Authority and God’s Word – Part 1 by Derek Prince

Listen to Derek Prince preach on the importance of the Word of God (great preaching and teaching!)

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Your Daily Word (Dag Heward-Mills)

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

REWARDS

Read: John 21:15-19

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. ” 1 Corinthians 15:58

Rewards are some of the highest forms of motivation in existence. Learn to reward people. Even Jesus expected His reward. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Hebrews 12:3

Jesus was motivated by the thought of His reward. Why do you think an athlete runs around for hours everyday? Why do you think boxers subject themselves to severe, dangerous and life-threatening knocks on the head? It is because of the joy of a million dollars or more that will come after the knocking is over.

The joy that is set before people will make them do almost anything.

When Jesus spoke to Peter He told him about His death. He predicted that Peter would die in a way that he might not like.

“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.” John 21:18,19

He told Peter to follow Him even to that end. Peter was willing and obedient. Perhaps, the key that made Peter willing to die was the fact that Jesus Himself had set the example.

Jesus had shown that there was a great reward in following. Rewards can make people do almost anything!

People who have died for the cause of Christ, died willingly, thinking of the reward that lay ahead.

Draft code of conduct may make teachers ‘hide faith’

A planned code of conduct for teachers risks imposing a “test of professional commitment to secularism”, a leading employment lawyer says.

John Bowers QC, editor of a top employment law textbook, says the draft code does not do enough to safeguard the religious liberty of Christian teachers.

It could “lead to a ‘chilling effect’, creating a culture where teachers hide their faith, fearing adverse consequences”, he says.

The Church of England, The Catholic Education Service and the Association of Christian Teachers have raised similar concerns.

The draft code has been prepared by the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE). It says all teachers must “promote equality and value diversity”.

Christian teachers are concerned that ‘valuing diversity’ will mean that even answering students’ questions about faith could result in disciplinary action including dismissal.

John Bowers QC says: “There is a real risk, with the current drafting, that teachers may consider that the new code requires them to promote actively (rather than merely present neutrally) a set of beliefs which is not consistent with their own.”

He says: “While the draft code of conduct purports to protect religious beliefs from discrimination, we do not consider that the draft code of conduct sufficiently balances the need to accommodate the expression of religious beliefs.”

The GTCE says it has based its wording on the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s code of conduct, the same code which last month resulted in a nurse being sacked for advising a patient to go to church to relieve stress.

Earlier this year the nursing code also resulted in a Christian nurse being suspended for offering to pray for a patient.

The GTCE’s proposed code would also apply outside of school. Mr Bowers says: “it is conceivable that a head teacher, who is also a local lay preacher, might be targeted by gay lobby groups for a sermon on marriage given in the local church, the recording of which is accessible from the church website.”

The draft code could also have implications for applicants to teaching posts, student teachers, and those hoping to join teacher training courses.

In Mr Bowers’ opinion, if the code when adopted is contrary to the Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations 2003 or the Human Rights Act 1998 then it may be possible to launch a judicial review of the GTCE.

Colin Hart, Director of The Christian Institute, said: “This proposed code of conduct may undermine social cohesion by pitting those of different religious and ethical views against one another. It could also lead to a string of divisive disciplinary cases.

“This could have a devastating effect on individual committed teachers and the wider profession. As the Director of a charity representing historic orthodox Christianity, and also as a former teacher, this is a matter of serious concern.”

http://www.christian.org.uk/news/20090625/draft-code-of-conduct-may-make-teachers-hide-faith/

Michael Jackson is dead.

An event so momental that people were texting me in the early hours of the morning to let me know.  I thought there was some sort of emergency as the phone beeped, but it was texts telling me about the death of one man.

I turned on the radio news this morning and it was every story.  I clicked on the online Telegraph newspaper to scan the news as I do every morning and it is all 5 of the top 5 stories of the day.  Apparently Facebook (which I am not on) and Twitter (which I am on infrequently) are jammed with the news.  9 out of 10 searches on google this morning are about Michael Jackson.

