Post by Zac Loh on Nov 18, 2007 10:06:12 GMT -5
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. (John 12:24-26; underline mine)
Jesus was entering The City of Jerusalem for the occasion of the festive celebration of the Feast of Passover. And He made the Decision: “unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
From the city, he went to the garden of Gethsemane at Mount Olives which was located at the east of the city. At Gethsemane, Jesus agonized in prayer as He faced the full blown Temptation. Will He escape the Decision that He had made?
He had victory, so He allowed Himself to be taken, all the way to Calvary where He paid the price of death by Crucifixion.
He rose from the dead, and thereafter, He went to Galilee which was pre-arranged by Him earlier at Mount Olives. And Galilee was where the disciples witnessed His Resurrection.
Finally, He went up to the Heavenly. The disciples literally watched this Ascension.
From The City to Gethsemane: from Decision to Temptation.
From Gethsemane to Calvary: from Temptation to Crucifixion.
From Calvary to Galilee: from Crucifixion to Resurrection.
From Galilee to Heavenly: from Resurrection to Ascension.
Jesus said, “where I am, there My servant will be also.” Obviously, it is silly to think that we would have to make a pilgrimage and physically retrace the footsteps of Jesus.
Jesus is not calling us to follow him from place-to-place geographically. But to follow Him from one spiritual state (condition) to another, of which, we will arrive at the state (condition) of serving Him in glory and authority. This is to happen on a daily basis.
THE CITY: PROPHECY AND DESTINY: THE PLACE OF DECISION
Jesus arrived at the outskirts of the city of Jerusalem which was where our text scripture John 12:24-26 had taken place.
Jesus made a prophecy: that if a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it produces much grain. He was referring to Himself, the Son of God – and He was referring to His own death which would many sons to glory. This `many sons’ …are us!
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10)
But this prophecy was also referring to each one of us. This prophecy was applicable to us.
This prophecy tells our destiny: that if we were to be a grain of wheat which falls into the ground and dies, we too will produce much grain. Each of us, when we fall into the ground and dies, will bring many souls to heaven!
Each of us has to make the same decision that Jesus made. Each of us has to make the decision, just as Jesus made His.
Are you willing to be like a grain of wheat which falls into the ground and dies?
Are you willing to hate our life in this world, to serve an eternal purpose?
Jesus said, “Where I am, there My servant will be also.”
But He also said, “If anyone serve Me, him My Father will honor.”
GETHSEMANE: REALITY AND AGONY: THE PLACE OF TEMPTATION
Gethsemane was where reality struck. The full temptation hit home. Jesus got maximum exposure to temptation. His resolve was acutely tested. He struggled in prayer such as a person of whom His life was depended on it. But actually, His death was depended on it. He prayed so that he could suffer and die for humanity. But the temptation was against Him. He prayed and agonized. And He agonized and prayed.
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
(Matthew 26:36-46)
From verses 45 and 46, we know that Jesus got His victory. He was resolute. He was ready to be handed-over to His death.
After we have made our decision, we will face temptation. Does our decision stick? The rubber meets the road.
There is no short cut, nor secret formula, to overcoming temptation. We pray and endure, and we endure and pray. The strength of our earlier decision is tested by temptation. We will grow in the strength of our decision when we retrace the journey, the footsteps of Jesus, everyday.
When the strength of our decision reaches a level of resistance, together with prayer; we will be able to overcome temptation with God’s help.
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13; underline mine)
The way of escape is the cross. When we die to self, temptation cannot hurt us anymore. God answers our prayer by, first and foremost, helping us to die to self.
CALVARY: FATALITY AND LIBERTY: THE PLACE OF CRUCIFIXION
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30)
Jesus chose to die for us. He planned to be crucified. It was deliberate. He wasn’t a victim of circumstance. He was hung at the cross because He chose to be there for you and me. There was this fatality which led to liberty.
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:13-15)
At times, the temptation of this world is so strong (you do not know when), that unless you hate your life in this world, and choose to reserve your bliss of living in heaven; you will succumb to it.
To live spiritually; we will have to choose to die to self, die to the world in us. If we don’t choose to die to self; the life of this world will be influencing us, and we will be experiencing spiritual death which leads ultimately to hell itself.
