²¹ And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”– Luke 4:16-19,21 NKJV

There are many great lessons of faith that we can glean from this passage of scripture and volumes of great teachings taken from this text. I want primarily to focus on how Jesus found himself in the Word of God. Since Jesus was our example, there are principles from His life and ministry that will help us find ourselves in the Word also.

The first key to finding ourselves in the Word is not on the surface in this passage but comes from history. Many assume since Jesus deliberately turned to what we now know as Isaiah 61, that He was acting independently. I assumed for years that Jesus turned there for no other reason than as a text for a sermon. However, the truth is the scripture reading in the synagogue in those days was very structured. There were certain scripture passages that were to be read on certain days. So the Father God worked it out by divine providence that Jesus read that particular scripture on that day! You may be thinking, “That is interesting, I guess. But, what does that have to do with me?”  The principle I want to draw from our example, the Lord Jesus, is also our first key.

*You will never miss God by submitting to the leadership, especially the Pastor, in the local church.*

Not submitting to leadership takes many forms. Some think it is not necessary to go through any proving period the local church requires before getting to serve.  You may say, “I already know everything in that foundational class that the church requires. I need to be about preaching to the multitudes.”  The point is not what you know or do not know. It is do you have the humility to submit to the protocol laid down by church leadership. It is, after all, the humble that get the grace.

⁶ But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud,  But gives grace to the humble.”- James 4:6 NKJV

¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. – I Corinthians 15:10 NKJV

We will never know who we are apart from God’s grace that increases through exercising humility.

² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.- Romans 5:2 NKJV

We cannot stand apart from God’s grace.

Others may say, “I can play the guitar a whole lot better than Brother Doo-didley. Why can’t I get on the platform? I’ve been here three whole weeks.” The very fact that you have that attitude proves you are not ready to serve in the local church. You are serving your own agenda not the agenda of the Kingdom of God expressed through the local church.

The truth is that God will often test your character. Don’t get me wrong, God does not send calamity, sickness and car wrecks to teach us. Nevertheless, sometimes, He will seem to promote someone you think is less qualified than yourself so you can see what is in your heart. The Holy Spirit spoke to me a while back and said, “Any chance to exercise humility is good for you” (It was not what I wanted to hear but it is true nonetheless).  Proving time in the local church, be it through time or a foundational class, also gives you a chance to catch the vision of that particular local body. It is important that all the members of that local body say the same thing.

¹⁰But I urge and entreat you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in perfect harmony and full agreement in what you say, and that there be no dissensions or factions or divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your common understanding and in your opinions and judgments.- I Corinthians 1:10 Amplified.

*See yourself doing the works of Jesus.*

The second key to finding yourself in the Word of God is to look at what Jesus did. Many people who have bracelets that say W.W.J.D. (What would Jesus Do for those of you who have been vacationing on Mars the last 20 years or so) have a very limited view of that concept. They see doing what Jesus did as simply being good to your neighbor and not stealing his mule. We should be good to our neighbor and love one another. However, there is more to W.W.J.D. than just not being mean. We are to do the works Jesus did in His earthly ministry.

¹² “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. ¹³ And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.- John14:12 NKJV

I know this is hard on religious thinking. But, as John Osteen used to say, if the Word of God rubs the cat the wrong way, let the cat turn around. This is Jesus. He will not have to give an account to himself for idle words (Matthew 12:36). When Jesus says “most assuredly”, that is big. Many Christians make the mistake of worshiping the works of Jesus. We are to worship the person of Jesus while demonstrating and duplicating the works of Jesus. Others believe that Jesus did the works He did because He was the Son of God. Yet Philippians 2:7 lets us know that Jesus emptied Himself of all His divine privileges in His earthly ministry.

⁷ but made Himself of no reputation (mar- emptied Himself of His privileges), taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. -Philippians 2:7 NKJV

⁷But stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. -Philippians 2:7 Amplified Bible

⁷but did empty himself, the form of a servant having taken, in the likeness of men having been made,-Philippians 2:7 Young’s Literal Translation

Although Jesus never ceased being God, He willfully laid aside His divine privileges and operated as a man anointed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was totally dependant upon the Father and the Holy Spirit in His earthly ministry.

³⁸ 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 NKJV

¹⁹ Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.- John 5:19 NKJV

Jesus demonstrated the faith life through His earthly ministry then died and rose again in redemption so that the faith life can now be duplicated in millions rather than just one man. The Book of Acts chronicles Jesus’ followers doing the works of Jesus. We are to be a continuation of the Book of Acts.

