Exceedingly Abundant

 

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
—Ephesians 3:20


When I consider Ephesians 3:20, my mind immediately goes to the phrase “according to the power that works in us.” The Holy Spirit is working within each believer; He is bringing about something “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” right at this moment.

“If you look at the circumstances in my life,” you might attest, “it seems as though God isn’t doing anything beyond what I can ask or think.” But the Bible instructs us to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). It’s crucial to see beyond our physical limitations into the spiritual truths of God’s Word. 

It’s incredible to contemplate that the living Spirit of God is actively working within every believer at this very moment. He was working in me yesterday. He was working in me while I slept last night, and He’s still working. He never stops working. It’s nice to be thanked occasionally. Do I ever take the time to thank Him? It’s crucial to express your gratitude to Him by praising Him for His constant work within you. He never gives up on you.

What about those problems you’re facing? He’s doing far more that you could ever ask or imagine because His power is working within you. Choose to think on these truths in Ephesians 3:20 rather than on your circumstances.

Since the Word of God is true, the Spirit of God is actively working within us right now. When we accept and embrace what is true beyond our perception or experience, we undergo a transformative journey. We are changed from the inside out.

God is working within you and within me. He’s doing far more than we can ever imagine or ask for! Acceptance is a form of surrender. It’s giving up control and believing in something beyond our physical senses and experiences. The more we embrace God’s words over our own perceptions, the more His influence in our lives will shape the circumstances and challenges we face.

Our faith is precious to God. He considers the perfecting of our faith more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7). He is immensely delighted when we exercise our faith during hard times, rather than yielding to fear in desperation. Trust in God’s promise that He is actively working within you to accomplish His intended plans and purposes for your life. He’s doing something so powerful in you that it’s exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or think!

God is meticulously working out His incredible plan for your life, but you must participate. When you speak God’s Word, you honor Him. You give service to His name. Don’t just read His promises; speak them. You need to hear them because they are powerful. Faith comes by hearing. So declare His words of life out loud over yourself and your circumstances. 

“God is working in me, and He’s working out a plan for me. He’s doing all of it above all I can ask or think. The Holy Spirit knows me better than I know myself. He’s working in me right now to convince me I am fearfully and wonderfully fashioned in Jesus! I praise you, Jesus, and I praise you Father, for the Holy Spirit’s powerful work in me! It abundantly exceeds anything I could ever ask or think!” 

—Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments (Psalm 119:73).

Be Present, Prepared, and Praising Jesus

Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest?’ Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  
—John 4:35
 

Has harvest time come? Are you present, prepared, and praising Jesus? You receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit just as you received Jesus as your Savior—by faith. This experience is the unshakeable assurance of the purity you have received in Jesus. It is pure fellowship with Him, a joy so unspeakable that only comes from experiencing His glory.

Have you wondered what you might encounter in the Holy Spirit? Have you invited Him? He may come as a mighty rushing wind, but most often He comes as a gentleman, filling you with an indescribable love. 

Don’t judge any spiritual gift the Holy Spirit gives you. Don’t retreat from unfamiliar experiences to the comfort of tradition. If your tradition hasn’t taught what you experience in the Spirit, your gift may falter and never bear fruit. Run to Scripture with your experience. Let Scripture evaluate it and be the final Word. The Holy Spirit will resolve conflicting perspectives in your mind and reveal the truth.

When you encounter Jesus in all His glory, religion gives way to the fullest of relationships. You are in Him, and He is in you. When you exercise the gift the Spirit has imparted, you are exercising Jesus. You are exercising the Word. Your faith grows stronger. Jesus pours Himself into you and through you into the lives of others who are hungry to receive as you have freely received.

Experience. Tradition. Scripture. Reason. Evaluate your life in Jesus. If you are sowing the Word, you are preparing yourself to receive a fruitful harvest. Lift up your eyes. The field is ripe for reaping. Be present and praising Jesus. 

Don't Miss Out On Your Harvest

 

The farmer who remains idle and watches the wind will never sow, and the one who fixates on the clouds will never reap (Ecclesiastes 11:4). The farmer in this proverb will miss the harvest. Likewise, we can become so busy calculating the “perfect conditions,” we can miss ours. We must seize the opportunities that come our way, just as a farmer works diligently when the conditions are favorable (Proverbs 10:5).

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).

There are many reasons you can miss your harvest. Scripture enumerates them: laziness, distraction, discouragement, fear of the effort involved, sowing too sparingly, worldly cares, the allure of riches, and lust. Any one of these redirects you from knowing when it is time to harvest the field. Galatians 6:9 also emphasizes that one of the primary reasons people fail to reap the rewards of their efforts is due to weariness. Another reason you fail to reap is simply by not asking, or asking with a heart driven by selfishness rather than stewardship.

There is a designated time for everything. As stated in Jeremiah 5:24, God has set aside specific times for the harvest. When the time for your harvest comes, will you be present and actively engaged?

Pentecost was rehearsed for over a thousand years before the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples. He uses the same pattern today. He gathers believers together, fills the room, and pours out His Spirit on those who are present, prepared, and praising Him.

The fire continues to fall upon every hungry believer who is willing to praise until its time to reap. Don’t miss out on your harvest; instead, praise your way to it.

 

The Real Event Is Still For You

The feasts that God established for the Israelites weren’t meant to only remind them of what He had done. They were practiced each year so they could know what He was going to do. Each feast was a rehearsal for a real event.

Rehearsing something gets you ready for a real event. You repeatedly practice until what you do is done without thinking. When the moment finally arrives for the actual event, all the practice you’ve done becomes natural and effortless.

Throughout their entire lives, these 120 disciples had celebrated Shavuot. They had rehearsed the feast year after year, and now they were about to participate in the real event. Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem because He knew it was almost time for the moment they had spent their entire lives preparing for.

In Acts 2, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, preached a powerful sermon that cut straight into the hearts of his listeners. When he was finished, they asked Peter what they should do.

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call’” (Acts 2:38-39).

Peter not only gave an open invitation that day to the 3000 people who repented and were baptized; he also gave the invitation to those God would call through the generations to come. You are part of Peter’s “all who are afar off.” Peter’s invitation to receive the Holy Spirit is for you, your children, your grandchildren, and for all those who will receive Him.

The Holy Spirit never withdrew Himself after He fell on the disciples that day in Jerusalem. He has never stopped pouring Himself out upon hungry believers. When God said he would pour out His Spirit on all flesh, He never said that promise would one day end.

Are you waiting for the real event? Pentecost is here, and it isn’t over. The harvest is still being gathered, the fire of the Spirit is still falling, the fountain is still flowing, and God is still fulfilling His promise. God has promised the Holy Spirit to you and invites you to receive Him. 

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).

 

Praise Creates The Harvest

 

God established Pentecost as a single-day feast to signify the urgency of the harvest season. Exodus 23:16 refers to Pentecost as “the Feast of Harvest, the first fruits of your labors which you have sown in the field.” 

Harvest demands your complete attention. Jewish farmers would swiftly gather the first fruits of the harvest, celebrate Pentecost in Jerusalem, and then return to their fields to complete the harvest before time ran out.

The fifty day period between Passover and Pentecost is called the Omer. The counting of the Omer is not just a time of waiting. It’s a time of worship. Psalm 67, the song of the Omer, is recited throughout the fifty day period. This is a psalm of blessing, harvest, and honoring the Lord. Each day is one of worship and preparing the heart for the harvest that is coming. Praise takes the worshiper from Passover to Pentecost.

