The Believer's Authority Part 9

Law Enforcement We exercise authority when we take our responsibility and do what G.o.d has told us to do. Yet, this doesn't mean we can just "command" anything we want. All authority can do is enforce law.

In the natural realm, we call policemen "law enforcement officers." They only have authority to enforce what's already been established as a law. Police officers don't go out and make up the law. They aren't absolute dictators who can do whatever they want. They are limited. All they can do is enforce laws that are already in effect. It's the same way in the spiritual realm.

Every born-again believer has this supernatural, G.o.d-given power. Still, there are spiritual laws governing how it works. Like a police officer, all we can do is enforce the law that's already in effect. We can't use G.o.d's power in a selfish way because there isn't any law where G.o.d promises to give you what you're l.u.s.ting for. Instead, we need to learn what the laws of G.o.d's kingdom are and then recognize that our authority is simply enforcing these spiritual laws.

In the natural realm, some people try to violate the laws of the land. This is why there's a need for law enforcement officers- people who go out and enforce those laws. In the spiritual realm, there are demons who are constantly trying to oppose us, inflict their evil will upon us, and prevent us from experiencing the fullness of G.o.d's provision. We must enforce the spiritual laws of G.o.d's kingdom that have been established.

A LEGAL, BINDING CONTRACT.

Most people don't see the kingdom of G.o.d as operating under law. Instead, they see it as being directly under the Lord, and they think He often changes His moods. They'll say things like, "You never know what G.o.d is going to do," and "You can't put G.o.d in a box." G.o.d is definitely bigger than-and outside of- the little "box" you've tried to contain Him in, but He has also established spiritual laws that even He will not break.

Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

PSALM 138:2.

Although many scriptures reveal the power of the name of Jesus (Phil. 2:9-11), G.o.d has magnified His Word even above His name. A person's name is no better than their word. If they don't keep their word, their name isn't accounted for anything. However, the name of Jesus is powerful because He never breaks His Word. When G.o.d says something, it becomes a legal, binding contract.

My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

PSALM 89:34.

When G.o.d speaks something out of His mouth, His Word is a covenant. It's a contract He will not break.

Jesus upholds "all things by the word of his power" (Heb. 1:3). In other words, our entire universe is held together by the integrity and power of G.o.d's Word. If He were to ever break a promise or otherwise violate His Word, this whole world, the universe, and you and I would all self-destruct. It's G.o.d's integrity that holds everything together.

THE LAW OF FAITH.

So when G.o.d speaks something out of His mouth, it becomes a contract-a law. Once He's said it, He won't change it. In order to effectively use your authority, you must know what His laws are.

When a new police officer is hired, they immediately study what the laws are that they were hired to enforce. Their police chief doesn't say, "Oh, just go out there without knowing anything and see if it works. Maybe the people will submit."

No, that's not their att.i.tude at all. The police officer is thoroughly grilled in what the ordinances and statutes are, what is permissible, and what's not.

Law enforcement officers have to know the law because they can't go beyond it. They can't just do things on their own. A police officer does have authority, but that authority ends at the end of the law. If there isn't a law prescribing what they're trying to enforce, then they can't do it.

It's the same in the spiritual realm. You can't just pick and choose according to your own selfish whims. You must know what the laws are that govern the kingdom of G.o.d, and then abide by them. If you try to enforce something outside of those laws, it won't work. You can't just use your G.o.d-given authority to do your own thing.

Romans 3 speaks of "the law of faith."

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

ROMANS 3:27.

Faith has a law. There is a law of faith.

LAW OR PHENOMENON?.

In the physical realm, there are natural laws. Among many others, there is the law of gravity and the law of thrust and lift. A law is something that's both constant and universal. If gravity only operated in the United States and not in some other country, then it would be a phenomenon, but not a law. A law means that it's consistent for everybody on the planet. It's the same for everyone, and it's always that way.

While gravity doesn't just spike every once in a while, occasionally you'll see things that might make you think that. A few years ago, a plane was landing in Colorado Springs. As it was making a turn to come in to land, all of a sudden it accelerated and just dove into the ground. It made a crater, and the largest piece of the plane they could find was one or two foot square. It just exploded and everyone was killed. The investigators did about four years worth of research, but never did find a pilot error or mechanical reason for the crash. However, neither did they say, "Gravity just increased ten times and all of a sudden made that plane crash like that." No, they didn't even consider that a possibility because gravity is a law-it's consistent. They didn't say, "The law of thrust and lift just ceased to operate." No, it's a law-it always operates that way.

