The Keys Of Authority You Have Been Given

We understand very little about who we are in Jesus. We say we are spiritually minded but in effect we believe what we see. We react to our circumstances, to people, to our environment with little or no thought to the spiritual. It is as if we do not know that the spiritual shapes the physical. If we do not understand this then how can we walk with Jesus and fulfill our mission? You are more than you realize.

As the Spirit gives us revelation, deeper understanding, we are given keys of authority in this understanding. Those keys are meant to unlock doors, situations, circumstances that other people are in so that the Kingdom may grow to envelope such things, expanding the borders, and allowing people to serve Jesus with no barriers. Apostle Peter is an example of this.

In Acts we read of Peter's vision about the animals being lowered in front of him and Yahweh telling him to eat. The lesson for Peter was obedience even in the face of known barriers. It was in preparation for his call to Cornelius' home. Normally Peter would have declined because Cornelius was a gentile and Jews did not enter the homes of gentiles. But Jesus had called for him to go and with the vision still clear in his thoughts and with the Spirit's prompting to go, Peter went, despite the barrier.

It wasn't long after arriving that the Spirit came upon the people of Cornelius' home. Peter and the Jews with him were amazed and Peter understood that salvation was not for the Jews alone but Yahweh's grace was for every person of every nationality. What happens next causes me to appreciate Yahweh's perfect timing.

While this was taking place with Peter there was a great move of the Spirit taking place in Antioch, among the gentiles. It was so great that Barnabas had to seek out Saul to help them. Out of this, Barnabas and Paul ended up being sent out to expand the Kingdom in the hearts of people even further, among more gentiles. Meanwhile, there was a challenge to the gentile ministry as some Jews wanted to force these gentile believers to submit to Moses' law. So Paul and Barnabas were dispatched to make inquiry with the Church Council in Jerusalem.

It was in this meeting that we find Peter to be the first to speak. He drew upon what happened earlier and he used the key of authority given him to unlock the barrier to the gentiles:

God, who knows people’s deepest thoughts and desires, confirmed this by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, but purified their deepest thoughts and desires through faith. Why then are you now challenging God by placing a burden on the shoulders of these disciples that neither we nor our ancestors could bear? On the contrary, we believe that we and they are saved in the same way, by the grace of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 15:8-11) 

Boom! Peter applied the key and knocked the door right off it's hing. It was given to Peter to open the door so that Paul and Barnabas could walk through and complete the work.

Many of us have been given keys of authority to remove barriers so other people can walk through but we must know who we are in Christ and we need to know the authority we have been given. We can't operate by what we see, limiting Jesus in our lives and environment. The Spirit has walked us through situations in our lives, taught us how to overcome, so that we may understand our authority to assist others in similar situations. Like Peter, we are advanced troops, meant to clear the way for others to follow.

It's time to pick yourself up, stop fooling around, and get serious about your responsibilities. Ask the Spirit to give you understanding for the keys you have been given and start stepping out to open those doors for people. Let us see the Kingdom of God expanding in the hearts of people.

What Use Is The Bible?

We live in an age of instant information. You can find out about most things with a few key strokes. But not all information is good. Not all sources are reliable. Along with it being the age of information it is also the age of misinformation. Not only do we have access to more of the truth, we also have access to much fault-filled thinking. So how do we judge the truth?

It will not surprise you if I say the only way to judge the truth in all this noise is the Word of God. Of course there is a huge move to discredit the Christian Scriptures because if it can be removed then there will be nothing to stop human faulty wisdom. But for those who call Jesus Lord the Bible is our only measuring rod. It is fine if science and other sources of knowledge confirm the Scriptures but we don't need such confirmation because the Spirit confirms it in us.

Of course there will be many who will not accept the testimony of the Spirit because they reject him too. So if they reject everything of Yahweh how can they expect to see him? They don't and they don't want to, so I have no interest in their opinion of God's Word. Here is the value of the Scriptures:

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16)

Don't read it too quickly. Look at the order. First we use it for teaching. We have to tell people who Jesus is and what he has done for us. They need to discover the wonder of his person and his actions. We don't teach people from our opinion or what we think but according to what Yahweh has revealed of himself through the Word. We teach the Jesus of the Bible not of popular culture.

Then we use it for rebuking false teachings that are based on the self-important wisdom of man. To rebuke something is to sternly disapprove. So we use the Word to understand what is disapproved by Yahweh. It is not based on our opinion or wisdom but on Yahweh's definition of what is not approved. But we don't leave it there.

We also use the Word to correct. We don't just disapprove but we set it right with the truth. We don't just criticize but also show what is right, what is approved, what Yahweh says is his will and desire for us. It is setting aside the old "wineskin" to put in place the new "wineskin". Those who are interested in truth are not trying to defend what they have accepted as truth but instead desire what Yahweh has revealed as truth.

Then there is the training. There are specific trainers in the Body of Christ as taught in Ephesians 4:

"And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints in ministry ..." (Ephesians 4:11-12)

These trainers use the Word to train us how to live in Jesus. We do not live for ourselves but for the will of Father. However, our flesh has not given up and continues to fight for dominance. These trainers help us to learn to keep the flesh in place to allow the Spirit of Christ to have authority over us.

If we are trying to serve Jesus without the Word then we have nothing to measure what we are doing, whether it is right or wrong. approved or disapproved, truth or false. The Christian must understand that the Word is the game plan, the battle orders, the thing that reveals who Father is, who we are, what he has done for us, and how we are to live for him. So don't try to live your day without out it or you may end up in some very wrong places.

Stop Being A Victim

Something wants to prevent me from writing this blog. Every time I sit to write there is an interruption. But I am determined to share what the Spirit has brought to my attention this morning because it has to do with power and authority. Too many of us Christians are walking around with a victim mentality. We think we are a victim of circumstances, or of the enemy of our soul, or of a corrupt world system. So please take note when I tell you that this is contrary to what Jesus said.

We all know that we are weak and pathetic compared to the powers that swirl around us but this isn't about our power. This isn't about our ability. It isn't about intelligence, talents, money or connections. This has nothing to do with power as the world knows it. This is all about Jesus. This is about Jesus and his authority in us, the authority he has given us, the authority we speak and act in, the authority of his name.

We must remember who Jesus is. We can never forget who he is. The artist interpretation of Jesus arm wrestling Satan is an insult to who Jesus is. Perhaps Satan is far more powerful than any of us but he is nothing compared to Jesus. Satan is a created being but Jesus is Yahweh. Think about that for a minute and then read Jesus' words:

“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:18-19)

Jesus sat in a position of authority as he watched Satan fall, having been ejected from heaven. And it is from this position of authority that Jesus bestows authority on his disciples. Serpents and scorpions represent that natural destructive order of a fallen creation and the power of the enemy is the spiritual forces that would try to overwhelm us. Nothing shall harm you that is not within Father's will. And what is in his will is nothing to be afraid of. The important thing is to develop a relationship with him that is so intimate that you are able to discern his good and perfect will.

