08/08/2015 - Do you know yourself?

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Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me. John 8.28

It was necessary for Jesus to be lifted up so that everyone would know Him. You lift Him up when you show what He can do for those who are suffering and lost. We should never argue against or speak ill about any kind of religion, even when it is openly the devil’s. People can only grasp spiritual matters when illuminated by the Word. That is when they have discernment.

When we magnify the Master, He fulfills His mission and people are able to see who He is. On the other hand, there is nothing more convincing to the lost than the deliverance of a demon-possessed person. When an evil spirit challenges us, it becomes clear that the spiritual world is real. Consequently, both the saved and sinners alike are taken by holy reverence and, when Jesus wins the battle, all rejoice.

Our greatest mission should be to know Christ as the Scriptures reveal Him. But we must not practice the Gospel the way it is done in several religions, with endless repeated prayers for something to happen. After all, we are God’s agents, authorized and sent out to expel demons and perform signs and miracles (Mark 16.17-18). The power given to us by the Father is same as that of Jesus.

We must not be petulant, though, because we can do nothing on our own (John 15.5). If the Lord – who was the Word, was with God from the beginning and was God (John 1.1) – waited for the Father’s instructions to fulfill His work, so should we.

Even today, seated at the right hand of God (Mark 16.19) and having received all the power on Heaven and Earth (Mathew 28.18), Jesus remains obedient. There are things that only the Most High God knows; these things will be revealed to us when He sees fit (Mark 13.32). We should not dare, then, to act without the Lord’s direction.

The Heavenly Father taught Jesus to do His divine work. When you learn from God, you succeed in all you’ve been authorized to do. If you act upon your own wishes and strengths, you will certainly fail. We need people who really live in the heavenly presence to rise up, because they will never lose a battle. When you follow the instructions of the Almighty, you never return empty-handed.

We need to read the Bible more often, be vigilant and pray not to fall into temptation. The devil may be enticing you to sin, be it through prostitution, dishonesty or “telling rocks to turn into bread” (Mathew 4.3) when God has not told you to do so. Let the Spirit guide you always.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares