ECCE

      We need to understand the power and authority we have as believers, paid for with the blood of Jesus. It is not traditions, doctrines or denominations that are the source of this heavenly power and authority that is manifested on earth through the believer in Christ. In fact, scripture tells us that our traditions make void the Word of God. (see Mk. 7:6-7 , 13 ).      In His last words before His ascension into heaven, Jesus commanded His disciples to wait for that power from heaven to come upon them: "But ye shall receive power ( dynamis - strength, power, ability, power for performing miracles, moral power and excellence of soul), after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.' And when he (Jesus) had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." (Acts 1:8-9).   ...

     The Book of Hebrews, which I believe was written by Paul, gives us examples of the heroes of faith from scripture (see Heb. 11). Paul called them a great cloud of witnesses which surround us and gave a warning: "...we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses (the heroes of faith), let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (Heb. 11:39, 12:1-4). Our generation also has seen great heroes of faith who make up the cloud of witnesses around us: Billy...

     We as a church have always focused on the pre-eminence of the Word of God. Joshua 1:8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Also from Psalm 19:14: "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."      The words out of our mouths should be the same as in our heart - the Word of God. The Book of Hebrews calls Jesus the High Priest of our profession - meaning that we say the same as Jesus says.      The Word of God is so important to the LORD that He has magnified it above His own awesome name. David wrote: "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy wor...

      The Apostle Paul wrote of how we should minister the Word of God to ourselves and to others: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing ( orthotomeo - rightly divide, to cut straight, to teach the truth directly and correctly, to make a straight cut, to proceed on straight paths) the word of truth." (2 Tim. 2:15).       Cutting the Word straight, or orthotomeo , yields fruit in our own lives and in others' lives, and ties in directly to who we have become in Christ: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world , that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of hi...