If you are ever going to have an efficient, effective, powerful relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d, you must break out of this mindset that G.o.d is inconsistent. You must get out of this thinking that says, "Sometimes G.o.d wills to do this and sometimes He wills to do that. You never know what kind of mood G.o.d is in. He might heal this one, but not this other. He may want them to suffer that way the rest of their life." That's not how G.o.d is and it isn't the way His kingdom operates.

G.o.d is the One who created the heaven and the earth. It's so orderly and systematic that you can go back five years or even five thousand years, and find out exactly where Mars, Jupiter, and all the other planets were. Everything is like clockwork, perfect and consistent. You can accurately project when an eclipse will occur because it's so predictable.

I'm amazed how people can think that G.o.d, who created such order in the universe, would do things sporadically and haphazardly in our lives. Order didn't come from chaos. G.o.d Himself is orderly. He created laws-both natural and spiritual. G.o.d Himself is consistent and predictable because He operates by His own spiritual laws.

You need to find out what His spiritual laws are. Then once you do, take your authority as a believer and enforce these laws. If you're ignorant of G.o.d's Word, then you won't be very effective in releasing your authority because Satan will just talk you out of it.

IGNORANT OF WHAT'S BEEN PROVIDED.

Back in the days when people still traveled across the Atlantic by s.h.i.+p, a man sc.r.a.ped together everything he had to buy a ticket to the United States. All he had left was just a tiny little bit of money with which he bought some crackers and cheese. For the entire month-long voyage across the Atlantic, all he had to eat were these crackers and cheese. He watched as all the other pa.s.sengers feasted sumptuously on the daily bounty of food and drink in the dining room, however he didn't have any money for food, so he just ate a little bit of his crackers and cheese.

Toward the end of the voyage, one of the porters came up to this man and asked, "Sir, I notice that you have never joined us in the dining room. Was there something we've done that offended you? Why didn't you eat with us on this voyage?"

The man answered, "Oh, no. I'm not offended at all. I would have loved to have eaten with you. The food looked so good, but I just didn't have any money left. All I had was enough to buy me some crackers and cheese."

Dumbfounded, the porter looked at this man and said, "But didn't you realize that the meals came with the ticket? They were included in the price that you paid."

This man was ignorant of what was rightfully his, and because of it he did without. All that time the truth was that he could have daily dined sumptuously on anything he wanted of the feasts that were prepared throughout the entire trip.

So many Christians are the same way. They are ignorant of the abundant life G.o.d has given us. Consequently, they live without enjoying many of the salvation benefits Jesus died on the cross to provide. Because they are unaware of what the Word says, Satan has them convinced, "You aren't really going to prosper. You'll just have barely enough to get by."

Are you aware of what the Word promises you concerning prosperity? Deuteronomy 28:8 says that G.o.d has commanded His blessing upon all the work of your hands. Psalm 35:27 reveals that G.o.d delights in the prosperity of His servants. If you don't know these spiritual laws, you won't enforce them. You won't demand Satan to quit stealing from you and to turn loose of your G.o.d-given provision. You won't experience what's rightfully yours in Christ. So in order for you to use your authority and experience G.o.d's blessings, you need to know what the spiritual laws are and what has been provided for you.

THIS CONFIDENCE WE HAVE.

Just yesterday, a mutual friend coerced me to pray for a certain woman with arthritis. I tried to get her to a place of faith by telling her about all the different people I had personally seen healed of arthritis, and that arthritis was no problem for G.o.d. She just looked at me and said, "I believe that G.o.d can heal, but I don't believe that you can heal." Of course it's G.o.d's power and not mine, but He has given me the authority to use it. Not understanding this, she was immediately put off and began resisting how I was trying to minister to her. Then she stated, "It all depends upon whether or not it's G.o.d's will to heal me." She believed G.o.d could do it, but not that healing is a law-something He's already done.

