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There
is an outpouring of God’s authority coming upon the scene.
His authority has always been here of course, and has always been
available to anyone who qualifies, but a specific outpouring of
incredible magnitude is prophesied for the end times. We would do
well to align ourselves correctly, in preparation for such. To do
this we must understand authority.
NO AUTHORITY
WITHOUT SUBMISSION
First and
foremost-----to have authority, one must remain underunder authority!
God doesn’t pour out His authority on rebels. Loose cannons
are dangerous when loaded. They could go off at any moment, aimed
in any direction. No-----God’s authority is placed only on
those who live in submission to authority! That’s why the
centurion said what he said in Matt. 8:9, when telling Jesus to
just speak the word, and his servant would be healed, instead of
walking to his house. He said, “for I am a man under authority,
having soldiers under me...” This man understood authority!
He knew that the authority he carried came from above him. Only
as he remained under correctly appointed authority, did he carry
authority himself.
Samuel told
King Saul in 1Sam. 15:23, when Saul acted on his own, out from under
Samuel’s instructions, that, ‘rebellion is as the sin
of witchcraft’. Matter of fact, it’s even worded stronger
than that. The two words ‘is’ and ‘as’ in
that sentence are italicized. That means they were added during
the translation to try to clarify the meaning. Take those two words
out and it reads thus: ‘Rebellion, the sin of witchcraft.’
Why is operating UNDER authority so terribly important? Because
anything done in disregard of true, Godly authority is rebellion,
and rebellion IS witchcraft. How can God give His power and authority
to someone who is operating in witchcraft? Witchcraft is counterfeit
authority, and it is an abomination to God.
An excellent
book on this subject, and greatly needed, is “Under Cover”
by John Bevere. It explains much on the subject, and brings about
a light that many of us have never even considered. But in this
day of the outpouring of God’s power------it is mandatory
that we know these truths, admit and repent of our own personal
rebelliousness that we may have been calling “freedom”
or “individuality” or (try this one on for size), “God
‘told’ me.”
REBELLION
IS WITCHCRAFT
& WITCHCRAFT IS
COUNTERFEIT AUTHORITY
Dealing
with people who have a problem in the area of submitting to authority
I have found that if simple boundaries are laid out and they respond
correctly to these boundaries, the stronghold of rebellion begins
to weaken in them. Often times something as simple as..Wearing your
seatbelt...Driving within the required speed limit...Yielding with
a good attitude to the boundaries or guidelines that are requested
by someone in a position of responsibility...these simple things
obeyed can begin to set people free from the destroying effects
of rebellion. If simple things cannot be obeyed with a willing heart,
then that person is disqualifying himself from walking in authority
with God. Call it what they want, “I’m being mistreated”,
“Leadership isn’t recognizing my gifts and talents”,
“I’m being held back” and a score of other phrases
we’ve all heard, but the fact is, it’s self-imposed.
Even if someone IS under bad leadership, leadership that is intimidated
and jealous of them, if they will serve with a submissive and truly
yielded heart to the Lord...GOD will promote them Himself! You can’t
KEEP true authority from coming upon someone who has paid the price
for it! Just look at Joseph or David! God always leads us by way
of the cross. It will NEVER be the easy way. It is well said that
no man is ever “eased” into his calling...he is “squeezed”
into it. Rebellion always seeks the “easy” way to get
to the desired end.
Rebellion
IS witchcraft, and witchcraft is a deadly force to be reckoned with.
ESPECIALLY if you know the Lord as Savior, but you continue to make
your own rules in life. “Claiming” Christ, while continuing
to live under the power and influence of witchcraft, which is in
direct opposition to the power and influence of God, is a path of
self-destruction. In the times and seasons of great out pouring
of God’s power, we can’t afford to play around with
rebellion, even just a little bit!
Look at Ananias and Sapphira.
AUTHORITY DOES NOT COME WITHOUT
PERSECUTION
Why is it
that when Paul’s authority over the churches was questioned,
he answered it by telling of all that he had suffered because of
obedience to the call of God on his life? IICor. 11:22-30 lists
the beatings, imprisonment’s, betrayals etc. etc. that he
had suffered. Why did he list that? When questioned about whether
or not he had the right and authority to speak into their lives,
and bring correction to a very fleshly church ----why didn’t
he tell them about the miracles God had done by his hands? Surely
he should have told them about blind eyes being healed, people raised
from the dead, nations won to Christ! Why list all his persecutions?
