The Power of His Resurrection

Luke 24:46-49

He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

As Christians, we will never mature spiritually until we begin to apply God’s Word to our lives in a personal way, as they are written. We tend to take God's Word and sift it until all that is left is likeable, comfortable, convenient, easy on the flesh, and tickles the ear. Somewhere between our ears and our hearts, is this filter that edits out all the Commandments, and all the conviction, until all we’re left with are suggestions and blessings.

That's why so many of our churches today are full of the spiritually anemic. Weak and sick believers with a blood deficiency – we need an infusion of the blood of Jesus in our churches! Many have become spiritual midgets, undernourished dwarfs that should be, and could be, men and women of supernatural spiritual stature. They could have great spiritual power and authority, but because they won't eat anything but spiritual cookies, they are on life support, barely hanging in there, and hoping that no one pulls the plug.

They should be and could be Mighty Warriors but they are "Gerber” babies, cute but no power. They should be spiritual Warriors, but instead they’re spiritual whipping boys. They're surviving on smashed bananas and processed prunes because they won’t take the word as it is.

When we take God's word as it is: It comes loaded with life, and health, and strength! It contains power for living! Jesus said the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and life. If you will take them in and digest them, they will build his life into you, they will build His character in you, and the anointing and power will increase in your life.

The last command that Jesus gave to His disciples before His Ascension was go to, ‘tarry for the promise!’ Go to Jerusalem, get in a quiet place, pray, and wait until you be endued with power from on high. It was not a suggestion, it was a command, and that commandant has never been withdrawn. To every disciple, to every follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, that commandant still stands!

Out of at least 500 people Jesus spoke those words to, only 120 made it to the upper room. That means 380 of them thought they had a better idea, and bypassed The Upper Room. You cannot bypass the upper room and get this power. There is no alternative route to the power of God you must go to the upper room and wait until the power comes.

That simply means you must agree with Jesus and never be satisfied until the power of God comes upon you. To wait for the upper room experience, means I agree with Jesus and I will obey His commandments. I will ask, I will knock, I will hunger and thirst, I will worship, and I will wait until the enduement of power comes, “You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you.”

After 10 days of waiting in concerted prayer suddenly, heaven responded, the earth cried out, and heaven answered. Suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing Mighty Wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Cloven tongues like as fire sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. Tongues of fire on their heads became tongues on fire in their mouths.

I am pressed in my spirit today to tell you what God is saying to the Church: the only church that is going to make a difference in this world and have an eternal impact for the kingdom of God is a Church that has been to the upper room. A Church that has the wind of the Holy Ghost pushing them and tongues of fire upon them and tongues of fire in their mouths!

Jesus said this is the route to spiritual power! You can recalculate all you want, but the route that allows the believer to reach God’s throne will never change! 120 men and women were filled with the Holy Ghost and power because they obeyed the God's command.

A great many Christians today are powerless, because they have bypassed the upper room. They’ve looked at the path Jesus commanded, a path of holiness, and they have chosen alternate routes that are easier on the flesh, that don't require waiting, praying, sacrifice, or self-denial. What so many churches today are left with, ‘a form of godliness but denying the power thereof,’ pews full of ‘Gerber’ babies – cute, but powerless!

On the day of Pentecost, 120 men and women were filled with the Holy Ghost and power. Why only 120 out 500? Because only 120 were willing to be emptied, so they could be filled with something better! Emptied of opinions, traditions, selfishness, pride, religion, bigotry, carnal expectations, and the world! And as soon as they were emptied, God filled them with His presence, and His power!

Nothing repulses the Lord more than flesh that refuses to die. ‘The Lord has respect unto the lowly but the proud He knoweth a far-off.’ (Psalm 138:6)

That means the proud stink and God keeps His distance from them.

I don’t want to be far from His presence, been there, done that! I want to echo the words of the Apostle Paul – ‘I want to know Him, and the power of His resurrection!”

So, I don’t know about you, but I will knock, I will pray, I will hunger and thirst, I will worship, and I will wait until the power comes.