Jesus abides in us and we in him. There is no greater intimacy. You have the power of the resurrection coursing through your body. You are powerful because you live and operate in the name that is above all names, the name that will cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that he is Lord. Not because they are forced to but because when they are presented to his authority they will be compelled by that authority. The same authority that causes demons to run. The same authority that is in you through Jesus.

Now stop acting like a victim and start walking like the powerful warrior that you are. Jesus is above all things and you are his representative so start acting like it. It is not arrogance in which we walk but the boldness that comes from representing the King. Today is going to be an awesome day in his service because you know the greater truth to be sure:

"Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (v.20)

AMEN!

You Should Rule Over It

Life would be so much better if we would just listen to Yahweh. It isn't like he has just left us on our own. We were never meant to go it alone; it was always his plan for us to be with him in our journey because we need him. If we could understand and accept his wisdom life would be much better for us. Looking at the beginning of things gives us a clear example of this.

Adam and Eve had already rebelled against Yahweh. They had been sent out of the garden and they had started having children. Cain and Abel were the first and their parents raised them well. They knew Yahweh well enough to want to honour him with offerings, but they still had much to learn. Cain's offering wasn't quite up to par, or perhaps it was his attitude. Whatever it was, Yahweh saw something that concerned him and like any good father, he warned Cain:

He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Genesis 4:5-7)

Cain was mad, not understanding that Yahweh was teaching him something here. Like so many youth, he could only see it from his perspective and refused to learn. Instead, he allowed his emotions to take over and lead him in a direction that would bring a lot of pain and destruction. It is hard when emotions take over. Once we give them authority over us it is almost impossible to reign them in.

Yahweh was very tender and compassionate to Cain, pointing out that sin wanted to have his way with him. Like a good dad he tells him that he has to gain control over this thing and not allow it to dictate to him. Any time we allow emotions to rule over us, we wake up the next day filled with regret. In a fit of anger we say things that should never be said; we do things that should never be done; me make decisions and declare things that only produce bad seed. We may not see the results immediately but those bad seeds are going to produce bad things at some point on our timeline.

Cain could not gain the control of which Yahweh had spoken to him and that emotional sin led to the murder of his brother. It seemed such a trivial thing but it is amazing how small things can escalate into large things when emotions lead us into the path of sin. Thousands of years later we still need to hear the council of Yahweh as he tells us that we should "rule over it".

Jesus has given us freedom and authority over such matters in our life. Anything that comes from the root of sin has lost its power over us because Jesus has freed us from the iron-fist slavery of sin. We are no longer the victim of our emotions. Instead, we have become slaves to his righteousness so that we no longer have an excuse for not ruling over that which once ruled over us. It is only a lack of application and discipline on our part. All we have to do is hear Jesus say, "Go and sin no more", believe he made it possible by giving us his power and authority and walk in the authority he has given us over all such things. Emotions are a wonderful thing but they no longer rule over us when we have given ourselves to Jesus.

Who Has Your Allegiance?

Tell me something, if Jesus showed up and healed you of some great affliction, would you believe he is who he says he is? Would you then hold his authority above all other authority and decide to follow him no matter what? It's amazing how many don't. It's amazing how many people have been changed for all eternity by the Son of God and yet they give their allegiance to other authorities.

There is an incident in John 5 where Jesus encountered a man waiting to be healed by the waters of the Pool of Bethesda. He had been there for years because he had no one to lift him into the water when the water was stirred. Jesus asked the obvious question "Do you want to be made well?" The man said he did but he had no one to help him. Jesus made quick work of it:

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. (John 5:8-9)

The problem was this happened on the Sabbath. Carrying his bed was against the man-made Sabbath rules so the man was called out on it. Immediately he explained he was only following the orders of the man who had healed him. So here, at first, this man recognized the authority of Jesus. After all, he did heal the him. The leaders challenged the him and asked who it was that healed him but the man did not know. You might think that would be the end of it.

Jesus sought the man out again and said to him:

“See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” (v. 14)

What was there about the man's heart that Jesus decided to seek him out again to instruct him in this manner? What sin did this man harbor in his heart that remained even after the body had been healed? We can see his heart had not been changed because right after Jesus left him he went straight to the authority to tell them it was Jesus who had healed him and told him to carry his bed on the Sabbath. Was this because he was afraid of the Jewish authorities or because he did not like the condition of his heart being exposed?

Following Jesus in this world is not the easiest thing we will ever do, not when we do it right. We have been instructed to obey the authorities of this place but it is also clear that Jesus is above all authority. Jesus told us that if we loved him we would obey him. Jesus' instructions supersede all other instructions by the authority in this place. But often it is easier to give in to what we are more familiar with and what is immediately in front of us. This is going to become more important in the near future as the authority will become more influenced by the sin nature than by the holiness of Yahweh.

We know that China is cracking down on house churches but do you know it is also happening in Canada and parts of the US? Do you know that in some cities it is against the law to have a Bible Study in your home? It has been against the law in many Canadian cities for years now for street preachers to preach on the streets. In the part of the city in which I live, the city refuses to give out permits and zoning for any new churches. Churches, that change neighbourhoods by the good we have been commanded in love to show to our neighbours.

So who do we owe our allegiance to; the authority that is governed by the sinful nature, or to the Holy One who went to the cross for us? When they tell us to stop preaching and teaching in Jesus name, to whom do we listen? To whom did the apostles listen? In one region in China the authority is tearing down churches and removing crosses. They are about to forcefully end 32 house churches. Do we think for a moment that this will stop the spread of the gospel? Of Course not. In China the Christians know to whom they owe their allegiance and they are not going to back down.

The Christians of China have had decades of persecution and oppression to build their spiritual muscles. In North America, with all our ease, we have grown fat and lazy in the Church, so much so we waste our time on debating the Word of God. We have allowed man's thinking, philosophies, speculations to dilute the Word without defending it. There is such confusion now, we have to wonder, will there be anyone left to stand for Jesus in the coming trials? I ask you, to whom do we owe our allegiance?

The Problem Is Simple, So Is The Solution

What are we doing? Honestly Christian, do we have two clues what we are doing here? We seem to be of two minds, trying to have one foot in heaven while carving out a niche for ourselves in this world. No wonder we look so spastic as we stretch ourselves over questionable teaching, making the gospel dangerously thin and substituting truth with something that resembles truth but that allows us to live a little more comfortably. Well, if you have ever read the Word you will know that Jesus didn't call us to be comfortable.

What is our purpose? I prefer to take life instructions directly from Jesus:

"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19)

I like the CEV wording:

“Come with me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish.”

There are lots of Scriptures that confirms, clarifies and verifies Jesus' direction to us to go, be witnesses for him, to testify about him, to make disciples. This is our purpose and everything we do comes from and returns to this root. Isn't it funny how 90% of Christians have never led anyone to the Lord and evangelism seems to strike fear in the heart of every follower of Jesus.

The reason people shy away from our primary mission is because they do not realize the power that has been given to us or the power of the Scripture. The reason for this tragedy is that people have not cultivated a strong, personal, powerful relationship with Jesus. We worship (for some it is vain worship) but we leave off the first part of Jesus' instruction, "Follow me". We are busy with the doing of relationship (bible reading, prayer, worship) without entering into the purpose of it, which is relationship building.

