Well, we have had an interesting several weeks, and we will all long remember our encounter with a woman named Irma.... she was a giant... and she showed us that it is certainly true that the worst of times brings out the best in a community, as folks reached out to one another at a greater level than we normally see.
The level of compassion and aid which has poured into the area, is overwhelming and inspiring. We have seen the power of compassion and love operating among us, which has the ability to change our mess into a message and our test into a testimony. We have seen compassion confront great needs and take authority over them.... Much of the authority that touches our lives, operates from the outside, but those who lead by love and compassion change us from the inside out. We were blessed to team up with Words of Life Church in Miami, and the American Legion on Stock Island…..We were able to clear several properties and offer an assortment of supplies to those who came to the distribution area….
It reminds me of the scripture in Isaiah 59:19 "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him". ....Our source is supernatural which far out weighs the natural....
Today we will continue the series….”Another Name For Christian”…. Our subject today is “Another name for Christian is Ruler”…..
The Merriam-webster dictionary defines authority as, "The ability to determine things, to lead by permission, to delegate, and to enforce something previously agreed.
George Carlin said "I have as much authority as the most powerful person on earth, I just don't have as many people who believe it".
Shakti Gawain....When we are constantly doubting our own authority, because we are always looking to others for validation, and approval, we give our personal power away.
1Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, that you are called unto, and continue to profess a good profession before many witnesses. v13 I give you charge in the sight of God, who quickens all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate mantained a good confession.. v14 Keep this commandment without spot and remain uncompromised, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: v15 Whichin his times he shall show who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, v16 Who alone has this unique immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen".
Then we see....Revelation 1:8 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty".
These titles describe an absolute, all incompasing, Imperial authority... "The king of kings and lord of lords"....."The Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and the End"....
But wait, there's more....Hebrews 7:24 "But this man Jesus, because he continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood".
Now we have added the title of "Priest"... and these together cover the whole scope of human life. The king is supreme over the lives and property of men; the priest holds sway over the hearts and consciences. If the legal and the sacred power are then combined in one person, nothing can escape from its domination. The thoughts, the feelings, the conduct—all the inward sources of action, and all the external ingredients of human existence, wealth and poverty, freedom and slavery, life and death, every hope and every fear of which man is capable—all are subject to his sway. He who possesses this twofold authority stands on the loftiest pinnacle of human power, of human pride, of glory, human as King and Lord and Priest forever!!!
And here's where it really gets incomprenhensible......
Revelation 1:5 "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, v6 And He has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Russell M. Nelson....It is vital that we understand the source of our authority and we need to master the keys that control its power.
There is only one who has the authority to grant to someone the title of King and priest.... it is the one who holds all power and all authority Himself. "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords"...and "Priest forever"
Only one could qualify us by granting us the great gift of salvation, so that through the Holy Spirit's entrance, we are given that which flows from His Spirit into our spirit.....the impartation of keys to rulership!!!
Really, if the truth were known, you don't give God authority over your life. He already has it, totally and completely. However, when we yield to His authority, the result is His favor, which releases power in your own life to accomplish His will.
Isaiah 10:27 "And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing".
In order to guard the anointing which we have received of the Lord, we must guard the thought gate, the heart gate, the eye gate, the ear gate, and the mouth gate. These are all places of entrance into our spirit. It is so easy in this day we live, to allow your spirit to become confused by all that is taking place in the world around us. As the old saying goes, "the smallest boat can cross the biggest ocean as long as the ocean stays out of the boat"!
Let's take a moment and eavesdrop on a conversational prayer Jesus is having with the Father and we can see His heart desire to impart and transfer rulership and authority even as it takes place.....
Jesus is speaking in John 17:19 "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. v20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for all those also which shall believe on me through their word. v21 That they all may be one, as You are Father, in me, and I in You, that they also may be one in us... that the world may believe that You have sent me.
v22 And the glory which You gave unto me I have given unto them, that they may be one, even as we are one. v23 I in them, and You in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent me, and have loved them, as You have loved me. v24 Father, I will that they also, whom You have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which You have given me, for You loved me before the foundation of the world".
Jesus knew that in order to be effective in spreading the gospel of the kingdom through- out the world, He would need to transfer His rulership to all those who would believe in Him.
So a quick review would let us see that on the day of Pentecost, the crown of His authority to do His works in the earth....came and rested upon His disciples and became available to all who would receive it. Jesus won't take anyone any further than they are willing to go, but to those who are willing, He will give power from on high!!
