The power of gospel of the Kingdom of God will never lose its power. "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it PLEASED GOD, through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe". (I Corinthians)
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes." (Romans. 1:16) Do we really believe this personally? Do you really believe that for those who will believe the power is still in the gospel of Christ which is the good news of the Kingdom of God? God chose for the Gospel to be preached and taught through His revelation truth and from that His power and demonstration will flow as He desires.
The gospel is more than the Scriptures alone; it is what the scriptures reveal and who they reveal that we should love. It is the unveiling to us of "Who Jesus Christ was, is and ever shall be." that is as precious to us as the Word. I love the person of Jesus Christ that I find in the Word and the empowerment I receive from what He reveals to me. Whenever the Kingdom of God is preached and taught there is an encounter with the living God, not just mental knowledge or information being disseminated. Consider the following verses.
- Jesus said, "Upon this rock (the revelation of who I am) I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)
- Two immutable things that are one: God and His Word (Hebrews 6:13-18)
- The worlds were framed by the word of God: "God said and it was" and "the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Hebrews 11:3)
- We must first hear the word of God to have faith come, and without faith we cannot please God or live, for the just shall live by faith. (Romans 10:17;1:17 Hebrews 11:6)
- Jesus' parables in Matthew 13 teach us the Kingdom of God is like seed planted in soil. That is the Word which is planted in the soil of the heart and then grows and produces fruit or works.
- We cannot have new life without the Word of God. "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever, which by the gospel is preached unto you." I Peter 1:23-25.
- "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14)
- Paul said in I Corinthians 2, "…when I came to you I came with fear and trembling and…my speech and my preaching were in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God"
- The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us, which are saved, it is the power of God. I Corinthians 1:18
- "And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes." (Mark 1:22) "As He was preaching the power of the Lord was present to heal them." (Luke 5:17) "He preached deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." (Luke 4:18)
- "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth." And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. (Mark 1:38-39)
- "And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, 'where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands?'" Mark 6:2
- "And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He himself wanted and they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons." (Mark 3:13-15)
- "And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." (Mark 16:20)
- "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." (Matt.4:23)
- "Jesus called his 12 disciples together and gave them power and authority over all devil, and to cure disease, And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick…they went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where." (Luke 9)
Jesus came preaching, teaching and healing to establish Kingdom and He continued it His entire ministry speaking to distortion as He encountered it. Along the way, as He encountered different situations, His life was rich with all nine gifts of the Holy Spirit and all throughout Acts this pattern was followed as the disciples simply continued to do what Jesus had done.
We must know God's word will never lose its power. The blood and the cross will never lose its power. Jesus Christ and Him crucified will never lose its power.
- "Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit and said, 'why doth this generation seek after a sign?'" (Mark 7:12) "Jesus said, 'It is a wicked and adulterous generation that seeks after signs. Beware of this doctrine, for it is the leaven.'" (Matthew 16)
- Satan is capable of power, signs and lying wonders according to Scripture, (I Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:14; Matthew 24:24) but at the same time we must not confuse his attempt to pervert and counterfeit what God is doing to keep the believer from God's power and blessing.
- The anointed Word from the Spirit should be preached first and then signs and wonders will come to confirm it. We cannot follow signs and wonders and forsake the fountain of living water which flows from the revelation of Jesus Christ in us.We must seek Him to become the living Word and be able to speak His Word in due season and see the signs and wonders He will perform to confirm it.
- We do not have to worry about receiving something of the devil when we are seeking Jesus by the Spirit and Word of God and are rooted in love. He will not give us a serpent. (Luke 11:11-13)
TAKE HEED THAT NO MAN DECIEVE YOU! Deception is the number one sign of the end of the age. The increase of it, the confusion it causes, and the falling away from sound doctrine to that which tickles our ears are all indicators that we are in the last days. We must have the endurance and eye to see the deception and how attractive it appears. The famine of hearing the Word of the Lord that Amos talked about is upon us. (Amos 8:11) We must be good listeners and we must be able to continue in the apostle's doctrine and endure sound doctrine. (I Tim 4:1-5)
Note the result of Peter's preaching on Pentecost: "and they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about 3,000." (Acts 2:41) And now notice what Luke tells us in Acts 2:42: "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and sign were done by the apostles." The pattern of the preaching and teaching of the Word as the basis and then the signs following that revelation is Biblical and was a pattern for the early church.
In Acts 6, you also see that Stephen, who was chosen as an elder or deacon in the early church, "was a man full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people." and They were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke." He spoke the Word given by the Spirit of God and God confirmed it though miracles.
Go preach the gospel to all the world and signs shall follow them that believe. (Mark 16)