“Let the peoples praise You, O God;
 Let all the peoples praise You.
Then the earth shall yield her increase;
 God, our own God, shall bless us.
 God shall bless us,
 And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.”
(Psalm 67:5-7)

The message of these verses is straightforward. When the people praise the Lord, the earth yields her increase. Praise doesn’t just usher you into the harvest; praise creates the harvest. We don’t approach Pentecost by stoically waiting for God to prove Himself; we praise our way to Pentecost, understanding He already has. 

After the Ascension, the disciples didn’t spend their days in somber subdued prayer. Luke 24:52-53 states that they returned to Jerusalem with immense joy and were constantly praising God in the temple. The upper room where they gathered was a room of praise and worship. The disciples weren’t grieving the loss of Jesus in their lives; they were praising God who had promised to send the Holy Spirit. They understood the way to receive the promise was through praise.

Praise isn’t responding to the promise after it has come, but rather the way to set the stage for its arrival. The disciples praised for ten days, and then the Holy Spirit fell as a mighty rushing wind, filling the room where they waited. A worshiper who has sensed the atmosphere change in a room knows what this means. The Holy Spirit falls on a gathering that has been in praise long enough to make room for Him. 

Are you praising the Lord each day, preparing your heart for the promise of Pentecost? Is your praise enough for the harvest you anticipate?

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15).

Praising the Lord is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to Him! Praise creates the harvest. God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).

Keep Watch!

“Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

“You will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. 

“If anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. 

“And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.

“Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.

“So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.”


—Matthew 24:4-10, 23-28, 30-31, 36-42

Now Is The Time For God's Word

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
—Hebrews 5:14


One sign of spiritual maturity is exercising your senses—that is not reacting emotionally to people or circumstances that have the potential to hurt, confuse, or shock you. Bringing our emotions under control requires the discipline of an athlete. We must consistently practice this skill. Athletes don’t wait until the day of the race to exercise; they do it in advance.

Hebrews 5:14 states that our senses are exercised “by reason of use.” This implies that we should bring what we see, hear, and feel about people and circumstances under the truth of God’s Word. We can’t achieve this without nourishing ourselves with the Word of God, which fosters spiritual growth. The Word within us becomes our guiding force, rather than our emotions.

Our senses, while often deceiving us, aren’t inherently evil. They can be exercised to discern good. Many don’t exercise their senses. All people have muscles. However, all people don’t get the full benefit from their muscles, because they haven’t exercised them. We all have the potential, but we don’t all develop it. It’s the same with our senses. They can be a blessing instead of a problem if we will exercise them. When we don’t exercise our senses (what we see, hear, and feel) they will gravitate toward bad and not good.

The more you walk by faith and not by your senses, the greater level of discernment you will have. It will become easier to recognize good from evil. The Word cuts between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. We need discernment that comes from exercising the Word in our lives. Shifting emotions are like shifting sand, and great will be our fall because of them. We need the solid Word in these last of the last days.

Startling disclosures are coming that have the potential to wreck you emotionally and spiritually. The enemy’s purpose in these final days is to deceive the elect. He wants to steal the Word from you. He wants to destroy you. He wants to weaken and divide the church with his lies. Events and circumstances have a spiritual author—God or Satan. You must know God’s Word to discern good from evil and navigate these days we are in.

You have heard the Word from the pulpit and from others for years. What are you doing with its incorruptible seed? Time is growing short. Now is the time to sow. Now is the time for the solid food of God’s Word. His Word is spirit and life, but it will not profit you until it is yours. 

God's Wisdom And Revelation For Your Life

If you desire to receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit, having spiritual wisdom and revelation in understanding what God wishes for your life is imperative. Paul’s prayer to the Christians in Ephesians 1:17 is an important Word to apply.
 
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him” (Ephesians 1:17).
 
In Ephesians 1:17, the word “wisdom” comes from the Greek word “sophias.”  It describes an insight that is not naturally attained. In other words, this is not man's natural wisdom. This is a unique insight. 
 
In this same verse, the word “revelation” comes from the Greek word “apokalupsis.” It signifies something veiled for a long time and then suddenly, almost instantaneously, it becomes visible to the mind’s eye. A revelation is that moment when you first see something that has been hidden and realize it has always been there, even though you couldn’t see it before.
 
