Library of Transcripts

POWER WITHIN

#243.1299

scottSTANLEY

Most gracious Heavenly Father, I pray that this study would be found in your perfect will for your remnant church. I pray Lord, that you would give me the words to speak and that you would give all of us the understanding to grasp these this, that changes be made in our lives, that you would be forever glorified. Father, I pray the words be yours, the concepts are yours, and I pray, Heavenly Father, that your presence be in this place with us, in Jesus name, Amen.

I know the Lord has been leading me in making the studies that I have been mailing out to people, and I just praise Him for giving me the opportunity to do these things, to be able to spend time with Him, and to spend time in the scriptures, and then be able to convey these things to those who have ears to hear. And I pray that the studies are a blessing to you. I know that some of you out there are taking the studies and sitting down, reading the verses for yourself, praying over it, seeking the Lord for a deeper understanding, and I praise God for you, because you are the people that I am hearing from, that are having those changes made in your life. I know that as we grow in our understanding of God’s holiness, that His holiness shines in contrasting light on the darkness of our souls. If we can see His glory, then we can understand more of ourselves. We can see the darkness, we recognize the darkness within ourselves. And if you can come to that place, and honestly sum up what you are seeing there, you can take those weaknesses to the Lord and be cleansed forever.

There is a prayer found in Ephesians chapter 3 that I want to read right now. It starts in verse 14.

Ephesians 3:14

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

Right there is a statement telling us we are all named after the Father, or characterized after the Father. Our character is coming from Him, and of course, that ties in with Revelation 14 where the Lamb is seen on Mount Zion with the 144,000. They all have the name of the Father of the Lamb written in their foreheads, and it is the character of the Father that we are to be receiving through His only begotten Son.

16 [I pray] That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; [and remember what "glory" actually is...it’s that inward character. Its thoughts, ideas and concepts, all of the things that make up who God is on the inside, all of the holiness - those are the riches of His glory. And if you’ll notice in this prayer, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power - that word is [1411] "power" through His spirit being in your inner man, or His mind in your mind.]

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith - because it is through Christ that you receive the Spirit of the Father, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, or understanding. The better you understand, the more of Christ’s character will you have. Now that is just common sense, isn’t it? It isn’t that you simply believe in God and suddenly His Spirit, this entity flits within your head and now you’re walking in the Spirit and you can do all these things now because the Spirit is within you - that is deception to believe that. Christ dwells in your heart by means of faith. Look the word up. It’s not an action word. Faith is a noun. Faith is something you have, not something you do. And it’s the understanding you carry that allows Christ to be in your heart to the point that you understand, to the degree that you grasp it, He is within you.

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; [so] that ye,[you] being rooted and grounded in love, [in the love of the Father]

18 May be able to comprehend with all [of the] saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; [the breadth, length, depth, and height of that love]

19 And to know [understand by experience] the love of Christ, which passeth [passes] knowledge, that ye might be filled [so that you will be filled] with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, [that is working in us]

21 Unto him be glory in the church by [in] Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.

Now, I want to come back and look at verse 20 again. There are so many things in this prayer that I want to cover in this study. But what actually turned me this direction to read this prayer and want to bring it out to you was what I read in verse 20. You know, I’ve read this for so many years, and it’s almost unbelievable what I am reading here. It’s almost too much to grasp, but let me re-read this. Open your hearts and get a hold of this, of what he is saying. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above...those three words are important. "Exceeding, abundantly, above"...if I just left out "exceeding, abundantly" it would blow my mind. But this includes "exceeding abundantly above" all that we ask God, or that we even think. Now think about that. He’s able to do - of course we know this - He’s able to do exceedingly abundantly above anything we ask Him or anything we even think.

You know, the Lord is unsearchable, isn’t He. He is unsearchable, and if you are going to know anything about Him, He has to give it to you. You are not going to find out God by searching. It doesn’t work like that. But He can do exceeding abundantly above anything you ask or anything you think. Now here’s the clincher - according to the power that is already in us. Now that is exciting, and I want you to think about this because the first word in this verse is "now". And I’m here to tell you that the power of God that is already within you, our Heavenly Father can use to do exceeding abundantly above whatever you ask Him or anything you can even think of. And I know the reason the church is not experiencing the depth of that power, the strength of that power is because we are lacking in understanding.

Now, there is a power verse I want to turn to. It’s found in 2 Peter chapter 1, and you know, so many times I find myself covering the same ground with you guys, going over the same thing trying to make a point, but there are two reasons for that. One, I never know who’s going to listen to this study and what background they are going to have. And there are things that need to be covered in these studies, because for people to pick up this tape and listen to it without the background you have, they would be lost, they would not be able to connect the dots, to figure out how I’ve gotten to where I am in the scripture I’m reading. Another thing is, it doesn’t hurt you to think about it again. Repetition is the best teacher. And sometimes trying to make it to a certain plateau of understanding, we’ve got to keep going up the same ladder. And I pray the Lord just continue to give me different ways of seeing this, different ways of making the same point because it’s important that these things be grasped as best we can.

2 Peter 1, I’m going to start at verse 1. And just let these words sink in to you. Just let them minister to you what this man wrote 2000 years ago.