Remarkable.  Someone who was clearly a talented and gifted individual has died – and yes they have died before their time, and the world comes to a stand still.  However, there are people dying every day. 

150000 people die every day on average.  People who most of whom have never known Christ, have never responded to the gospel, believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and had their sins forgiven and their nature transformed.

Think about that – why is our priority as a planet an entertainer?  Why is that the top news story is the death of one man when a more important issue is perhaps the number of children aborted on our planet today (115000 on average)?

I know Michael Jackson is a father, and my heart goes out to his three children.  But many fathers will be dying today and it won’t be the news story of the year.

Why does something like this hit people hard?  Why does it get the sort of coverage it does?  It is because the human race has not yet dealt with the one undeniable fact: all people die.  Everyone dies.  No matter how talented, how famous, no matter how renowned – everyone dies.

Death is not normal: humanity was not created to die.  It was created to live forever in paradise with God.  Adam and Eve would have done that if they had not sinned against God and rebelled against His provision and goodness and broke the one command He gave them. 

The good news is that there  is an antidote to death: Jesus Christ died our death so we can enjoy His eternal life.  Jesus Christ paid the price for your sin and my sin, so that if we believe in His redemptive work on the cross, then we can receive eternal life now on earth, and enjoy the joy of knowing Him not just now but forever.

If you want to know if you need a Saviour, or if you think you are a good person: click here.

Our Position of Authority as Believers (Kenneth Copeland)

When you made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, Colossians 1:13 says you were delivered from the power of darkness. The word power is literally translated “authority.” You have been delivered from the power, or authority, of darkness and placed into God’s kingdom. Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore…” (Matthew 28:18-19). That power was given to you as part of your inheritance in Christ Jesus. You have entered into this position of authority because you are in Him. 

The Word says that righteousness has come upon all men (Romans 5:18). You may ask, “Then why don’t all become righteous?” Because in order to receive it, you have to act on righteousness from the point of authority.
           
Nov. 2, 1962, I used my authority as a human being and made a choice. I made the decision to receive Jesus as Lord of my life. At that moment, the righteousness that had been upon me came inside me. I was made the righteousness of God in Christ. II Corinthians 5:21 says, “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
 
Jesus Secured Our Power and Authority
           
Jesus succeeded in securing all power by going to the cross, dying a horrible death, suffering the penalty for sin and defeating Satan in the pit of hell. He came to earth as a man for one reason: to recapture the authority Satan had stolen through Adam’s disobedience in the Garden. Jesus was called the last Adam (I Corinthians 15:45). After securing that power and authority, He freely gave it over into the hands of those who would believe on Him—you and me.
           
It is not enough for us to simply accept Jesus’ work at Calvary. We are held responsible for much more. Jesus’ words in Mark 16 were not intended for the early Church alone. His words are just as vital and real today as when they were first spoken.
           
Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection from the dead. His words to them form the basic foundation for the work of the New Testament Church. It was at that time He delegated the authority to carry out that work. Beginning in verse 15, Jesus said: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:15-18).
 
We Have Authority to Preach the Gospel
           
“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Every born-again believer has the authority and responsibility to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in this earth. If you can’t go, you can send someone in your place.
           
“And these signs shall follow them that believe….” Notice who is to do all these things: them that believe. The signs will follow the believers who act in faith and boldly speak in Jesus’ Name. They shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall lay hands on the sick. Believers are the ones with the power and authority to do these things.
           
Verse 20 says, “They went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” God will confirm His Word, but first it has to be spoken forth. That is where you and I come in. God does not preach; He has given us the authority to do the preaching. God will not lay hands on the sick. He will bring the healing, but you and I as believers must lay hands on the sick by faith, believing God will perform His Word.
 
