Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? v32 He that spared not , his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things"?
We said that an heir only needs to be born to qualify as an heir. We only need to be born again and we qualify!
We are called heirs, not beggars…. Listen, Jesus did not give us the status of First born, to make us beggars… That is not our birthright….(to be beggars) To hear some folks praying and pleading and begging, you would think that instead of “Heirs”… that they are “Beggars”… Please hear me…. Intercession is not begging…. Intercession is placing yourself in a position of representing God’s intentions on behalf of others. It is the role of the priesthood of believers. “One who stands before God in behalf of another”… When you’re in court and you “Plead” your case, it actually means to “Present” your case… it’s not begging….
It’s the wording that is used in…. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”.
1John 5:15 “And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him”. There’s a scripture that let’s us know that we can have that kind of confidence…. Jeremiah 33:3 “Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and shew you great and mighty things, which you can’t even imagine”.
Another function of the priesthood is to be a “Proxy” Thatmeans you actually represent someone else as though they were there. Jesus died in our place, He took our place, and now he calls upon the priesthood to put themselves in the place of another. I’ve heard of intercessors who were impressed to answer an altar call for a wayward child, and stand before God as though it was their child standing there…. Then to see them come to Christ when they were never open before…. When Jesus told us to pray “in earth as it is in heaven”…. That’s proxy…. You’re standing in heavenly places in proxy of someone or of a group.. I know friends who stood for healing, they didn’t stand for themselves but in place of someone else as though it was the person standing there!
Scripture calls it “Standing in the Gap”…. That’s what it means when we read in Ephesians 2:6 “And He has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” We operate out of heavenly places to bring heaven’s rule into the earth…..Sitting indicates a place of rest and acceptance regarding the things of heaven… it indicates that we have settled the issue of kingdom rule and kingdom policies and procedures….Sitting is the position of authority…. Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”. That’s about bringing the blessings that have their source is heaven, into earth….
Ezekiel 22:30 “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none”. Is God calling on you to Stand in the Gap? Some are called upon to stand for a city, or for a person, and God is asking you and me, are we available?
I said last week that you can have power without authority, but you can’t have authority without the power to back it up. A conqueror may have power, but “More than conqueror” has authority… and that’s what God calls his kids! MORE THAN CONQUEROR…. Satan has power, but his authority is stolen and illegal… He’s no match for God’s Spirit within you. When it comes to healing, you have authority with power…when it comes to supplying your needs, you have authority with power….when it comes to defeating Satan in every area of your life, you have authority with power… It’s not about a feeling you have or don’t have… it’s not about goose bumps….it’s knowing and understanding the principal of the authority which you already have been granted….
When you attempt these things without understanding your authority, you end up doing things in your own power and you end up falling short and getting frustrated and stepping over into doubt and unbelief. When the disciples tried to kick the devil out of the boy who was having fits which cast him in the fire… Jesus showed up and used authority to release him, then he turned to the disciples and said “oh ye of little faith”…. Why, because they didn’t understand the authority they had as they acted in Jesus’ behalf and in his name!
Imagine you're speeding down the road, you're pulled over by the police. A polite policeman says, "Would you mind showing me your license and registration, sir?" You say, "No way, Hosea" "Excuse me?" says the cop. Well, You're feeling pretty tough, so you say, "I said no way Hosea." The policeman shows his badge, and repeats, "Your license and registration please, sir." So, you blow him a raspberry. "Okay, out of the car pal," demands the officer. "I don't think so, I like it right here." you say stubbornly. Out comes the gun. He sticks it straight up your right nostril, drags you out of the car, cuffs you, throws you into the squad car, and drives you off to jail. When he showed you his badge, that was a demonstration of authority. When he stuck his revolver in your nose and carted you off to jail, he was demonstrating power - the ability back up that authority. Our badge is our birthright as a child of God…. Our pistol is the name of Jesus!!!!
