Greater Works Than These
On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. (Joshua 10:12,13—NIV)
The Lord Jesus promised us that those who believe in Him would do the same works as He, and greater than these because He was going to the Father.
Jesus said whatever we asked in His name He would do in order that He may bring glory to the Father.
There is a great deal of talk in Charismatic circles about power. "We ought to pray for power, believe for power, demonstrate power. If Joshua commanded the sun, so should we."
It is our personal point of view that the desire for power, to speak the creative word, to command the Holy Spirit and the angels, is leading to the False Prophet. I think the Charismatic move has the potential to become the False Prophet.
The False Prophet is the spirit of religious delusion. It is man-centeredness in the realm of spirits just as Antichrist is man-centeredness in the political realm.
The False Prophet has the two horns like a lamb. This means, it uses the name of the Lamb of God to demonstrate a double portion of power. But it speaks like a dragon, that is, it reveals that the adamic man is in control.
The heart of the New Age teaching is that man is his own god. We see in the Charismatic move (of which the author is a part) a desire to have great power. But we do not hear "Take up your cross and follow me." Man is definitely in control. When man is in control of the gifts and ministries of the Spirit, then this is the False Prophet who is to come and who will support the Antichrist philosophy and political systems.
Pentecost is at the crossroads. Either we will go forth to use the power of the name of Jesus or we will return to Christ and submit ourselves to Him. We make that choice.
It may be true that fantastic works of power will be seen in the near future—all performed in Jesus' name. God will make sure His will is done in the midst of this, but many people, including the leaders, will be in deception. The Lord does not know them.
I am saying that much of what we are teaching today may be a delusion even though it is using the name of Jesus.
Antichrist comes out of the sea, out of the multitudes of mankind.
The False Prophet arises from the earth, from the soul of man. When signs and wonders in the name of Jesus are being guided and driven by the soul of man, then we have the False Prophet.
God is not directing us to speak creative words, to use imaging to accomplish our will, to have faith in faith, to use formulas for spiritual success. God is directing us to turn back to Him until we know what He is doing.
Can you see the difference? Or is momentum carrying you forward with the popular crowd?
Maybe, like the prodigal son, you are tired of trying to "do great things for God." If this is the case, why don't you return to Father's house? Why don't you sit down for a while in the green pastures and wait until you know what God would have you do? Maybe you are wearing yourself out for nothing. Perhaps God wants to just love you for awhile.
He gives His beloved sleep.
Joshua was not trying to do great things for God. Joshua was doing exactly what God told him to do, nothing more and nothing less.
It was on the day that the Lord gave the Amorites into the hand of Israel that Joshua said to the Lord, not to the sun or moon, but to the Lord! Joshua was not trying to exercise faith, he was praying to the Lord.
On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." (Joshua 10:12—NIV)
Today the believers are trying to exercise their metaphysical power over the sun. But Joshua spoke to the Lord. There is a vast difference between speaking to the Lord and speaking to the sun—the difference between the true prophet and the false prophet.
It is only as Christ directs us to do so that we are to command the creation to do our bidding.
We are not to be seeking power but Christ! This is all-important to remember in the present hour.
Greater works than these shall you do because I go to the Father. We are to tell the Lord what we desire. He will do whatever we ask in His name that He may bring glory to the Father.
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so the Son may bring glory to the Father. (John 14:13—NIV)
The Lord Jesus always brings glory to the Father. We are not always that careful.
We are to have faith in the Lord and be obedient to Him. We are not to try to have faith in the faith we are attempting to bring up from our soul!
The Lord God is vastly more concerned over our relationship to Him than he is over any works, great or small, that we may do.
Does the Lord know you?
There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel! (Joshua 10:14—NIV)
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