Power
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February 03, 2013 |
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 "When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth.' The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Unbind him, and let him go.'" (John 11:43-44)
Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
In this message, I will talk about 'Power', the fourth prayer title of the New Year 2013. The prayer title 'Power' is given to this church almost every year along with the prayer title for the Grand Sanctuary. We have to pray that the powerful works will be manifested without ceasing, and furthermore that a deeper level of power will be manifested every year.
1. The reason we pray for unceasing power of God
God shows His unceasing power in this church. Since the church's opening, He has shown most of the great and amazing things recorded in the Bible. What is the reason? It is not just for healings and blessings at individual levels, but it is for the greater purpose of showing His power to fulfill the providence of God. That providence is to open the way of salvation to all the souls.
Since He is without limits, there is also no limit to His power. For that reason, He let us seek power in a new and more profound dimension every year. The prayer titles about 'power' in recent years were, in 2009 'Comprehensive Works of Power,' in 2010, 'Unceasing Power' and in 2011, 'Explosive Power'.
Explosive power is the kind of power that, when it is manifested, anyone who has just a little bit of goodness-of-heart will come to acknowledge that it is the work of God and not deny it. Along with this, God has given us the original lights of God and let the aurora-like lights to be taken in photos so any believer could see them even without their spiritual eyes being opened. Through the works of the original light given by God, tens of believers came into spirit in 2011, and a few came into whole spirit.
When the year 2012 began with this original light, God gave us the prayer title, "Great and Amazing Power". God told me to ask for the power to change the hearts of men. For this reason God let me pray that the hearts of people will also change when they experience the powerful works of God.
The meaning contained in 2013 prayer title 'Power' is the power to bend the freewill of men to turn and change. It is the power to influence the freewill of people so that they can catch the chance of salvation, when they experience the powerful works. Although God shows them so many evidences with which they can believe, it is up to their freewill to choose to believe God or not.
The more the world is filled with sins and evil, the more people will refuse to believe in God even though they see great signs and wonders. I pray that through the works of God their freewill will be moved so that they can hold on to this chance of salvation.
2. The power to be in concordance with God's original heart
Jesus acted in accordance with God. Jesus is one with God, and He already knew how He began His ministry on this earth, all the steps and the results that would be unfolded. He knew that He would have to take the cross, and He knew when and how He would take the cross. That is why all the proceedings in His ministries were focused on the goal of fulfilling the providence of God completely by taking the cross to open the way of salvation.
Unlike Jesus, other prophets and His disciples did not know the providence of God when they received their calling. For example, when Moses brought the people out of Egypt, he did not know each step or the final result of the Exodus. He just obeyed each command of God given at each moment. Through his obedience, God gave them Ten Plagues, parted the Red Sea, and fulfilled His plans with His power.
On the other hand, right from the beginning Jesus knew about the providence of God that would be fulfilled. He did not ask God where to go, whom to meet, and what to do each time. He just received urges in His heart as to where to go and what to do. So, Jesus' ministry is a ministry done by Jesus independently, but at the same time it was a ministry done in perfect obedience to God. It's because all His ministries were in perfect congruence with the grand boundary of the providence of God.
In the same way, God's power must be manifested exactly according to God's original heart for this church to fulfill its God-given duties. God told me that I should understand the original heart of God and act upon His will without asking Him each time a situation arises.
3. The power of Jesus to revive the dead
It is the same with the event of reviving the dead Lazarus, in the Gospel of John chapter 11. When Lazarus suddenly became seriously ill, his sisters sent people to ask for Jesus. He waited two more days and only after hearing that Lazarus was dead, He left on His way to Lazarus. When He arrived at Lazarus' house, it had already been four days since Lazarus died. But Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out with a loud voice before the tomb. Then, Lazarus came out alive from the tomb. Jesus knows everything, and He could have gone to Lazarus and healed him before he died. But Jesus did not just think about the healing of Lazarus. He comprehensively considered many other things. He was taking care of the works that had to be done because at that time He knew that He would have to take the cross soon.
First of all, through this miracle, the general public began to openly acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. So, the high priests and Pharisees, who had been watching Jesus for some time as a precaution, began to make a plan to actually kill Jesus. Also, Jesus considered that the deeds of Lazarus and those of his family were worthy enough to experience such a miracle according to justice. Furthermore, He intended to plant the hope and faith of resurrection in the hearts of His disciples before His crucifixion. Namely, Jesus made each matter work out in a comprehensive way that the providence of the cross would be fulfilled at the most appropriate time by performing that miracle once. Just as you put each piece of jigsaw puzzle in place to make a whole, complete picture, He manifested the power of God at each necessary moment in His ministry.
4. The power to change the freewill of men
The ministry that our church will do must be done in this same manner. The power is something absolutely necessary to fulfill God's providence of cultivation. Just to show a few disconnected signs or wonders or to save just some specific number of people is not this power. It is the power to evangelize the whole world. It is the power not just to revive the dead, but also the power to change the freewill of men.
God said even the kings of the nations who move the world situations would come forth to experience such works of God's power. Even in big problems such as flooding, earthquakes, or wars, if the leaders ask in accordance with the justice, they will receive the answer. However, since these things can have a major impact on the political and economic situations of the world, they will have to be in accordance with the will and providence of God.
Also, about changing the freewill of men, it doesn't mean that any random person's freewill can be moved and he can hold the chance of salvation. Such a manifestation of God's power should be done exactly according to God's will. It should take place to a person who is believed to be proper in the light of justice, at the right time and with the right method according to justice.
All the conditions should be considered in a comprehensive manner, concerning all the political and economic situations of the world. In doing so, we have to fulfill the providence of God in wrapping up the human cultivation exactly according to the plan of God. To be able to do this, I have to be united with the original heart of God.
Dear brothers and sisters. Since God established this church and gave me the ministry for the end time, I have been running this race without a rest. Also, I urge each of you to come into spirit and whole spirit quickly, and become precious instruments who can manifest the power of God together. In doing so, I pray in the name of the Lord that all of you will enjoy great reward and honor when the days of cultivation are over and when you see God the Father.
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