The spiritual truths of God we now understand have always existed in the realm of the Spirit, but at one time, they were hidden from us. The time had not yet come for those truths to be revealed, so they had remained hidden from our sight, even though they had always existed. But our minds instantly saw and understood once the right time came and the Holy Spirit removed the veil that hid that truth. When this occurred, we received a revelation.
 
Think of a time when you suddenly saw something in the Word you had never seen. That truth had always been there, but it had been hidden from your sight. Then, unexpectedly, one day, it jumped off the page and came to life. You saw it, and you understood it. You had a revelation.
 
Spiritual truths are hidden until the Holy Spirit reveals them to us. Paul prayed for God to give the Ephesian church “a spirit of wisdom and revelation.” The Ephesians Christians needed wisdom (and so do we) beyond their human understanding. He asked God to give them a unique insight. Then, he explained what he meant by adding the word “revelation.” This is the incredible moment when you see what you have never seen. That veil is suddenly gone, and you are enabled by the Holy Spirit to see what you could never see by yourself. The truth that was always hidden is now seen and understood.
 
The Ephesian Christians were not smart enough (and neither are we) to figure out their lives, so Paul prayed for God to give them a unique insight into His knowledge. He explained that this kind of wisdom could only come through a revelation, and only God could provide them with the wisdom they needed. 
 
Are you looking for direction right now? Ask God to give you “a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” God has all the answers you need—answers you will not find with your natural reasoning. They are not as far away as you might think. In one moment, He can remove the veil that has kept you in the dark and help you see clearly what you need to understand. 
 
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
 
Ask Him. He wants to help you. He doesn’t withhold His insight from you.
 
*******
 
Lord Jesus, I ask you to give me the insight and wisdom I need for this time in my life. You have so much for me to know that I don’t know. You have wisdom. You have answers.  But I can’t find them without You showing me. I need you, Holy Spirit, to give me understanding. You say if I ask, it will be given to me. I ask right now that you take away the veil that has blocked my vision. Open my eyes to see exactly what I need to see. Give me a real revelation about my life, this issue that is before me, and the truth I need. 

I pray in Your Name, Jesus, which is above every name and above this issue. I shall receive your wisdom and revelation. 
 

Our Hope Is In The Lord

Lord, my heart is not haughty,
 nor my eyes lofty.
 Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
 nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul. 
Like a weaned child with his mother;
 like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord
 from this time forth and forever.

—Psalm 131


Trusting in the Lord and recognizing that we don’t have to do everything ourselves is incredibly comforting. While there are aspects of our lives that we can control, there are also things that are beyond our control and are under God’s control. It’s wise to discern the difference.

Little children are indifferent to others. They desire what they want when they want it and resort to crying or making a scene to obtain it. However, as they grow older, they gradually gain control over their emotions. David exemplified this in this psalm.  

God had Samuel anoint David as King of Israel although Saul was still on the throne. The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul due to his ongoing disobedience to God's commands. Saul refused to relinquish his rule. Without the Spirit of the Lord to guide him, Saul allowed his emotions to have control. In his rage, he tried to kill David again and again. David responded to Saul by fleeing for his life. And when presented with an opportunity to kill Saul, David refused because Saul was still on the throne. David would not take the throne by killing Saul. What incredible emotional maturity on David’s part! We shouldn't be surprised. God was with David, and he knew it. He trusted in the Lord and didn’t try to take the throne until God had taken care of Saul. He exhibited maturity by behaving appropriately and calming himself, which was a clear sign of emotional control.

We don’t have to be as Saul. We can be as David. When our hope and confidence are in the Lord, we act differently. We are able to control ourselves because we don’t take all the responsibility upon ourselves. Our hope is in the Lord.