We Have Authority to Stand Against Satan
           
One of the most vital areas of the believer’s authority is his power to successfully stand against Satan. Ephesians 4:27 says, “Neither give place to the devil.” In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul describes the armor that we as believers are to wear in combat against Satan. He explains each piece of that armor. It is the armor of God. But not once does he say that God will put the armor on you or that God will fight the devil for you. You is the understood subject of these verses. He says, “[You] be strong in the Lord…. [You] put on the whole armour of God, that [you] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [You] take the whole armour of God, that [you] may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, [you] stand.” God has given you the power and the authority to stand against Satan and his destructive works. He has provided the armor, but it is your responsibility as a believer to put on that armor and stand against the devil. James 4:7 says, “[You] resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The armor and the weapons are at your disposal. God is there with you to back His Word; but all that is worthless unless you take your position of authority and assume the responsibility to use what He has provided. You have the power and the authority to take the Word of God, the Name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit and run Satan out of your affairs. Don’t pray and ask God to fight Satan for you. You are the one in authority. Take your responsibility and speak directly to Satan yourself and stand your ground firmly. He will flee!
 
We Are Seated With Him in High Authority
           
In Ephesians 1, Paul prayed a prayer for the body of believers in Ephesus. One part of that prayer was that they know “the exceeding greatness of his power to [those] who believe” (Ephesians 1:19). That exceeding great power is the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenlies. Ephesians 1:21 tells us that Jesus is seated “far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named.”
           
The work God did in Jesus was supreme. He raised Jesus from the dead and set Him far above all other authority—not only in this world, but also in the heavenly world. Then verses 22-23 say that God has put all things under His feet and made Him head over the Church which is His body. Where are the feet? They are in the body. As believers, we are part of His body and we are seated with Him in that highly exalted place of authority. Praise God! Look at Ephesians 2: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Even when we were dead in sins, [God] hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (verses 1, 5-6).
           
We are seated together with Him. Where? Far above all principality and power and might and dominion. As a believer, you have accepted the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary. Therefore, you are part of His body and are seated with Him in that heavenly place, equipped with the same power, the same authority that He has.
           
The great power that God worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead is the same creative power of God that worked in you to make you alive when you were dead in your trespasses and sins. The moment you made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, that same power was exercised on your dead, unregenerate spirit, causing it to be reborn in the likeness of God Himself. Any man who is in Christ Jesus is a new creation: old things have passed away, all things are new, and all things are of God (II Corinthians 5:17-18).
 
We Have the Power of God’s Word to Exercise Our Authority
 
And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (Mark 4:35-40).
 
Jesus spoke the words, “Let us pass over unto the other side,” and there was enough power and authority in those words to accomplish the job. One thing I want you to notice is that Jesus did not take command of the ship to see that His words were carried out. He walked to the back of the boat and went to sleep. Jesus delegated the authority to His disciples and they accepted it. But when the storm came, they were filled with fear that the boat would sink. Jesus had to carry out the responsibility of authority, which He had delegated to them, by rebuking the wind and the sea.
           
Do you see the parallel here? You are the captain of your ship. You have control over your own life—your spirit, your soul and your body. Jesus has delegated power, or authority, over Satan to you as a believer. You are to give him no place in your life. You are born of the Spirit of God. You are filled with the Spirit of God. You have been given the Word of God. Those three elements are enough for you to carry out your spiritual authority here in the earth. You don’t need any more power. You have all the power necessary. You simply have to exercise your authority. Jesus has already done everything necessary to secure the authority and power over sin, sickness, demons and fear. You have to employ the faith action to receive that authority and join forces with Him in this earth. You are the one to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
 
We Have Authority to Act as New Creations
           
Hebrews 2:14 says, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.” Jesus partook of flesh and blood, so that you could partake of spirit and life. For you to partake of that spirit and life, you must take the responsibility of standing in the place of authority as the new creation in Christ Jesus that you are. You are born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God (I Peter 1:23). It was the Word of Almighty God that was injected into your spirit man to bring about the new birth in your life. When the Church was first beginning, Acts 12:24 described it as the Word growing and multiplying. The Word is in you, but you are the one who must be willing to allow it to work in you.
           