2 Peter 1:1

1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have [already] obtained like precious faith [understanding] with us through [in] the righteousness of [our] God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God [in God’s knowledge], and of Jesus our Lord,

3 According as his divine power hath [has] given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him [his knowledge] that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Everything that pertains to life and godliness is found in the knowledge He possesses.

4 Whereby are given unto us [It is through this knowledge that we have] exceeding great and precious promises: that by these [promises] ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped [escaping] the corruption that is in the world through lust.

The power of God for the believer - let me put it like this. The power of divinity for you, the power of divinity is found in the knowledge He carries. In His knowledge, He has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness. And it’s interesting as we look back at the history of the church, that there was never a time humanity ever grasped that understanding, the understanding of God, grasped it to the point of reaching a completed perfection - that it has taken this long for Him to bring the church to the place of receiving the truth as it is in Jesus Christ and understanding it to the point of being completed.

And I’m telling you, if there’s nothing else but that point, you should be able to see in that, that humanity has been given a free will by our heavenly Father, because working with our wills, and dealing with us and bringing us to a deeper understanding of Him, we are getting ready to enter into the seventh one thousand years. And I know all of that was in His plan. I know that He read it from the beginning, that He knew from the beginning what would take place. But He knows us doesn’t He. And He has certainly taught His only begotten Son about us and we can see we are entering the seventh one thousand years of time and that is a picture of His rest, not your rest, but His rest. When He perfects the church, He will rest. And it is understanding this knowledge of God, and how that equates to power that this study is about.

I want to read some of the things in Ephesians chapter 3, and I want to bring out some points, that by the grace of God will help us better grasp His understanding and like I have said before, these are just simply tools that will help us. If you don’t take these things and apply it, it’s no one’s fault but your own, if changes are not taking place in our life.

Now there is another prayer found in Ephesians. This one in Ephesians One that will lay a foundation for us, in our understanding of Ephesians 3. And this prayer is Ephesians 1 starting in verse 17. And as I read this I want to just paraphrase it, I want to tell you what it means as we read this, because there is a fantastic point to be made in this. Starting with Ephesians 1, verse 17.

Ephesians 1:17

17 [Now] That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: [a spirit of wisdom and revelation in His knowledge]

Now we’re going to cover revelation knowledge in this study. But I want you to get this. ‘The God of Jesus Christ who is the Father of all glory, I pray that He would give you a mind set of walking in His wisdom and revelation knowledge.’

18 The eyes of your understanding being [would then be] enlightened [you would then begin to be enlightened, and there would be three things that would come clear to you.; that ye may know what is [number one, you would know] the hope of his calling, and what [number two, you would know] the riches of the glory of [the inheritance He has in the saints] his inheritance in the saints,

Now let me look at number one again, because I just want to emphasize this. You would know the hope of His calling. Let me say you would know His hope for you in calling you. That’s the key. If you’ll begin to walk in His wisdom and revelation knowledge, it will open the eyes of your understanding and you would begin to understand His hope for all of us. You would begin to recognize and realize the riches of the glory of the inheritance He has for his saints. Now that’s an awesome thought. But it’s the next point that Paul makes that I want to key on for this study. Starting at verse 19

19 And what is [You would know] the exceeding greatness of his power [toward us who believe] to us ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Now this is what we were talking about in Ephesians 3, this power that is working in the believer. Now notice this. The exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe - what power? The working of the ability of His strength.

20 Which he wrought in Christ [This strength He wrought in Christ], when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,[in the heavenlies]

21 Far above all principality, and power [authority], and might [power], and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

There was a time when He literally raised the Son of God from the dead and if you will open your heart to walk in His wisdom and in His revelation knowledge, you will know this resurrection power - this power that has literally put Christ over and above everything. You know, it is dominion over self that all of us are seeking and that is the promise of the everlasting covenant. That is the promise. If you’ll go back and read Genesis, the creation week, it’s on the sixth day that He gives man dominion over everything. And it happens, of course, in the power of God, which He manifested when He raised His only begotten Son from the dead. He set Him over and above everything according to the ability of His strength, the strength of God.

This very concept is described again in Philippians Chapter 3. And I want to read from Philippians 3 and I want to read verses 10 and 11. Now 8 and 9 of course go with this, but I don’t want to read so many words, you miss the point. And as we read verses 10 & 11, I want you to listen for the word "resurrection" because it’s going to be used twice. The first time it’s used is speaking of an inward resurrection , the second time it is outward, literal. Both are actual. Listen, Philippians 3:10

10 That I may know him, [Now this word "know" is [1097], it means to understand by experience. It doesn’t mean simply, you know it, an intellectual assent. It means to know by experiencing it. That I may know him, understand by experiencing] and the power of his resurrection, [I’m putting that inward] and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

You see it is that inward experience of the power of God, it is that inward experience that will cause the reality to take place. There should be a huge word NOW. N-O-W at the end of verse 10 because it is now that not only do you experience the fellowship of His suffering, you are made conformable to His death, but the beginning of that, you experience, you know by experience the power of His resurrection. Those things are for us now and it is resurrection power that by God’s grace, we are going to learn to experience in Jesus Christ.

