It Belongs to You

But ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. —Acts 1:8

The Holy Ghost did not come to enable and empower God; He came to enable and empower the believer. We have produced a mindset of an up-in-heaven, faraway, inconsistent God who may or may not show up. We see Him as a once-in-a-while God who will come down and heal, deliver, and set free . . . whenever. We wonder why He chooses to heal one and not another. We sit around and think up new doctrines that will excuse God for His failures, and that will excuse Him from not helping people. But “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8 nkjv, emphasis added); “we [you] are the temple of the living God” (2 Corinthians 6:16 nlt, emphasis added). The Bible declares that these signs shall follow the believer: heal the sick, cast out devils, speak with tongues (see Mark 16:17). It is the Church’s responsibility to heal, to cast out, to save the lost, to preach the Gospel. We have declared, “Oh, I don’t have any power, but I know Someone who does.” Or, “God has all the power to heal and deliver.” That is like a preacher saying, “I don’t have any sermons, but I know Someone who does.” God has all the sermons? No! No! No! The same ability upon a believer to preach the Gospel is the same ability to heal and deliver others. Ye shall receive power! It is not my fault that I am anointed and full of power. It is not my fault that people shake, cry, laugh, or fall down when I lay hands on them. It is not my fault that fear and depression leave when I command them to go! Blame God. He has given me all things that pertain to life and godliness, and I have received His power. So have you!

Pastor Tom Kehes

It’s in You! He’s in You!

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? —1 Corinthians 3:16

You have become the temple of God, the house of God, the dwelling place for God. God no longer resides in the Ark of the Covenant, in the Temple, or in a church building; He lives in people. This is the same God who created the universe, the mighty and awesome God we sing about on Sunday mornings. He lives in you! He came to live on the inside of you! He brought with Him His power, His ability, His wisdom, His faith, and all things that pertain to life and godliness. Yet we have preached a faraway God, a God off in heaven who every now and then will take notice of us in our messes and help. We have preached that He is a sovereign God who can do all things—yet in His “infinite wisdom” He chooses to let people die sick, lose everything they have, suffer with pain and disease, even go to hell, because in the long run, God has the big picture and “all things work together for good to those who love God”. God is sover- eign—but He has sovereignly chosen to give the believer the power and authority to have dominion over all the earth (Genesis 1:26–28; Matthew 28:18–19; Acts 1:8). He has called the Church to feed the hungry, heal the sick, and save the lost (Matthew 25:35; Luke 10:9; Matthew 28:18–19). If the work is not getting done, it is not God’s fault! He has given us all that we need to save, heal, and deliver. Yet the Church sits around and waits on God to do something to change the world. You are that something! You have all you need! You are the house of God!

Pastor Tom Kehres

Cooperate with Him

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.
—Acts 10:38

Jesus became empowered and equipped at the river Jordan, when the Holy Ghost came upon Him like a dove. Until that time (for thirty years), Jesus had not healed one sick person, nor opened one blind eye; He had never walked on water or preached a sermon. But when He was anointed by God with the Holy Ghost and with power, He immediately went about doing good. When you put faith in the power you have, it will cause you to go about doing good, healing all who are oppressed of the devil. That is why doctrines of demons have been injected into the Church: “Wait for the power!” “Wait for God to pour out His Spirit.” “God has all the power.” “The power is coming, soon, so get ready” . . . anything to keep you from the knowledge that you have the power. If the enemy can keep you from believing that you have the power, you will sit about rather than go about! Those oppressed, under the domin- ion of the devil, will stay oppressed because the Church is waiting on God to deliver them, or they are waiting for God to send the power so they can. But we can! You have been anointed—rubbed and smeared— with the Holy Ghost and with power. As the Father sent Jesus (with the anointing), He now sends us (with the anointing). We are anointed and empowered to do good and heal all, because God is with us. How is He with us? Through the indwelling and through the anointing of His Spirit. God has anointed you—so go about! Not without!

Pastor Tom Kehres