We need to have a personal revelation of Jesus, to encounter him so that we are able to have the depth of relationship that Paul wrote about:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:20a)

This speaks of relationship; deep communion throughout our days, where we have died to ourselves and we allow Jesus to live through us. It takes spiritual maturity to come to this revelation which shifts everything in our life. We have a notion of it when we come to Jesus but it is a revelation we have to grow into in order to walk in it. Can you say you are walking in it? How about the rest of it?

"The life I live in this body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (20b)

We can't grow in Jesus and we can't walk in our purpose without this truth pumping through us. This is the working out of Christ's power in you through relationship in him.

The reason we are lousy witnesses and we are terrified to testify about Jesus is because our relationship is weak and we are not standing on the truth of Jesus. We have a notion about him but we don't know him. We follow some loose fitting rules, a moral code of sorts but it is more from our churches than it is conviction in relationship. We can't say we know Jesus when we don't read his Word or fellowship through the Spirit in prayer. How can we obey him when we don't know his instructions and yet obedience is how he measures our love for him. "If you love me you will do what I have commanded."

It is possible to do good without knowing Jesus. It is possible to spread love without knowing Jesus. It is possible to have a happy life without knowing Jesus. But it is not possible to obey him without knowing him. It is not possible to be empowered for his great work without knowing him. It is not possible to do eternity work without knowing him. It is not possible to enter into his glory for ever and ever without knowing him.

As always, it is a simple matter. All we have to do is walk in the truth of it.

How To Avoid Confusion About Your Walk With Jesus

Man, things are as confusing in the Church as they are in the world. As people attack the Word and decide to ignore some areas and lift up others, it become unbalanced. If you poke holes in your ship you are going to sink. If you say that God's Word is not God's Word or that there are sections we can just ignore then we have to ask ourselves, by what do I base my faith?

The first level of understanding is quite simple. Here it is:

The Father loves the Son and has given him everything. Everyone who has faith in the Son has eternal life. But no one who rejects him will ever share in that life, and God will be angry with them forever. (John 3:35-36)

So there you have it, if you believe in Jesus you have eternal life. If you don't believe, you continue on the road to your destruction. You don't get eternal life with Jesus. We know this as justification, the thing Jesus did for us that we can't do for ourselves. I think most people accept this fundamental understanding.

Where we have lots of confusion is in the actual relationship, the growing up part, the maturing. what we call sanctification. This is when we are being transformed by the Spirit into the character of Jesus, the character of a child of Yahweh. It is when we start looking like daddy. Without getting into the advanced stuff, there are a few things Jesus told us that should at least point us in the right direction. First:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37-40)

This is simple in principle but the real challenge is to avoid the world's definition of love, to grasp what Jesus meant by love. Hopefully as we grow in intimacy with Jesus we are also growing in our revelation of love. What Jesus is saying here is if we follow these two commands we are fulfilling everything Father desires of us. There are tons of scriptures that act as measuring rods so we can see how we are progressing.

The second basic teaching from Jesus that points us in the right direction for spiritual growth is:

If you love me, you will do as I command. (John 14:15)

A little later on Jesus repeats himself but expands on it:

If you love me, you will do what I have said, and my Father will love you. I will also love you and show you what I am like. (John 14:21)

And this is where the most confusion comes it. We have been called to obedience, not self thought. We have been called to obedience, not self-will. He didn't tell us to do whatever we think is best. Jesus held up the authority of Scripture and said he didn't come to abolish it but to fulfill it. Our responsibility is to learn what Jesus taught and do those things.

When we try to interpret Jesus' words for ourselves or when we search the Scriptures to justify our own thinking and desires, we will always run into trouble. The trouble will always be our flesh, the part of us still anchored in this world. It will always gravitate to selfishness and that is a lot of what we are seeing in the Church today. There is out and out rebellion against the authority of the Scriptures, which means rebellion against Jesus..

Jesus told us he was giving us the Holy Spirit as our teacher, comforter, corrector, the one who brings conviction. In order to walk in obedience we need to learn to hear his voice and be determined to walk with him and not ourselves. We have to not trust our flesh and only trust what the Spirit is teaching because he is training us and transforming us for eternal glory. He does this through the Scripture so we need to know the Scripture. But as long as we want what we want we will never learn to walk in obedience to all of Jesus' instructions.

So, on paper, and in theory, it is simple because Jesus has done all the work and all we need to do is cooperate with the Spirit and grow up. It is our flesh that complicates it and requires us to put in a lot more effort than what we have been doing. However, if you are meditating on the Word day and night, learning to pray in relationship every day, and are developing a rich worship privately and corporately, everything else will fall in place. You will see a great abundance produced through you for the benefit of others because Father is glorified when much fruit is produced through you. It is his desire for you.

Throw off the confusion and walk in obedience with the Spirit, in the truth of the Word, and amazing things are going to happen.

Yesterday I Resigned As Pastor

Some of you are aware that there is a restoration and re-align taking place with the apostle of over our church, with our church itself and with many individuals in the church. We see this as a period of restoration and revival. Great things have been taking place around us as the power of God continues to manifest anytime any of us get together.

It is also a challenging time, and sometimes painful as the Spirit deals with things that need to be dealt with in our lives. This past weekend was such a moment for me.

Many years ago I was asked to pastor our church through a troubling time. Many leaders abandoned the family and it was a difficult time for people to hold on. Those who did, matured in the process and gained a profound understanding of the family of God. But there is a definite chain of command in the Body of Christ. Although we are all equal in importance and relationship in Jesus, there is a certain establishment of authority that he has created. Read Ephesians 4 as well as 1 Corinthians 12 to gain a beginning understanding of these matters.

This comes as bad news for those free radicals who do not want to be answerable to anybody but God. These are the type of believers who often dis-associate themselves from the Body for various reasons or spend their lives going from church to church, avoiding accountability. But they are also the ones who sit with a smile on their face in the pew, rejecting much of what is being preached because they believe they know better. But the Word demonstrates that the responsibility, vision, and leadership falls on a few that we know as apostles and prophets and it is the responsibility of the Body to support, encourage, and submit to these leaders. We have the responsibility of carrying the vision God has given to them.

On the weekend some of these things started coming together for me. The Spirit pointed out that things were not aligned properly in the headship of our church. My pastorship, which started 9 years ago, came under the authority of a man who had no authority over our church, thus my pastorship had no authority. Although we had placed the church under an apostle, that apostle had never appointed me as pastor, never laid hands on me, and I was not in alignment with his authority. The Spirit clearly made the point with me that I had to resign because mine was not a correct authority and it was blocking what God wanted to do.

This news came with no guarantees. I was to put aside the mantle of pastor, lay it at the feet of the apostle over the church and sit down. I was not permitted to walk away from the church. In fact, it was clearly my responsibility to become a man of valour to the apostle as David's men were to David. It was my responsibility to support, encourage, lift up, defend, serve, and humbly obey, carrying out the vision God had given to him. Not as a pastor but as a man of valour.

