Expanding God’s Kingdom in 2023!

God has prepared us to expand His kingdom in 2023. Everything the Lord has brought us through, teaching and showing us, has prepared us for the plans He has for us, our families, cities, and the nations in 2023.

Today, we will talk about the Great Commission Jesus gave us before He ascended to the Father’s right hand in heaven after His resurrection.

And He said to them, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:15–18

You may be asking, “How do I do these things?” Just like Jesus did!

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Luke 4:18–19

“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38

When Jesus ministered on the earth, He sent His disciples out, giving them His authority and power (Matthew 10:7–8; Luke 9:1–6; 10:1–20). He has also given us His authority (exousia) and power (dunamis) as He sends us forth (Matthew 28:18–20)! He has given us His name to use which is exalted above every name (Philippians 2:9-11). We always heal the sick and cast out demons using the name of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Even though Jesus is the Son of God, He set His Divine privileges aside and operated as a man on earth filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit, who anointed Him after His water baptism before starting His earthly ministry (Luke 3:21–22). He didn’t work one miracle until the Holy Spirit came upon Him. (Luke 1:35). Only after He received the Anointing did He preach, heal the sick, cast out demons, and do the mighty works of God.

Jesus promised the in-dwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16–17). So when we are born again, the Holy Spirit comes in with His in-dwelling Presence and makes us a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Jesus also promised to give His disciples and all believers power from on High, or the Holy Spirit upon, in-filling power through the baptism with the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5). He knew that we couldn’t fulfill the Great Commission in our own power.

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was on the Day of Pentecost, but believers can still receive Him today because He hasn’t left (Acts 2:32–33; 38–39)! This two-fold work of the Holy Spirit is available to all believers, and each is a separate, definite experience.

The Anointing of the Holy Spirit is the presence and power of God made manifest that lives within you and comes upon you (1 John 2:27; Acts1:8). Jesus had the Spirit without measure, and He lives in us individually and in the body of Christ, His church (John 3:27–36). We are His body working on earth to do His goodwill.

The Anointing is the person of Jesus Christ manifesting Himself by grace in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. In Hebrew – “the anointing” and “Messiah” come from the same root word; in Greek, the word for Christ, Cristos, means “the anointed one.” Christ in English means anointed – “to pour over, to smear or rub into.” Therefore Jesus Christ means the Anointed One and His Anointing.

We, believers, have had the Holy Spirit living within us ever since we were born again. But when the Holy Spirit comes upon us through baptism with the Holy Spirit, we are anointed for supernatural ministry just like Jesus was, to do the Father’s works. However, Jesus also said we would do greater works.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” John 14:12

We receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit by faith, just like all the other blessings of God (not by our feelings; 2 Corinthians 5:7). Remember, it is not just an experience but the reality of the person of the Holy Spirit in us and working through us. The Bible reveals different ways that people receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, i.e., by asking, by prayer, by laying on of hands, etc. (Luke 11:9-13; Acts 8:14-17; 10:44-46; 19:6).

Today if you would like to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, you can have a Pastor or ministry leader pray for you, lay hands on you, or you can pray and ask Jesus yourself according to Luke 11:9-13. Remember, according to Luke 3:16, Jesus is baptizing with the Holy Spirit. Following this, you may begin to speak with other tongues, and I want to encourage you to do this as the Holy Spirit gives you utterance (Acts 2:4; 19:6).

Lord Jesus,

I ask you to baptize me with the Holy Spirit. I fully expect to receive by faith power from on high and to speak with other tongues as the Holy Spirit gives me utterance. Thank you for pouring the Holy Spirit upon me and immersing me in Him.

In Your name, I pray, Amen.

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Well, now that we are all endued with power from on high, we can follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and reveal and declare that God’s kingdom is here preaching the gospel, healing the sick, casting out demons, etc. We can also show God’s kingdom by walking in love.

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

Once again, you may ask, “How do I do this”? In the Gospels, Jesus and the Apostles in the book of Acts show us how. The Holy Spirit may also lead you to other materials to read and watch. So follow His leading because there are a lot of deceptive materials and teachings in the world today (1 John 4:1).