*Find yourself in the New Testament Epistles.*

Thirdly, you need to find yourselves in the New Testament epistles (letters) (Romans to Jude). You need to understand that the New Testament is written to us. It is a handbook for New Testament life.

Many times at shopping malls or amusement parks, you come across these large maps to help you get where you want to go. There is usually an arrow pointing to a certain spot on the map with a caption saying, “You are here.”  I used to look around suspiciously as if to say, “How do they know where I am. They must be watching me.” (I’m being a little silly but stick with me it will turn out all right.) Then later my lightening fast reasoning figured out that if I am reading that sign, then I must be standing there. The same is true concerning the New Testament. If you are born again and you are reading the New Testament then you are in those promises. You are In Christ and therefore rightful heir to everything promised in those letters.

⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.- John15:7 NKJV

¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.-   II Corinthians 3:18 NKJV

¹⁸And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.- II Corinthians 3:18 Amplified

*Find yourself in the Old Testament.*

Fourthly, we need to learn to find ourselves in the Old Testament. Now, don’t let me lose you now. We’ve made it this far. Some New Testament believers think that the Old Testament has nothing to offer them. It is just good history that gets us to the important stuff. Others believe that it only applies to the Hebrew race and we Gentiles are left out.

Let us let the Bible speak for itself. First, consider the initial call of Abraham, through whom God initiated the Old Covenant.

¹ Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.  ² I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.  ³ I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” –Genesis 12:1-3 NKJV

See, that verse was sounding very Jewish to start with, (“I will make you a great nation”) but then he brings us in with “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed”. Therefore, God’s blessing coming to all families was God’s plan from the beginning. This principle is also illustrated in how God built Abraham’s mental image.

¹⁷ blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. Genesis 22:17 NKJV

I always assumed that both the stars and the sand represented the same truth. According to *Kevin Connor, the sand represents Abraham’s natural, earthly seed and the stars represents his heavenly seed.

*Interpreting Types and Symbols, Kevin Connor

The heavenly seed is you and I who are born again.

³Jesus replied, “I tell you for certain that you must be born from above before you can see God’s kingdom!” John 3:3 Contemporary English Version

In Christ, we have a right to claim all the promises of the Old Testament.

¹³ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), ¹⁴ that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

²⁹ And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.-Galatians 3:13-14,29 NKJV

According to this passage, we have the right to claim all the blessings of the Old Testament and none of the curses!

¹⁶ Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law (Abraham’s natural descendants), but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all ¹⁷ (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”)… Romans 4:16-17 NKJV

²⁰ For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.-II Corinthians 1:20 NKJV

*Finding your assignment*

Finally, I want to discuss finding yourself in the Word of God relative to God’s specific will for your life. Up to this point, we have talked about God’s general will for every believer. It is God’s will for every believer to be born-again, healed, prospered and victorious. This falls under God’s general will. How do we find what God has called us to do specifically in the Word of God? The first clue is desire.

⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.-Psalm 37:4 NKJV

When you are reading the Bible what passages strike a strong desire in you? That is a clue to what God has called you to do. I remember as a new believer listening to Bible on cassette (now I’ve dated myself). I used to get great joy listening to Jesus correcting the flakey doctrine of the Pharisees and building a scriptural defense from the Word of God. That was a signpost pointing me in the direction God was taking me in ministry. Much of the way I minister is apologetic. That is not to say I apologize for what I believe, but it is a term we get from I Peter 3:15.

¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;- I Peter 3:15 NKJV

The word “defense” in this passage (translated “answer” in the original King James) is the Greek word “apologion” which simply means to offer a verbal defense for what you believe. So, the passage that brought me joy and made me say “I want to do that” was one way I found myself in the Word. What scriptures bring you joy and sparks you to action?

²⁰ For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.-Ecclesiastes 5:20 NKJV

²⁰For he shall not much remember [seriously] the days of his life, because God [Himself] answers and corresponds to the joy of his heart [the tranquility of God is mirrored in him].-Ecclesiastes 5:20 Amplified

True contentment comes from doing what God calls you to do. If you are discontented, seek God and make sure you did not get off course.

The Second clue is anger. According to Mike Murdock, whatever angers you is what you are assigned to correct.  I get angry when I read about Korah, Dathan, and Abiram in Numbers 16. They rose up against Moses in rebellion. It angers me because I see so many people shipwreck themselves because they rebel against spiritual authority. This anger points to the fact that God has put a hunger in my heart to encourage believers to stay faithful to the local church and submit themselves to a pastor.