Through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, G.o.d has already healed every person who will ever be healed. By the stripes Jesus took across His back two thousand years ago, we were-past tense-healed. (1 Pet. 2:24.) G.o.d isn't healing people right now. He did His part a long time ago. The law was pa.s.sed, and now healing belongs to us. Still, it's up to us as believers to know what G.o.d's will is and command it to come to pa.s.s.

This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the pet.i.tions that we desired of him.

1 JOHN 5:14,15.

This confidence that we have, if we ask anything according to His will, we know that He hears us, and if we know that He hears us, then we know we have these pet.i.tions. The whole thing hinges on "What is G.o.d's will?"

Some people say, "Well, you never know what G.o.d's will is." That kind of thought undermines this whole principle. If you think that G.o.d just sometimes wills for a person to be saved, healed, or prospered, and sometimes doesn't, then you don't know what G.o.d's will is. If you think G.o.d is totally unpredictable, then you'll never use your authority effectively because you aren't sure what the laws are.

NO EXCEPTIONS.

A police officer can't effectively enforce the law if they think that sometimes it's okay to speed, and other times it's not. Is it okay to rob a bank sometimes, but other times not? Is it permissible to murder occasionally? No, that's not the way the law is. The law isn't sometimes in effect, and other times not. The law is constant-it's the same all the time for everybody.

In the natural realm, we say, "n.o.body is above the law." That means that politicians, police officers, whoever it is will be held accountable if they break the law. It doesn't always work out that way, but that's the philosophy we desire to live by.

It's the same in the spiritual realm. There are no exceptions. The Word doesn't just work for some people but not for others. It's not that G.o.d just likes some people and causes His power to work for them, but others He doesn't. That's not it at all. G.o.d has established laws, and we need to learn how to cooperate with them.

Remember, we can be confident that we will receive anything we ask according to His will. How can we know G.o.d's will? G.o.d's Word reveals His will.

Beloved, I wish [will, want, desire] above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

3 JOHN 1:2.

G.o.d's wish, will, and desire is that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul (your mind, will, and emotions) prospers. This is a law of G.o.d. He wants you to prosper and be healthy. G.o.d wants you to be a world overcomer. (1 John 5:5.) GOOD G.o.d, BAD DEVIL.

John 10:10 reveals both G.o.d's will and Satan's will very clearly.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but G.o.d comes to give you life more abundantly. If something is life and good, it's G.o.d. But if something is bad-stealing, killing, and destroying -it's the devil. Although this is a bit simplistic, it's true. Good G.o.d. Bad devil. Good things come from G.o.d and bad things come from the devil. (James 1:17.) The Lord has ordained laws for your good, so you can access the abundant life He's provided for you. Nevertheless, you must learn what these laws are so you can cooperate with them and demand Satan to quit stealing, killing, and destroying the blessings that are rightfully yours.

In the natural realm, if someone stole something of yours, you have the right to press charges. You could demand for that person to be picked up by the police and prosecuted. If they're found guilty, some kind of punishment or prison, retribution or reimburs.e.m.e.nt could be a.s.sessed. Yet, it's all dependent upon the person who was wronged exercising their rights and pressing charges. In a sense, you have to take your authority and say, "I'm going to receive what's rightfully mine."

It's the same in the spiritual realm. Just like every other believer, you have G.o.d-given rights and privileges. He has established His will for us, but it's up to you to claim what G.o.d has done for you. You must press the issue. You have to take your authority and enforce those spiritual laws that have been made for your benefit. Ignorance of the spiritual laws will keep you from pressing charges. It will prevent you from keeping Satan out of the picture. The devil just runs wild when you think you don't have any authority or power.

Many Christians just don't know what is rightfully theirs. Thinking they have to be sick, poor, and discouraged, they say, "This is just the way that it is. I can't do anything about it." They don't know that Jesus Christ has redeemed us from these things.

CONSTANT AND UNIVERSAL.

In the same way that the physical world operates under natural laws, G.o.d has created His kingdom to operate under spiritual laws. These laws are constant and universal, so it's to your benefit to learn what they are and then cooperate with them.

