YOU HAVE THE POWER

YOU HAVE THE POWER.

“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 3:14-15 NKJV

Today’s lesson is one on authority. A lesson on power. A little dive into the power we all have. This is to me, a reminder of the power that I have been given. That we have all been given (Luke 10:19).

Jesus gave us all power. He has given us the authority to heal the sick and cast out demons.

(Mark 16:26-17)

I was reading this short verse in Mark 13 some moments ago today and I got stuck on it. It was like the Holy Spirit wanted me to see something in particular there. Like I couldn’t just move on from that verse. One word kept me in that verse. That word is “HAVE”. I’ve read this verse so many times, but today it became different to me, it became real. Jesus sent them out to preach, and to HAVE power to heal. This verse just makes me happy.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE?

Do you really know what you have? Do you know your possession? The way i see it, we’re in a new world. The old one is passed. We’re now living in a new world(2 corinthian 5:17). The new convenant God created with man has so much of the same similarities with the creation of man. God created, then He gave to man.

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them HAVE dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.””

Genesis 1:26 NKJV

GOD created everything, then He created man and gave to man so that we can “HAVE” dominion/authority over everything He created. That’s just mind blowing if you ask me. The fact that an almighty God would deem us fit to HAVE dominion over what is His is just beyond humbling to me. Jesus gave the same power and authority He has to the twelve He appointed to be with Him. Without the giving, we would never have any authority to do anything here on this earth. The owner has to give you authority over what is His, or else you have no access because it is His own possession. God is the greatest giver if you ask me. He gives the best gifts in the whole world. God came down on this earth for one purpose, and that is to Give. He came to give us Himself. He came to give us authority. His power is His, and if He does not give you access then you do not HAVE it. Until He Gives you, you cannot HAVE it. Giving is the most fundamental trait needed for Love to exist. If giving is absent in love it just becomes pride (self-centeredness). Love is always about giving. And to give you have to own it. If you do not own it, you cannot give it.

“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; HAVE dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “See, I HAVE GIVEN you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have GIVEN every green herb for food”; and it was so.”

Genesis 1:28-30 NKJV

Giving is an important part of ownership. Especially when transferring ownership. If the owner of the land does not give it to you with the necessary credentials to certify that it is yours, you do not have the land. Only when the owner gives the land and all its authority to you, that you can collect it and Have it as yours. That is another Law of nature, to Have something you need to be Given that thing. Let me use a very relatable example of this law. When we were little, if our parents didn’t give us money, we didn’t have money. So, for you to HAVE, someone with greater authority over that possession has to Give it to you (John 3:27). Same with the industrial work system in the world. That now brings us back to the question, WHAT DO YOU HAVE? Giving has to be present for you to Have. The main question is, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN GIVEN?

“John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.”

John 3:27 NKJV

GOD GIVES

“Behold, I GIVE you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Luke 10:19 NKJV

God is the greatest giver. None of us can out give God. God gave the greatest of all things in the world to Us. He GAVE us a gift of Himself, He GAVE us the gift of HIS son JESUS CHRIST.

“For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but HAVE everlasting life.”

John 3:16 NKJV

WE HAVE EVERLASTING(ETERNAL) LIFE. It’s not something that’s going to happen one day, it’s something that we HAVE right now, right at this very second when you receive Jesus into your life, you HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. And ETERNAL LIFE Is to Know God.

GOD GAVE us His son so we can HAVE eternal life. If He didn’t Give us, we would never Have. He Gave us eternal life so we can become like Him in complete likeness as He has always envisioned for us from the beginning. God gives us. He gives us so many gifts. He has given us this whole world, and now He has given us access into His own power all wrapped up in the perfect body of Jesus Christ. Jesus had authority right here on earth, and He gave that same power to His disciples to use for the work He called them forth for, while He was still on the earth. Someone might think I’m making a big deal out of this, but to me it just goes to show how much powerful Jesus was right here on earth even as He suffered. It goes to show the diety of Jesus. He was fully God right here on earth. He said He only did what He saw His father do (John 5:19-23). what does His Father and our Father do? Our father always Gives (John 3:16, Acts 5:32). His father is a Giver and He is a Giver also. He came to Give us eternal life. As a result of His giving, we now HAVE eternal life. If the son does not give you, you do not have. He who the son set’s free, is free indeed. If He gives you freedom you have freedom. If He gives you Life, you now Have life, if He gives you prosperity, you now Have prosperity. And most of all, If He gives you Authority, Dominion & Power, you now HAVE dominion, Authority and Power over sickness and demons.

“And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He GAVE them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.”

Matthew 10:1 NKJV

Jesus GAVE them power. He owns the power, and only He has the authority to give it to you. And thank God He has given it freely to us all who believe in His name. See what He said to them further.

“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you HAVE RECEIVED, freely GIVE.”

