And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord .…. when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard ~ Luke 1:11-13a.
Introduction
Without any doubt, the modern day Christian needs divine direction, strong interventions and supernatural assistance now more than ever! Why? Troubling end time signs and prophecies as foretold by Jesus are being fulfilled daily (Luke 21:16-28; Mark 13:5-23).
However, no matter the circumstances, fulfilling our destiny is top on God's priority list. He expects us to forget the failures of the past and seize today's incredible opportunities (James 1:17). He’s calling us, therefore, to a deeper relationship with Him, so we can walk in His light and experience His power afresh.
Basically, God created two distinct but closely interwoven worlds: the spiritual and the natural worlds. Both are real, and they have beings, things, processes, etcetera.
The spiritual world was designed to operate, directly and indirectly, as an invisible power in the natural world. In fact, though the natural world exists and behaves based on observable natural laws, it is powered indirectly by the invisible spiritual power (Hebrews 1:3).
Occasionally, the spiritual essence operates directly in the natural world, causing visible manifestations beyond natural laws. Whenever a “spirit being” directly interrupts natural principles and laws to create tangible states and phenomena, we call it “supernatural intervention” (Luke 5:4-9).
Actually, all genuine Christians, recreated in Christ Jesus, are supernatural beings (Hebrews 12:9). God made the supernatural life possible and accessible for us through that Eternal Door, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:16). However, we were made to live, both in the natural and the supernatural dimensions.
We must, therefore, open our eyes and see the world for what it is, and understand the hidden operations of darkness in plain sight. Being careful not to allow unbelief, carnality or unwillingness to block our supernatural manifestations, we must re-orientate our minds and release our faith to make our environments supernatural-friendly.
Particularly we must keenly familiarize ourselves with the agents that God typically deploys to assist us, and become more conversant with their operational details and modes of engagement.
Sudden and Glorious Supernatural Events!
We human beings generally tend to be set in our ways, relapsing easily into our old traditions and natural lifestyles (Acts 11:1-16). But, we must rather recognize God’s readiness to visit us and return our exiles (Psalms 126:1-6).
Whenever God visits us, He brings heaven to earth, and bestows heaven-on-earth experiences upon us in all ramifications of life: homes, health, finances, careers and callings. How? Wherever the “Head” is, defines the functional headquarters!
Zacharias and his wife, Elisabeth, once experienced a sudden and remarkable supernatural intervention (Luke 1:5-7). They both came from the priestly lines with amazing godly heritage, walking in righteousness and serving the Lord faithfully.
Now, Elisabeth was barren. They prayed, but it seemed like answers wouldn’t come soon. However, they never gave up on God, but remained very faithful. In fact, whenever Zacharias served the Lord on the altar, he did so without any hint of bitterness, grumbling or complaining.
Then, suddenly, a supernatural being, an angel, appeared to him, saying: “Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John” (Luke 1:13).
Angels are messengers from the Lord, and mighty warriors with prodigious strength (Daniel 10:6). They’re holy agents that God typically deploys on supernatural assignments, to minister to His children in diverse ways, and to craft the wonders that they see and experience (Hebrews 1:14).
There is a high note of great significance in this temple encounter! Prior to the event, there hadn’t been any heavenly experience amongst the people of Israel for about four hundred years: no prophecies, angels or miracles. Those were the “silent years” in-between the Old and the New Testaments. Yet, Zacharias and Elisabeth believed God!
Mary the mother of Jesus also experienced an out-of-this-world dimension of supernatural operations at the conception and birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:30-45).
Unarguably, this was the noblest miracle and the most dizzying wonder that ever happened. Of course, there’s no human explanation for how Mary became pregnant. The angel only hinted, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee”. And Mary believed (v35-38)!
We too must readily give all it takes to ensure that supernatural encounters become our commonplace experiences via a deep, passionate and growing hunger for the things of God.
Charging the Angels for Supernatural Performance!
We now know that God gave His angelic hosts charge over us, to run errands for us (Psalms 91:9-12). But what remains to be learnt is the fact that God also gave us charge over them, to release them on assignments.
In Psalm 103:20-22, we see how David instructed angels to praise God, and how he also commanded his environment to bless the Lord. Admirably, he was able to do these because his habitation was so rich in praise and the fear of God, as a regular lifestyle.
Now, if David who was not “born again”, so to say, could have a fair rule in the realm of the spirit via the use of the Word, how much more we who have been redeemed by the blood and are now seated in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-7).
We must faithfully cherish our privileged position in Christ, and be ever thankful for it. Indeed, we can still daze our world and enjoy the fullness of the heavenly resources if we dutifully compel the earth to align with God’s Will, always (Matthew 6:10).
The Cost of Supernatural Release
As we aspire to soar higher supernaturally and relish the glories of God’s presence, we must keep in mind that there’s a cost they attract. In its generic sense, it's called repentance and dying to our selfish natural inclinations.
We must relinquish ownership of our lives and let God have His way, embracing the go-big attitude and soaring with all manner of prayer and fasting, to set the stage for the supernatural through the accomplished works of Christ.
When our natural senses fail, then our spiritual senses become quickened, as it’s commonly experienced during prolonged fasting, and we’re thus enabled to witness things that ordinary mortals cannot.
In addition, your bold declaration of God’s Word on issues will further demonstrate how you value the release of the supernatural (Psalms 18:44-45). Nothing happens in the kingdom without a declaration (Genesis 18:17-18).
Moreover, a lifestyle of sharp sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, obedience and positive actions based on firm confidence in the integrity of God’s Word are very crucial to provoking the supernatural.
Friends, let’s come boldly into the heavenly realms, putting our faith to task. The Holy Spirit will then lift us up on eagle's wings, and cause us to ascend into God’s Presence to encounter things beyond earthly words.
Nonetheless, we must always allow God’s wisdom to prevail in all circumstances (Psalms 46:10). And, please, be patient: a person who never gives up cannot be defeated (Isaiah 40:31).
As you develop your supernatural foresight with this truth and act accordingly, be aware that you’re creating the atmosphere for supernatural performances, which could grant you a meteoric rise in your faith and dominion.
Beloved brethren, it’s time now to pant after supernatural Christianity, taking hold of what belongs to us. Thereafter, men, angels and nature will cooperate to minister to us and assist us in our assignments. You won’t miss this, in Jesus Name. Amen. Happy Sunday!
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Bishop Taiwo Akinola,
Rhema Christian Church,
Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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