| Newsletter for 1/18/07- We don't NEED all the answers to walk in faith! |
Good Morning,
Last week, one of our team members, Rocky, wrote a very thought provoking newsletter regarding the Kingdom. He
included a list of characteristics of the Kingdom. The following is a copy of the list-
- Man can't walk on water. But Kingdom did!
- Those of the fleshly world can't calm the storms. But Kingdom did!
- Fleshly world can't raise the dead. But Kingdom did!
- Fleshly world can't transport themselves to another city supernaturally. But Kingdom did!
- Iron axe heads sink to the bottom of rivers. But Kingdom raises them!
- Someone has cancer. But Kingdom heals!
- Someone's addicted to drugs. But Kingdom delivers!
- Marriages are in trouble. But Kingdom restores!
Please allow me to take this thought, regarding this list of characteristics or may I say symptoms.
Symptoms are not the cause of disease but are the result of the disease. Likewise, this list of "symptoms" is not the
cause or even the most important portion of the Kingdom but are a direct result of its presence. Jesus stated that we
would do even greater miracles than what He did. In other words, He is the"standard" model and we are called to be
"above standard." He also stated that "signs and wonders" should follow believers.
Here is the hard part. In Hebrews 2 as well as other places, it states that God will do these things by "His Will." I do
NOT claim to understand God's Timing at all. I know that He does things, when He wills. But I also have to balance
this, with statements of His Will.
We have no problem, believing that Christ died on the cross for our salvation. This is His Will. In fact, we will do
anything to validate His purchase price by sharing salvation with everyone. We know that salvation is not shared to
validate humans because this is humanism, but instead to not undervalue a price that was paid for us that we can't
even quantify.
However, when it comes to healing, we get a little bit weak in the knees, even though scripture says that Jesus paid
the price for our healing, when He took the stripes on His back. In fact, most churches "celebrate" this on a monthly
basis when they partake of communion. But do we really believe what we are celebrating or is it just a "religious rite."
Jesus, our unanimously respected example, spent a great deal of time using healing as an evangelistic tool. He
constantly came in contact with the unsaved and then healed them. Scripture tells us that it is by His kindness that we
come to repentance. Thus it is our job to manifest Jesus.
All of this being said, the primary goal of ministry should not be to do healings and miracles but the ultimate miracle is
salvation. BUT can healings and miracles be an avenue to salvation? Absolutely!! Do we believe that God has given
us (this includes ALL believers) the power and authority to operate in the realm of the supernatural? YES!!
Please allow me to share a couple of secrets with you. We have seen quite a few miracles and healings, BUT not
everybody that we pray for gets healed. I wish that they would but we are not at a 100% rate. Do we claim to
understand why this is? NO. I have gotten some revelation on why some people don't get healed and I hope to share
this with you this year, but we do not have all of the answers.
Please know this though, just because we do not have all of the answers and just because we don't have a 100%
success rate, does not mean that we are going to stop praying for people or encourage anyone else to stop. Jesus
instructed us to "heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons" and we plan to do what He asked us to. I expect
to have discernment on how God wants me to pray (Jesus only did what His Father told Him to) and to proceed
however, He tells me to.
Those reformers that preceded us and built a foundation for us both as protestants and as Pentecostals expected to
get the power of the Holy Spirit not just so that we could speak in tongues (personal edification) but also so that we
could manifest the other giftings that would edify the church and witness to the unbeliever. It is high time for us to
begin to inspect our personal walk and the walk of the church as to whether we are living up to all that He has paid for
us to have. Jesus said that He had to leave us so that the comforter could come for us to be able to better operate.
We would no longer need to worship Jesus locally but could worship in the spirit anywhere we are. We wouldn't need
for Jesus to show up locally for the supernatural to take place, but we could walk out the same kinds of miracles that
the disciples did. It worked for Peter, as he preached his first sermon and had 3000 come to relationship with Christ. I
don't know anyone that wouldn't consider this successful.
Once a week, our team asks each other whether we have taken any "risk." In other words, have we seen an
opportunity to be used by the Lord, sought His direction and then stepped out in faith in such a way that He could
work through us. This happens outside of church more often than it does in church. The Lord always manifests
Himself through the faith and obedience of man. From the Old Testament through today, He has always been waiting
for a willing vessel to pour through. It is not about the power or giftings of the vessel, just the obedience of the vessel.
The vessels do not have the power to do anything more than to be used.
I wish that I could tell you that we have all of the answers or that there is a certain recipe as to how to see the
supernatural successfully, but we don't. In fact, I believe that God purposefully does it different every time just to keep
us reliant on Him. That is where I want to be anyway. I hope that you do too!