Now when I think of this "in Jesus Christ", when I think of those words "in Jesus Christ" my mind automatically always goes to the mystery of God and if you don’t mind, I would like to cover this quickly. The mystery of God as found in Colossians chapter 1, and I want to read Colossians 1 starting at verse 26, and pray that you get this. And this is something I have covered in studies past; this may be the first time you’re hearing this. And you know, that’s interesting that even though people have been getting the tapes, it’s interesting that I will talk to them a year later and they’re just hearing things for the first time and realizing things for the first time that are on the studies a long time ago. So maybe you are hearing this for the first time. Praise God if you are. I just pray you hear it. Colossians 1 starting at verse 26

26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

27 To whom God would make known what is [what are the riches] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles [in the nations]; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Now stop a minute. Whatever that mystery is, and in studies past I have covered that, right now I would like for you to see it a different way. Whatever the mystery is, the effect of the mystery is found in verse 27. Now let me read it again, verse 26

26the mystery which hath been hid [has been hidden] from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

27 To whom God would make known [to the saints] what is [what are the riches] the riches of the glory of this mystery [the riches of the glory of the mystery, in other words, the effect of the mystery, it’s Christ in you the hope of glory] among the which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Now think with me. Whatever the mystery is, the effect of it is that Christ will be in you. The riches of this mystery is that Christ is in you and when Christ is in you, the effect of that is found in verse 28. That every man would be perfect in Christ Jesus. Now I want to talk about "in Christ". What does it mean "in Christ"? There is a mystery of God, the effect of it is that Christ will be in you, but what does it mean to be "in Christ"? First of all, there are a couple of scriptures I want to read found in John chapter 15, reading verses 4 and 5.

John 15:4-5

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye [you], except ye [you] abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are [you’re] the branches: He that abideth [abides] in me, and I in him, the same bringeth [brings] forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Now the reason I wanted to read this is, if you are in Christ, then He is in you. You cannot be in Jesus Christ without Him being in you. That is impossible, and I wanted to make that point because when you look at the mystery of God, the riches of the glory of it is that Christ will be in you. That’s the hope of glory. The riches of the glory of it is that Christ is in you. And He cannot be in you unless you are in Him. And it is that "in Christ" that I have keyed on in the past. The Lord has given me a ministry to explain what "in Christ" is and to build off of it. And I’m going back to roots, to foundational things, looking at "in Christ", what does it mean for the believer to be "in Christ".

1 John 2:24

24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye [you] have heard from the beginning. If that which ye [you] have heard from the beginning shall remain [abide] in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. [you shall abide in the Son and in the Father]

Let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. And I pray, by the grace of God, many of you are ahead of me here, you know where we are headed with this. What is he talking about? Let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If you take that verse and connect it with the gospel of John chapter 3 verse 8, reading from the King James

John 3:8

8The wind bloweth [blows] where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof [you hear the sound of it], but canst not tell whence it cometh [but you cannot tell where it comes], and whither it goeth [and where it goes]: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

And there is a more literal rendering of that scripture. If you have the interlinears, that big blue interlinear from Hendrickson, you’ll discover a more literal writing of this verse. And if you look the words up, they are right on the money on what they are saying here and I want to read it to you, more literally.

‘The spirit breathes where he desires and you hear his voice, but you do not know where he comes from and where he is going, so is everyone that has received birth from the spirit.’ And I want to re-read that and cut out the middle words so that you get the point. ‘The spirit breathes where he desires and you hear his voice, so is everyone who has received birth from the spirit.’ It is the voice of the spirit that gives you life "in Christ." If you’ve been born again, if you’ve had that experience of being born again, then you have heard His voice within. Maybe you didn’t know that that is what it was you heard. But that makes no difference. He spoke to your heart and you received His words.

Now the admonition found in 1 John 2:24 is - let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning of your experience. What was it? It was the voice of God. Let that be "in you", which you heard from the beginning and you will be "in the Son" and "in the Father". In other words, if He is speaking to you and it’s obvious you cannot speak something that isn’t in your mind, so that when you speak therefore, what is coming from you is your mind. If He is speaking to you, He is conveying His mind to you, and if His mind is coming into you, He is in you, and if He is in you, that cannot be unless you are in Him. So let me just say, the mystery of God therefore is that He is speaking to you. But I want to make it even bigger than that.

The mystery of God - and what makes a mystery a mystery is the fact that you don’t understand it, or you don’t know it. That’s why it’s a mystery. But the Lord is unveiling mysteries to us, helping us to understand His mysteries; what at one time was a mystery, is no longer a mystery. This fact that He is speaking to you through your conscience, He is speaking to you through the conscience, and I’m going to get into that more in the study - but He isn’t just speaking to you. He’s speaking to all of humanity. And I’m telling you, that is the mystery - the fact that He is speaking to all of humanity through their conscience and they don’t know that that prick that happens to them, whenever they do something they know to be wrong, that is the voice of God to them. That’s the mystery because they don’t know that that’s what they’re hearing.

You see, when they stand before the judge of all the earth, they will have no excuse because they have been hearing His voice all along and rejecting it, continually crucifying Christ. They will have no excuse for what they have done because He has been speaking to all of us. I’m telling you, the mystery of God is the fact that He is communicating to every human being on this planet already, and if a person would open his heart and live truthfully with his conscience, and not defile the conscience, I don’t care where he is, who he is, where he lives, the Father could lead him, lead that person unto Himself. And He would surely do it. If a person would only be faithful and true to his conscience, the Father will bring you unto Himself. That is the mystery of God and the effect of it is that Christ will be in you and that is the hope of glory. As you live according to your conscience, He will bring you unto Himself, and He will continue to input truth into your intellect so that you will better understand what is taking place in your heart. And I’m telling you, that is the mystery right there - the hope of it - I should say, the effect of it is that Christ will be in you and He will lead you unto Himself and save you.

