers would have gone out in that name by the sons of Sceva. (See the verses - Acts 19:11–20 above.)

It is not that. It is the power of the Holy Spirit with the revelation of the deity of our Christ of glory and knowing that all power is given unto Him. Through the knowledge of Christ and through faith in Who He is, demons must surrender; demons must go out.

I say this reverently: these bodies of ours are so constructed by God that we may be filled with the divine revelation of the Son of God until it is manifest to the devils we confront (in the world and churches), and they will have to go.

The Master is in; they see the Master. "Jesus, I know, and Paul, I know." The ministry of the Master!

How we need to get to know Him until, within us, we are full of the manifestation of the King over all demons.
Brothers and sisters, my heart is full. The depths of my yearnings are for the Pentecostal people.

My cry is that we will not miss the opportunity of the baptism of the Holy Spirit so that Christ may be manifested in our human frames.

(2 Cor. 4:10 Always carrying about in the body the liability {and} exposure to the same putting to death that {the Lord} Jesus suffered, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by {and} in our bodies) until every power of evil will be subject to the Christ, Who is manifested in us.

The Devils Know Jesus

Two important things are before us. First, we must surrender the mastery of ourselves to God (as Paul did).

(Gal 2:20: I have been (spiritually) crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.)

Then the embodiment of the Spirit gloriously covers our lives so that Jesus is glorified to the full.

So first, it is the losing of ourselves, and then it is the incoming of Another; it is the glorifying of Him that will fulfil all things, and when He gets hold of our lives, He can do it.

When God gets hold of your life because you have yielded yourself to Him in this way, He will be delighted to allow Christ to be so manifested in you that it will be no difficulty for the devil to know who you are.

I am satisfied that the purpose of Pentecost is to re-establish God in human flesh. Do I need to say it again? The power of the Holy Spirit has to come to be enthroned in the human life so that it does not matter where we find ourselves.

Christ is manifested in the place where devils are, the place where religious devils are, the place where false religion and unbelief are, and the place where formal religion has taken the place of holiness and righteousness.

You need to have holiness—the righteousness and Spirit of the Master—so that everything that is not like our Lord Jesus will have to depart in every walk of life. That is what is needed today. …Lord Jesus, working in us – His vessels!

I ask you in the Holy Spirit to seek the place where He is in power. "Jesus, I know, and Paul, I know; but who are you?" May God stamp this sobering question upon us, for the devil is not afraid of us.

May the Holy Spirit make us terrors of evildoers today, for the Holy Spirit came into us to judge the world of sin, of unbelief, and of righteousness; that is the purpose of the Holy Spirit. (See John 16:7–11.) Then Jesus will know us, and the devils will know us.

Thought for today: "It is only when you are conquered by Christ that He is enthroned."

The world needs to know that God loved everyone so much that He gave His only begotten Son to free mankind from the burdens, influences, deceptions and controls of the Prince of this world.

Satan (the devil, Lucifer, is constantly seeking to deceive and tempt man to rely on self, possessions, others, and the ways of man ... this is sin ... or separation from God, Who loves us and will respond immediately when we call out "Help me!".)

Jesus' life on earth was sinless – He totally relied on God and His Holy Spirit and was One with God. His death was the sacrifice and full payment for all human sin; believe in Him and His payment, and you are freed!

John 3:16: For God so greatly loved and deeply prized the world, that He even gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him (clings to, abides in) shall not perish, but have eternal life.

This was not only for those living at the time of Christ Jesus' crucifixion but for whoever lives on earth up to the time of His return (see Heb 1:3) .. which due to the horrible state of our world, relying on self, etc., may not be too far away).

Christ Jesus' closing words at His crucifixion were, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). He had achieved what He advised was His purpose of being sent to earth … to spiritually free mankind and give spiritual sight!

(Luke 4:18-19: The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor;

He has sent Me to announce release to the (spiritual) captives and recovery of sight to the (spiritually) blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity],

To proclaim the accepted {and} acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favours of God profusely abound]).

God is love! Because He is love, He does not force His wishes on anyone …. He gives every person on earth a choice!

In our troubled world, people are experiencing much trouble and being hurt, and the world cannot "fix the problems". (As is the case with the Covid-19 pandemic, wars, violence, anger, crime, etc.)

These are "attention getters" for mankind to look up and call out, "Help me!"….. and Father is always waiting to hear their call!

Christ Jesus advised the world … John 6:44 No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts {and} draws him {and} gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day.

When a person "reaches that point" of calling out "Help me!", Father will immediately respond to their plea, and a wise person will realise that God is love and they will seek His guidance and refuge.

