Luke 3-4

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

September 11, 2011


 *MAR 1 - LUKE 3-4 - JESUS: BEGINNING & NATURE OF HIS MINISTRY*


 *1. 3-16-17 (3:1-20) JESUS: TESTIFIED TO BY JOHN. “:John answered, saying
to all, I indeed baptize you with water; but the one mightier than I comes,
the latchet of whose :shoes I am not fit to unloose: HE shall baptize you in
the Holy Spirit and fire: 17 whose :fan is in his :hand, thoroughly to
cleanse his :threshing-floor, and to gather the grain into his :barn; but
the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire” (NNT). *This is a
*proper*introduction Father, to
*Jesus* and His Kingdom. *Hallowed be your :name.*


 *2. 3:21b-22 (3:21-28) JESUS: HIS BAPTISM AND GENEALOGY. “Jesus also having
been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy :Spirit
descended in bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of
heaven, You are my :Son the beloved; in you I am well pleased.” *What a *
sign** *of confirmation! What a genealogy of Mary through Nathan! We submit
to Your way, Father. *Your :kingdom come.*


 *3. 4:1-2a (4:1-13) JESUS TEMPTED. “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,
returned from the Jordan, and was led in the Spirit in the wilderness forty
days, being tempted of the devil. 2a And he ate nothing in those
:days.” *Following
revelation and confirmation comes temptation. You have made it this way for
*all* of us, Father, including Jesus in His humanity. *Your :will be done,
As in heaven, so on earth.*


 *4. 4:14-15 JESUS: POWER AFTER FASTING AND TESTING. “And :Jesus returned in
the power of the Spirit into :Galilee: and a fame went out concerning him
through the whole region round about. 15 And HE was teaching in their
:synagogues, being glorified of all.” *Note: *power* in Jesus' ministry came
after a season of fasting. *When* you fast, Jesus said, assuming we will
fast. And Father forgive us for seeing things in Your Word that are easy on
our flesh, but overlooking those conditions that bring us closer to You. *Our
:daily :bread Give us this day!*


 *5. 4:18-19 (4:16-30) JESUS: BEGINS MINISTRY AT NAZARETH. “The Lord's
Spirit is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to
thepoor; Has sent me to proclaim release to captives, and sight to
the blind, To set free the bruised, 19 To proclaim the Lord's acceptable
year.” **This* is Your Messiah, Father! This is His word of the Kingdom to
us. We bow and accept His gracious words. *And forgive us our :debts, As we
also have forgiven our :debtors.*


 *6. 4:31-32 (4:31-43) JESUS: MOVES HEADQUARTERS TO CAPERNAUM. “And he came
to Capernaum, a city of :Galilee. And he was teaching them on the sabbaths:
32 and they were astonished at his :teaching; because his :word was with
authority.” *Here is a Kingdom message with authority and power! Demons were
subject unto Your Son Jesus Father, and are *still* subject to Him in us! *And
bring us not into temptation.*


 *7. 4:44. JESUS: PREACHES IN SYNAGOGUES OF GALILEE. “And he was preaching
in the synagogues of :Judea.” *Not just in His new headquarters of
Capernaum; but in *all* the cities of Galilee Jesus preached the Good News
of the Kingdom of God with *power*. This was Your will and leading, Father!
*But deliver us from the evil one!*


 *NOTE: 4:40-41a (4:31-43) JESUS: HEALS AND CASTS OUT DEMONS! “And when the
sun was setting, all that had any weak with various sicknesses brought them
unto him; and He laid :hands on every one of them, and cured them. 41a And
demons also came out from many, crying out, and saying [that] You are the
Son of :God.” *Thank You Father, that Your Son Jesus did not permit
revelation concerning His true nature from demonic sources!


 The Kingdom of God is *not* in word only - but in power and demonstration
of the Holy Spirit! John the Baptist actually preceded the true
manifestation of the Kingdom of God as introduced by Jesus - so he did not
have this demonstration. But Jesus did! And His apostles who followed Him
did also! And whenever revival comes - *always* these same demonstrations
and “signs following appear. Study carefully church history and its revival
times, and without fail such appear!


 Many today teach that these demonstrations and signs ceased following the
days of Jesus and His apostles. But is *this* theology an excuse for those
who since then do *not* have demonstration of signs and wonders and power in
their ministries? Jesus said - These “signs” *shall follow* those that
believe! If we do not believe they are for us today - then certainly we will
not have them confirming the word of our ministry.


 But - is such a *correct* theology? The Greek language is sometimes called
the language of the “Aorist”. We in English do not have the Aorist tense for
our verbs. Some have defined it as a “punctiliar” or sudden action in past,
present or future; the *tense* that is complete in itself; not to be
repeated; but with *continuing* consequences! The coming of Jesus is such an
Aorist. His death on the Cross performing His Finished Work - is an aorist.
His Resurrection is an aorist; His coming again will be an aorist.


 But - 1 Corinthians 12:28 - :God has *set* some in the church - is an
aorist - which includes *all* the power and signs following! And Ephesians
4:11 - “And HE [Jesus] *gave*” the 5-fold ministries including apostles and
prophets - is an *aorist.*


 So - *as long as there is a church* - God and Jesus intend that the
*Gifts*of the Spirit and Ministries to equip the members of the Body
of Christ -
should *continue* to function. Should they fail to be manifested - this but
indicates a low spiritual temperature in the church - that requires revival!
- and as soon as revival comes - than spontaneously the Gifts and Ministries
reappear! They *did* in the ministry of Luther! They *did* in the ministry
of the Wesleys! They *did* at Azusa Street in 1906! And they will continue
to do so to the very end.


 According to the Aorist tense then, it is theologically sound to believe
for the type of ministry manifested by Jesus and His apostles in the
beginning - to continue unabated to the very end!


 And our Psalm for today? - *61:1-2 (61:1-8) LEAD ME TO THE ROCK! “Hear my
cry, O God, listen to my prayer; 2 from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (ESV). *Your
Name O Jehovah Father, is a strong tower; we Your righteous ones run into
it, and are lifted on high!* (Proverbs 18:10).* J.A.Watt



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