THE WORD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT Kay Keith Peebles 08/23/2019 19.28
It was the end of our second day in India. The night was very dark as we left the city and drove through the black countryside on roads full of potholes. We travelled for over an hour before reaching a small village. The unlit narrow streets seemed to weave around going nowhere. Very few households had any light illuminating the area. After wandering through many twists and turns we quietly arrived at our open air meeting. Suddenly the car stopped as we approached a building. It was surrounded by darkness below, but on the flat rooftop there were bright lights shining.
We were led around the unremarkable building until we came to a staircase on the other side. There were no handrails as we carefully walked up the inconspicuous staircase to the flat roof of the building. On top there were no barriers or safety railings surrounding the space to protect one from falling off. The floor was arranged with about 100 chairs and half of them were already filled with men, women and children. At the other end of the space there was a table covered in a linen cloth. Two microphones rested upon it and there were 4 chairs behind it. We were ushered to those chairs while we listened to the worship music. One man playing a small keyboard sat on the floor while the man beside him played a drum. People continued to stream in for the meeting as we worshipped. The chairs were quickly filled and 20-30 others sat on the floor in the front.
My husband and I were introduced as guest preachers and I was handed the mic. When we were driving in to the village, the Lord had told me what to say as an opening for the meeting. I proceeded to declare the words He had spoken to me. “I have come from the state of Georgia in the U.S. but I am not here to represent Georgia or the United States. I have been sent here as an Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He is the one true God. He is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. He is the only door through which man can be saved and go to heaven. There is only one faith, one hope and one life. There is only one way of salvation and Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him!” At that very moment, the power of God invaded that rooftop church meeting and two people began to shake uncontrollably under the power of the Holy Spirit. By boldly proclaiming who we represented, the Lord backed up His word with signs and wonders. Larry and I both preached that night and as the Holy Spirit continued to work, many were touched. Some were healed while others were born again. Truly the Kingdom of God invaded that hungry group in a nation that is 90% Hindu.
I have been born again since 1980 but I have been seriously studying the Bible since 1978. It is the Word of God that convinced me Jesus is the only Way and it is the Holy Spirit who has kept me on the path of faith. The Word of God and the Power of the Holy Spirit are the two streams that come together to draw the Kingdom of God into the earthly realm. No one can stand against the pressures of the world’s system without both of these critical elements of the faith. They work hand in hand together against the kingdom of darkness and open the door to the Kingdom of Light! They are the two streams that flow from God as we minister around the world.
The reference to the two streams is found in Joshua Chapter 15. Caleb received his portion of the Promised Land and began to divide it among his children. According to Jewish customs, the sons would receive the inheritance. However, Caleb also had a daughter named Achsah and he wanted to bless her with a portion of land. That portion of the land still had idolatrous occupants so Caleb offered that land and his daughter Achsah as a wife to the man who drove out the occupants from that land. Othniel rose to accept the challenge and won Achsah as his wife. Achsah convinced Othniel to go to Caleb and ask a favor from him. Joshua 15:18-19 explains the story. “Now it was so, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, ‘What do you wish?’ She answered, ’Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.’ So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.” Achsah knew for her land to abound and produce a great harvest she needed both the upper and lower streams in order to cause the fields to grow and flourish.
The land with two streams has a dualistic spiritual meaning. One is the need for the Word of God and the Power of the Holy Spirit and the other is our ministry as kings and priests. The Word of God is that which God has made law and cannot be changed. It is what the Lord has declared or decreed in the Bible, His known will, which is eternal! This is the work of a King. A king decrees and declares his rules which become the law of the kingdom. Jesus is the King of all Kings and the Lord of all Lords and He calls believers kings and priests who represent His Kingdom. We are then to declare and decree what He has already said in the Bible, and what He is currently saying.
“And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness (the firstborn from the dead), and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.” Revelation 1:5-6.
“…Out of evey tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on earth.” Revelation 5:9-10.
By declaring what God has declared or decreed, we are enforcing what He has already done in the spirit realm through His life, death and resurrection. We are agreeing with Him that He is the one true God. We are affirming His Kingdom will have no End and there is no power or dominion in all creation greater than His. By doing so, the principalities and powers in the spirit realm are reminded their influence is limited by God’s dominion over them and they must bow to His will in that place.
“Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens…Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved…The LORD reigns.” 1 Chronicles 16:24-31.
“Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful. The voice of the LORD is full of majesty…The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, and the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace.” Psalms 29:1-11.
When we declare His Word, His decrees and His glory, we become a voice for God. We affirm Who He is and that He has dominion over all of creation! We are inviting His Kingdom to invade earth right where we are. “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” Matthew 6:9-13. Hallowed means made holy; consecrated, greatly revered and honored. When we honor, revere and glorify God, His presence comes! The Word of God and the believer king represent the one stream which is the supreme authority of God.
The priest and the power of the Holy Spirit represent the other stream which is the power of God. Just as Jesus is the King of all kings, He is also the High Priest but He also calls believers priests. The high priest had access to the presence of God in the most holy place behind the veil. We can have intimacy with the Holy Spirit but it requires us to humble ourselves before the Lord. When we are surrendered to do His will, consecrated for His work and sanctified or set apart to follow Him alone, we are in the proper position to hear Him clearly and obey Him fully.
“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face.” Psalm 24:3-6.
“For you do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; you do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:16-17.
When our conscience is clear and our devotion is pure, intimacy with the Holy Spirit is sweet and powerful. Servanthood becomes friendship with God, and like a son, we become a part of our Father’s business. Just as Jesus is the King of all kings and the Most High Priest, He calls us to be kings and priests. Our function as priest not only ministers to the Lord but also to the people. In that capacity we will see the Power of the Holy Spirit touching, healing and delivering the people from bondage. Signs and wonders confirm the preaching of the Word of God. “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied [it]. Amen.” Mark 16:20. Miracles, signs and wonders back up the declarations of who He is and what He has done. They affirm to the people that He is the one true God.
When the two streams flow together, the Word and the Power of the Holy Spirit, the king and the priest, heaven will invade earth. It is time. The harvest is ready. Heaven will converge with earth in this day and in this hour if we will take up the mantle of king and priest. We must give Him the glory due His name and invite the Holy Spirit to touch His people as only He can do.