When we die to self, we not only do it for ourselves, but also for others.
always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you. (2 Corinthians 4:10-12)
GALILEE: VITALITY AND VIBRANCY: THE PLACE OF RESURRECTION
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. (Matthew 28:16-17)
Galilee was the appointed place where the disciples were instructed by Jesus Christ to be there. It was the place where they would meet the resurrected Christ.
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:4-11; underline mine)
After death …is resurrection.
At the spiritual place of Galilee …we have life …vitality. And …not just life …but the newness of life …vibrancy.
To many of the disciples, Galilee was the place where they first experienced the reality of the resurrection of Christ. It was the place of resurrection.
This is the spiritual state when we manifest the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
• The City: Prophecy And Destiny: The Place Of Decision
• Gethsemane: Reality And Agony: The Place Of Temptation
• Calvary: Fatality And Liberty: The Place Of Crucifixion
• Galilee: Vitality And Vibrancy: The Place Of Resurrection
Now…
HEAVENLY: GLORY AND AUTHORITY: THE PLACE OF ASCENSION
At Galilee, we experience the vitality and vibrancy of the Spirit …the life of God. Hence, we serve God’s kingdom and God’s people - because the fruit of the Spirit manifested in us and through us.
But our service needs to go further than serving solely by the fruit of the Spirit …we need power!
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. (Mark 16:17-20; underline mine)
I would like to emphasize the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the above passage of scripture, the underline words tell us of the ascension of Christ. One hardly noticed this, but the ascension of Christ is tied-up in a package together with powerful miraculous signs.
Jesus went up into the heavenly. He entered into glory and sat down at the place of authority, the right hand of God. It was the place of ascension.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:5-6; underline mine)
We are ascended together with Christ, and we are seated together with Christ in the heavenly places. How does this happen?
The below passage of scripture provides the answer.
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (Ephesians 1:17-21; underline mine)
Through the anointing of the wisdom and revelation, we can see the ascension of Christ, and therefore, have revelation faith to walk in glory and authority.
We not only see the ascension of Christ, but all its implications!
This is revelation seeing faith!
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. (Acts 1:9)
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. (Acts 2:2)
The disciples saw the ascension of Christ. What they have seen physically burned into inmost spiritual being/person therefore producing revelation seeing faith.
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, (Ephesians 3:16)
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, (Ephesians 3:20)
The same principle runs through the Bible. Elisha saw the ascension of Elijah.
And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” (2 Kings 2:9; underline mine)
You can see that Elisha valued the anointing of God. As a matter of fact, Elisha sought after it. He followed Elijah from Gilgal to Bethel; and then to Jericho; and then to the river Jordan; and then crossover the river Jordan with Elijah. He clung-on to Elijah!
So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” (2 Kings 2:10; underline mine)
Herein is the key. Elijah gave Elisha the key. More precisely, Elijah gave us the key. If Elisha would to see the ascension of Elijah; Elisha would have the power. If we were to see the ascension of Christ with our spiritual eyes through revelation wisdom and knowledge of the Holy Spirit; we would have the revelation faith, and we would serve in God’s glory and authority.
Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. (2 Kings 2:11-12; underline mine)
Elijah ascended. And Elisha saw it.
He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over. Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. (2 Kings 2:13-15; underline mine)
Elisha got the anointing of Elijah. Elisha struck the river Jordan and performed the same miracle that Elijah did.
Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s anointing. And Elisha got what he asked for. In fact, it is recorded that Elisha performed twice the number of miracles that Elijah did. Elisha is a typology of the church.
Jesus said that we would go greater works than Him because He goes to the Father (John 14:12). Why and how? The reason is a simple equation of adding two factors: Jesus is now at the right hand side of the Father interceding for us, and we have the Holy Spirit with us. It is a double portion. Jesus interceding for us and the Holy Spirit is working with us!
When we come together in true unity, we will have twice the power that Jesus had while He was ministering on earth. We would do greater works than Jesus did!
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing— Life forevermore. (Psalm 133)
Pray that you will see. Let the Holy Spirit enlighten you to see.
See …Jesus at The City …prophecy and destiny
See …Jesus at Gethsemane …reality and agony
See …Jesus at Calvary …fatality and liberty
See …Jesus at Galilee …vitality and vibrancy
See …Jesus at Heavenly …glory and authority
As we see, let’s follow Jesus …from the place of decision …to the place of temptation …to the place of crucifixion …to the place of resurrection …to the place of ascension. You will arrive at the spiritual state (condition) of serving Him in glory and authority. You will have it when you see and follow by revelation faith!
