I believe every Christian desires to be used by God. I believe that in order for this to happen Christians must be well informed, divinely driven, and practically trained by the Holy Spirit of God. Can I be honest the only way it will be possible is if every Christian is willing to do what Jesus said. What did Jesus say about the topic of GREATER WORKS with the HOLY SPIRIT? What role does the HOLY SPIRIT play in producing the GREATER WORKS in the life of a believer that sincerely desires to be used by God? Do you really want to know? Are you ready to consider what Jesus said about it? Are you determined to make the necessary adjustments to be in a spiritual position to be used by the HOLY SPIRIT to do the GREATER WORKS?
Jesus on the GREATER WORKS Topic
After Jesus answered Thomas about where He is going to prepare a place for them in heaven with the Father. Jesus said no one can come to the Father but through Him. Then He goes on to say, if You seen Me you seen the Father (John 14:1-7).
1. Then Philip said show us the Father, Jesus said seeing Him is the same as seeing the Father. v.9
2. Jesus said You don’t believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me the words I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; But the Father who dwells in Me does the WORKS. V.10
3. Believe me that it’s so or believe Me for the sake of the WORKS themselves. V.11
4. 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. v.12
5. 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. V.13-14
The Break-Down
Don’t run away from this concept. Don’t bang your head against the wall trying to figure this out. I made it fairly practical in my last 2 articles. Don’t think I’m a crazy for trying to teach this—you will offend the Holy Spirit. I know it’s a little too extreme for an average Christian. However, if we desire to be used by God in a Mighty way then we must ask God to open our spiritual understanding to this teaching in Jesus’ name, amen.
Jesus was trying His best to convince the disciples about the GREATER WORKS concept—that He went as far as to take a back-seat to the GREATER WORKS by saying, if You don’t believe that the Father is in Me and working thru Me then believe Me for the WORKS themselves.v.11 This is deep because the main core of the Gospel is about Jesus being crucified, dying on the cross, being buried and God raising Him from the dead. But here Jesus is saying hey if You don’t believe that the Father is in Me and doing these WORKS then believe the WORKS themselves that prove that the Father is in Me. No one ever said that.
So if you are struggling to understand it now don’t catch an inferiority complex the disciples were just as lost at the time Jesus was trying to break-it-down to them and they were literally with Him 3 years seeing all these WORKS. The idea is to come to believe in the GREATER WORKS concept.
If you desire to I suggest that you read a copy of Smith Wigglesworth Ever-Increasing Faith or video tapes or programs by men of God who were used to do GREATER WORKS.
How many were raised from the dead during Jesus’ earthly ministry 3 people?-Jarius’ daughter, widows son, Lazarus. Now Jesus promised we will do GREATER WORKS. God used Smith Wigglesworth to pray for 17 people to be raised from the dead. (THAT’S GREATER WORKS).
We know that it was Jesus and the Holy Spirit working thru Smith Wigglesworth. In case there’s a smarty-pants Theologian out there.
After Jesus points out that we can do these GREATER WORKS if we believe and pray about it (that is, pray about God using us to do GREATER WORKS). Jesus said if we ask anything in regards to this GREATER WORKS concept He will do it.
Praying Biblically on Point
Notice that Jesus was teaching about prayer here but before we can say or teach that this promise is for us to pray about anything. We must be careful with what Jesus meant here. Because Jesus didn’t say pray about anything in general for a Cadillac or BMW, for a Victoria Secret Model or an International male Model.
You see, when we read scripture and try to make spiritual sense of it we always have to read the verses above and below the (If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.) This is where bible teachers begin to be dogmatic and obnoxious.
Being balance about (John 14:12-14), we must apply it right where Jesus instructed us to pray in regards to the GREATER WORKS being available to us and be manifested thru us. Then we may apply this verse for other spiritual purpose’s that’s not self-indulgent or self-centered.
The other negative extreme is outright unbelief about the GREATER WORKS being manifested in our lives to be used in a great way in the Kingdom of God on earth. Avoid both extremes and remain concentrated on the GREATER WORKS being available thru prayer to be used by God for His Glory, amen. So scratch out the lottery ticket prayer, the hot female or male model prayer, and the BMW and Cadillac prayer. And ask God to do the GREATER WORKS.
The HOLY SPIRIT & GREATER WORKS
Jesus and Paul were the only teachers that spelled out the topic of Spiritual Gifts and the HOLY SPIRIT being the agent or person to activate these gifts in our lives. So let’s take a closer look at what Jesus spoke about the HOLY SPIRIT & the GREATER WORKS.
1. Jesus said, if you love Me, keep My commandments. V.15
2. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—v.16
3. The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. V.17
4. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. V.18
5. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit , whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. V.26 (John 14:15-18, 26).
We must carefully dissect everything in regards to the teaching of GREATER WORKS as Jesus shared it without information over-load in the topic of the Holy Spirit. We have two teachings in one that has to be carefully presented here. I’m not teaching about the Holy Spirit alone. I’m combining the HOLY SPIRIT & GREATER WORKS as taught by Jesus to His disciples in the upper room before His crucifixion—so stay with me here.
After Jesus tries to convince His disciples about the Father being in Him, and the GREATER WORKS is proof of it--then if we believe then GREATER WORKS we will do, and if we pray about the GREATER WORKS we will receive an answer to our petition in regards to the GREATER WORKS. Then Jesus talks about the HOLY SPIRIT.
The HOLY SPIRIT WILL WHAT?
Here are the divine conditions for us experiencing the fellowship, leading and guidance of the HOLY SPIRIT. Jesus said, if you love Me, keep My commandments.
1. We will have another Helper. V.16 (He’s a Helper)
2. He will be with us forever. V.16 (Constant Companion)
3. He is the Spirit of Truth v.17 (He will reveal to us the truth of God’s word)
4. The world doesn’t see or know Him. V.17
5. We know Him, He dwells with us and in us. V.17
6. He will teach us all things. V.26 (ALL THINGS MEANS ALL THINGS)
7. And bring us to remember all things that Jesus told us. V.26 (WE WILL BE REMINDED OF ALL THINGS JESUS SAID).
These 7 things mentioned by Jesus about the person, character and title of the HOLY SPIRIT; is given to us right after the GREATER WORKS concept that Jesus tried to convince His disciples about. So to reach them in another way of them capturing the essence of what He was talking about He goes into the OTHER HELPER, (THE HOLY SPIRIT) concept and tries to tie-it-in to the GREATER WORKS concept.
The Practical TEACHER
The Holy Spirit is a practical HEPLER, TRUTH REVEALER, CONSTANT COMPANION, WHO DWELLS WITH US, AND TEACHES US ALL THINGS, THEN BRINGS US TO REMEMBER ALL THINGS THAT JESUS HAD SAID.
I want to reveal a secret that some Pastor’s, Teachers, and leaders do when it comes to teaching scripture. They would never teach heavy duty teaching like this because they believe people are not ready for it. They don’t even try to give people the benefit-of-the-doubt. The second problem is that they are not deep. They are shallow with their walk with God and never experienced the greater works concept.
However, if God tells us to teach something like this topic I’m teaching now we should obey God and teach it and stop limiting God and His people to understand the topic because it’s the HOLY SPIRIT’S job to reveal this truth to you. The Holy Spirit will teach you all things about the supernatural ministry of GREATER WORKS. My job is to clearly present it. His job is to cause you to live it and experience it in Jesus’ name amen.
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