Now there is a point about hearing God I want to share with you. It is found in Galatians chapter 3 and the reason I want to share this is because this clears up a fallacy that I believe I have carried all of my life. I know you guys are going to relate to this. In Galatians chapter 3 - and I haven’t forgotten our prayer in Ephesians 3, I’m getting to that - but there are foundational things we have got to grasp and in Galatians chapter 3, I want to start reading at verse 1. I want you to catch this because we’ve seen how it is we begin with the Lord, let that remain in you, let that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning. You hear the voice of God and that is how you begin your walk with Him, and I want you to just read now what Paul says in Galatians starting with verse 1:

Galatians 3:1

1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes [or your understanding] Jesus Christ hath [has] been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye [Did you receive] the Spirit [of God] by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? [or did you receive His spirit, His mind, through the hearing of faith?]

3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? [are you now going to be made perfect by the works of the flesh]

4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

Now stop a minute. We’ve already seen how you began. According to John chapter 3, you were given life by hearing the voice of the Spirit. And in 1 John 2:24, now let that remain in you which you have heard from the beginning, and you will remain in the Son. You were given life by what you heard and I want to say again the word "faith" in the King James is a noun. The verb of it is "believe", but this word "faith" is a noun, and if it’s a noun then I can call it "understanding". The faith you carry is the understanding you carry. When he talks about the faith of Christ, it’s the understanding Christ possesses. The faith of Abraham - it’s the understanding the man possessed. Through the gospels your faith has made you whole. It’s that understanding that made the person whole. So looking at this word, I want you to hold your place in Galatians 3 and turn to Romans 10:17 where it says

Romans 10:17

17 So then [the] faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

So then the faith or the understanding comes out of hearing. Hearing what? The Word of God. That word "word" is rhema, which literally means "a spoken word." That word is never used to identify the scripture. A "rhema" is a spoken word that you hear. How do you receive understanding then? Through hearing the voice of God. Faith comes by hearing, hearing the "rhema" of God in your conscience. Now come back to Galatians 3, look at verse 5.

Galatians 3:5

5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

He therefore that is ministering to you the Spirit - well, who’s giving you the Spirit? It’s Christ; and He’s working miracles in you. Now that word "miracle" is [1411] "power" and you can say a work of power. He that is ministering to you the Spirit of God and working works of power in you; it’s not "among you," it’s "in you". Are you having works of power happen in you? Are you changing? Are things taking place? All right. How’s He doing that? By you keeping the law or out of the hearing of faith, the hearing, the understanding you are receiving by hearing? How is that taking place? Well, it’s obvious. It’s by your hearing. But notice verse 6. Even as Abraham. What if I said, just like Abraham.

6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

It’s just like Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. How did Abraham believe God? Well, God said something to him. The law didn’t come for another 400 years. God spoke to that man and he believed it. Now here’s the fallacy. I was told that Abraham had a connection with God that we couldn’t have. I was told that God spoke to him in such a way, that He doesn’t speak to people any more. That it was different with Abraham. According to this scripture, it wasn’t different. It isn’t different, that you are to hear the Lord and believe Him even as Abraham believed and was made righteous before God. Just like Abraham. It said again in Isaiah 51 - let me read this right quick. In Isaiah 51, Isaiah writes this - now I’m reading verses 1 & 2.

Isaiah 51:1-2

1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence [from where] ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence [from where] ye are digged.

2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

Well, how did He do it? He spoke to Abraham, and Abraham obeyed what he was hearing in his heart. Abraham was walking in obedience to the voice of God inwardly. And Paul just says, He that is giving you the spirit, He that is working miracles in you, how is He doing it? Is He doing it because you are keeping the law so well, or is He doing it because you are listening? It’s even like Abraham who believed and God gave him righteousness. Now that’s interesting to me to know, to even have a scripture to base it on, that I can hear God even as Abraham.

You go back and read those scriptures where God was speaking to that man, and let it sink in. Let it sink in that He will speak to you the very same way. I’ve got to say this. There should be an amazing awakening in your heart when you realize that. I’ve got to say this again, that life is not in this book, it’s in the man who wrote the book. And He has designed your body and your brain/mind to receive heavenly truths that carry the power of divinity. The power of divinity that works in humanity is found in the knowledge of God and it’s coming to grips with the understanding that He possesses, that is going to help you make those changes and it is His power working within you Now that will strengthen you.

But I want you to see that even though the power of God is working within you it is hindered by means of how you understand. That is why the coming out of Babylon, the coming out of the spiritual confusion will so strengthen you, will so strengthen you for this final chapter of earth’s history.

Reading from Ephesians, chapter 3, I want to key on verses 16 and 20.