All that is required is for anyone to turn from the darkness of the world to Jesus Christ, the Light so that they can realise that their spirits have been set free. Today on earth, there are over 8 billion people, and most are still looking into darkness.

As soon as any person understands that and believes and takes the step of faith, they become new spiritual creations and become a child of God and are cared for by Him. This step of faith is available for anyone when they believe.

Baptism

Baptism (the symbolic washing away of self) .. be it in a river, pond, lake, or shower (even under the rain for the poor and suffering). God knows their faith and sees them taking the step of faith! (The Greek word for baptism is "baptidzo", which literally means to "dip" or to "immerse".)

John 3:3 (plus 5 & 7): I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is (spiritually) born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.

Jesus showed the world how that could happen ... He came to John the Baptist and was fully immersed in the River Jordan. As he came up, He left "the old man" (the carpenter) spiritually behind in the water and was anointed with Father's Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38 .. Repent (change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it) and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of {and} release from your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. … this is a promise!

The True Vine

Christ Jesus explained it with this analogy... John 15:1: I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser (carer of the Vine).

Because mankind, way back by Adam and Eve, disobeyed God's wishes, all people have existed as branches of "the Adam vine".

But, when any person takes the "step of faith", Father, the Vinedresser, cuts them off the Adam vine, trims them down to be a small branch, and then grafts them into the True Vine (His Son). 

They become part of the True Vine (along with all the other branches that have been drawn to Christ Jesus by Father) ….. and, moment by moment, the life of Lord Jesus (including the seeds of His fruit and all our needs to produce it) flows into the branches, John 15:2.

He, Father, then cleanses {and} repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more {and} richer {and} more excellent fruit. .... (and 1 John 1:9 .. as we confess our sins, He will forgive us and cleanse us.)

John 15:4: Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.

John 15:5: Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

God is love – and genuine repentance can lead to "re-grafting" into the True Vine.

BUT - John 15:6: If a person does not dwell in Me, (nor repents) he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such (withered) branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. 

Note: Father doesn't want people to strive and make a big effort to be Christians (Christ-ins). All that is needed is to rest in the Vine .. to have a consciousness of being spiritually grafted into Him by Father ... waiting and expecting – He is caring for you.

Look around you at the trees, shrubs, and vines ... moment by moment, they are receiving all that is needed to grow and produce.

So, we are told … 1 John 4:17, In this [spiritual union and communion with Him – one with Christ] 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.

Branches grafted into Him, the True Vine, moment by moment receiving all that He is and has (Christ in ... Christian), including the seeds of the fruit. So simply REST in the Vine and receive constantly. 

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is cleansing, purifying, strengthening, and equipping us so that we can bear much fruit for Father's glory and use (John 15).

Gal 5:22 -24: But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence).

Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites {and} desires.

Col 1:16: For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or authorities; all things were created {and} exist through Him [by His service, intervention] and in {and} for Him.

Col 1:17: And He existed before all things, and in Him, all things consist (cohere, are held together).

So everything needed will come from Him ... not by our effort! …. So simply rest in Him and wait expectantly, believing!

As soon as a person "takes that step of faith," they can have a consciousness of …… I am grafted into the True Vine – one with Lord Jesus, moment by moment receiving His life and all the needs to produce His fruit.

He is in me so I can "go into all the world" to share His fruit with the world … and many will say, "I want what you have!"

Rest in the Vine, knowing that He and Father are doing it all! On earth, Christ Jesus relied totally on the Holy Spirit, so can all born-again believers. (It is NOT by our might nor power!) … "As He is, so ARE WE in this world!"

Col 3:17: And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus {and} in [dependence upon] His Person, [Who is in you] giving praise to God the Father through Him.

Brian McMichan – Australia.

"My Jesus, my Saviour"

Lord, there is none like you
All of my days, I want to praise
The wonders of your mighty love
My comfort, my shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You
Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name
I sing for joy at the work of your hands
Forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have
In YOU
My Jesus, my Saviour
Lord there is none like You
All of my days, I want to praise
The wonders of your mighty love
My Comfort
My Shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You
Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of your name
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands
Forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have
In YOU

"Rise up, you people of power"

"Rise up, you people of power"
Stand up across the land
Take up the sword of the Spirit
Pull down the enemy's plans
When He arose
When He arose
When Jesus arose
He defeated, defeated, all of our foes
Defeated all of our foes
Defeated all of our foes

Who is He who overcomes the world?
He who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Who is He who overcomes this world?
He who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

For whatsoever is born of God, overcomes the world

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