God has already provided His healing, delivering power and placed it on the inside of every born-again believer. It is up to us to release it. Understanding and using our authority is the key to Satan’s defeat and seeing miracles happen.
You need to say it not just think it…..Matthew 18:18 "Whatever YOU say is bound on earth will be bound in heaven - whatever YOU say is loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven". Someone has said if all else fails, try using words! As the firstborn of God, Your words have power….Use your voice to Subdue opposing spirits, forbid their operation and Decree God’s Word and promises over your….areas of influence, your areas of jurisdiction, the territory God has allotted to the firstborn.
When the disciples finally got a grip on this, some amazing things began to happen, and it changed many lives as they applied this understanding
Acts 3:1-8 “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.”
Cast him down! Bind him! Expose him and Expel him! Flickhim off, Kick him out everywhere you find him! He will never stop trying to take what is rightfully yours! Healing is your birthright… Supernatural supply is your birthright…. Deliverance is your birthright! A Godly home and a Godly legacy is your birthright…. KICK HIM OUT, KICK HIM OUT, KICK HIM OUT….!!! Don’t settle for his shadow government…. He must be exposed and he must lose, so you can win! You can have all that is yours as the rightful heir, as the first born of God…. Authority is yours, a double portion is yours, the priesthood is yours!
People have made the wrong choice for thousands of years. But all that can stop with each and every one of us. Don’t fall for the sour apple trick …..A farmer wanted to keep kids out of his prize winning apples, so he placed the trees at the center of the orchard and planted sour, bitter apples all around them. No one got past the sour apples to taste the delicious ones. Press beyond the sour and bitter things of life, that want to keep you from the most delicious and amazing blessings God has for you. Don’t let the offences, the hurts, the disappointments, cause you to give up or lose faith…..
The blessings are waiting for you to enjoy….
In Christ we have: A love that can never be fathomed:
A life that can never die:
A righteousness that is not of this world
A peace that can never be understood:
A rest that can never be disturbed:
A joy that can never be diminished:
A hope that can never be disappointed:
A glory that can never be clouded:
A happiness that can never be interrupted:
and Resources that can never be exhausted.
AND ALL OF THAT, has no expiration date!
We get confused between confidence and humility…. We feel that humility demands that people not see us, but only Jesus. But at the same time we know that to get what is needed, we need confidence… The donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem wasn’t the main attraction, but they threw garments, and palm branches in front of the donkey. The donkey got the blessing because he was carrying Jesus. Don’t be nervous when you get the blessing for carrying Jesus. Folks will look to you because you are carrying Jesus…. Just keep it all in perspective and move in confidence, while being humble about the blessing, because you know it’s not about you, but it’s about Him.
Just keep passing all the glory and all the honor to him…..
Just keep bringing Jesus…..The mail man doesn’t determine who gets the mail, his job is to just deliver the mail. Take a moment right now, and just lay a hand on someone’s shoulder or take their hand and move in confidence with humility as you bring Jesus into the situation today…..
Measure with the right measurement…..We are going to need to be vigilant, because when we allow ourselves to become complacent and distracted about our two dimensional calling we can begin to make judgments about life, our relationships, and our high calling by using natural measurements for success and achievement… The moment you’re in right now can never be the measure of your success. You are an eternal, forever being and you are greater than any given moment or season in your life….
Your feelings, can be very deceptive, because, if you’re not feeling successful that must mean you’re a failure. Sometimes you have to tell your feeling to take a hike! If it’s about performance, what happens when folks stop applauding or telling you how wonderful you are… No, we live and move and have our being for an audience of one…. And his name is Messiah, Redeemer, Savior, Healer and Eternal Friend.
Here’s a measurement for you….Galatians 4:7 Wherefore you are no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Sometimes the problem we have is that we continue to see ourselves as servants instead of sons of God and children of the most high. A servant never expects an inheritance. Whatever the master wants to give will do. But a son understands that as the child of the father, by his birth, there are things that are his which the Father has promised, and the father has great pleasure and delight in keeping his word.