Jesus was entering The City of Jerusalem for the occasion of the festive celebration of the Feast of Passover. And He made the Decision: “unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
From the city, he went to the garden of Gethsemane at Mount Olives which was located at the east of the city. At Gethsemane, Jesus agonized in prayer as He faced the full blown Temptation. Will He escape the Decision that He had made?
He had victory, so He allowed Himself to be taken, all the way to Calvary where He paid the price of death by Crucifixion.
He rose from the dead, and thereafter, He went to Galilee which was pre-arranged by Him earlier at Mount Olives. And Galilee was where the disciples witnessed His Resurrection.
Finally, He went up to the Heavenly. The disciples literally watched this Ascension.
From The City to Gethsemane: from Decision to Temptation.
From Gethsemane to Calvary: from Temptation to Crucifixion.
From Calvary to Galilee: from Crucifixion to Resurrection.
From Galilee to Heavenly: from Resurrection to Ascension.
Jesus said, “where I am, there My servant will be also.” Obviously, it is silly to think that we would have to make a pilgrimage and physically retrace the footsteps of Jesus.
Jesus is not calling us to follow him from place-to-place geographically. But to follow Him from one spiritual state (condition) to another, of which, we will arrive at the state (condition) of serving Him in glory and authority. This is to happen on a daily basis.
THE CITY: PROPHECY AND DESTINY: THE PLACE OF DECISION
Jesus arrived at the outskirts of the city of Jerusalem which was where our text scripture John 12:24-26 had taken place.
Jesus made a prophecy: that if a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it produces much grain. He was referring to Himself, the Son of God – and He was referring to His own death which would many sons to glory. This `many sons’ …are us!
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10)
But this prophecy was also referring to each one of us. This prophecy was applicable to us.
This prophecy tells our destiny: that if we were to be a grain of wheat which falls into the ground and dies, we too will produce much grain. Each of us, when we fall into the ground and dies, will bring many souls to heaven!
Each of us has to make the same decision that Jesus made. Each of us has to make the decision, just as Jesus made His.
Are you willing to be like a grain of wheat which falls into the ground and dies?
Are you willing to hate our life in this world, to serve an eternal purpose?
Jesus said, “Where I am, there My servant will be also.”
But He also said, “If anyone serve Me, him My Father will honor.”
GETHSEMANE: REALITY AND AGONY: THE PLACE OF TEMPTATION
Gethsemane was where reality struck. The full temptation hit home. Jesus got maximum exposure to temptation. His resolve was acutely tested. He struggled in prayer such as a person of whom His life was depended on it. But actually, His death was depended on it. He prayed so that he could suffer and die for humanity. But the temptation was against Him. He prayed and agonized. And He agonized and prayed.
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
(Matthew 26:36-46)
From verses 45 and 46, we know that Jesus got His victory. He was resolute. He was ready to be handed-over to His death.
After we have made our decision, we will face temptation. Does our decision stick? The rubber meets the road.
There is no short cut, nor secret formula, to overcoming temptation. We pray and endure, and we endure and pray. The strength of our earlier decision is tested by temptation. We will grow in the strength of our decision when we retrace the journey, the footsteps of Jesus, everyday.
When the strength of our decision reaches a level of resistance, together with prayer; we will be able to overcome temptation with God’s help.
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13; underline mine)
The way of escape is the cross. When we die to self, temptation cannot hurt us anymore. God answers our prayer by, first and foremost, helping us to die to self.
CALVARY: FATALITY AND LIBERTY: THE PLACE OF CRUCIFIXION
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30)
Jesus chose to die for us. He planned to be crucified. It was deliberate. He wasn’t a victim of circumstance. He was hung at the cross because He chose to be there for you and me. There was this fatality which led to liberty.
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:13-15)
At times, the temptation of this world is so strong (you do not know when), that unless you hate your life in this world, and choose to reserve your bliss of living in heaven; you will succumb to it.
To live spiritually; we will have to choose to die to self, die to the world in us. If we don’t choose to die to self; the life of this world will be influencing us, and we will be experiencing spiritual death which leads ultimately to hell itself.
When we die to self, we not only do it for ourselves, but also for others.
always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you. (2 Corinthians 4:10-12)
GALILEE: VITALITY AND VIBRANCY: THE PLACE OF RESURRECTION
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. (Matthew 28:16-17)
Galilee was the appointed place where the disciples were instructed by Jesus Christ to be there. It was the place where they would meet the resurrected Christ.