Ephesians 4:21-24 says, “If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
           
You are the one in authority. It is your responsibility to put off the old man—the unregenerate man that you were before you accepted Jesus. The Holy Spirit does the actual work in you, but you must make the decision to allow Him to do it. God has never forced His will on any person. You put off the old man. You use the Word of God to renew your mind. You put on the new man, which is created in righteousness and true holiness.
 
We Can Minister and Walk From a Point of Authority
           
God’s power is in His Word. He is “upholding all things by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). You need to learn to minister and walk from a point of authority. In His earthly ministry, Jesus said such things as “Be thou made whole.” “Take up your bed and walk.” Then Peter said to a lame man, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). He too ministered and spoke from a point of authority.
           
It’s time for you as a believer to begin to act that way. You have obtained an inheritance, and in that inheritance you have been given all authority. The God of the universe lives inside you! He lives and walks in you. Become God-inside-minded and you will begin to walk in this point of authority.
           
Keep right on building yourself up in your inheritance. You live in a world that is full of evil influences. Satan would like you to forget the reality of being born again and never realize your place of authority in Christ Jesus, because if you do, that power you walk in makes you absolutely dangerous to him. He has no defense against you when you walk in the power of God’s Word.           

When you see in the Word that you are in Christ Jesus, that you are in Him, then confess it with all your heart. Then you will be strong, standing in a point of authority and operating in your inheritance in Him. As you do this, the power of God will always be available to work in your behalf. Praise God!

The Elevator – A Metaphysical Conversation (Israel Wayne)

The Elevator – A Metaphysical Conversation

by Israel Wayne

 

The Metaphysical Hotel was the Ritz. John loved the restaurant at the pinnacle of the edifice and enjoyed meeting clients there for lunch. He walked briskly down the sidewalk from his office and entered the automatic double-doors of the building. Heading through the lobby, he entered the elevator which would take him to the 44th floor.

 

He glanced at the peculiar sign above the elevator door which read, “The Physical Realm.” There was only one occupant when the doors opened and John paused for a moment to allow the gentleman to exit. The man just stood there with his eyes closed. After a second of hesitation, John stepped in and pushed the button to close the doors. He glanced at the man next to him who suddenly opened his eyes.

 

“Going back up, eh?” John said with a slight chuckle in his voice.

 

“Depends on what you mean. After all, ‘up’ and ‘down’ are relative terms.”

 

“Sure. I guess. So, uh, do you work here?”

 

“Here? In the elevator? You could say that, but it would probably be more accurate to say that I live here.”

 

John blinked hard. “What was that?”

 

“I mean, where else am I going to live. This elevator is all there is.”

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me! There’s a lot more to this place than just the elevator. I mean there are conference rooms, a health spa, and the best restaurant in town! And beyond that, there is the city and the rest of the world. Quite a bit more out there than just the elevator!”

 

“No, those are all just figments of your imagination. You WANT to believe there is something more than the elevator, so you invent these weird notions. Such beliefs are a crutch for weak-minded people who can’t accept that this elevator is all there is.”

 

Now John was really shocked. “What is your name?” he asked the stranger.

 

“Mr. Materialist. But you can call me Matt.”

 

“Okay, Matt. Has it ever occurred to you that we are suspended at about the 22nd floor of ‘something’ and that there must be a structure that holds ‘The Physical Realm’ up so it doesn’t just crash and kill us?”

 

“Ah, so you must be a supernaturalist?!” Matt retorted.

 

“Well, actually I am. I mean, how could an elevator even be built if there weren’t something outside of it? I mean, an elevator can’t be eternally existent, and you can’t get the materials to build the elevator from within it. Does that make sense?”

 

“Here we go again! The ‘Hotel of the Gaps,’ theory. That’s the oldest one in the book. Just because we can’t explain everything naturalistically, you think that we need a supernatural or metaphysical explanation. I think that is a cop-out.”

 

“Matt, we can’t conceive of an elevator that just made itself. That just doesn’t make sense. Where did the materials come from? Who was the designer?”

