Kenneth Copeland - The Gateway To The Supernatural
We're talking about developing a God-inside consciousness and praying, speaking, praising, in a language you haven't learned being the gateway to the supernaturals. Acts chapter eight. Let's go to verse 14. "Now, when the apostles, which were at Jerusalem, heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them, Peter and John, who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. For as yet, he was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus", or in other words, they were baptized in water.
"Then laid there their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost. When Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles hands, the Holy Ghost was given, He offered them money", He wasn't offering them money to get the Holy Spirit. This man, was a sorcerer and he did signs and wonders by the hands of the devil, but then he got born again. And when he saw, when they laid their hands on them, that they received the Holy Spirit.
Now I want to ask you, how did he know? All right, cause this is people who've said, well, now here's one instant, that they didn't speak in tongues, I beg you pardon. "The people in one accord gave heed unto those things, which Philip spake. Hearing and seeing the miracles, which he did". I want to back up, verse four, "therefore they were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them". Now, what did he preach? Well, they preach Christ. I know, I read. What did Jesus preach? The Spirit of the Lord upon me because he has anointed me to preach. From the 61st chapter of Isaiah.
Jesus preached that everywhere he went and then he preached his message. I can prove it by the written Word. And then I have Brother Hagin's testimony in 1950 in Rockwell, Texas, when Jesus took him into heaven. And the Lord told him in that time that he spent there with him, he told him, he said, "I preached that everywhere I went and then I preached my message". Because and he was telling Brother Hagin. He said, now you're gonna have to tell the people that you saw me. And you're gonna have to tell the people that I laid my finger in the palm of your hands and gave you a special anointing to lay hands on the sick. Because if they don't hear it, how can they have any faith in it? And he said, I preached that message everywhere I went.
Well, here in the 10th chapter of the book of Acts, the apostle Peter preached that he did. So that's what Philip was preaching. How God anointed Jesus Christ of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power who went about doing good healing all, that were oppressed of the devil. Amen. That's all they knew. Why would you preach anything else? And they preached in the Name. They preached in the Name. Hallelujah Thank you, Lord Jesus. "Unclean spirits crying out with loud voice came out of many that were possessed with them. And many taken with palsies and they were lame which were healed and there was great joy in the city.
There was a certain man called Simon, which before time in the same city used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria giving out that himself for some great one to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest saying this man is the great power of God. And to him that had regard because of long time, he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also. And when he was baptized", so he was baptized in water this man. This is a born again man now, but he hadn't been born again long and he's still kind of fouled up.
"Now, when the apostles were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria received the word of God. They sent unto them, Peter and John, who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost, for as yet, he was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid their, their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost. When Simon saw that through the laying on, see he saw it. He saw something. When he saw that through the laying on of the apostles hands, the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money saying, 'Give me also this power, that on whomsoever, I lay hands, he might receive the Holy Ghost'. Peter said unto him, 'Your money perish with you because you have thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou has neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God, matter'".
Greek word translated matter here is logos, utterance, utterance. He saw and heard them speak in tongues. So that just slays this argument that these people were baptized in the Holy Spirit, but did not speak in tongues. Amen. That just does away with that. So somebody say, hallelujah. Shama, Shama, glory to God. Praise God. Yeah, amen. So you, you can mark that one off your list, praise God, they spoke with other tongues. He saw and heard it and he wanted that. He wanted the gift of the laying on of hands. Glory to God. I don't blame him.
Now then, let's go to Acts 9:10. Chapter 9:10. Let's back up here. "Saul yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues that he found in any this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound under Jerusalem". Now, you know what happened in the third verse, "suddenly there shined around about him, a light from heaven. He fell to the earth and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why persecute us thou me?'" He didn't say, why are you persecuting my people. He said, you're persecuting me.
