Opportunity Knocks
Pastor Ruth Mehring
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 40:58
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I want to challenge you to see the invisible reality of God’s presence.
I want to challenge you to experience the invisible reality of God’s presence today.
Since God can do far more than we can ask or imagine,
start asking for more
and start imagining for MORE!
Jesus said if we asked anything in His name, He would do it.
so right now as we begin take a moment and ask for more!
God’s Mighty Strength At Work In You!
There is Incomparably Great Power For Those Who Believe
look at Ephesians with me… chapter 1 verse 18 TPT
Ephesians 1:18–21 (TPT)
I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination,
flooding you with light,
until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling —
that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones!
I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith.
Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you!
This is the mighty power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead
and exalted him to the place of highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm!
And now he is exalted as first above every ruler, authority, government, and realm of power in existence!
He is gloriously enthroned over every name that is ever praised,
not only in this age,
but in the age that is coming!
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead,
that overcame every other power in the universe,
exalted as first — period
is available to us who believe.
NOW in this present age!
How many of you will believe?
God’s incomparably great power is for us — — who believe.
Will you respond with excellence and venture deeply into the glorious possibilities of life with Christ.
Will you see all that Jesus has made possible for you and respond with excellence?
Will you feed yourself with testimonies and feed yourself with God’s word, meditating on it day and night?
Will you make praise and thanksgiving a discipline in your life?
Will you make Jesus Christ your obsession and your life?
Will you rip open your heart to him and invite his Spirit to fill every nook and cranny of your being?
This is not about being a super-Christian, one who never fails. — never slips up.
Don’t think for a moment that your weaknesses disqualify you.
Paul said…
But he answered me, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.” So I will celebrate my weaknesses, for when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me. So I’m not defeated by my weakness, but delighted! For when I feel my weakness and endure mistreatment—when I’m surrounded with troubles on every side and face persecution because of my love for Christ—I am made yet stronger. For my weakness becomes a portal to God’s power.
It is about continuing to turn your focus back to the Lord, coming again and again boldly to God’s throne of grace through Christ, and receiving his grace, allowing Him to turn your weakness into strength.
Just keep opening your heart up completely to the Holy Spirit.
Keep going back to that place in your heart where you have seen God’s glory before by recounting, remembering what He has done in your life.
God loves you!
Keep yourself in the awareness of that love.
Fill your heart and mind with the truth of all Jesus has done for you.
Step out in faith to minister healing to people,
to bring release for them from satan’s grip,
and to proclaim God’s word to others.
Let the testimonies of those who came before you encourage you.
Remember —- They had the same weaknesses you do!
But they chose to respond to God’s call in faith,
and they didn’t give up!
It’s According To His Power At Work Within You!
so let’s look at Ephesians 3 starting in verse 14
So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.
Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.
Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!
Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.
Now we offer up to God all the glorious praise that rises from every church in every generation through Jesus Christ—and all that will yet be manifest through time and eternity. Amen!
Do you want to see a great move of God?
Do you want to see His power and His glory?
So many people are waiting and hoping God will do something,
but all of His power, all the power in heaven and earth,
is available to you if you believe!
Why wait? Believe Him!
He is able to do immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine,
and it is according to His power at work in you.
Look internally not externally. It’s not going to happen through God all of the sudden deciding to rend the heavens and come down.
He already did that when Jesus came.
It’s going to happen as you are strengthened with power through God’s spirit as Christ dwells in your heart through faith!
God is glorified in Christ and in the church because His invisible Spirit takes on flesh in Christ and in His body, the church.
God’s invisible nature is manifest in CHRIST and in the church.
Don’t rob God of the glory due Him by your unbelief!
If you have clothed yourself with Christ,
When you stretch out your hand to release healing, Jesus does so too.
Where your feet take you, Jesus goes!
We go to a house and we can tell people,
“Jesus Christ has come to your house today!”
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Now He is in our hearts.
Who is in us is so much bigger than everything outside.
and it’s God’s power, love, and righteousness pouring out.
pray for people like this:
“I bless you in Jesus’ name! May every one of God’s purposes for your life be fulfilled and nothing stand against them! Thank you, God for your goodness soaking into and completely filling them right now! Holy Spirit, glorify the name of Jesus by your work in their life!”
As your heart is expanded, God’s word is like a treasure filling it. When your heart is full of treasure, you can distribute the riches of heaven.
You’re spiritually rich.
You know it and you act like it.
now look at 2 Peter 1 TPT
Everything we could ever need for life and complete devotion to God has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness. As a result of this, he has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises you can experience partnership with the divine nature, by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world.