Sunday morning came and it had all been laid out in the spiritual realms what was to take place. I saw it clearly but I did not know if I had the strength to do this. How could I walk away from my calling, the only thing I knew how to do, my purpose on this planet? Yet it was the will of my Father and my only desire was to walk in his will. No guarantees. But as I stood in worship in our pre-service prep time, Jesus stood beside me.

I'm not kidding. I saw him in the Spirit stand beside me, put his arm across my shoulder in a physical act of encouragement and said very clearly, "I will give you the strength you need. I am proud of you." I was overwhelmed by gratitude and love. I felt his strength, his power and I was warm all over by the burning that was taking place in me. A burning I could not control. A burning I could not contain. I wept all the way through worship, not out of sorrow or fear of what I had to do but out of gratitude for the compassion of my King, for his presence and my awareness of it. I wanted to dance, shout and sing all at the same time. I was being renewed and re-established in this one single act of submission to my Father's will. Why had it taken me so long to understand?

The moment came quickly, the Word was preached easily, and in a single act of total surrender, I laid my Bible, representing my mantle, at the apostles feet. Peace filled my soul. I pledged myself to this man of God, to lift him up, to defend him, to carry his vision, to serve. Strength flowed into my limbs, my heart, my soul. Then my wife and I sat down.

It was done. Finished. Completed. I was no longer pastor. No guarantees.

And then something incredible happened.

The apostle took my Bible, had my wife and I stand, handed my Bible (mantle) back to me and laid hands on us, appointing us as pastors of the church under his authority as apostle. If no one else understood the significance of this moment, the man of God, my apostle did. Everything suddenly came into alignment with the Father's heart. Everything from the past was washed away. Everything was made right, proper, and in the will of God. The authority in the church was established according to the will of God. Everything in an instant was healed and made whole. The church gathered around with affirming words and prayers.

Now it was done. Now it was finished. Now it was completed. Now I was truly pastor. Guaranteed.

Today I am more than I was yesterday. Today I am truly a man of authority under authority. Today I stand healed and made whole in my leadership in the church. Today, the mountain is removed and the path made clear for the free flowing blessings and power of Jesus. Today is the first day of a new season for me, my family and the church, and I think for our apostle as well. Today my apostle has a man of valour by his side. May God use us all mightily in this dying world as we minister in his appointed manner.

Why Are We Such Hypocrites?

So many of us Christians fall for the lie that we are powerless in this world. Certainly we can pray to God but he doesn't always answer, right? It still leaves us in a place of powerlessness. Have you ever thought that the reason it doesn't appear like God is answering is because he already gave us the authority to do something about it?

What do you know about the Holy Spirit? Most of us know some fundamental stuff but few of us understand that Jesus did what he did through the power of the Holy Spirit. Few of us comprehend that the apostles only did what they did through the power of the Holy Spirit, given to them and the whole Church by Jesus. And what do you think is the greatest power Jesus gave to us?

The authority to forgive sins.

If you realize you have the power to forgive sins then you will realize the power to heal the sick, calm the storms, see into people's thoughts, raise the dead and whatever it is that God would have you do on your mission for him.

We read in Luke 5 about a bunch of men who have faith that Jesus could heal their friend. They were so determined that they ended up making a hole in Peter's roof and lower the man in front of Jesus. What was the first thing that Jesus did? He forgave the man his sins. And what was the reaction of the religious community? Blasphemy! they said. Only God can forgive sins! they said. Here is Jesus' reply:

“Why are you thinking that? Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk? But now you will see that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth.” Jesus then said to the man, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk home.” (Luke 5:22-24)

Of course the man did exactly that and everyone was shocked. But which had the greater impact on eternity, the forgiveness or the healing? When Jesus had given the disciples the authority to drive out demons they returned all excited. But Jesus told them not to be excited about that authority, instead be excited over their own salvation.

That's fine, you say, Jesus is God and God forgives sins. But Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit so we can operate in his authority. Look at John 20:

After Jesus had greeted them again, he said, “I am sending you, just as the Father has sent me.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they will be forgiven. But if you don’t forgive their sins, they will not be forgiven.” (vv. 21-23)

Before you consider the option of not forgiving you had better consider the entire instruction of Jesus. In Matthew 6 Jesus instructed:

If you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, your Father in heaven will forgive you. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. (vv. 14-15)

A sobering thought about our responsibility and the authority we have been given with the receiving of the Spirit. But let us not forget what else Jesus did for that man who he commanded to pick up his mat and walk home.

What kind of authority do you think has been given to you? If you have the authority to forgive sins and those sins are no longer held against that person by God, would you not think you also have the authority for the less important physical matters as well? You sure do! Why doesn't the world believe in Jesus? Because the Father's children have an identity crisis. These are the words of Jesus:

Have faith in me when I say that the Father is one with me and that I am one with the Father. Or else have faith in me simply because of the things I do. I tell you for certain that if you have faith in me, you will do the same things that I am doing. You will do even greater things, now that I am going back to the Father. Ask me, and I will do whatever you ask. This way the Son will bring honor to the Father. I will do whatever you ask me to do. (John 14:11-14)

In this day and age of zombies, vampire lovers, mystics, meditation, ghosts, card reading, and magic, why do we who are believers struggle with the Holy Spirit and the authority we have been given? When the world can chase after fantasy and believe, why do we struggle with our spiritual reality? It is crazy dumb and the biggest critics of the Holy Spirit are found within the Church. We are willing to take all the lovie dovie stuff, the good feelings, the crutch stuff, but we aren't willing to walk in the power and authority of Jesus Christ. We would rather hold on to our depression, illness, incurable diseases than to take Jesus at his word. I hear constantly that God uses all kinds of ways to heal but yet in the Word of God I only find one.

We are a bunch of hypocrites and no one is being saved from the pit of hell because of it. We claim to be a people of faith but what do we have faith in? We certainly don't take Jesus at his word. We would rather find all the loop holes and excuses to explain our lack of faith. No wonder Jesus questioned whether he would find faith on the earth on his return.

I have tasted of this authority and it has scared me. I would rather serve in my own skin, in my own ability, where I am comfortable. But that is not what Jesus called me to. Those are not the instructions he has given. So I repent of my selfishness and seek the full measure of the Holy Spirit, that I will operate in the authority of Jesus Christ in what ever God gives me to do in that given moment. I am a preacher and a teacher of God's Word but I must be more. I must be a doer and I have been given the Holy Spirit to enable me to be exactly that, a doer of God's Word.

Jesus Got Mad

Jesus got mad. He hung out with the lost, the sinners, the murderers, prostitutes, liars and thieves. He didn't get mad at them. He taught large masses of people who ended up not wanting his words but his free lunches. He didn't get mad at them. He was approached by people he was not sent to, who were not the chosen people, who asked him for favours. He didn't get mad at them. No, he got mad at those who turned the temple into something it wasn't suppose to be. He got mad at the religious.

Read John 2 and see the account of the incident.

