Week 4 Principles of Intercession – 10-2-16 Class Notes
Last week I asked the class to read John chapters 14-17.
Judas had left the room and only the 11 were still there. For the first time, Jesus told them that after he was raised from the dead, he was going away. I have no idea what they had thought, maybe that Jesus would overthrow Rome and become King of Israel – but him leaving them was probably the last thing they thought.
Then he reassured them that he would not leave them as orphans. He would send them someone like himself, except that instead of just being WITH them, the Holy Spirit would be IN them. This passage is about that.
Discussion of John ch. 14-17: I asked the class, Which verses were particularly significant to you? Answers included:
- The Vine, the branches don’t have to DO anything, they just receive the life of the vine by being attached.
- Abiding – but how do you do that, what does that mean? (That word just means to stay. Lots of natural things stay somewhere, like a car or a house – but it is temporary for them. This abiding is not temporary, it is continual and permanent.)
- Whatever we ask will be done by the Father. We discussed that Jesus, Father and Holy Spirit are always in perfect agreement, so don’t get hung up on which one actually brings the answer.
- Greater things, doing greater things than Jesus did. We discussed the definition of greater and examples of how that is fulfilled today. Jesus had been limited to one place at a time, but now he is not. (Greater means of larger dimensions, quality, endurance, and effect.)
On the sea of Galilee when the storm arose, in a panic the disciples woke Jesus up. They probably wanted him to help bail out the boat, but instead he stopped the storm and then asked them, Where is your faith?
They had just been part of the miracle of feeding the 5,000 – it was multiplied in their hands. They should have been able to stop the storm themselves.
That is one of those greater things that we now have power and authority to do. Speak peace to the storm, take authority and rebuke it, and keep doing that. Command the storm to fizzle, to turn away from land and from people. (As with the current Hurricane Matthew.)
My own significant verses:
14:17 – The Holy Spirit has been with you, but will be IN you, he said. Nobody before Jesus had the Holy Spirit dwelling in them – he was present with them for a time, but not inside of them.
14:21 – Jesus will manifest himself to you – emphanizo, inform, appear, show, declare plainly.
14:20, 28 – The Father is greater than the son. How is that possible? Only in that Jesus in human form was limited to one location at a time, but God the Holy Spirit is not limited.
John 17:3 – Jesus definition of eternal life – that we will KNOW him, part of Jesus’ prayer. The only way we could ever truly know him, is by him living inside of us. That is why the Holy Spirit is so necessary, this prayer can’t be answered without that.
We talked briefly about MIS-belief, i.e. believing the wrong thing, believing a lie of the enemy.
Examples of lies of the enemy:
- You don’t deserve God to answer your prayer because of sin. The blood of Jesus paid for ALL your sin; you are his child and heirs of the promises of God.
- Miracles ceased with the apostles, they are not for today. Not true, more miracles occur today than ever.
- God is making you sick to teach you something. No, he does not do that. He teaches through his word and the Holy Spirit.
- Healing is not in the atonement, it is not always God’s will. Jesus healed ALL that came to him. The Greek word for healing is the same as the word for salvation (sozo / soteria). You can’t parse that single individual word.
- “Whatever will be, will be.” That is an Eastern religion belief, not a Christian principle.
- We can’t really know God’s will for sure. Yes, we can. He really wants us to know his will, more than we want to know it. Col. 1:9.
Esther's Petition 