Ephesians 3:16, 20

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

This word "might" is [1411] "power". You are to be strengthened with power by His spirit in your inner man. Now verse 20.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power [1411] that worketh in us,[that is working in us]

Like I’ve said, this power working in you is now. This isn’t something that He’s going to put in you. It’s already in you. And I think if we could better understand what makes power- power - what is it that gives us this power, that it would help unlock it for us so that we could walk more accurately with Him and that things would be better for us in so far as receiving the holiness of God, and having that ability to have control of self, to have that dominion over self. So what I would like to do is read some other scripture that for me, helped to unlock this thing. It’s found in 1 Corinthians 14. It’s interesting that one week I received two different requests for an explanation of tongues. And those of you who have asked me that, you know who you are, but it was interesting that they both came together. And I went back to 1 Corinthians 14 to re-read this, and in so doing, the Lord began to speak to my heart, helping me better understand some other things in this chapter. There are things in here, if you read between the lines, they really, really help. I want to start at 1 Corinthians 14, at verse 6 and just follow what Paul writes here.

1 Corinthians 14:6

6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?

Now listen...

7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known [understood] what is piped or harped?

Now notice, even things without life giving sound. You see, he has just implied that when he speaks by revelation or by knowledge or by prophesying or by doctrine, that is life giving sound. Isn’t that what Christ said in John 7:38 that he that believes in me out of his belly will flow rivers of what? Living water, living words, living thought. Out of your belly, out of your mind will flow rivers of living water to other people. And here, isn’t that what we’re talking about? life giving? Life is to understand the Father and the Son, John 17:3. So he has just implied that when he speaks to the church by revelation or by knowledge or by prophesying or by doctrine that in those things there is life giving sound.

Let’s look at those four things. Interesting isn’t it, that there are four things that he’s talking about here. What does he mean "by revelation"? Revelation knowledge is that understanding you receive when God gives you that flash of light concerning a particular thing - when there’s no man teaching you but you receive understanding in the Spirit. I want you to see how Paul uses this again in Galatians, I believe it’s chapter one and let’s read this together, just so you can better grasp what revelation knowledge is. Galatians 1, verse 12, Paul says

Galatians 1:12

12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by [through] the revelation of Jesus Christ.

You see, revelation knowledge can happen to any of us. It does happen to you. It’s when you get that flash of light, you get that understanding that you know the Lord is giving you. You don’t have anyone sitting there explaining it to you but you receive that in the Spirit. That’s revelation knowledge. It comes from God. That is the difference between revelation knowledge and simply knowledge which is also used in 1 Corinthians 14:6. For knowledge I would just describe that, I would define that as all that has been received or grasped by your mind. Any knowledge received by revelation could be referred to as knowledge. But not all knowledge can be said to have been received by revelation. You see. What we’re talking about in 1 Corinthians 14:6 when he says knowledge, it means the knowledge of God because that is what contains life. It isn’t your knowledge that you’ve put together, but it’s the knowledge of God.

So in 1 Corinthians 14:6 we have "revelation" which we know is revelation knowledge; then we have the word "knowledge"’; then he talks about the word "prophesying". Prophesying just simply means to speak forth God’s word, whether it’s past, present or future. You can prophesy as the Lord is moving on you to speak; you know He would have you to say such and such. Also, in 1 Chronicles 25:3 you have men who prophesied with the harp. And that is defined as just giving thanks and praise to the Lord. But I would say to you that any time the Lord is moving you to open your mouth and speak, whether He is asking you to explain past things, present things, or He has given you knowledge of the future, and you are to speak that, that is prophesying.

I know there’s a major difference when we talk about "the" prophets and people who predict the future, and so on, and I’m still wrestling with that, exactly how that would be defined, but I know that all of us have the testimony of Jesus Christ, and I know that He is speaking through you and I know when He leads you to speak, that is prophesying. Listen to me, if He isn’t leading you to speak, there’s no life in what you’re saying. And in 1 Corinthians 14:6 Paul says these things are life giving sounds.

The last thing he mentions is doctrine. And doctrine is simply the word "teachings". The "teachings that God is giving you." So in these four things you have life giving sound, but it has to be coming from the Lord through you. Now when you all meet, you come together you can speak by revelation, by knowledge, prophesying or doctrine. In those things, there is life giving sound. Now lets keep reading this chapter, 1 Corinthians 14, and I want you to see what he states here. Let’s start at verse 8.

1 Corinthians 14:8

8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words [or concepts, that’s the word "logos"] easy to be understood, how shall it be known [or understood] what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. [for you’re speaking into the air]

10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. [none of them is without significance]

Now listen closely to what he states here. There are many voices in the world. None of them are without significance.

11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, [now stop right there. You see that word "meaning"? That is [1411] power. That is the word we’ve been reading as power. And he equates it to the significance of the voice. Now listen to this. There are many kinds of voices in the world and none of them are without significance. (Vs 10)

11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice...

If I know not the power of it... Do you see what he’s just done? The power that is in that voice you’re hearing is in the significance of the words but if you don’t understand the words, there is no power in it. First of all, if you’re not understanding the words that Christ is speaking to you, you are a barbarian to him, or a heathen. -- {Remainder of verse 11–"That I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me."} And if you don’t recognize that that is the voice of God to you, then you are crucifying Christ afresh. You see, you are shutting that out. So the power that happens from God to you, now listen, it is a power already in you. You know why? Because those words are in you. Those concepts are in you and the reason they haven’t been unlocked is because you haven’t understood it. No voice is without significance, but if you don’t understand the meaning of it - that’s the key - coming to grips with the understanding, grabbing hold of the understanding of the words God has already put within you. Hopefully, as a teacher, that is what I am doing for you at times, is helping you see definitions of words that will create the power within the believer.