Matthew 10:7-8 NKJV

God has given us His Spirit freely. And with that spirit comes so many blessings and power and authority. That spirit reveals to us the deeps things of God, He reveals to us the blessings and power that have been freely GIVEN to us by God. The Holy Spirit is Essential in the believers life and you must Receive Him to HAVE the power and blessings that God has freely GIVEN us.

“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit). Now we HAVE RECEIVED , not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God (The Holy Spirit), that we might know the things that have been freely GIVEN to us by God.”

I Corinthians 2:11-12 NKJV

RECEIVE IT

“…...Freely you HAVE RECEIVED, freely GIVE.”

This also highlights another strong point that needs to be made concerning having this power. You need to receive it. If you don’t receive it, you won’t HAVE it to give. You need to accept the owner of the authority and receive Him and His power into your life. When it is inside of you, you HAVE it. Nobody can come and take anything inside your body, because it is yours. You own it, and only when you choose to give it out can anyone have access to it. Jesus HAS the power in Him. When He died He created a way for us to receive His own spirit into us. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we Have the power (Acts 1:8). When it is inside you, it becomes yours also. It is a joint ownership. We are Hiers and Joint Heirs with Jesus Christ.

“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

Romans 8:15-17 NKJV

You need to receive it. If you don’t receive Him, you won’t Have His power & authority. Receiving Jesus into your life is the beginning of your victory, authority and power in this life. You receive Him and continue to walk in Him.

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

Colossians 2:6-7 NKJV

You need to receive Him and walk in Him. And your walk with Him has to continue in the same way you received Him. The moment you received Jesus into your life & the baptism of the Holy Spirit, You have all of Him in you. Acts 1:8 reveals this very truth,

“But you shall RECEIVE power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem and Samaria and to the end of the earth”.

Acts 1:8 NKJV

This were some of Jesus’ last words to His disciples before He ascended into Heaven to sit at the highest place of Authority and Power at the right hand of the Father. Far above every principality & power and might and dominion and every name that is named (Ephesians 1:17-23). The Great commission Jesus gave His disciples and the whole Church is to share with people the same power He was Given by the Father which we now also Freely Have access to (Matthew 28:18-19; Mark 16:17-18). Freely You have Received, Freely Give also. When you Receive a gift, it becomes yours. The person who purchased the gift for you has transferred ownership of that gift to you. It is a free gift. To have it, all you need to do is Receive Jesus into your life, and it is yours. Receive HIM & you will Have it. To receive this power, you need to believe in the one who was given Authority & Power & Dominion over all things in Heaven, Earth and Under the earth (Hell). Believe in Jesus as the son of God who died and was raised to pay for your sins in your heart and confess your believe with your mouth.

“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.””

Romans 10:9-11 NKJV

After you have accepted Him into your life, you need to Receive the Spirit of God into your life. The spirit of Power, who is The Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). I’ll advice whoever is reading this, if you haven’t Believed on the Lord Jesus Christ to just take some time and confess your believe in Him and you’ll be saved. That is the first step to Having that power in you. But I also implore you to not just stop there. Receive the Holy Spirit into your Life also. You need Him to Have power to walk the path set out for all Believers in Jesus Christ the Son of God, by Our Loving Father in Heaven who Gave us His son to demonstrate His unchanging and never-ending Love for us. Receiving the free gift of the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential in the Life of every Believer (Acts 10:44-47). The early church always put an emphasis on the receiving of the Holy Spirit to the church (Acts 8:15-17). They knew that there was power only in the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is like a light house. Like a giant big bright energy power plant. You only have power when you receive the Holy Spirit. Receive HIM.

YOU HAVE IT.

“And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do HAVE I GIVE you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.””

Acts 3:4-6 NKJV

You cannot Give something you do not HAVE. You first of all Receive It, then you Have it, and only then can you Give it. God will never require you to give something that you do not HAVE. He is aware that we did not Have that power, so He came to give us access to the Love & Power that He has so we can share that same Love & Power to others around us. This incident took place after the day of Pentecost. At the gate to the temple called beautiful. A man who was lame since birth was put there by His family daily to beg. Peter & John were going into the temple, and the lame man begged them for money. What caught my attention with this incident also is the fact that Peter & John would have passed and never spoken to this man if He had not spoken to them. He had to ask. If you want something, you need to be willing to ask/seek for it. Jesus told us to “Ask and it will be Given to you; Seek and you will find…”. Ask the lord to show you how to do His will through the strength and power of the Holy Spirit. If you ask diligently He will show you How to walk with Him. The book of James refers to this same principle.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ASK of God, who GIVES to all liberally and without reproach, and it WILL be GIVEN to him.”

James 1:5 NKJV

It is the Father’s will to GIVE you, when you ask HIM and when you ask according to His will. But there is a condition to receiving it. GOD always GIVES. The question is are you ready to receive. Are you ready to believe HIM when HE speaks? There is a condition to HAVING it.