Rather than backing off or trying to explain away powerlessness, challenge yourself to believe God and keep pushing the limits.
Believing God honors him.
Honor God, and challenge your own unbelief.
Be encouraged when you fail, rather than getting discouraged and quitting.
Rather than giving up, decide to continue honoring God by believing him.
If God’s strength is going to work through you, you need to let go of your own human ability.
Let failure drive you deeper into Jesus Christ.
Let it drive you into a deep reliance and dependence on the Lord.
Your trust gets deeper! The river gets deeper! There are deeper waters!
Understand that, instead of trying to explain away failures.
If everyone who touched Jesus was healed, no one wasn’t healed because they had more issues to work through.
There is a point where obstacles just melt before the Lord. Even the rocks and mountains melt. They were hindrances but are no longer.
At whatever level you are ministering healing and deliverance, if your expectation is set at what you’ve seen before, you are drawing back from walking in faith.
Faith sees the invisible.
It is always pushing beyond what you have seen so far.
Are you happy with where you are?
Or are you still growing?
“I believed, but it didn’t work,”
and Jesus’ words, “If you believe, nothing will be impossible for you,”
are mutually exclusive statements.
Stop thinking of believing as if it were just mental assent.
Is there an area that you haven’t seen change?
Press in to that area and if you still don’t see change,
let it produce a cry in your heart to the Lord.
—— for the more of God
We must lay hold of the riches that are available in Christ.
All of the varied manifestations of God’s grace are available.
They are not mysterious superpowers that some people get and some people don’t.
They are experiences that we grow in.
The more we press in and exercise God’s grace, the more we grow in it.
For all of God’s promises find their “yes” of fulfillment in him. And as his “yes” and our “amen” ascend to God, we bring him glory!
God accomplishes His will by speaking His word.
All that is visible was created by His word.
God made mankind in His image and gave man authority on the earth.
He’s chosen to accomplish His will on earth through people walking in communion with Him and exercising dominion in life.
He has given us authority and sent us out as ambassadors to speak His word.
All of God’s promises are “yes and amen” in Jesus .
In Jesus, God’s “yes” is joined to our “amen” so that we see the tangible manifestation of the invisible God.
Jesus is the Word of God made flesh.
When you understand God’s word, believe it in your heart, and speak it with your mouth, the invisible nature of God is also made manifest in your flesh. We are the body of Christ.
The Word made flesh is heaven manifest on earth.
Psalm 119:89 says that God has established His word in heaven forever.
Psalm 115:16 says the heavens are the Lord's but the earth He has given to the sons of men.
God has established His word in heaven and He sends us to establish it on earth.
Jesus said nothing would be impossible for us if we believe.
Paul said the spirit of faith we have received is, “I believed, and so I spoke.”
We exercise faith when our heart belief comes out of our mouth.
Just as Jesus exercised dominion in life, Scripture says those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness will exercise dominion in life through Jesus.
It’s simple.
Add your “Amen” to God’s “Yes.”
This virtuous cycle of praise, thanksgiving, and miracles is a new normal that goes beyond what we could even imagine.
It’s a life of faith in every circumstance.
It’s a life in which you experience the riches of heaven and the generosity of the Father who gave His only Son for us and said that He would also give us all things with Jesus.
You experience more than you could have asked or imagined by God’s Spirit working in you.
In this cycle of praise, thanksgiving, and miracles, you feel God’s love and goodness pursuing you.
You live in joyful expectation.
You see prayers answered before you even finish praying them.
Sometimes you are struck mute in awe of the Lord. All you can do is bow before the Lord, weep, and thank him.
You boast in the Lord all day long, and His praise is continuously in your mouth.
It becomes your experience that “If I were to recount Your wonders, Lord, they would be more than can be numbered.”
Rivers of living water flow from your innermost being.
This is normal Christianity.
It’s the new normal that God is inviting us to enter.
Learn to rely on God and on His voice. Just a whisper can change everything.
His power is in His SPOKEN word.
If you need wisdom, ask God what to do. and then Just do what He says.
If you put your hope in the Lord and in His voice, you won’t be disappointed!
Provision is in His voice.
Breakthrough is in His voice.
Waiting on the Lord quietly and asking Him to speak to you is an expression of trust in Him.
What’s important is not the outward method,
but that what we do flows from our communion with God.
Certain phrases and words flow from revelation and set our hearts on fire.
Some of those power phrases are:
“Jesus is visiting your house today!”
Jesus said to those he sent, “If they receive you, they receive me.”
If you go anywhere and Jesus sent you —— then Jesus is visiting that place.
“Holy Spirit, glorify the name of Jesus!”
