Encounters of The Divine Part 3

Encounters Of The Divine Part Three...

An Increase of God's Power by AJ Butel

We all need an increase of God’s power in and through us! Even the most powerfully fruitful ministries haven’t attained consistent Christlikeness! Personally, I am so encouraged by the fact that Heidi Baker (who now sees 100 percent healing of the deaf in the villages of Mozambique) first prayed for at least 23 people before SEEING the first deaf ear opened!

The same questions can reverberate through all of us... Why isn’t it easier to do ‘the stuff’ (Matthew 10:8)? Why doesn’t every single prayer get answered? Why do some beautiful Christians still die young—despite our contending for their healing? These kinds of questions can haunt us to give in, OR cause us to pursue more vehemently the purposes of our heavenly Father. Questions without obvious answers can inhibit or propel us...

I know firsthand what it feels like to walk away from a divine assignment without experiencing an obvious immediate result. I know well the temptation to pull away from trusting and believing in God’s desire to heal and restore people ALL the time. I have felt the confusion and frustration of witnessing a debilitating condition miraculously healed, but then the very next day watch another person hobble away still crippled. I have personally fought off the lure to take the simpler, wider road—to stick my head in the sand and not pray for another stranger again! But you see… such a significant key for us in our pursuit of Kingdom purpose is to maintain a sincere expectancy for the miraculous—DESPITE WHAT WE SEE—and continue to build our faith—DESPITE OUR SUCCESSES AND FAILURES.

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 18:3 (NIV)

Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in. - Mark 10:15 (MSG)

Are you receiving God’s Kingdom—including His heart, His promises, His miracle working power, His love and forgiveness—with a hearts of simplicity and trust... like a little child?

Sustaining Faith, Hope & Love

With the disappointments that come our way, a very important question I must address is, HOW do we maintain our faith and continue to grow in His glory and grace? How do we remain in our first love—our all-consuming passion for the Lord? How do we sustain an atmosphere of expectancy—a culture of revival? Let me quote Bill Johnson who writes about preparing for an increase of God's power in our lives:

“Put yourself in places where you can encounter the presence of God and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to transform your thoughts until you find yourself dreaming with God of the possibilities and potential realities in bringing Heaven to earth. Out of that encounter a lifestyle develops that sustains revival in our own lives.” Bill Johnson – ‘Shifting Shadows Of Supernatural Power’, by Julia Loren, Mahesh Chavda and Bill Johnson.)

I feel such an expectation for the generation that will so burn with love that it will align with its call and see His Kingdom come! I think the main issue I must underline here is that we cannot sustain a culture of revival without the continual overshadowing of the Holy Spirit!

Times of Visitation

Isaiah 60 predicts that as darkness increasingly covers the earth, so too will the brightness of God’s rising—upon us! His Glory will be revealed through His Body. His power and grace, His compassion and might will be shared to the world through His Ambassadors—the Church—overshadowed by His Spirit. Just as the prophet Isaiah prayed in Isaiah 64:1-3, let us cry out to the Lord to rend open the heavens, and invade our earthly realms with mighty visitations of His presence and His Glory!

How will God’s Glory cover the earth as the waters cover the sea? Through you and I! Through His presence-carriers!

I urge you to trust in the Lord's faithfulness to do that which He said He would do... and prepare to receive. Position yourself for the release of His presence. Posture yourself before the throne of grace, and expect Him to do a mighty work in and through you; that you would possess ALL He has for you; that His blessings would overtake you and make you rich (Deuteronomy 28:2)! In other words, God wants to enlarge you! He wants your baskets to overflow, like the loaves and the fishes, so you can feed the multitudes, and pour into others (see Deuteronomy 28:11); so you would unreservedly say,

I am greatly blessed, and highly favored of the Lord... Freely I have received, and freely I give... I am blessed going in and blessed going out. I am the head and not the tail. I am above and not beneath. No good thing will He withhold from me. My vats overflow with oil. I am living proof of the Word of God working in and through me.

The same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells in me. So therefore I walk in His Kingdom power. I walk in the presence of the Lord… in step with Him. His fire surrounds me and His Glory dwells within me. He has plans to prosper me, and to give me a future and a hope. I am a new creation, and as a child of God I obtain legal access to the throne of grace. I am an heir of promise.

Jesus Himself intercedes on my behalf. The Lord does battle for me. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. His angels go speedily to do His bidding. All of heaven backs up His Word in my life. He will never leave me or forsake me. He won't give up until His Word prospers in my life... I cannot fail in Him. I put my trust in Him alone.

He Is Waiting For You

Revelation 3:20 says that the Lord stands at the door of your heart and knocks. He is waiting to fellowship and dine with you. You are His co-laborer—in partnership with bringing His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. He has significant and unique plans for you, a specific calling to enhance the Kingdom—and He wants to hear your desires too. He wants to share His treasured secrets—those hidden mysteries of the Kingdom—with YOU! He wants to reveal His strategies for these vital times. And He is ready to split open the heavens, and rain down supernatural favor and blessings upon your life.

The secret to discovering and sustaining more of God’s power in and through your life is abiding in intimate fellowship with Him—being overshadowed!

End of Part 3

This article is an adapted excerpt from AJ's book, 'Overshadowed' - E-book available online at www.ajbutel.com