Let me give you an example. Let’s take the word "Sabbath." When you hear the word "Sabbath", if you think of Saturday, a day of the week, and I’ve got to go to church and you know what all of that entails, there’s no power in that. The power comes when Sabbath is defined as an experience in Jesus Christ, of abiding, letting that remain in you which you have heard from the beginning, and all that that entails. There is power in the word "Sabbath." There’s power in the word "rest" if you understand it. If you’re still clinging to that earthliness, there’s no power. But follow me, every voice has significance. Believe me, when I say that when I speak Sabbath to you, if you’re hearing it earthly, it is still having significance in your life. It isn’t positive unless you’re hearing it from Him.

Now that’s what you’ve got to grasp. If you’re getting His meaning of it, the power of divinity has placed within you everything you need to have the power of God in your life, for holiness in your life. And it’s coming through His knowledge - the power of divinity in the human agent is found in words. And it’s understanding those words that unlock the power of God inside of us. Understanding those words, the seed is planted, the seed is watered, God gives the increase. How does He do that? That increase, friend, is when you increase in understanding. How does He give the increase? He may give you a revelation. He may allow a teacher to express the knowledge that they have experienced. He may lay on someone’s heart to prophesy to you, to speak at a given time. And you know, that person may not even know what they are unlocking in your heart. He may speak to you by doctrine, by simply teaching – teachings that you’ve had in the past and He can connect that with a revelation; He can connect that to knowledge; He can connect that to a prophecy given you. But nevertheless, He is unlocking it. He is bringing you the increase.

But He’s doing it as you walk in humility. Remember, don’t ever, ever forget in Matthew chapter 5, those beatitudes, and the seven things listed there. The seven pictures of character, those who are meek, those who mourn, those who are peacemakers...those seven things he lists there, because that is the attitude of the human heart, that it must be in, to walk in the kingdom of God. You’ve got to be humble. You’ve got to recognize you’re a sinner; you’ve got to be open to receive from Him, His knowledge and His input. This is exciting to me. Listen, when you do, that is divine power working in the human agent. That is awesome.

That power can do exceeding abundantly above anything you can ask Him. Have you ever asked Him for holiness? Have you ever asked Him for control over self? What have you asked Him for? There is a power already working in you. It’s already in you, that can do more than anything you ask. Now I’ve used "more". That’s an understatement isn’t it? Exceeding abundantly above anything you can ask Him - anything you can even think. You have a powerful mind between those ears but it doesn’t even come close to what your heavenly Father can do within you if you simply let Him have it, and you walk in His knowledge.

Don’t be afraid to let go of these earthly ideas, the earthly clutter and garbage we have collected all of our lives. Let go of it and let the power of God work in you a work that will change you forever. We’re headed into eternity. Folks, we’re headed into the seventh millennium of this world. What a picture where the heavenly hosts are completed. That’s you. And God, our Heavenly Father, will rest because His church has an understanding of who He is, of what He is, of what He is accomplishing in you, of the inheritance He’s trying to give you. And you have a grasp of that very power He used when He raised His only begotten Son from the dead. You’re experiencing that in your heart, in the depth of your soul, where He set that man high above everything, giving Him dominion over all things. You’re experiencing that power. He can rest.

Now there is a part of this, another phase to this that I want to include and this is something that I’ve wanted to share for the longest time and I’m still not sure that I have a handle on this like I need to have. But I want to give you a little bit of what I understand so far. First let me read Job 11:7 And I’ve already touched on this but let’s just read this scripture.

Job 11:7

7 Canst thou [Can you] by searching find out God? canst thou [can you] find out the Almighty unto perfection?

Well, it’s obvious that the answer to that is "no." And I know what he’s talking about here. He is talking about intellectual assent to the scriptures, searching the scriptures, searching to find out God unto perfection. I used to spend my time trying to figure out what the verses meant, applying my own interpretation to it and now I recognize this fact - that God’s power within me is found in the understanding gleaned through His knowledge. Now we know that to be true; I pray you understand that. But there is still something else that needs to be factored in. And it’s this. That God is understood with the heart, not by implementing the intellect. If you have met the Savior and been born again, if you have had that experience, you have experienced understanding from the heart. You may not know it, you may not recognize it, but still it’s true. You’ve already experienced this truth. Let’s read Acts 17 real quick and lets start here looking at the heart. In Acts 17, verse 26, is something we’ve covered so many times.

Acts 17:26

26 And [God] hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath [He has] determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; [in other words, the time and place He determined beforehand of when you would live and where you would live, so that]

27 [So] That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Now, the key here is that you feel after Him and find Him, and you know that isn’t outward; you know that’s inward. You feel for Him on the inside, and that’s when you find Him.

Now, let’s read Jeremiah 29:13. And this is where he states you shall seek me AND find me when you search for me with all the heart. Now see, compare that with what we just read in Job. Can any man search God and find Him? No. But in Jeremiah 29:13, the answer is yes, if you’re seeking Him with the heart. There’s a major difference between intellectual knowledge and heart knowledge. I’ve said before that a person can be told the horror of losing a child but it isn’t until you experience that trauma yourself that you really know what they’re talking about. The same is true with Christ and the relationship we have with Christ. You can have an intellectual understanding of the things of God, but it isn’t until you search for Him with all your heart that you really know what it means to serve Him - that you really know what it is He’s talking about.