You can't just pick and choose, saying, "Since I have authority as a believer, I'm going to command that I get this house or that car. It's under my power and authority, so I command it and say it's so." No, you have to cooperate with the laws of G.o.d. As a matter of fact, there are laws of G.o.d that specifically tell you not to covet your neighbor's house, car, or wife. G.o.d doesn't have a law that promises you can use His power for selfish purposes to claim, "This person will die so I can marry their mate." That's not going to work because the Lord hasn't provided it for you. There aren't any spiritual laws in the kingdom of G.o.d that work selfishly.

Chapter 19.

How The Power Flows The woman who had an issue of blood powerfully ill.u.s.trates these truths about how the kingdom of G.o.d operates by law.

A certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the mult.i.tude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

MARK 5:25-34.

Jesus was in the midst of a mult.i.tude of people who were thronging Him. That means they were crowding in close, constantly b.u.mping into and touching Him. Many people were reaching out, touching Him, and trying to receive their healing. Yet, this little woman with the issue of blood came, touched the hem of His garment, and instantly the power of G.o.d flowed right through Jesus' body, through His garment, and into this woman. Immediately, she was healed of an infirmity that had plagued her for twelve long years. As soon as this happened, Jesus turned around and asked, "Who touched Me?"

JESUS INCREASED.

Some people believe this religious concept that Jesus knew all things. Therefore, they consider this question to be purely rhetorical, saying, "Jesus didn't really mean it. He already knew everything that had to go on." I don't think that's not accurate at all. The Word says that...

Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with G.o.d and man.

LUKE 2:52.

Jesus was fully G.o.d, but He was also fully man. Because He was in the flesh-a physical, human body-He had to learn things the same way that you and I do. The Word here says that He increased in wisdom and knowledge.

In His spirit, Jesus was Lord at His birth. That's what the angels said when they made their announcement to the shepherds.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

LUKE 2:11.

Even though in His spirit realm He was G.o.d, Jesus didn't come out of the womb speaking Hebrew. He had to learn to eat, walk, and talk. He had to learn who He was. Because Jesus was in a physical body, He had to deal with limitations- not limitations from sin, but limitations due to the fact that G.o.d didn't make our physical part able to perceive things that we haven't yet learned through our senses. So when Jesus was walking through this crowd and this woman touched Him, He perceived the power of G.o.d flowing out of Him, but He didn't know who had touched Him.

"WHO TOUCHED ME?"

Most people think that when you approach G.o.d for healing (or anything else) that He evaluates you to see if you're worthy. They think that once you make your pet.i.tion, G.o.d measures how worthy you are-whether you've been good enough, moral enough, paid your t.i.thes, fasted long enough, have enough other people praying for you, and if your situation is desperate enough. Then, based on His personal evaluation, He either releases His power and you get healed, or He retains His power and says, "Nope, you haven't prayed enough, you aren't holy enough, you haven't fasted enough, and/or you have this sin in your life and until you deal with it I won't heal you." People tend to view G.o.d this way, that He's up there in heaven evaluating us and then, depending on His evaluation, He either releases His power or not.

These verses in Mark 5 completely kill this misconception. Jesus didn't know who this woman was. He didn't see her coming. She touched the hem of His garment. He perceived the outflow of power, but then asked, "Who touched Me?" Jesus honestly didn't know who had touched Him. Therefore, He didn't evaluate her to see if she was worthy or not. This shows that the power of G.o.d flows under law.

When you tap into these spiritual laws, the power of G.o.d just flows. The Lord doesn't size up one person, saying, "You're worthy. I'm going to release My power to you," and then looks over another, saying, "No, you aren't worthy." It's not like that at all. There are just laws that govern how the power of G.o.d works. When you cooperate with those laws and put them into effect, the power flows. If you don't, the power doesn't flow. It's nothing about G.o.d loving one person more than another. It's just a matter of law. G.o.d established His kingdom to operate under spiritual laws. As believers, we need to find out what those laws are and cooperate with them.

Electricity operates under law. If you're grounded and you grab a live wire, it'll kill you. It's not that the electric company looked at you and said, "Let's teach them a lesson." No, there are just natural laws. You put those laws into effect, and so the power flowed.

On the other hand, a bird can land on a high wire and not be electrocuted because they aren't grounded. It's not because the electric company loves birds more than they love people. There are just laws that govern how this power flows.