Working while it is still day,
Pastor Jeff McCracken and the Kingdom Power Now Ministry Team
Last week, one of our team members, Rocky, wrote a very thought provoking newsletter regarding the Kingdom. He
included a list of characteristics of the Kingdom. The following is a copy of the list-
- Man can't walk on water. But Kingdom did!
- Those of the fleshly world can't calm the storms. But Kingdom did!
- Fleshly world can't raise the dead. But Kingdom did!
- Fleshly world can't transport themselves to another city supernaturally. But Kingdom did!
- Iron axe heads sink to the bottom of rivers. But Kingdom raises them!
- Someone has cancer. But Kingdom heals!
- Someone's addicted to drugs. But Kingdom delivers!
- Marriages are in trouble. But Kingdom restores!
Please allow me to take this thought, regarding this list of characteristics or may I say symptoms.
Symptoms are not the cause of disease but are the result of the disease. Likewise, this list of "symptoms" is not the
cause or even the most important portion of the Kingdom but are a direct result of its presence. Jesus stated that we
would do even greater miracles than what He did. In other words, He is the"standard" model and we are called to be
"above standard." He also stated that "signs and wonders" should follow believers.
Here is the hard part. In Hebrews 2 as well as other places, it states that God will do these things by "His Will." I do
NOT claim to understand God's Timing at all. I know that He does things, when He wills. But I also have to balance
this, with statements of His Will.
We have no problem, believing that Christ died on the cross for our salvation. This is His Will. In fact, we will do
anything to validate His purchase price by sharing salvation with everyone. We know that salvation is not shared to
validate humans because this is humanism, but instead to not undervalue a price that was paid for us that we can't
even quantify.
However, when it comes to healing, we get a little bit weak in the knees, even though scripture says that Jesus paid
the price for our healing, when He took the stripes on His back. In fact, most churches "celebrate" this on a monthly
basis when they partake of communion. But do we really believe what we are celebrating or is it just a "religious rite."
Jesus, our unanimously respected example, spent a great deal of time using healing as an evangelistic tool. He
constantly came in contact with the unsaved and then healed them. Scripture tells us that it is by His kindness that we
come to repentance. Thus it is our job to manifest Jesus.
All of this being said, the primary goal of ministry should not be to do healings and miracles but the ultimate miracle is
salvation. BUT can healings and miracles be an avenue to salvation? Absolutely!! Do we believe that God has given
us (this includes ALL believers) the power and authority to operate in the realm of the supernatural? YES!!
Please allow me to share a couple of secrets with you. We have seen quite a few miracles and healings, BUT not
everybody that we pray for gets healed. I wish that they would but we are not at a 100% rate. Do we claim to
understand why this is? NO. I have gotten some revelation on why some people don't get healed and I hope to share
this with you this year, but we do not have all of the answers.
Please know this though, just because we do not have all of the answers and just because we don't have a 100%
success rate, does not mean that we are going to stop praying for people or encourage anyone else to stop. Jesus
instructed us to "heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons" and we plan to do what He asked us to. I expect
to have discernment on how God wants me to pray (Jesus only did what His Father told Him to) and to proceed
however, He tells me to.
Those reformers that preceded us and built a foundation for us both as protestants and as Pentecostals expected to
get the power of the Holy Spirit not just so that we could speak in tongues (personal edification) but also so that we
could manifest the other giftings that would edify the church and witness to the unbeliever. It is high time for us to
begin to inspect our personal walk and the walk of the church as to whether we are living up to all that He has paid for
us to have. Jesus said that He had to leave us so that the comforter could come for us to be able to better operate.
We would no longer need to worship Jesus locally but could worship in the spirit anywhere we are. We wouldn't need
for Jesus to show up locally for the supernatural to take place, but we could walk out the same kinds of miracles that
the disciples did. It worked for Peter, as he preached his first sermon and had 3000 come to relationship with Christ. I
don't know anyone that wouldn't consider this successful.
Once a week, our team asks each other whether we have taken any "risk." In other words, have we seen an
opportunity to be used by the Lord, sought His direction and then stepped out in faith in such a way that He could
work through us. This happens outside of church more often than it does in church. The Lord always manifests
Himself through the faith and obedience of man. From the Old Testament through today, He has always been waiting
for a willing vessel to pour through. It is not about the power or giftings of the vessel, just the obedience of the vessel.
The vessels do not have the power to do anything more than to be used.
I wish that I could tell you that we have all of the answers or that there is a certain recipe as to how to see the
supernatural successfully, but we don't. In fact, I believe that God purposefully does it different every time just to keep
us reliant on Him. That is where I want to be anyway. I hope that you do too!
Working while it is still day,
Pastor Jeff McCracken and the Kingdom Power Now Ministry Team