Jesus,who tolerated so much in the world to bring the good news to the people who needed to hear it, would not tolerate what the religious had allowed to happen in the temple, a place of prayer. I think there is a great lesson here that we are ignoring, an elephant in the room. We've got it backwards.

We spend a lot of time judging and accusing the world of what is only natural for it to do. They are a lost people, blinded to the truth, who exist by instincts that are twisted by rebellion. In many ways they do not know better. They need a message of compassion and truth. They need to know that despite it all, God is still reaching out to them with mercy and grace. They need to hear the words of hope that Jesus brought to us.

We seem to ignore the words of instruction that came through Apostle Paul:

Why should I judge outsiders? Aren’t we supposed to judge only church members? God judges everyone else. The Scriptures say, “Chase away any of your own people who are evil.” (1 Corinthians 5:12-13)

How easy it is for us to point fingers at the world, accusing them of what comes natural. Paul says such judgement comes from God, not us. However, we are responsible for tending to the Church. It is here that we have to be hard on ourselves and yet it is here that we say very little.

Don't get me wrong, there is lots of judgement, but of the wrong sort. There is a lot of behind the back accusation and finger pointing but very little correction. There is also a tolerance of things that God has rejected. I see so much from my vantage point, so much that people accept as right when God has called it wrong.

These people, who I believe are sincere in their love for God, have also pursued their own interest. They twist and turn the Word of God to make accommodations for themselves. They accuse those who follow God's Word of being narrow minded. And I am speaking of much more than homosexuality.We stretch the truth to allow for what our hearts desire for ourselves.

Homosexuals are not the only ones who say they cannot change so God must have made them this way. Whatever our interest, or "pet" sin, the thing we can't or won't let go of, we make our excuses and live with it. There are those who love God but can't stop the lying. There are those who love God but continue to have sex with who ever is open to it. There are those who love God who can't stop the attraction to pornography. There are those who love God and can't stop stealing. There are those who love God who can't stop drinking or doing drugs or any list of things that God has rejected and called unacceptable for his children. But we excuse it, accommodate it and call it good.

It is what got Jesus mad in the temple that day and provoked him to action and it is what Paul said we have a responsibility to take care of:

In my other letter I told you not to have anything to do with immoral people. But I wasn’t talking about the people of this world. You would have to leave this world to get away from everyone who is immoral or greedy or who cheats or worships idols. I was talking about your own people who are immoral or greedy or worship idols or curse others or get drunk or cheat. Don’t even eat with them! (1 Corinthians 5:9-11)

There's the tree in the eye again.

It's great we are talking about the prophetic and using all kinds of wonderfully descriptive words and using a worship that moves our emotions but until the Holy Spirit moves our hearts back to a desire for holiness, it's just a bunch of words. We need to allow the real love of Jesus to provoke us to evict what does not belong in this temple of the Holy Spirit. We need to get mad that we have allowed such things to occupy us. Sexual immorality does not belong to this body any more, it does not belong in the Body of Christ. Either does drunkenness, lying, stealing, gossiping or any other perversion of God's children.

Of course we have no power to evict anything or to change ourselves. The power only comes from Jesus but he gave us his authority so we can speak to those things in us. It is not by will power but by God's power. Just as a person who is drawn to the same sex cannot stop themselves, either can someone who can't stop having affairs or a person who can't stop lying or a person who can't stop stealing, or drinking or taking drugs. But that is the beauty of Jesus, who restores us to what God has designed us to be.

If we choose to hold on to our sin because we like it, we in turn are rejecting God. You cannot have both sin and Jesus. Sin is a very attractive thing and is powerful. It is why we have been slaves to it for so long but when we accept the sacrifice of Jesus, all of that changes. We are transformed. We have the power and authority, Jesus' authority, over sin and we must use it.

We have to stop tolerating sin in our lives and in the Body of Christ. It is better to deal with it now before the time of forced separation is upon us. The sheep and goats, wheat and weeds will be separated. It's not what we say is right and wrong but what God says. Let's stop pointing fingers at the world and get back to the desire for holy living. Let's get mad about sin in God's holy temple.

Authority Questioned

This is Passion Week, the week ending with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Christians we take a little bit of extra time to examine the scriptures and reflect on the significance of each step that Jesus took closer to the cross. But the cross was not the end, as it was only the beginning.

That is one of the most unfortunate things about Christians, we fall asleep too close to where we get into bed. It is a sure way to fall out of bed. Too many people receive salvation and leave it at that. They come to the cross, repent of their sins, claim Jesus as King but don't go any further. They fail to understand that the cross is the open door to a great adventure that lay beyond it.

Past the cross is the empty grave, the resurrection, the receiving of the Holy Spirit, the power to live an incredible life as a servant of Jesus in this place. Jesus has given us the right and privilege to serve him in his authority. That authority will be questioned at every turn, by the world and by Christians who have not gone beyond the cross. But do you know that the religious leaders at that time also questioned Jesus about his authority? Yes, days before the cross the enemy was trying to plant doubt in Jesus' mind with "Who do you think you are?"

Jesus had gone into the temple and was teaching when the chief priests and the leaders of the people came up to him. They asked, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23)

But Jesus refused to answer them for the simple reason that he knew they would not accept his answer. He told them he would answer their question if they would tell him where John the Baptist got his authority. These "leaders" were more interested in controlling the people than they were in the facts that lay before them. You will find the same thing.

Jesus has given you the authority to operate supernaturally but there are those who do not want the Church to look weird. They are more interested in acceptability, fitting in, and the relevance of the Church to the community. They want to feed the hungry, care for the sick, run food banks and community kitchens. These are great projects but we are called to more than this. We are here to preach the good news, cast out demons, cast out illness, bring healing to mind, body and soul. We are here to fight for people on whatever level the Spirit directs us. We are instruments for the manifestation of the Spirit of God, lightening rods for God to reveal himself to man.

The greatest opposition to the authority of Jesus is not from the world but from those who only know the cross. But you can't let that worry you. You don't have time to be defending yourself to such people. Our time is running out here and there is a lot left to do. Jesus did not waste time on such people and neither should we. Leave them be in their limited thinking and understanding as they handcuff God and move on with the work you have been given to do in Jesus' authority.

Jesus gave us the cross. Amen! He gave us the empty grave. Amen! And he left so that he could send to us the Holy Spirit, to enable us to live the example he left for us. Jesus lived those three years in ministry to set an example for those who would follow. He set an example of how to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was odd and stood out from everything else around him. He stood out. Let me repeat it again:He stood out! He became a target but he pressed on. When we serve him in the power of the Spirit, in his authority, we stand out, we are odd and we may become a target. But we press on, determined to end our time here in faithful service to our King.

Do not let anyone discourage you from becoming what Jesus wants you to be.

And Whatever You Do ...

It's funny how scripture evolves as we experience more of God. It isn't really that scripture evolves as much as it is our growing in the revelation of God's Word. It starts off as baby food to us as we learn to digest it and put it into action. As we go along the Spirit takes us to deeper places as our digestive system matures. At first we take small scripture verses in isolation but as we mature we put those scriptures in the context of the whole Bible. Here's an example:

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

I used to think this was telling me that whatever I decide to do I needed to do it in the name of the Lord. It gave me a sense that I get to choose my own course, as long as I ask God's blessing and dedicate it to Jesus. That is what it looked like to me in isolation. However, as I began to put it into context with the rest of the Bible I began to see it differently.