Electricity has been around since G.o.d created the earth. It's always been here in the form of thunderstorms and static electricity. People could have used electricity thousands of years ago if they would have understood the laws that governed it. G.o.d didn't just "create" electricity a few hundred years ago, and "allowed" people to start using it. No, electricity always was available to be harnessed for our use. Our ignorance of those laws kept us from being benefited by it.

G.o.d DIDN'T SHUT OFF THE POWER.

It's the same in the spiritual realm. It wasn't G.o.d who let healing, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and other supernatural aspects of our faith just "pa.s.s away" for more than a thousand years. That's not what happened. G.o.d didn't shut off the power. People entered the Dark Ages because they didn't retain the knowledge of the things of G.o.d.

The early New Testament church operated strongly in the power of G.o.d. Then years later and for whatever reason, the church at large came to this place of believing that G.o.d's miracles and supernatural power pa.s.sed away with the apostles. Then, in the early 1900s, the power of the Holy Spirit began to manifest again in places like Azusa Street. There was an influx of healings, deliverance, speaking in tongues, and miracles that have continued to s...o...b..ll worldwide up until this present day.

It wasn't G.o.d who turned the power off after the first 200 years of Christianity and then turned it back on again 1,700 years later. It's not that He operates in cycles, and now we're in a "wave" or a "move" of G.o.d. That's not how it works any more than it was G.o.d who kept people from using electricity, airplanes, and cars a thousand years ago. All the laws were here, but people's ignorance kept them from taking advantage of these laws. Due to their ignorance, people died of heat when they could have had air conditioning if they had known what the laws were. People were hindered from moving over long distances in a short period of time. They had to walk, or ride a camel, donkey, or horse. It wasn't G.o.d that kept them in ignorance. They just didn't know these things.

It's not G.o.d who isn't healing or blessing you. It's not the Lord who has "willed" that you suffer. G.o.d has created laws, but you need to discover what they are. As you learn how to cooperate with and enforce these laws, you'll see G.o.d's provision for you manifest.

You might be thinking, I disagree. That puts all the responsibility on me. You're saying that it's up to me to take hold of what G.o.d has provided. Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. It's not G.o.d who hasn't healed, prospered, or delivered you. It's our own ignorance that keeps us in these bondages. G.o.d has already done His part. The Word clearly reveals that the Lord has already healed us, but we have yet to take advantage of it. (1 Pet. 2:24.) UNBELIEF HINDERS RECEIVING.

Let's go back to Mark 5 and continue looking at this woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment. Verse 31 says that there was a mult.i.tude of people thronging Him. This could have been as many as three or four hundred people trying to follow Jesus through these city streets. However many it was, there were a lot of people pressing Him. They didn't just want to be near Him, they wanted to draw near because there had been power and virtue flowing out of Him and healing people. A mult.i.tude of people were there, of which many needed to be healed and delivered. Yet, only one person out of the many received healing.

This wasn't the only time this happened. The same thing happened in John 5 at the pool of Bethesda. There was a mult.i.tude of impotent folk, yet one person received healing. Why is it that one person gets healed when there are many who need it?

Maybe you haven't received your healing. You know of other people who have. Why haven't you been healed? One reason could be that you don't understand that G.o.d has already done His part. You aren't taking your authority and enforcing spiritual laws. You're ignorant of what G.o.d has already said and done, so you're pa.s.sively going to Him asking, "G.o.d, will You please heal me, if it be Your will? Lord, will You set me free and move in my life?" You can say that many different ways, but the Bible calls it "unbelief." If you are asking G.o.d to do those things, then you aren't believing the record.

When G.o.d said, "By whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Pet. 2:24), He put your healing into the past tense as an already accomplished reality. He's already done it. Therefore, you ought to believe the Word and say, "I know it's already done. He put the same power on the inside of me that raised Jesus from the dead. (Eph. 1:18-20.) I take my authority and now I speak to my problem and command these things to happen." But instead of taking your authority, you're just going pa.s.sively to G.o.d and saying, "G.o.d, will You please heal me, if it be Your will?" That's unbelief, and if that's what you are doing, it's the reason you aren't receiving. You're ignorant of G.o.d's spiritual laws.

WORDS.

This woman with the issue of blood said: If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

MARK 5:28.