BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Millions of Us…and We’re Still Multiplying This is what Jesus explained to His disciples just before He went to the cross. He told them that, through our union with Him, all of us, as believers, would be able to carry on His ministry after He ascended to the Father. He said: “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:12-14). The disciples in the early Church believed those words and acted on them. They didn’t mess things up with a lot of silly religious ideas. Unlike many Christians today, during the three years they were with Jesus, they’d been taught well. They hadn’t been told things like, “Sometimes healing isn’t God’s will. So you never really know what He’s going to do.” On the contrary! The first disciples knew that God always wants to heal, that He wants His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, and there’s certainly no sickness in heaven! They knew what God was going to do where healing was concerned, because they’d seen Jesus heal every sick person who came to Him for help. “He healed them all” (Matthew 12:15), even when there were multitudes. What’s more, Jesus had commanded them as His disciples to do the same. When He sent the 12 and the 70 out to preach, He didn’t say, “When you go and heal the sick, be sure you don’t heal anyone who’s unworthy. Be sure you don’t heal any sinners. Just heal the people who’ve been going to the synagogue and doing all the things they should do.” No, He said, “As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: FREELY YE HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE” (Matthew 10:7-8). This is why the early Church in Jerusalem had such tremendous success. His disciples knew their job and they did it—and Jesus backed them with His power every step of the way. Now it’s our turn. Today, you and I are the ones representing Jesus on the earth. We are His Body. We’re one spirit with Him. We’re born again in His image. Spiritually, we look just like Him and when we act just like Him, we get exactly the same results He got because we have the Holy Spirit within us empowering us to do His works. We’re the devil’s worst nightmare! Just look at what Satan has to contend with these days. Almost anywhere you go you run into born-again people. We’re everywhere. Instead of there being just one Jesus on earth, there are millions of us walking around doing His works and fulfilling the plan of God. If the devil wasn’t so evil, I’d almost feel sorry for him. He doesn’t know what to do with all of us. He thought things looked bad 2,000 years ago on the day of Pentecost, when just a few thousand people got born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. But he hadn’t seen anything yet. These days, we’re multiplying constantly. We’re multiplying through the television because the gospel is being preached 24/7 on TV. We’re multiplying through church meetings and conventions and CD messages and DVDs. We’re multiplying through radio broadcasts and the Internet. Everywhere. All the time. People are hearing the Word, being re-created in the likeness of Jesus, getting baptized in the Holy Spirit, and learning how to carry on His ministry on the earth. Think about that next time the devil tries to talk to you about the problems you’re facing. Remind him of it. Say, “Devil, I’m an overcomer in Jesus and I’m part of the biggest company of believers who have ever walked the face of this earth. You’re the one with the problem—and we’re it!” If you start talking like that, he won’t stick around very long. He’ll cover his ears, look at you in terror and flee! V * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Enjoyed this article? For more insightful teachings, go to kcm.org. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * POINTS TO GET YOU THERE: The Devil's Worst Nightmare The devil likes telling believers how big their problems are. But next time he tries that on you, remember he’s actually the one with the problem! He’s an utterly defeated foe and Jesus has put him under your feet. So don’t let him discourage you. Rise up in the authority Jesus has given you and become the devil’s worst nightmare! Here are some points to get you there: 1. Jesus has stripped Satan of all his authority and reduced him to zero. 1 John 3:8: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 2. When you resist the devil, he must flee from you because, as a believer, you have Jesus living inside you. 1 John 4:4: “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 3. When the devil looks at you he sees Jesus, because you’ve been born again in His image. 1 John 4:17: “…as [Jesus] is, so are we in this world.” 4. God has given you the Holy Spirit to live in and work through you just like He lived in and worked through Jesus when He was on earth. Acts 10:38: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” 5. Because you are in union with Jesus, when you move, He moves. 1 Corinthians 6:17 ("New King James Version"): “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” BVOV : 31

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