Act 1:8 "But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth".
Since we're talking about the Christian as those God has chosen to have rulership in the earth.....we need to reflect often upon and have an understanding of the "power" which Jesus said He would give.....this power is a force, a God given ability, an abundance, a purpose, having supernatural might, possibilities, enablement, supply, and mighty works....
The word "Power" in Acts 1:8. is translated into 4 Greek words.....
Dunamis, Exousia, Ischus, and Kratos...so let’s have a quick review….
Dunamis is the power to overwhelm whatever would try to overwhelm you..... It is the source of power or the power producer, the dynamo within us that functions in alignment with God’s power. Just as a light bulb is designed to give light and everything is there to allow it to do what it is designed to do…but it can’t happen until it is connected to a power source… We have all that is needed to accomplish what we need to, but unless we are connected to the power source, it can’t be done….
Luke 10:19 "Behold, I give unto you power (Dunamis) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt (overcome) you".
Someone has said that the enemy would like to cause clergymen to be defrocked and Christian lawyers to be debarred, so doesn’t it follow that, if we don't understand our authority in Christ....electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted or decomposed, cowboys deranged, dry cleaners depressed, laundry workers could be decreased (eventually becoming depressed and depleted), bed-makers will be debunked, baseball players will be debased, bulldozer operators will be degraded, software engineers will be detested, and worthy politicians would be devoted.....Wow! (all that and more)
But Dunamis is the power to overwhelm what has tried to overwhelm you.
It puts the odds in your favor, it levels the playing field, it transforms turkeys into eagles and weakness into strength… Dunamis is the ability to “Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might”…..
The next word for power is "Exousia", this is delegated authority, when someone authorizes you to act in their behalf.... When Jesus spoke those "Exousia" words in Mark 16:15, He is commissioning them and equipping them at the same time.....
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. v16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. v17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. v18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover". (in my name) is a legal term for power of attorney…
When I was growing up, all of my aunts, uncles, and grandparents were given Exousia, by my parents, to act in their behalf, and I couldn't get away with anything!. And when we operate in our Exousia, the Devil can't get away with anything either!!!!
The third word for power is "Ischus"..... we might use the term “A little dab will do you” for this word….It’s about a little becoming a lot… it’s when lack is transformed to plenty, when greatness is wrapped in a small package, when weakness is made to become strength.
Luke 6:38 "Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom". Ischus is the five loaves and two fishes feeding over 5000. Sowe don't look at what we have, but what God says it can be! We look at our lack, at our insuffeciency, our inability, through the power of Ischus!!!!
The fourth word which is translated "Power" is "Kratos".... It’s another way of saying “you will prevail for the battle is the Lord’s” “He will fight for you, so you will surely overcome”…this word is about invincibility, and has to do with what takes place when we are sent by the Lord and we are involved in an assignment from heaven.....When the vision of our hearts becomes the walk in our feet and the work of our hands…..
When the disciples were told by Jesus, to go over to the other side in a boat... even though the worst storm of their lives arose and tried to drown every one of them, they were operating under the Lord's Kratos authority and that superceeded the force of the storm. Because Jesus told them to go to the other side, as they obeyed, they were invincible and the storm could not hurt them until they fulfilled their assignment.
Find your mission, know your purpose, be under orders, get on your assignment, and you need not fear the powers that might try to overwhelm you.....
Proverbs 3:6 “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight”.
We can only access the level of authority which we are willing to acknowledge and accept.....
This also tells us that we need to understand that with all the power and authority which we have looked at, it is important to know that we are not always given what we want because God knows that something better is planned for us, than we had planned! He sees much more than we are able to see….
I heard that after all the hard work for his doctor of Divinity degree, one theologian named Joseph Tweedle refused to walk in the graduation procession, and accepted his degree in private. He said, "It’s bad enough being being named Tweedle without being called "Tweedle, D.D." Well, folks, there are people who refuse to stand up and operate in the authority they have been given for many reasons.....
Jesus summed up all of these phases of power, that He makes available to us, when He taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven"...
Christian rulership is about the alignment factor. It is about coming into harmony with the will of God in all the circles of our influence and connections. It is about God bringing us into His right place, at His right time, with His designated people, for His right reason and purpose.
When our lives become God centered, His will becomes our heartbeat and begins to align us with His deepest desires....