Every Spirit-filled believer has the same resurrection power that Jesus had because Jesus lives in us by the power of the Holy Spirit (Colossians 1:27; Romans 8:11)! Christ has already won the victory, and we are to enforce it. We are seated together in Glory (Heavenly places) in Christ at the right hand of the Father (Ephesians 2:4). What is Christ’s is now ours (Galatians 2:20).

Even as Jesus said and did, we too can do nothing by ourselves and must also listen to the Father and obey Him (John 5:19; 15:5). Jesus used different ways to heal the sick. Just as the Apostles did, we can follow His example as the Holy Spirit prompts us. And many times, people who do not follow the ways of Jesus to heal the sick, do not get His results!

Speak, command, talk to the mountain; i.e., eyes be healed in the name of Jesus. Mark 11:22–24 says whoever shall SAY (not pray). We are to speak with authority because God’s power is in us!
- In Matthew 8, Jesus spoke the Word, and the centurion’s servant, who was miles away, received healing (Matthew 8:5–13). So we, too, can stand in a prayer line for a friend or relative who is sick, and they can be healed by the power of God as well because God is omnipresent.
Rebuke; Jesus rebuked the fever, and it left (Luke 4:38-39).
Laying on of hands (Mark 16:18). Expect people to get healed when we lay hands on them.
Speaking and touching use two faith principles (Mark 1:40–42; Mark 5:35–40; Luke13:10-17).
- You can also lay your hands on yourself. The Anointing and Glory are in every believer’s hands to heal yourself. Lay hands on the body part or as close as possible and release the Glory!
- Followed by faith in action because Jesus had people put their faith in action (Mark 3:5; John 5:8; 9:7).
Laying on of hands, giving a command, plus putting their faith promptly into action before doubt and unbelief come!
With an incurable or chronic disease, e.g., cancer, binding the strongman (Satan) and casting out the demonic spirit from the person’s body or soul (Ephesians 6:12) in the name of Jesus may be necessary before healing can take place, then command to what is needed, i.e., bones in the spine straighten, legs/arms grow, seeds of cancer die, bone marrow produce healthy blood, etc. If the demonic spirit is not cast out, the disease can come back.
Jesus let people who needed healing touch Him and His clothes, and the power of the Holy Spirit flowed out of Him (Luke 6:19; Mark – 34; 6:56).
The early church manifested God’s power
- Peter’s shadow brought healing when it fell on sick people (Acts 5:15–16)
- When placed on people, Paul’s aprons and handkerchiefs healed diseases, and evil spirits went out of them. Sending a prayer cloth (prayer and laying on of hands) to people works similarly.
- Calling for the elders, prayer, and anointing with oil in the name of the Lord; the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven (James 5:14 – 15).
- And everywhere they preached, the Lord worked with them and confirmed the Word through the accompanying signs (Mark 16:20).

Remember, even though we are talking about different ways to heal the sick, God is always sovereign, and He can heal a person anyway He wants to (Isaiah 55:8-9)!

Are you ready to expand God’s Kingdom in 2023? Jesus said in Luke 10:2 that the harvest is great, but the laborers are few. We do not have to be afraid. We are anointed to do these works. We learn to recognize and hear His voice when we develop an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit through worship, prayer, and meditation (contemplation, studying, mulling over) of the Bible. Then it is up to us to follow His promptings and obey in faith, trusting He is there with us.

Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8

The Lord has commissioned all believers to preach the gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons, etc. The risen Christ has defeated Satan’s power at Calvary and has given all power to His followers. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places, and together, we rule! Therefore, we can overthrow the enemy in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Lord! The Holy Spirit within you and upon you is ready to do ministry through you!

The Lord also has a specific assignment for you and me in 2023. I am seeking the Lord for what He has for me in 2023. Where are you called to engage in the expansion of God’s Kingdom? Spend some time in prayer and worship with Him and ask Him what this might be. Listen for His voice and follow His leading. Then, when God appoints you to do something, He will also Anoint you. Each of us has a purpose and destiny to be fulfilled for such a time as this!

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