Because Paul knew something that we must learn....the authority
that we carry is in direct proportion to the persecution we have
received for obeying God, without getting bitter, staying emotionally
hurt, or holding unforgiveness!
TRUE
AUTHORITY COMES
WHEN THE PRICE
HAS BEEN PAID FOR IT......
FEW WANT TO PAY THAT PRICE
We, through
much tribulation, enter into the Kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22) Paul
spoke that to disciples of Jesus, stabilizing them and telling them,
that to tap into Kingdom power meant being persecuted. In Matt.
5:10-12, Jesus says the very same thing. When God’s people
are persecuted, and reviled, and slandered, and they take it, keeping
a
right heart----they have just been promoted to walk in more power
by Heaven itself! God is the Great Equalizer! Stop fighting to justify
yourself....get a “fair deal”....be treated with respect
that’s due. For every time that we suffer anything unfairly,
for righteousness’ sake, and we don’t get bitter-----we
get better!!! God, who is the Great Equalizer, pours a little more
of Himself out on us, and we walk in more authority and power than
we did before.
NO MAN IS
EVER “EASED”
INTO HIS CALLING -
HE IS “SQUEEZED” INTO IT
Probably
the first, and possibly the hardest, persecution to overcome is
rejection. Notice how many great men of God in the Bible suffered
great rejection. Moses, David, Paul, the list goes on. What about
Joseph? Rejected by his own brothers and sold into slavery, only
to be lied about by Potiphar’s wife and imprisoned for years....for
doing the right thing! FEW could keep a soft and forgiving, servant’s
heart through all that....but Joseph did....and in the end, he was
the second most powerful man in the entire known world!! Because
his calling was great and the authority he was to walk in was incredible....the
persecution he had to endure, preparing him for such a calling,
was intense! Only when we have suffered rejection, remained faithful
to God in it, and refused the temptation to wear a “victimized
attitude”, can we be trusted with authority. If we don’t
get healed of rejection’s wounds, we will either become bitter
and critical of others, suspicious and untrusting----thus we become
“territorial” and a tyrant if in authority. Or we are
easily offended, “wearing our feelings on our sleeves”,
and can’t bare not having the “approval” of others.
Thus, we become “people pleasers”, operating in the
fear of man, which disqualifies us for service to God in any place
of strong authority. Even though the latter will seem kind and loving,
the fact is, because they’ve never been fully healed of rejection,
they operate under fear of losing people’s approval, and therefore
will speak whatever it is that will keep people thinking they are
“wonderful”....even if it means not telling a person
the truth that they so desperately need to hear.
EVERY TIME
WE SUFFER ANYTHING UNFAIRLY,
FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE,
AND WE DON’T GET BITTER...
WE GET BETTER
Walking
in authority is tough. Few want to pay the price for it. Fewer still
even understand what is required of someone in a place of great
power and authority. To understand it is actually to not want it.
When a person understands authority and the costs involved, they
no longer want a position for themselves. If they agree to step
into a place of authority and power, it will only be because their
life has been “lost” to God and they can no longer do
what is most convenient for them. If the person isn’t a Christian,
but understands authority, they will take a position simply because
the times demand it, and it is better for others, not necessarily
themselves. A person who understands authority never desires a position
for self. Those who crave to hold a “position” are not
yet qualified to do so. Those who are qualified will serve in whatever
capacity they are gifted
in....naturally....with no “title” or “benefits”
desired, and certainly no recognition wanted from it.
POSSIBLY THE HARDEST
PERSECUTION TO OVERCOME
IS REJECTION
It is a
service unto the King. There is much more to be spoken on this subject.
It is a much-needed revelation in our society where “truth
is relative” and integrity is “rare as chicken’s
teeth”. In a day and time where people vote for someone on
the basis of guidelines we’ve adopted from Hollywood, we really
need to understand the qualifications for authority. Our basis for
judgement will no longer be “how they appear on camera”
or “how slick they can talk their way out of a corner”
or “how they can say just what each different crowd of people
want to hear”, etc. Instead, our judgement will be how they
can hold to integrity in the midst of criticism and jealousy, slander
and divisiveness, and still stay on course; doing what is not necessarily
easy, but what is right! THAT is one who is qualified to lead!
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