The third clue is the thing that grieves you. Whatever grieves you (also from Mike Murdock) is what God has assigned you to heal. I get grieved when I read Hosea 4:6 that God’s people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. So that points to my desire to teach. I also get grieved when Jesus sees the people scattered like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). This points me to the fact that I desire to see those who have not heard the faith message to hear it. What grieves you?

Review: Steps to finding yourself in the Word.

1. Submit yourself to a man of God in the context of the local church.
2. See yourself in Jesus’ earthly ministry.
3. See yourself in the Epistles (letters) to the churches.
4. See yourself in the Old Testament.
5. Find your divine assignment by finding biblical accounts that bring you joy and make you say, “I want to do that”.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

After Jesus’ resurrection in Luke 24, He gave the disciples some final instructions—simple instructions. He told them to stay in the city because He was going to send them what had been promised of the Father. He said he was going to send them power from on high (v.49). The disciples did not question or try to psychoanalyze this; they stayed continually at the temple praising God (v.53). Now, let’s look at Acts.

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk^[b] from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

—Acts 1:12-14; 2:1-4

Besides the obvious, there are two more things I want you to notice about this miracle. First, as with every miracle in the Word, it is preceded by human action. Not just any action, obedient action by faith. Additionally, all of them were filled! Not just the original disciples and not just the men. Later in Acts, gentiles also received this gift. So right from the start, God eradicates the idea that this gift of the Spirit was only for certain people. The steps are simple—are you ready to receive?

Step one. Ask God for the gift. Jesus said in Luke  11:13, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Step two. Praise God for the gift! Yes, it’s that simple. Remember what I’ve been telling you from the start. Look back at Luke 24:53. They continually praised God.

Step three. Get your spirit, soul and body on one accord (Acts 2:1). Basically, your thoughts and actions should line up with what you want and what your spirit needs. For example, if you wanted to lose 20 pounds, would you keep eating fast food and being sedentary? Keep your childlike faith and get yourself on one accord.

Step four. Receive it. As you pray the Psalms or simply thank God for His goodness, begin to sing your own song to Him. Begin to speak from your Spirit—the language is there, you just have to let it flow. Don’t let your natural ears deter you (or the enemy either for that matter!). It may sound and feel strange at first, but remember you are not of this world anyway! The more you hear the sound, the more comfortable you’ll become speaking. The presence of God will become more tangible to you. Do this wherever you feel comfortable. It could be in a worship service, in your kitchen or driving on the interstate (keep your eyes open while driving!). That’s simple enough—now take action.

Pitfalls and Further Instructions

When you are initially baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of tongues, it will probably be a very emotionally moving experience. However, it will not be that way every time you speak in tongues. I pray this way daily, but I’m not crying or getting goose bumps everyday. It’s just like praying in your native language, sometimes you really sense God’s presence and other times you don’t. In fact, simply look at it that way—you’ve become bilingual.

Another practical piece of advice it this, don’t become a spiritual weirdo. We want to make disciples, not scare them off! Unless someone is comfortable with you praying in tongues around them, don’t. Here I’m speaking of situations in which you may be praying for an unbeliever. Inappropriate use of tongues can even stunt the growth of a new believer. If all you ever do is pray in the Spirit or go around talking about what the Spirit told you, you will put others off. This can create an inferiority complex or confuse the thinking of another person. Paul said, “But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue (1 Corinthians 14:19).” When you’re alone or in the company of someone in agreement, pray in tongues all you want, but use wisdom. We’ll study this more in another article.

Finally, don’t expect to hear instructions right away or on every detail of your life. Again, this is not complicated. Just live your life as you know to live it according to God’s Word. Remember and meditate on the verses above. He’s our guide; He knows all things. This means if we are headed in the wrong direction, He will point us to the right way—He won’t force us. Or, if we need help with a difficult decision, He’ll give us peace when we make the right choice. The more we follow His lead, the better we’ll become. Soon, you’ll be as I mentioned in a previous article—asking the Holy Spirit to help you find a lost toy!

The steps are simple: ask, praise God, get on one accord and receive! Then leave your praise reports as comments on this page! I’m excited for you already!

Be blessed friends, and have the perfect day everyday!

Psalm 138:8

—Shontta