How can we be dead to ourself and still get to choose our own course? How can the Word say that we no longer belong to ourselves because we have been bought at a great price and yet we get to decide our future? How can Jesus say, "Come, follow me" and we get to decide the direction? Jesus hasn't come alive in me, I have been raised to life in him. I am not asking Jesus to come walk with me, I am accepting the invitation to go and walk with him. I am not inviting God into my life, he is inviting me into his.

On the flip side, it is possible to follow Jesus but then profit from it for ourselves. We can take his direction and make it about us instead of about his glory. We can be alive in him and still make it about us. He can give us very precise instructions and we can hi-jack those plans. This is the reason the Spirit prompted Paul to write, whatever you do, do it in the name of Jesus. Whatever you have been called to, do not do it in your strength or authority but in the authority of Jesus.

Listen, you have great ideas and plans and I am sure it will turn out great, but it would be incredible if they are done in the authority of Jesus and not your own. Yes, with a lot of hard work you could feed 5,000 but Jesus did it with a prayer. There is the difference. You can do a lot in your own strength but it can't compare with what you can do in Jesus' strength. You can accomplish a lot in your own ability but it is nothing compared to the glory of doing it in God's infinite ability and authority.

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

So read and understand well the whole counsel of the Word. It is not about us, our ideas, abilities or talents. It is all about Jesus, his power, authority and glory. He calls us and equips us to represent him in this place. Our name goes on nothing. We do not receive the applause. We take credit for none of it because it was Jesus' in the beginning, middle and end. And that is the truth of the matter.

Waking Up To Holiness

It seems for the last week the Holy Spirit has been pushing the point that we are to be transformed not conformed to the righteousness of God. Perhaps it is because of the fasting many people are doing. I really hope that everyone is participating in the fast with the right motivation and understanding and aren't doing the old Lent thing people used to do for Easter. People would give up something minor to identify with the suffering of Jesus. As if giving up coffee or television could ever help us identify with the beating, suffering and crucifixion of Jesus.

Fasting should help us see the things that need to be changed in our life so there can be more of Jesus and less of us. There should be a throwing out of things to make room for the Holy Spirit. There should be a throwing off of things that do not belong to our new nature so the glory of Jesus can shine in us. But, as we discussed yesterday, it is only possible when we have died and been raised to live in Jesus. The transformation must have started in order for us to possess the power and authority to "put to death" the things that belong to the old nature from which we were just transformed.

If you have been saved, put to death with Jesus on the cross, and raised with him according to your faith in the power of God to do so, then you have the power to get rid of those things that have had authority over you for years. We read in Colossians 3:

You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. (Colossians 3:7-8)

Again, it must be stressed, this cannot be done from a self-help, self-improvement mentality and perspective. If you have tried to improve yourself, and failed, it is because you are not doing it within the power of the transformation. It means you are trying to do it in your own authority and without Jesus you have no authority over your sin nature. You honestly have to die with Jesus and be raised to life as a new creation in the power of God. Christianity is not something to be trifled with; it is a transforming power that changes what you were. Christians are actually a bunch of aliens walking around on this planet, no longer natives to this world, no longer fitting in.

If you have gone through the transformation, you possess the power and authority of Jesus to put to death these things that no longer are part of you. You can get rid of that anger that once possessed you, the rage that overwhelmed you. Malice and slander no longer feel natural to your lips and actually leave a sick feeling in your stomach. Filthy language tastes like bile so that even in the worse moments of your day only praises of our King occupy your tongue. If any of these things still belong to you I suggest you examine closely your relationship with Jesus, whether it is an honest one or not.

We no longer belong to this world so we do not conform to its patterns, its way of thinking, its perspective. We no longer try to go with the flow or fit in. Being popular or accepted is no longer our goal or concern. To live our transformed lives to the glory of Jesus Christ and to walk in obedience to his purpose for us is what we desire. And it is to a re-awakening of this understanding that I hope your fasting is moving you toward. Through the transformation of your life in Jesus, you have been given the power over sin in your life and for the sake of your relationship with Jesus I pray you are exercising that power.

Will You Act On Your Beliefs?

How are you saved? Did you do it for yourself? Did you find some way to extract your sin nature and now you are free to live God's law? Of course not. You have no such power over yourself. You are saved by the act of Jesus Christ and your faith to believe. In fact, the faith isn't even yours. We are too spiritually impoverished to possess such faith so even that had to be lent to us. But we have to believe. Belief is not something you talk about but something you act upon. You live by your beliefs.

Yet, belief by itself is useless when placed in false thinking. Belief has to be based on truth. You can believe you can fly but when you jump off the top of a building to live your belief you will soon discover that the law of gravity is greater than your belief. So belief by itself will not save you. Belief comes alive when met by truth and the truth is that Jesus saved you on the cross. Not only did he save you but he let loose the power of transformation. Your salvation sparked the transformation that became possible through the single act of death on the cross.

Belief must be more than just the fact you are saved because salvation came in a big package with many other things, your freedom being one of them. You believe you are saved? Great! Now start acting like the free person you are. Stop submitting yourself to sin. Stop making excuses that you are only human because you aren't. You are a new creation and as a new creation you have been given freedom from what once held you in bondage. This is what was meant when this was written:

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. (Colossians 3:5-6)

People fall for the lie: "We have no power over these things". You were given power. You were given the power to say no. You were given freedom. But it takes as much belief to walk in that freedom as it does to accept the gift of salvation.

There is no doubt that the enemy does not like the fact he has lost control over us and will use every opportunity he has to get the old nature back in control. When we are tired, lazy, bored, unfocused, forgetful, weak, he will present us with all kinds of opportunities. Many of us fail because we do not believe we have power over these things so we do not act upon that power.

Put it to death, not in your own power. You cannot save yourself. You cannot stop yourself from sinning. You are not more powerful than the enemy. However, you have been given the power. You have been set free. You are now greater than the enemy because of who you live in. Because you died and were raised to life in Jesus, you are not what once you were and now you have been given the power to say no; the power to put the enemy under your feet.

We are without excuse. The power of the resurrection courses through our veins. We are possessed by the Spirit of God. We are more than conquerors. We are an overcomer because Jesus has overcome. Your greatness is not measured in the values of this world but according to God's love. You are a giant in this world, mighty warrior, and it is time to live this victorious life according to our beliefs.

It's Not Enough To Know We Are Free

What a shame that people give authority to things that no longer have authority in their lives. It's like we hear the words proclaiming our freedom but we don't do anything about it. It's like someone who was enslaved all their lives having their chains removed but remaining in that place of enslavement. They can walk away at any time but they are so familiar with that place that they choose stay in that place.

Too often we are so familiar with what once enslaved us that we are afraid to move out into the unknown. It's not enough to hear the freedom proclaimed over us, we must have the faith to act on it. We must be willing to step away from the familiar and move in God's direction. It is not enough to know we are free, we have to act like we are free.