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:4-11; underline mine)
After death …is resurrection.
At the spiritual place of Galilee …we have life …vitality. And …not just life …but the newness of life …vibrancy.
To many of the disciples, Galilee was the place where they first experienced the reality of the resurrection of Christ. It was the place of resurrection.
This is the spiritual state when we manifest the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
• The City: Prophecy And Destiny: The Place Of Decision
• Gethsemane: Reality And Agony: The Place Of Temptation
• Calvary: Fatality And Liberty: The Place Of Crucifixion
• Galilee: Vitality And Vibrancy: The Place Of Resurrection
Now…
HEAVENLY: GLORY AND AUTHORITY: THE PLACE OF ASCENSION
At Galilee, we experience the vitality and vibrancy of the Spirit …the life of God. Hence, we serve God’s kingdom and God’s people - because the fruit of the Spirit manifested in us and through us.
But our service needs to go further than serving solely by the fruit of the Spirit …we need power!
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. (Mark 16:17-20; underline mine)
I would like to emphasize the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the above passage of scripture, the underline words tell us of the ascension of Christ. One hardly noticed this, but the ascension of Christ is tied-up in a package together with powerful miraculous signs.
Jesus went up into the heavenly. He entered into glory and sat down at the place of authority, the right hand of God. It was the place of ascension.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:5-6; underline mine)
We are ascended together with Christ, and we are seated together with Christ in the heavenly places. How does this happen?
The below passage of scripture provides the answer.
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (Ephesians 1:17-21; underline mine)
Through the anointing of the wisdom and revelation, we can see the ascension of Christ, and therefore, have revelation faith to walk in glory and authority.
We not only see the ascension of Christ, but all its implications!
This is revelation seeing faith!
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. (Acts 1:9)
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. (Acts 2:2)
The disciples saw the ascension of Christ. What they have seen physically burned into inmost spiritual being/person therefore producing revelation seeing faith.
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, (Ephesians 3:16)
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, (Ephesians 3:20)
The same principle runs through the Bible. Elisha saw the ascension of Elijah.
And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” (2 Kings 2:9; underline mine)
You can see that Elisha valued the anointing of God. As a matter of fact, Elisha sought after it. He followed Elijah from Gilgal to Bethel; and then to Jericho; and then to the river Jordan; and then crossover the river Jordan with Elijah. He clung-on to Elijah!
So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” (2 Kings 2:10; underline mine)
Herein is the key. Elijah gave Elisha the key. More precisely, Elijah gave us the key. If Elisha would to see the ascension of Elijah; Elisha would have the power. If we were to see the ascension of Christ with our spiritual eyes through revelation wisdom and knowledge of the Holy Spirit; we would have the revelation faith, and we would serve in God’s glory and authority.
Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. (2 Kings 2:11-12; underline mine)
Elijah ascended. And Elisha saw it.
He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over. Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. (2 Kings 2:13-15; underline mine)
Elisha got the anointing of Elijah. Elisha struck the river Jordan and performed the same miracle that Elijah did.
Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s anointing. And Elisha got what he asked for. In fact, it is recorded that Elisha performed twice the number of miracles that Elijah did. Elisha is a typology of the church.
Jesus said that we would go greater works than Him because He goes to the Father (John 14:12). Why and how? The reason is a simple equation of adding two factors: Jesus is now at the right hand side of the Father interceding for us, and we have the Holy Spirit with us. It is a double portion. Jesus interceding for us and the Holy Spirit is working with us!
When we come together in true unity, we will have twice the power that Jesus had while He was ministering on earth. We would do greater works than Jesus did!
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing— Life forevermore. (Psalm 133)
Pray that you will see. Let the Holy Spirit enlighten you to see.
See …Jesus at The City …prophecy and destiny
See …Jesus at Gethsemane …reality and agony
See …Jesus at Calvary …fatality and liberty
See …Jesus at Galilee …vitality and vibrancy
See …Jesus at Heavenly …glory and authority
As we see, let’s follow Jesus …from the place of decision …to the place of temptation …to the place of crucifixion …to the place of resurrection …to the place of ascension. You will arrive at the spiritual state (condition) of serving Him in glory and authority. You will have it when you see and follow by revelation faith!