It’s like a bomb goes off when we say this. What we want with every miracle and sign is that people would see Jesus through it and His name would be honored.
“Jesus paid the highest price for their healing and full redemption. Holy Spirit, thank you for giving Jesus what He deserves right now! Thank you for bringing Jesus all that He paid for!”
a guy in a recovery house kept saying, “I’ve fallen so many times. I don’t deserve for God to keep working in my life.” But the revelation from heaven is…,
“It’s not about what you deserve. It’s about what Jesus deserves! Jesus paid the highest price to redeem you, and Jesus deserves what He paid for! The Holy Spirit isn’t about to give up on bringing to Jesus that which Jesus has purchased with hHs blood!”
“Jesus! Thank you, Jesus!”
The name of Jesus means so much to me because I’ve seen his wonderful works!
I’ve called on the name of Jesus many times and He has worked with me!
“God, thank you that you did not withhold your only Son, but gave Him up for us all, and so with Him you will give us all things! Thank you that you’ve given us everything in Jesus! Let your river flow here now!”
This takes off all the limits! May great joy come to this house in Jesus’ name! May great joy come to this city, so that everybody would see Jesus and His name would be honored here!
Acts 8:8 says that great joy was in the city as Philip preached Jesus in Samaria and many were healed and delivered. This scripture passage always sets my heart on fire.
Pray, — “God, open the eyes of my heart to see Jesus!”
Cry out for wisdom and correction!
Act in aggressive faith.
Refuse to be satisfied with anything less than revival now!
Persevere!
Press to all that God has for you.
Magnify Jesus in all that you say and do.
You’ll see God do far more than you could have ever asked or imagined by His power at work in you!
Pray
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God’s word manifests in power when understood and acted on. The following is full of statements right out of scripture.
These Bible promises, applicable to every believer, provide a basis to believe for every single manifestation of God’s grace that is listed in 1 Corinthians 12.
As you read about them, consider, which promises apply to healing?
Which apply to words of knowledge, words of wisdom, miracles, prophecy, the discernment of spirits, tongues, or interpretation of tongues?
Which promises apply in general to all of the “grace-effects” and any situation or need we may face?
I am spiritually rich.
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Everything I need for life and godliness is available to me in the knowledge of Jesus.
as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
I have an abundance of grace and peace in Christ,
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
more than enough to meet my needs and whatever need is before me. If God didn't withhold his own Son, but gave him up for me, how much more will he not also give me all things?
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
God loves me with the same love he has for Jesus and has given me the same glory that he gave to Jesus,
And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
in whom the fullness of God dwells bodily.
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
It's that glory that drives out demons, heals the sick, and manifests heaven's reality on earth. I am complete in Christ, lacking nothing.
and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Nothing will be impossible for me if I believe,
So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
and God can do immeasurably more than all I can ask or imagine according to his power at work in me.
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,
Since I died with Christ
Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—
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.
and by his resurrection was seated with him in heavenly places,
and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
I am in a position of authority over every power
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.
And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
authority to tread on snakes, scorpions, and all the power of the enemy.
luke 10.19
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.
I have authority over demons and diseases
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.
because I've been raised with Christ. I have full access to the Father's presence.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
The torn body of Jesus is my open heaven,
and I have been given every spiritual blessing in heavenly places.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
Every so-called "spiritual gift" is a spiritual blessing touching and changing the natural world, and there is no spiritual blessing that I don't have access to in Christ. In Jesus are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
and he is my wisdom,
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—
so I expect wisdom and knowledge from heaven in abundance as I walk in communion with him. I am his sheep, and I hear his voice!
To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
The gospel is the power (Greek "dunamis") of God for salvation,
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
and I have the gospel! It is the same dunamis that flowed from Jesus and all who touched him were healed!
And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.
The nature of the God I'm in communion with is to heal,
and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”
and I'm a member of the body of Christ,
Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
so his nature is revealed through me! It doesn't matter if you're a finger, a toe, or an arm, the whole body of Jesus, even his cloak, is loaded with healing virtue! Jesus lives in me,
And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
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.
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
and I am in him!
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—
If they receive me, they receive him!
“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
If Jesus sends me and I go to a house, Jesus Christ is visiting that house.
When I stretch out my hand in obedience to Christ and touch a sick person, Jesus is touching that person!
These beliefs based on the promises of Scripture produce the manifestation of heaven.
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Pray, “God, open the eyes of my heart to see Jesus!”
Cry out for wisdom and correction!
Act in aggressive faith.
Refuse to be satisfied with anything less than revival now!
Persevere!
Press to all that God has for you.
Magnify Jesus in all that you say and do.
You’ll see God do far more than you could have ever asked or imagined by His power at work in you!
Pray