Jesus came to build a kingdom within a kingdom. He came to raise up the kingdom of God in the midst of the kingdoms of men.
Everywhere God's children are is the realm where they are given rulership and authority. It may be the realm of the home, the school, the neighborhood, the workplace, the government, or whatever their circle of influence.
We must be the change we want in the world…. this kingdom authority begins with each one of us.... The greatest obstacle to personal power is ourselves, because we carry the baggage of our own insecurities and past experiences which try to convince us that it can't be done....The desires God placed in you are always possible, but the path to getting there is not always apparent. We must begin to rule our own spirit.....and keep on Belonging, Believing, and Becoming. There may be many things you can’t control, but you can control yourself….
Proverbs 16:32 "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his own spirit is greater than he that takes a city".
How often have we seen it true, that someone who has not bothered with ruling their own spirit, has been given authority, and it becomes the means of their destruction. Their personal character is filled with flaws because of a lack of self-discipline and the power they receive brings those flaws into the spotlight. But there’s good news if we will rule our own spirit….
Isaiah 10:27 "And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing".
In order to guard the anointing (anointing means authorization) which we have received of the Lord, we must guard the thought gate, the heart gate, the eye gate, the ear gate, and the mouth gate. These are all places of entrance into our spirit. It is easy in our time, to allow your spirit to become confused by all that is taking place in the world around us.
We are all the sum total of what we believe.....
An Atheist decided to take a vacation, and go fishing. He picked as his destination a certain lake in Scotland. While out in a boat fishing, the *…..Loch Ness Monster suddenly appeared and frightened him to the point that the Atheist cried out, "Lord, save me, help me Lord!"
A voice from Heaven came down and said, "I thought you did not believe in Me!" The Atheist, was looking a bit sheepish and said "A minute ago, I didn’t believe in the Loch Ness Monster, either."
We become what we believe.....
An important aspect of our rulership in this heavenly kingdom is described as a royal priesthood of believers....
A priest is one who stands before God for others..... it is an intercessory position. As part of God's priesthood in the earth, we are all intercessors.... A royal priesthood indicates that it is a class of kingly priests, who serve before the King of kings Himself….see it again….
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”.
In all that we do, we are called to be those that stand before God in behalf of others.... not just others that we agree with, or others that we call friends, but the ones who have been outside our circle and outside our places of preference.
Remember that our commission is "Go into all the world".....as priests and kings....and as we do in obedience....as part of this priesthood, we visit the sick and poor, we become pro-active in the Church to empower it's mission, to devote some portion, not only of our finances, but of our time and our prayers, to Christ's service...And as we do...He promises in Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy....
This generation we are part of is chosen by God to accomplish something important and significant in His grand scheme of things. This generation is called to contribute what no generation has done, or will do….No matter how dark or how hopeless it may look, God has a plan for each of us in our day, in our generation…..
Since we are to be kings and priest before God in the earth, would you join me in praying together in agreement, a prayer for those who are suffering the devestation which has ravished this island nation of Puerto Rico....
Prayer.....Lord, I join my prayers with the family of faith around the world, for the island nation of Puerto Rico...."Father, Let the nation of Puerto Rico experience your path of wholeness, completeness and restoration, and may it continue to grow brighter and brighter until she reaches the full light of her new day of destiny, in the mighty name of Jesus. I believe together with all her people, that she shall be miraculously brought back from the effects of this devastation. In Jesus’ name, I ask the Father for legions of the Holy Angels to insure her positive and victorious faith filled outcome. We take authority over any stronghold of lack, insufficiency, disease and infirmity, which would try to rise up, in Jesus’ name. Anoint her national spirit, to prosper and Let the fire of Your anointing cause the fires of revival to burn into all her ways, her thinking, and all her procedures... socially, politically, economically, and demographically. Let her become a channel of blessings and a fountain of life for the nations, in Jesus’ name. I thank you for the release of divine favor, angelic involvement and positive results. Father, make Your face to shine upon Puerto Rico, with Divine enlightenment as You bestow Your favor upon her, so that she may continue to be a blessing in her time and place. I thank you and praise you, and give you the honor and the credit for all these things, In Your name and for Your honor and glory I pray, Amen".
And now, as God's priesthood, would you stand before God with someone around you and just stand in your priesthood, and interceed in their behalf....for their family members, their life choices that need to be made, that their needs be met and the supply that God wants to bring to them would come to them....their physical healing, and that the souls in their circle of influence would come to Christ....In Jesus Name.....