 

“It’s simple. With enough time, it just built itself.”

 

“That is absurd. Beyond that, where did the materials come from?”

 

“They came from lesser materials within the elevator itself.”

 

“That is begging the question. You are assuming the eternal pre-existence of the elevator itself in your explanation of its design and origin. But that isn’t your only problem. You still haven’t explained how the elevator works. We know that there are pulleys and laws of motion that govern the movement of the elevator. Those laws are ‘outside’ of the physical elevator. Without the structure of this ‘non-physical’ building around the elevator, the elevator could not function.”

 

“No, quite the contrary. You are arguing that there can’t be a ‘Physical Realm,’ without the existence of the ‘Metaphysical Hotel,’ which surrounds and supports it. I would counter that the elevator itself is responsible for your notions of the hotel. There are chemical reactions that occur inside the elevator that cause an illusion of the ‘Metaphysical Hotel,’ but these things do not exist in reality, trust me.”

 

“Chemical reactions that cause me to believe whatever I…how did you put that earlier? Whatever I ‘want’ to believe?”

 

“Oh, uh, yeah, something like that.”

 

Suddenly they came to a stop and the doors opened. John looked at his watch. He was intrigued with the conversation, but really needed to head off to his lunch appointment. With a bit of sadness for the odd man who remained standing inside with his eyes closed, he stepped out to enjoy the rest of his day.

 

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.'” (Psalm 14:1)

 

Copyright 2009, by Israel Wayne. All Rights Reserved

Understanding Redemption (Kenneth Copeland)

God is able to establish us in the faith according to the plan of redemption which had been hidden over the ages. After the Fall in the Garden of Eden, God spoke and outlined that plan. What He laid down put Satan out of business completely. Praise God! He has commanded that the plan of redemption be revealed to His people by His Word. This outline will help you, step by step, understand the reality of it and prevent Satan from lording over you. 

1. The Plan of Redemption Called for an Incarnation (The Union of Divinity With
     Humanity in Jesus Christ)
 
Man was the key figure in the Fall. Therefore, it took a man, Jesus, to be the key figure in the redemption of man. When we were born into this world, ruled by Satan, we did not naturally know God. Therefore, the objective of the incarnation is that men may be given the right to become children of God by receiving the nature of God (John 1:12-13; II Peter 1:3-4).
 
2. Redemption Comes From Knowledge
 
God’s divine power has already provided everything that pertains to life and godliness. You can escape from the corruption in the world and partake of the divine nature of God. And you can have peace and grace multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord (II Peter 1:1-4). It’s there for you!
 
But this revelation knowledge is not sense knowledge – doctrine, philosophies and creeds – it is the reality and full truth of the Word of God revealed by the Holy Spirit (James 3:13-18). Revelation knowledge is literally knowledge brought to you by revelation!
 
3. Satan’s Lordship Has Been Broken
 
Revelation 12:11 tells us that the believers overcame Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, or confession. Confession brings possession. Boldly confess, “I am an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of my testimony. I am redeemed from the lordship of Satan. I can stop his assignments every time” (II Corinthians 10:4; James 4:7). Satan is not the head of the Church. Jesus is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 4:15-16, 5:23; Colossians 1:18, 2:10). Satan has no rule over you. Hallelujah!
 
4. You Are Bought With a Price
 
I Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us we are the temple of the Holy Spirit which is received from God. This means that we don’t own ourselves. We were bought with the price paid through the plan of redemption. Because of that, we should glorify God in our bodies and spirits.
 
5. God’s Response 

When you begin to take your place and assume your rights and privileges in Christ, then God begins to respond to you. The Word gives us our inheritance (Acts 20:32; Colossians 1:12). As you study the scriptures in this outline, our prayer is that you come to the full knowledge of who you are in Christ, especially in light of the redemption plan. God will bless you! Amen!

Police Examine Easter Invitations to Church!

This is happening in England people! Let’s get out there and evangelise and invite people to church NOW!

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