Listen to how completely free you are:

He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15)

"Having disarmed the powers and authorities" means that they have no power over you who are saved by the blood of Jesus. But our Father wanted to make sure it was absolutely clear for us to see, so he put those disarmed powers and authorities on public display. The Word says he made a public spectacle of them. The world looks at the cross and sees defeat. We look at the cross and see the power and love of God triumphing over all evil in all of creation

This means that no matter what the enemy throws at you it has no power over you. No matter your circumstances, discouragements, needs, it has no power or authority over you. Your emotions once had you enslaved along with your intellect, but their authority has been stripped away and you have moved into a place of freedom from such things. Other people's actions and words use to pull at you like a puppet on a string, but those strings have been cut and you are far above those things.

There is nothing that can separate you from the love of Jesus. There is nothing that can force you to do what you do not want to do. Sin and circumstance have no power over you. You have the freedom to choose. You get to decide what enslaves you; sin our the righteousness of God. You no longer have the excuse, "the devil made me do it" because Satan has no power our authority over you. We only have one King and he loves us so much he died for us.

Freedom has been proclaimed over you but you need to trust the freedom giver enough to walk away from that place of enslavement. He has given you joy and peace. If you are not experiencing these things it means you are still in that place of enslavement. Trust God, step out and allow the love of God to be the only thing that reigns over you.

No Ordinary Day; No Ordinary Person; No Ordinary God

This is no ordinary day. You are no ordinary person. Jesus is no ordinary God. Do you believe that? If you do then you are part way to an extraordinary life. Only part way because knowing it and acting upon it are two different things. But let us at least start at this point: You are no ordinary person.

What makes you extraordinary? In a word: Jesus.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2:9-10)

Don't read it too quickly. Savour the words on your spiritual palate for a moment. The fullness of God is found in bodily form in Jesus. Sounds obvious, right? Jesus is exactly who he said he is, no surprises there. But consider the implications of this. The fullness of God is in Jesus "and you have been given fullness in Christ". You are in Jesus and Jesus in you which means the fullness of God lives in you. Pretty amazing stuff.

Now, just in case you missed this point, it means Jesus is the head over every power and authority. You are so much more than you can possibly understand at this moment. You are the most beautiful and powerful creature on this planet because of the fullness of God in you. But this is the sad point: We don't know it and we don't act on it.

We somehow got this notion in our head that we have to ask God to do everything. We pray about everything and then wait. We fail to understand that we are prayer in action; we are God's authority in action; we are to act on this fullness of God in us. Jesus has sent us out in his authority. We can't do anything through our own strength and ability that will be of any eternal worth but we can do all things through him who gives us strength. Jesus didn't tell us to pray to have the mountain moved; he told us to speak to that mountain and it will leap into the sea. You are a mountain mover. You are a demon caster outer. You are a powerful preacher/teacher. You are a mighty healer. You are an abundant giver. You are an affectionate friend, to your enemy. You are all these and so much more because of Jesus in you.

Of course, with great power comes great responsibility. You are accountable. You are accountable to walk closely with Jesus and follow his directions. You are not a solitary soldier doing his own thing. You are a warrior among warriors, a member of a mighty army that has been set upon this earth in a great rescue effort, to know and do the will of Jesus. You are under constant attack by subtle agents of the enemy who's desire is nothing less than the wanton destruction of all of God's creation. You are the warrior who stands his ground, takes watch over the blind and speaks truth to a dying world, fighting for the lives of the enemy of God, who he loves.

And nothing can stop you!

Now imagine if we all woke up today realizing that this is no ordinary day, that we are no ordinary people and Jesus is no ordinary God. Imagine what this day would look like around this planet. Although we respect the authorities in this world, we answer to the one who is over them. Although the natural and spiritual worlds have authorities, we are the agents, the warriors of the one who is over all powers and authorities. That is the point with which most people struggle. We speak to the mountain and it must leap according to the authority of Jesus. His authority is in us and we speak in that authority. Understand what that means. Read Jesus' words carefully. Accept who you are in him. And act on it! 

What Should I Pray For You?

I am not sure that we remember the purpose of prayer any more. We have become far too carnal in our thinking. Even when we pray for other people it is often carnal in nature, praying for creature comforts. There is nothing wrong in reminding God what needs people have; Jesus did tell us we could ask for anything. However, if we are who we are suppose to be in Jesus then we have that same heart and desire: To see the salvation of souls.

When Paul asked the Colossians to pray for him he did not give them a list of things he needed. He didn't mention any health issues, financial concerns or even any relationship problems. I believe Paul knew and trusted that our Father had all those things well in hand. But look at what he did ask them to pray for:

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. (Colossians 4:3-4)

I don't think there is a minister out there who doesn't understand the importance of the Spirit's leadership in what they do. Any minister who has failed will tell you they started down that road when they left God out of things and started making decisions for themselves. It is a house of cards we are building when we base things on our thinking and opinions instead of on the direction of the Holy Spirit.

What amazes me is that this is the first time Paul has mentioned he is in jail. He didn't ask for his freedom or that he would be better treated. All he wanted was that God would open a door, provide an opportunity, so that he could proclaim the plan of God's salvation for man. And he asked for that divine anointing of the Spirit, allowing him to make the message clear.

How many pastors, evangelists, teachers, apostles and prophets today need those same prayers? What ministers are you praying for and what are your prayers? Are you praying protection for them as well as their financial needs to be met? Then stop it.

First of all, make a list of people you know who are involved in ministry. It's not just your pastor. It could be Mrs. Brown who visits the hospital twice a week. It could be Miss Smith who visits several nursing homes. It could be Joe who hands out sandwiches Downtown. It could be Betty who invites her neighbours over once a week to talk about Jesus. It doesn't matter who they are, if they are involved in ministry write them down on your list.

Now, covenant to pray for them daily, but pray for them as if you are partnered with them. Pray for the anointing of the Spirit on them so they would realize the power and authority of Jesus in their ministry. Pray that they will have the opportunity to present Jesus to those whom they minister. Pray that the Spirit will anoint them to present God's plan with clarity so that those who are listening will understand enough to receive the conviction of the Spirit of God. Do this for a month, every day and listen for the testimony of what God is doing in these ministries.

We have a duty to pray but understand the purpose of our prayers. We are releasing the power of God through the Holy Spirit, in the ministry and lives of people. It is not:

"God, bless Miss Smith as she visits people today. Bless her and make her a blessing."

It is:

"Lord, may your anointing flow through Miss Smith today, that as she speaks people will hear your voice. May the conviction of the Spirit fall upon those people. Open their eyes and ears that they will see and hear the truth and light even in the dark pit in which they live. Give Miss Smith the opportunity, open the door for her with each person she engages with. Give her the confidence that those are your words that fill her mouth and let the message be plain and simple that people will be able to understand and receive. Allow your power to flow in and through her today!"