Don't Be Deceived

 

The signs of the end of the church age are evident. We are in the very final days of this era. Before judgment comes upon the world, God shall send Jesus to get His bride, His church—to bring her home. In the meantime, the enemy is doggedly and actively pursuing his evil agenda to deceive the blood-bought church of Jesus Christ.

Over the past two thousand years, Satan has discovered that the Holy Spirit-driven church has successfully withstood his attempts to steal, kill, and destroy the Gospel message. He has employed every tactic and used every weapon in his arsenal to belittle its unwavering faith and destroy its purpose. He has attempted to discredit the church from the outside, only to find that in doing so, it becomes more resilient and purposeful. Consequently, he has resorted to attempting to discredit the church from within—not only through discord and dissension, but also through deception. The enemy’s goal is to sow division and unbelief, thereby stripping the church of its power. 

The church is commissioned to carry God’s Word—His unconditional love and grace revealed in Christ’s dying on the cross for all of mankind.  When received in the human heart, Jesus exchanges sin for God’s righteousness. He imparts a new life of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Jesus overcomes the enemy’s agenda to steal, kill, and destroy before it’s too late. If Satan can deceive and divide the church from within, he can weaken the church's purpose and the strip it of power to spread the Gospel. And his deception will keep people who have never known the love God from experiencing the love of Jesus and eternal life.

Spiritual deception can undermine our allegiance to the Father. It can make us question the message we have received and question ourselves in sharing it. It’s easy to recognize blatant sin, but evil is devious. It comes in where least expected and misleads those who don’t know the Word of God.  Revelations and experiences are not truth. The Word of God is truth. All prophetic revelations and personal experience must be judged by the Word. There are true prophets, but false prophets rise to deceive the body of Christ. You should humbly pray and seek God’s Word about any word or prophecy you hear before believing and declaring its truth. If it is from God, the Holy Spirit will confirm it with Scripture, imparting His wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of it. 

In Matthew 24, we read that nation will rise against nation. There will be wars and rumors of war. There will be famines and earthquakes. Many will turn away from their faith, filled with bitterness and hate. False prophets will come and deceive people. Wickedness will increase, and the love of most will grow cold. We read of these things, but do we really grasp how great the deception of the enemy will be?

Be prepared for the enemy’s deception in these final days. Things that are revealed will frighten the world to its very core. If we, the church, allow what is revealed to instill fear in us, then we are weakened. These disclosures and the explanations concerning them may appear truthful. But don’t be deceived by events or disclosures. The Word is our truth. Satan is working overtime to deceive and divide the brethren. He knows his time is short. He has an evil agenda, and he trembles at the power of a unified church.

Whatever you see happening in this world, whatever knowledgeable people reveal, and whatever you hear about what you have seen, don’t believe the enemy’s deception. Don’t give in to fear. Defeat it with faith in Jesus. We are the church so we are the enemy’s target. When we submit to God’s truth, the devil can’t stay in our presence. He flees from the truth that is in us.  We have the power of the blood of Christ, and the word of our testimony. We have the resurrection power of God, and a pastor, who takes his responsibility to pray and lead us into the truth of God’s Word very seriously. The Holy Spirits co-labors with us to share the love of Jesus to a lost and dying world. The enemy wants to destroy our testimony. He uses fear to torment and destroy God’s work in us. But we won’t be deceived. We have the perfect love of Jesus Christ that casts out fear. We have the love of God that overcomes. 

No matter what you see—no matter what you hear—no matter what you experience, you don’t have to be shaken to the core. You have Jesus. Be careful no one deceives you—that includes me, any preacher, teacher, or prophet. Hold whatever you see or hear or read up to the measure of God’s Word, and trust what the Word reveals to you. To trust His Word, you must know it. To know the Word, read it until it talks back to you.

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). 

Are you washed in the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb? If you are, you were made for such a time as this. Sow the Word faithfully into the lives of other people while it is still day. Whatever you sow, you will reap.  May we all reap Jesus.