Matthew 11

The Kingdom And The Spirit

Matthew 11:11 (WuestNT)
11 Assuredly, I am saying to you, There has not arisen among those born of women a greater one than John the Baptizer. However, the person of most humble station in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

The author states that John the Baptist was the high water mark for all under the Old Covenant. But the least in this new era were born to surpass Him through their relationship with the Holy Spirit.. ..

Q. What’s the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant? What made John the "high water mark" for the Old Covenant? Why was this mark less than what God intended for us?

Salvation was not the ultimate goal of Christ's coming. It was the immediate target... the marker in the lane.

Without accomplishing redemption, there was no hope for the ultimate goal-which was to fill each born again person with the Holy Spirit.

God's desire for us is that: Ephesians 3:19 (KJV)
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

 To be filled with all the fullness of God is just as possible today as then, and as possible as the other things prayed for here and in Ephesians 1:17-19 (BBE)
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;
18 And that having the eyes of your heart full of light, you may have knowledge of what is the hope of his purpose, what is the wealth of the glory of his heritage in the saints,
19 And how unlimited is his power to us who have faith, as is seen in the working of the strength of his power,

 John 14:12 (AMP)
12 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.

    Q. How does a person develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit?

Describe your current relationship with the Spirit of God. How has He shaped your world internally and externally?

The Value Of His Presence

Finish this sentence:  By far the greatest gift ever received by us is… the Holy Spirit Himself.

When we discover the value of His presence we enter places of intimacy with God never   previously considered possible.

 Out of this vital relationship arises a ministry of power that formerly was only a dream. The incom­prehensible becomes possible because He is with us.

Q. How has the Holy Spirit increased your intimacy with God? In what ways has this changed your devotional time?

I will be with you is a promise made by God to all His ser­vants

Moses, Joshua…

 In the New Tes­tament, this promise came to all believers through the Great Commission Matthew 28:19-20 (BBE)
19 Go then, and make disciples of all the nations, giving them baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:
20 Teaching them to keep all the rules which I have given you: and see, I am ever with you, even to the end of the world.

 It comes when God has required something of us that is humanly impossible. It's important to see this. It's the Presence of God that links us to the impossible.

Q. Have you faced a challenge and needed deliverance? How did God bring deliverance? Was Jesus' presence a factor in your deliverance?

The Anointing

After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan, the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness for 40 days and while there He was tempted by Satan.

After Jesus resisted all of Satan's temptations, He went to Galilee, full of the Spirit. After Galilee, He went to His hometown of Nazareth, and went into their synagogue on the Sabbath day, stood up and began to teach out of the book of Isaiah. He opened to a prophetic word about Himself and read:

Luke 4:18 (AMP)
18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity],

It was at this point, Jesus officially began His ministry. The Bible says: Acts 10:38 (KJV) 38 How 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.

The purpose of Jesus' ministry was to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

Now I want to show you something from the Word that will excite you. First John 3:1 says, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God...." Jesus is the Son of God and we are the sons and daughters of God. That means we have the same mission as Jesus—to destroy the works of the devil.

I want you to look at another verse in 1 John 2:27 (GW)
27 The anointing you received from Christ lives in you…

Praise God! We have the same anointing as Jesus to preach the Gospel. “As He is, so are we in this world”. 1Jn 4:17

He ministered to the poor, to the broken hearted and preached deliverance to the captives. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil. We are to go forth in His name, brothers and sisters, and do the same. Isn't that exciting?

I can hear you thinking,  “I've never felt any power like that in my life. Besides, I'm not called to the full-time ministry."

First of all, this anointing is for "all who believe." If you're a born-again Christian, then you are anointed. And secondly, your "feelings" have nothing to do with whether you are anointed or not. The just shall live by faith. You believe you are anointed because the Bible says you are.

Many times, when I pray for someone I don't "feel" God's anointing on me. But I know my feeling His power doesn't mean it's not there upon the person. We lay hands on people by faith, believing and standing on the promise of God's Word that we are anointed to destroy the works of the devil in Jesus' name.

Also, God's power won't manifest independent of His purpose. It is when you step out in faith to reach the lost for Jesus, that God's anointing will be manifest.