Paul mentions this in 2 Corinthians 3, and I want to use this text. 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 15, he says

2 Corinthians 3:15

15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

16 Nevertheless when it [or when the heart turns] shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

Notice, your heart has to turn to the Lord, not your intellect and the key word is "experience." Revelation chapter 5 shows a picture of a book being in the right hand of God and we know the book is seen in the seals. The seals explain how the Father has dealt with humanity from beginning to end and that book is symbolized in your Bible. The Bible shows how God has dealt with humanity from beginning to end, and we see that no man could open it, or no man could really understand it except for one. And it was the risen Saviour, and that’s key. You see, the Son of God before the incarnation had an understanding of humanity based on what He was told, or what He had seen to be in man. But after He became a man, and remained faithful and true to His Father, even unto death, walking in humility, even unto death, then He was able to understand the book. After the resurrection, He possessed the seven horns and the seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God, in other words, perfect authority over the flesh, the seven horns. Perfect authority over the flesh comes with perfect understanding, the seven eyes, which is receiving the mind of God perfectly - that’s the seven spirits.

Read Revelation 5, key on verse 6 and notice, understand what it is he’s saying there. There’s a fantastic concept and principle found in that verse. Christ is to be experienced, not just simply believed in. He is the I AM, meaning I am present with you now. I am with you now. He isn’t the I was, or what I’ll be when you get here. He is the I AM. He is ever present with us RIGHT NOW, fulfilling the promises of God to the church, moment, by moment, by moment, by moment. It is His spirit received into your soul that makes the Bible present truth. You see, the Bible isn’t a series of facts. The Bible is an event of life, and the Son of God speaking to you, implanting into the believer His divine perfection by means of His heavenly truth, is saving those who have ears to hear. And He is speaking through the conscience. It’s an inward hearing that you’ve got to learn to develop and instruction of this is given in 1 John chapter 3. I would like to ask you to turn over there with me. 1 John chapter 3, because this is something I refer to all the time but I haven’t really gotten into it and explained it that often. So for those of you who are listening, 1 John 3, let’s start at verse 19. Now follow what he says

1 John 3:19

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

20 For if our heart condemn us [if our heart is condemning us], God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. [you know that God is greater than that heart and He understands all things]

What does that mean? That means for God to be greater than the heart, means that He has that power to prick your conscience causing truth to come to your mind. God is greater than your heart. He has the power over your heart.

21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not [if your heart isn’t condemning you], then have we confidence toward God.

You see, if your heart is not condemning you, and you know God is greater than your heart, that He has the power to prick that heart when you’re walking in a way that He would not have you walk and yet you’re not feeling pricked, but you know He can do that -- if you’re not experiencing that guilt, then you have confidence toward God, that He’s with you, that it’s OK.

This brings me back to Ephesians 3. We’re talking about through the heart, listening to the Lord, letting Him lead and guide you. Look at Ephesians 3 and catch this.

Ephesians 3:19

19 And to know [we know it’s [1097] to understand by experience] the love of Christ, which passeth [passes] knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

That word "passes" is [5235]. The first time it is used is 2 Corinthians 3:10. And I want to turn over there.

2 Corinthians 3:10

10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. [excels]

That word "excels" was translated "passes" in Ephesians 3. The word means "to surpass or to exceed". Now look at it again in Ephesians 3 and let’s just put that meaning in there, in the verse.

Ephesians 3:19

‘To understand by experience the love of Christ which exceeds knowledge.’ What if I put, which exceeds intellectual knowledge? You see, understanding the love of Christ is not something that you receive by intellectual assent. It’s something you experience. When you have an experience, it cannot be taken away from you. Mental assent can. Somebody can come along with words to steal away from you what is in your intellect. They cannot take what’s in your heart. When you’ve had an experience, it cannot be taken from you. And I’m trying to say to you the things of God. In this scripture he’s talking about the love of Christ, but I’m talking about everything of the Lord; even the Lord Jesus Christ himself, is an experience. And when you are walking by means of experience, the truth cannot be taken from you.

Remember what I said earlier about the Sabbath, how there’s no power in that word if you’re looking at it earthly, but if you’re looking at it heavenly with His understanding, there’s power in that? You see, those of you who have experienced that power know what I’m talking about. Those of you who have never experienced what I’m talking about, the truth can be taken from you, but if you have experienced it, it can’t be taken from you. We’re talking about feelings. When you talk about your heart, and searching your heart, we’re talking about feelings. There’s another fallacy I was always told, that ‘faith is not a feeling’; ‘faith is a principle, and you don’t serve God according to feeling.’ But that isn’t true either. Because if you look at the fruit of the spirit found in Galatians 5, love, joy, peace, longsuffering... Look at joy and peace. Those are feeling words and I did a study not that long ago on the fact that the peace of God passes, overflows all your understanding. And it’s that peace of God that keeps you in Christ. Remember Philippians 4:7. That peace of God that He has in you, let me say the divine peace, that supernatural peace that He places in the heart of the believer. When you start to act outside of His will, you lose that peace. Therefore, if you walk according to that peace and you do what you must to retain it, you’re in Christ. You’re walking in Him.