Power will not flow without prayer. We need to be praying. We need to be backing up ministers. We need to be partnering with them and letting them know what we are praying for them. We who are in ministry must also change the focus of our prayers and prayer requests, that we will seek the things of the Kingdom and leave our carnal needs to the Father as Jesus said.

May we see the power of the Holy Spirit return to the entire Church today. Pray!

Where Is Your Weapon Soldier!?!

"I will keep you in my prayers."

"I'll be praying for you."

Have you ever heard those words? Have you ever said them? It is the polite Christian thing to say in the face of someone's overwhelming problem. It's often said and just as often forgotten. When we do remember it is usually a quick one sentence prayer: "Lord bless so-and-so".

If we really believe that prayer makes a difference why don't we pray on the spot? Why don't we pray with the authority we have been given? Why don't we pray as if mountains will move right at that moment? In the parking lot. In the supermarket. Over the phone. In the coffee shop.

Did Jesus ever say "I'll be pray for you" when he faced the blind, sick, crippled, dead?

Did Jesus take people aside, move them into another room, find a quiet place to pray?

Prayer is not something we do on occasion as we think about it. Prayer is our big guns, our battering ram, our high explosives. A person who prays and believes is a dangerous person in this world. Things happen around people like this. Powerful things. Amazing things.

I married a woman like that.

When my wife prays things happen. When she speaks God is listening, waiting to spring into action. Not as her servant but as a daddy who takes delight in giving what he promised to give to his child. My wife understands this relationship and the goodness of God and the promises of Jesus and the power of the Spirit. She is not afraid to speak in the authority of Jesus and when she does speak things happen.

I used to be like that. Then I got busy.

But Jesus is not going to take busyness, even Kingdom busyness as an excuse. Work all you want but it will not measure up to what one prayer of a righteous person can do:

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

In Paul's great address to the Ephesians where he encourages them to put on the full armour of God and to stand their ground, there is only one instruction of action given. This is the action:

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Ephesians 6:18)

Prayer is not something we do before going into battle; prayer is the battle. What incredible things would happen if only we would remember. If only we would remember the place and importance of prayer. If only we would remember the power released in this world by prayer. In the many things Paul said to the Colossians Paul told them there was one thing they had to devote themselves to:

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Colossians 3:2)

A Christian who forgets the prominent place of prayer in our epic battle to bring Jesus to this dark world is a useless warrior stripped of his weapon. Pray is not poetic language of a polite society. Prayer is down in the muck and the trenches, releasing the power of God into every situation faced. Prayer is the weapon of trench warfare and I don't know if you've noticed but we are fighting in those trenches.

Devote yourself to prayer! It is essential to who we are and what we do in the authority of Jesus.

Stop Getting In The Way

The self-help, self-improvement, self-whatever industry has certainly made a lot of money off of peoples desires to be more than they are. We all have that desire in one form or another. Some people want to improve their intelligence so they work on math skills and general problem solving. Some want to improve their heath so they join a gym. Whatever you want to improve you will find hundreds of books, videos and articles on it.

It is no different spiritually. Many people want to know more, be more but often we run out of energy or desire. Spiritual practices take too much effort or cost too much or just get boring. The fact is, we don't have very much determination and stamina. Apostle Paul said of these things:

These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. (Colossians 2:22)

He also says of them:

Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. (v. 23)

People may have been a little more extreme in Paul's day about self-improvement but the basic principles are there: a desire to improve on ourselves by controlling our desires.

Most self-improvement principles are based on self-discipline and self-control, when we take control over those things that control us. It could be our appetite, tv watching, sex, swearing, bad thoughts, or anything that we are trying get a handle on. Most people don't realize that these are all provoked by our sin nature and there is no controlling that.

The Word of God makes it clear that mankind is enslaved to the sin nature. No matter what we try we cannot escape from this nature. We may make small inroads if we are really determined but we will always be disappointed in the results. We may be able to get our body in shape but it will not improve our character. We may manage to improve on our intellectual capacity but it will not improve our wisdom. We may be able to influence a few surface things but it will not deal with the underlying nature of indulgence.

There is only one power that can deal with the sin nature and that is Jesus Christ. It is what the cross was all about. If we could have done it ourselves God would not have had to sacrifice himself to rescue us. In the letter to the Romans Paul describes what it is to be controlled by the sin nature and he concludes with this:

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24-25)

The sad thing is that sometimes we think we have let Jesus rescue us but in fact we are still amongst the self-help group. The only way to allow Jesus to rescue us is to completely give up to him, to surrender it all, to allow his power to take over and to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit. When we learn to "Be still" we will discover the power of Jesus. As long as we are trying to rescue ourselves we are getting in the way of the real rescuer.

Stop trying to conform and allow Jesus Christ to transform!

Disqualified For The Prize

There are a lot of spiritual people out there but it doesn't make them right. Just because they mention God or say something about Jesus does not make them a follower of Jesus Christ. Consider somebody like Oprah who teaches universalism, believing that all gods are the same God and that there are many paths that lead to him. I have no idea how she started out but she is heading in the wrong direction now. She's not alone.

You are going to come across a lot of people who will tell you that they have studied the original language of the Bible and that we have interpreted it wrong. In the original language there can be several meanings attached to a word so the context is important to understand. Even more importantly is the guidance of the Spirit in these things. It is his purpose to teach us and without him we can make the Bible say whatever we want. So we get a lot of people doing their own thing, teaching what they think is right. Apostle Paul gave us a warning about that:

Do not let anyone who delights in false humilityand the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. (Colossians 2:18)

He warns us not to let these people disqualify us, to throw into confusion what we have already gained by the Spirit, to interrupted our progress and to cause us to choose a wrong path. Good teachers can convince us of anything but we have to remember that there is only one authority we bend our knee to, only one we worship, only one we follow and trust. Anyone who leads us away from Jesus and his instructions has lost connection with the King:

He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. (v. 19)

So often the enemy is there to plant doubt in our knowledge of God, "Did God really say ... ?" Did God really say to love those who hurt you? Did God really say that homosexuality is an offence to him? Did God really say there is only one path to come to him? Did God really say we have to die to self? Did God really say that the only acceptable place for the gift of sex is inside of marriage? So many things are being questioned and reworked just so we can try to have both Jesus and the world, but it doesn't work that way. Those who are possessed by the Spirit of God know the truth and there is no wiggle room.

If the authority who you are listening too is consistently teaching contrary to the Word of God, the conviction of the Spirit, and the authority of Jesus, you need to run away. Occasionally all us teachers make mistakes. We too get tired or distracted and speak from our flesh. It shouldn't happen but it does. However, when it does the Spirit is quick to correct and we are quick to apologize. We know that we do not own this truth and the revelation of it is not from us but from the Spirit so we must always be attuned to the Spirit. Without the Spirit we are nothing.

So, take caution, not everyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus is a follower; not everyone who claims to be a teacher is a teacher; not everyone who claims to know the Word knows by the Spirit. You have been given discernment through the Spirit of God in you to know the difference. Know the Word, stay sensitive to the Spirit, keep Jesus as the only authority you bend your knee to and you will be well protected from the lies of the enemy. Do not let anyone disqualify you for the prize.