Now listen, listen up, all of you in this room. All of you watching on the Victory Network, praise God, listen up. Jesus said, when you've done it to the least of my brethren, you've done it on the me. Now keep your gossiping mouth shut. Keep your judging mouth shut. You're persecuting Jesus. Well, I didn't mean to. I know you didn't mean to, but quit it. Just stop it. You may find out it's a habit that needs to be broken. "Well, Brother Copeland, I didn't judge". Really? You mean to tell me that you have never said, well, if I would been him, I wouldn't have done that. If you had been been him, that's exactly what you'd have done. That's a stupid statement in the beginning. If you'd been him, that's exactly what you'd had done. Meat-head. Let's get right back into this. Yeah. Okay.
"Now then, trembling and astonished, Saul of Tarsus said, 'What will thou have me'"? He said, "Lord, I did it". That got him born again right there. 'Cause he believed in his heart. He said it himself in the 10th chapter, the book of Romans, he said it himself. For any man that believes in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confesses him as Lord with his mouth. He shall be saved or made sound, whole, delivered, healed. Hallelujah. So now we stepped down here. "There was a certain disciple, at verse 10 at Damascus named Ananias".
Now where was Saul headed to start with? Huh? Answer me. Damascus. Well, now isn't that strange. He just thought he was going to Damascus on his own accord. No. Jesus needed him over there in the first place cause that's where Ananias lived. Glory to God. That's what I call going widescreen and see the little thing that bless you so. So now, "arise Ananias, and go into the street which is called Straight, inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he prays. And hath seen in a vision, a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hands on him that he might receive his sight".
Now he wasn't blind by sickness or disease or anything like that. His eyes didn't get injured. He was blinded by that light and the glory and he was still blinded by the light. "Ananias answered Lord, 'I've heard many of this man, how much evil he had done to the saints at Jerusalem. And here he hath authority from the... Here, he hath authority from the chief priest to bind all that call on your name.' But the Lord said unto him, go your way. He is a chosen vessel under me to hear my name, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. I will show him how many great things he must suffer for my namesake. Ananias, went his way and entered into the house putting his hands on him said, 'Brother Saul.' The Lord even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way, as thou camest has sent me that thou might receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost".
Well now wait a minute. The Lord didn't say anything about him being filled with the Holy Ghost. Yes, he did. When? On the way. He didn't quit talking to him just because he left his house and went over there where he was. He's still talking with him. Now that's what Jesus said to him when he saw it in the vision, Ananias. But on the way he obviously said, now I want him baptized in my Spirit. So he carried out the mission, but it didn't say anything about him speaking with tongues.
Well, 1st Corinthians 14:18. "I thank my God. I speak with tongues more than you all". This Corinthian, bunch of tongue-talking, bunch of people. The Classic Amplified says, "I speak with tongues more than all of you put together". Well, you know, when he spoke in tongues, he probably spoke in tongues when Ananias put his hands on him. Cause he received the Holy Ghost when he put his hands on him. He got born again, out there on that road. He put his hands on him and he spoke with other tongues. Amen. Somebody needs to say amen with more gusto than that. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Acts chapter 10. Thank you, Lord. You get anything out of this now?
Acts 10:44. "While Peter"... ah, let's back up. Oh, I don't know, I want to just start there. Let's go. This is when Peter came to Ananias's house. Now this is 10 years after the day of Pentecost. And up to that time, it was strictly a Jewish church. They either had not thought about it or did not believe that a Gentile could be born again or just, I don't think had actually really occurred to them. They're really busy here. They've had 10 years of a lot of action. And then you know the story, Peter was hungry and he is up in the house and fell in a trance and he saw the sheet let down three times. And then he sent him to Ananias' house.
Verse 34. "Peter opened his mouth and said of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation, he that fears him and work with righteousness is accepted with him". Now, here it is. That Jesus preached this message from Isaiah 61. The spirit of the Lord is upon me for he is anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all", excuse me, "that word, I say, you know, which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism, which John preached. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power who went about doing good".
What was the good he went about doing? Matthew chapter nine. He went about teaching, preaching and healing. He went about preaching, teaching and healing. He did more teaching than he did anything else. Amen. In Nazareth there he could do no mighty works. Didn't say he wouldn't say he couldn't. Except he laid his hands on a few people, you know, had minor ailments, which proved man, that healing was his will, he really tried. Amen. So what did he do? It's said, because of their unbelief. What did he do? He went about all of their villages, teaching, preaching, and healing.