That’s why Paul wrote Colossians 3:15, to let the peace of God rule in your heart. You’ve got to learn to follow that, and friend, that’s a feeling. That is a feeling you get when you’re walking in obedience to Him. Finding Him within and learning to trust His leading should be what all of us are seeking for - that peace within, as He deals with the human heart. What does He do to the human heart? I was told in Jeremiah, Jeremiah states that my heart is so wicked I can’t trust it, I can’t listen to it. But I want to share with you a scripture out of Ezekiel 36. Starting at verse 25, let me turn over there. Ezekiel 36, starting at verse 25

Ezekiel 36:25

25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you [What does that mean? Water is truth or concepts. To sprinkle it means to teach. I will sprinkle clean or pure water upon you] , and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers [your spiritual fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob]; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

My point is, that the Lord is giving you a new heart. He is sprinkling clean water on you. He is taking away that stony heart which you have and He’s giving you a heart of flesh. That isn’t something that takes place in the sweet by and by, it is now that He gives you that heart of flesh. Remember Romans chapter 2. Let me share this with you. Again, studies from the past, concepts from the past, but it’s important you grasp this. Romans 2:28

Romans 2:28

28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter [not in the letter of the law]; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

He is sprinkling clean water, pure water on you. He is taking away that stony heart. He is giving you a heart of flesh. That is spiritual circumcision. And you connect that with Colossians chapter 2, for the definition of it.

Colossians 2:10-11

10 And ye are complete in him [And you are complete, here’s the word "in him".], which is the head of all principality and power [authority]:

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

There is that cleansing. There is that spoken word. He is sprinkling you. Remember Ephesians 5:26. He is going to cleanse and sanctify you in words, the water of the word. He is sprinkling that water on you, giving you that heart of flesh, taking away that stony heart. He is circumcising you on the inside. He is taking away the body of the sins of the flesh and circumcising you.

Now I can’t help but think of a point that was also told me that the spoken word, logos we know as a spoken concept, rhema is the spoken word, but the Bible is referred to as spoken, it is logos. I know it was spoken to the prophets and they recorded it. And there is a scripture that I have quoted for years and years, it’s John 6:63. ‘The words I speak are spirit and life.’ Now I have quoted that I don’t know how many times but I have misquoted it. I want to read this to you and I want you to grasp this because what was spoken to the prophets was from God through His Son, but notice what Jesus says in John 6:63

John 6:63

63 It is the spirit that quickeneth [quickens]; the flesh profiteth [profits] nothing: the words that I speak [and here’s what I’ve left out] unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

You see, what He spoke to Jeremiah, what He spoke to Isaiah, what He spoke to Moses, what He spoke to the apostles, what He speaks to you is spirit and life. But if Jeremiah records it and you come along and read it and you’re not listening for His voice, there’s no life in it. "Unto you", is key. The words I speak unto you, are spirit and life. What I spoke to Jeremiah, what I spoke to the prophets, is not going to minister to you if you’re not listening. You see, I’ve learned never leave out "unto you" because that is key. Yes the Bible is living if He’s speaking it unto you.

Back to my "heart/intellect" thing - if you’ll look at Proverbs chapter 16, and this is important because maybe you too have been explained that you can’t listen to your heart, that the heart is desperately wicked, and it is, but not in Jesus Christ. Those things begin to change. He says, I give you a new heart. Look at Proverbs 16:21

Proverbs 16:21

21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent [cautious or prudent]: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth [increases] learning.

Look at verse 23.

23 The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth [makes wise his mouth], and addeth [adds] learning to his lips.

You see there is such a thing as being wise in heart. There is such a thing as hearing the Lord and walking in His understanding and being dead to self and alive unto Him. And if you are, that changes things. You can begin to trust your heart. Let me show you another text. Turn to 2 Samuel chapter 7. And I’m running out of time. Maybe I should close with this. 2 Samuel chapter 7, and this has always stood out to me. Let’s just start at verse 1.

2 Samuel 7:1

1 And it came to pass, when the king [David] sat in his house, and the LORD [Yahweh] had given him rest round about from all his enemies; [put that inward, he’s resting in the Lord]

2 That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth [dwells] within curtains.

3 And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine [your] heart; for the LORD is with thee.

Now I know from reading the rest of the story that God spoke to the prophet to come back to David and tell him he is not to build the house. But there are two things in this you’ve got to grasp. The prophet did tell David to do all that’s in your heart because the Lord is with you and there is a sanctified way of living according to the heart, following that peace, living up to that joy, having that joy of God. But the other thing is that when David started to go a way the Lord didn’t want him, the Lord told him through the prophet. That doesn’t negate what the prophet said, do all that is in your heart for the Lord is with you. Follow that heart for the Lord is with you. I know you are serving God, follow that heart. The other thing is, the Lord can stop you if that isn’t the direction He wants you to go.

So I’m going to close with that. I pray that this study has been a blessing to you. I pray, dear God, that you people are unlocking that power that is already within you. It is already there. Go back, listen to the tape again. But do more than that, open the book, read it on your knees and may God richly bless His remnant church herein the seventh millennium of time.