Look at Romans 8:16 “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. v17 And if we are children, (firstborn, because God only has firstborn children), then we are heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. For it shall be that if we suffer with Him, that we shall also be glorified together with Him”.
It’s much like the electricity in your home. The power company generates the power and delivers it to your house. It’s not your power, but it’s under your control. You don’t call the power company and ask them to turn the lights on. No! They won’t do that. They generate the power, but it’s under your command. You simply flip the switch on the wall and command the power to work. Does this mean you are the power source? No, Certainly not! You can put a light bulb in your mouth, and it will never come on. You aren’t the power source, but you are the one in control of what that power does. You can plead with the power company all you want, but they won’t flip the switch for you. You have to assume your authority and acknowledge the power is under your command… It’s the privilege which belongs to the firstborn! If it was easy, so many would not have done it wrong. But thank God we have amazing examples of those who would not settle and would not trade off on their inheritance!
Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him,for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. v7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. v8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing wherehe went. v9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. v10 For he looked for a city which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God. v14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country (of promise). v15 And truly, if they had been(fixated on ) that country from which they came out, they might have been tempted to return. v16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city (a place of inheritance). Let me repeat what I shared last week, that there are three levels to the blessing…. In Christ, You have received a double portion of the inheritance, represented in this life and the life to come… You have became a person of authority with it’s source in the Spiritual realm which supersedes natural authority…. You have became part of the spiritual Priesthood, in the fellowship of the Firstborn….
Keep on declaring the Blessing…. in the midst of busy, full lives, as we are taking care of and providing for our families, working at our careers and fulfilling all of our obligations, we must ask ourselves… have we spoken blessings over them, in their presence, in their hearing? If we can so easily bless a perfect stranger that sneezes, then we can bless our family, our friends and our associates ….There’s a battle for our familiesand relationships today….Satan is fully dedicated to winning that battle… Don’t let him win!
Jesus gave us several clear mandates....
Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Luke 19:13 "Occupy till I come" (That’s about rulership)
Matthew 24:42 "Watch therefore: for you do not know what hour your Lord will come". (That’s about vigilance) We are to live as though he’s coming today… So if you knew today was the day… what would you be doing? You would probably find a lot of things more important than eating (so you might even fast) You would be thinking of who in your family is not ready for the Lord’s return… You would put a lot less emphasis on physical things and think more of eternal things…..
Our Confession together in closing today…..
Father God, may I come to understand, that blessings are everywhere, if I will choose to look for them. May I know that my attitude will affect the outcomes which I expect and that challenges are often gifts that You have sent to me in disguise. May I trust that most things will get better and improve with time, because I will not be the person then, that I am right now. Because of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in me, I can trust that my instincts & gut feelings have value, and are an extension of Your stirrings within me. Your word gives me assurance that a positive attitude based on Your character of mercy, grace and love, will always cause everything to go smoother because You are working things out for my good and Your glory, every moment in my life. May I come to See that you have placed me in Your body with skills & talents that You can use, to be a positive influence on many people. May I come to value each moment of every day because each is a blessing to be enjoyed and treasured. Lord, may I value each person as unique & important to You. Thank you that each moment of my life has meaning and purpose, far beyond what I can see and understand at any given time. May my spirit be open and accepting, of those things which I might not otherwise understand or accept. Renew my spirit with each opportunity and the challenges that expand my skills and awareness and open up areas and abilities in me as I move through each new experience. I seek to walk in Your blessing and favor as I move into the future You have chosen for me. Allow me see and grasp the possibilities which arise each day. I greet whatever awaits with vibrant faith and inner joy. I realize that at times I must forsake the comfortable and familiar, in my quest for the best, for you have made my life, an adventure of discovery and you have gone before me to prepare all my tomorrows with the blessing of new places, new things, new friends, new opportunities, and new challenges". Thank You in Jesus name,