“But let him ask in FAITH, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose he will RECEIVE anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

James 1:6-8 NKJV

You need to believe that when you ask you will receive. You need to ask in Faith. Be of one mind. Don’t be in half way, go in all the way. Choose a side. Don’t stay in the middle. It’s either you believe and have or doubt and you do without. Now let’s go back to Acts.

“… So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them…”

He was expecting to receive something. He wasn’t being picky. I’m sure in his mind he was just like ‘… give me anything you have’. We all know the popular saying “a beggar has no choice”. This was it. He was willing to receive anything, so he gave them his attention. Give God your attention. Focus on Him and you will definitely receive. Seek Him diligently with all your heart and you will Find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).

“Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do HAVE I GIVE you:”

Peter’s words here were no mistake. I believe the Holy Spirit led Him to say these words. Every word written in the Bible is intentional. This are the words of God being passed down from generation to generation. It would do so many of us well if we started to believe in the Bible, because most people will never let the Bible get in the way of what they believe.

Peter said “…. what I do HAVE…”. What did peter Have? He had the power of God in Him. The same power we now have also when we receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). That is what He HAD. It was the only thing He HAD. He didn’t have money or anything to give the beggar, but he had something greater. He had the Spirit of God in Him. He who is in you is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Since he HAD the power of God in Him, he had the authority to use (give) that power also.

THE NAME OF JESUS.

“……. I GIVE you: In the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

Acts 3:6 NKJV

Only when you Have it can you give it. We have the power to do all this through the NAME OF JESUS. It is the most powerful name in the whole universe. Both in this world and the one to come (Ephesians 1:21). It is the NAME OF JESUS that carries all this power that we have access into this power and authority. It is all IN THE NAME OF JESUS. Jesus has GIVEN us that name to use. It is the name by which we get saved by and it is the name by which we HAVE access to the power and might of God.

“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 1:19-21 NKJV

““Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

John 14:12-14 NKJV

“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.””

Mark 16:17-18 NKJV

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

Matthew 28:18-19 NKJV

“let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.””

Acts 4:10-12 NKJV

And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.”

I John 3:22-23 NKJV

We have everything through the power in the NAME OF JESUS. His name is our new born birth right. If you are part of GOD’s family that name is yours. Your name is Jesus because HE died in place of you. You are living as Jesus now, not as yourself. He who is joined with the lord is one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). As He is so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). God sees you the same way He sees Jesus. You have peace with GOD because of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). Jesus lives in you, so you must bear His name also. In all things you do, do it all IN THE NAME OF JESUS.

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Colossians 3:17 NKJV

The name belongs to you. He said you should go and use that name (Matthew 28:18-19). Even while Jesus was on the earth, His name carried power. If you believe in Him and have received Him into your life, the name is yours to use. You need to realise that you are now a new person. You are no longer your old self, you are made completely new in Christ.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and GAVE Himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20 NKJV

He Gave us Himself. That is the great gift we have received from God. It is a gift of Himself. You need to come into harmony with Him that lives in you. It has to be a conscious decision of the heart to Him, and not a passive one in the head. You need to believe that He is in you. Right now He lives in you. It is not just a future reality in heaven but a present reality starting right here on earth.

There was an incident in the gospels where Jesus’ disciples rebuked someone for using the name of Jesus to cast out demons. And He told them not to. That incident still marvels me. There is so much power In the NAME OF JESUS. Even if Jesus does not know you in the flesh (of which He does), as long as you believe in Him and His Name, you will work miracles.

Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Mark 9:38-41 NKJV

Corresponding account in Luke⬇️

“Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.””

Luke 9:49-50 NKJV

Jesus just told us right here that we can work miracles in His name. As long as you believe in Jesus and believe in the name of Jesus. It will work for you. You can work miracles in the NAME OF JESUS.

Another similar incident occurred in the book of Acts where some men tried to use the name of Jesus to cast out demons without believing and accepting Him into their lives. We all know the outcome of that incident. The demons pounced on them. If you do not believe and receive the Lord, do not use the name, it will do you more damage than good.

“Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

Acts 19:11-16 NKJV

They saw the power manifest in the name and they decided to use it without receiving the authority to use it. You must believe and receive or doubt and do without. There is power in the mighty NAME OF JESUS.

CHRIST LIVES IN YOU. That is what you HAVE. We need to all come to this conscious knowledge and understanding that we are exactly as He is right now (1 John 4:17). That is what Gives you that power. You need to receive Him into your life and let your life be conformed to the nature of Him who lives in you through the renewing of your mind (Roman 12:2) and then you’ll really know what you Have. We are God’s representatives here on earth carrying out His will with the possession He owns that He has given us control over to Have dominion over them. He has GIVEN, You need to RECEIVE, so you can HAVE and in turn GIVE it to others. To me it is a perfect cycle of Power in God.

GIVE ----------> RECEIVE -----------> HAVE -----------> GIVE