Last night while in prayer I had a vision of the ‘Hunga Tonga’ Volcanic Eruption, as it was seen from space. When I first saw the image on television, it was amazing to see, and here in New Zealand we heard the explosion 2000 kilometers away. The plume went up for 58ks (190,000 feet). To give you an idea of how high this was, passenger jets fly between 30,000 to 40,000 feet. The mountain next to where I live is 8,260 feet high. After the explosion the sonic pressure waves from the volcano travelled 6 times around the world at 720mph.
This eruption was the largest explosion ever recorded by man, and was equivalent to the power of an 8.4 Earth Quake and 61 Megatons of TNT.
The greatest nuclear bomb ever made was the ‘Tsar Bomba’ nuclear bomb detonated by Russia in 1961. It was 50 Megatons of TNT. To give you an idea of how big this was, it was 3,300 times greater than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, (a mere 15 kilotons) which ended the second world war. Hiroshima in comparison was like a little puff of smoke to the giant palm tree created by the ‘King of Bombs’ (Tsar Bomba).
I had my Birthday on the 15th of January 2022 and was believing for a blessing, as it was my 50th birthday as a Christian, my Jubilee year. This eruption happened on my birthday, and I really felt God was trying to tell me something, but I couldn’t figure out what.
It has only been since ministering in London in August 2022 that I have begun to understand what the Lord was trying to show me.
I had been preaching and meditating on Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17-20 and Philippians 3:10. He prays that we might ‘know’ the overflowing power of Christ’s Resurrection that is working within us.
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 1:18-23
Paul prayed that we might ‘know’ this ‘incomparable’ great power. In other words nothing actually compares to it. The bible tells us that we have this power in us as ‘Spirit filled’ believers. The facts may say that it isn’t so but the truth says that it is. We have received power (dunamis) since the Holy Ghost came upon us. Acts 1:8
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” Romans 8:11
Paul prays in Ephesians 3:16 that we might tap into this power within.
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,” (NIV)
I love how the Passion bible renders this verse.
“And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.”
Paul also says in Philippians 3:10 that He wants to not only ‘know’ Christ but also the explosive power that emanates from His resurrection.
“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection….,” NIV
Again I love how the Passion translation renders this verse.
“And I continually long to know the wonders of Jesus and to experience the overflowing power of his resurrection working in me….”
The power released by Christ’s resurrection is undoubtedly the greatest force ever generated through time and space, for it transcends both the spiritual and the physical realms. It took Christ from the depths of hell to the heights of heaven, raising Him from the dead and placing Him at the right hand of the Father, clothing Him in power and glory. Joseph coming from prison and being seated next to Pharaoh in a place of honour and power, was a mini version of this event.
Christ’s resurrection was higher than the 190,000 foot plume of ‘Hunga Tonga’ or ‘Tsar Bomba’, for it placed Him in the deepest heaven far above all principalities and powers next to the Father.
The shock waves from this event are still going around and around the world 2000 years later bringing people alive to Christ. This explosion doesn’t bring death and destruction like Hiroshima, but ushered in a new resurrected life, an abundant life to all those who believe.
What I feel the Lord was trying to show me through this is that we need to ‘know,’ to understand and believe this power that is within us. We are just scratching the surface of the power within. ‘Blessed are those who have not seen yet believe.’ We need to see it in the word and paint it on our minds and hearts, confessing it until we really believe it. Every time we think on this truth and speak it out, we create a stronger image inside of us, and the word becomes flesh (part of us) so to speak. The trouble is we feed ourselves more on the fantasies of this world and all its bad news than the good news of the gospel and it’s slowing the process down.
We have the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead living in us, but we can restrict His power through negative talk and filling our minds with an abundance of images from the world, and these crowd out this amazing truth. We need to say to the world like Nehemiah did to his enemies as he rebuilt the walls. “I cannot come down, for I am doing a great work.” We too need to build ourselves up and not keep coming down from the work that is set before us and feed upon the stuff the world keeps offering us. It may please the flesh for a moment but it always leads to death.
We can accelerate the process of believing and hastening the day by guarding our hearts, and filling our minds with these amazing truths.
Paul says in Colossians 3:1-2 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Again I love how the passion translation puts these verses.
“Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection too. This is why we are to yearn for all that is above, for that’s where Christ sits enthroned at the place of all power, honor, and authority!” “Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm.”
I’m believing that not only will this truth continue to change me on the inside but eventually overflow into the lives of those around me. I want my words to awaken men’s hearts, so that those who sit in darkness will see a bright light, and open blind spiritual eyes.
I want to be an advertisement of His power working through me as it says in Ephesians 1:19 TPT.
“I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm!”
I believe the world is yet to see the people who understand and appreciate the exceeding greatness of His power that is within them. Realise that it’s your inheritance to be like Christ and also to release His power within. For its then that we will really do the greater things that Jesus said we would do, because we know that He has gone to the Father and we are in Him. John 14:12.-14
“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. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you [ask anything in My name, I will do it. “
Yes you are there too with the Father through your life union with Christ. You are standing before God with Christ within you. John 14:20. Revelation 3:21. John 16:23. Galatians 2:20.
What I believe the Lord was trying to show me was that I have far, far more power in me than I realise. No wonder Paul says in Ephesians 3:20 that God can do exceeding abundantly above what I can ever ask or think.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”Ephesians 3:20
In my next message I want to share some thoughts with you that I have about the Father, and how we come to Him in Jesus name.