For Us or Against Us (3)

For Us or Against Us (2)

Reposted from original in March, 2021.

For us or Against Us?

Jesus said some controversial things about family and he was not immune to the challenges associated with family relationships. In Mark 3, we read how his family responded when he arrived in his home city. Prior to this, Jesus had healed the man with the withered hand, he travelled through Tyre and Sidon and crowds pressed against him and received healing. When the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out that he is the son of God. He went up to the mountain and appointed the twelve apostles and then went home to try to get away from the crowds. They could not even get a chance to eat, because the crowds came from everywhere to see him and to make contact with him. “And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind”” (Mark 3:21).

Later that day, as Jesus taught, the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem who also followed him, accused him of being possessed by the devil. Jesus knew what they were saying and asked them how could satan cast out satan? “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand” (Mark 3:24). A house divided against itself is defenceless from outside attack. He also warned them that anyone who blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, would not be forgiven. While he was teaching, his mother and brothers came outside, to ask for him to come to see them. The crowds mentioned to Jesus that his family were there and He asked them to explain who are his mother and brothers. He looked at them, looked at the people around him and said, ‘here are my mother and my brothers! “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother”’ (Mark 3:35).

The text does not say anymore about whether or not Jesus went out to see his family. Perhaps he said these things because they wanted to seize him earlier. Imagine his own family wanting to seize him and calling him mad, while he was doing the will of God. Either way, Jesus made references to family at other times during his ministry. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29). I don’t think his approach was one where he intended to disown his family. Nevertheless, they did not support his ministry and if given the chance, could have become a major stumbling block. His parents also didn’t understand his actions, when he went to speak to the elders in the temple at age twelve.

One would expect Mary and her children to have a greater understanding of Jesus’s purpose and ministry. An angel appeared to her before his conception and all the events surrounding his birth, should have prepared her for his life. Perhaps, even Mary could not see past Jesus as her firstborn son and his brothers perhaps thought he was a rebel or an outcast. Either way, Jesus did not allow the sentimentality of family to distract him. If his family walked in alignment with the will and purpose of God, then he would gladly embrace them. Once they failed to understand his assignment and could jeopardise his ministry, he didn’t have too much time for them. We have to learn from Jesus’s example and while we love our family and honour our parents, absolutely no one should stand in the way of our God given purpose and destiny. Being close to family is ideal, however, this may not always be the reality.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).

A.P.-Y.

The Intercessors’ Mantle (2)

The Intercessors’ Mantle

This is my final instalment in this series on spiritual authority. Authority relates to the power to influence others, make decisions and sometimes include the use of control. God has given the church authority over the earth realm and although this was subjugated by the devil, Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross restored our seat of authority. Our seating is in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. One of the most potent ways for us to exercise authority is through the spoken word. “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). God watches over his words to perform it and angelic assistance moves to carry out our words, spoken in alignment with the will of God.

The prince of darkness also understands spiritual authority and the power in words. We should remember that our words are not empty and also remember the power in agreement. Paul’s final words in Ephesians spoke of putting on the full armour of God. These scriptures remind us that we are always at war. This is not a physical war that we can win in our own strength. The battle belongs to God and our responsibility is to understand spiritual authority, wear our full armour and remain battle ready. Our battle is against the kingdom of darkness which includes principalities, powers, the rulers of darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. We would need another blog or teaching series to explain, the different ranks within the kingdom of darkness.

While understanding this system is important, it is even more important to wear our full armour and maintain our spiritual standing. “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:14-15). We need the shield of faith to quench the darts of the wicked, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. In addition to our full armour, we need to pray always in the spirit with prayer and supplication. We need to pray for ourselves and for the body of Christ, as our prayers are powerful and effective. We pray through the Holy Spirit and also pray in our heavenly language (in tongues). ”Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

Our prayers and activities on earth are sealed through the name and the blood of Jesus. God has given him a name that is above every other name and at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:9-10). The world and the kingdom of darkness fears the name of Jesus, because of the power and authority in his name. We cannot be afraid to make mention of his name and to call on him in our times of need. His name heals the sick, raises the dead, casts out demons and restores sight to the blind. We have no power without the name of Jesus and as we approach the throne of grace, we enter through the covenant of the blood. Jesus was in the beginning and he will return to receive the church at the end of this age.

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

A.P.-Y.

In Ephesians 5, Paul spoke about the need for us to walk in love. He warned the church against immorality, impurity and covetousness. He also cautioned against crude jokes, sexual immorality and idolatry. We are warned about keeping company with those who are walking in disobedience. “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). Paul said it is even shameful to speak of some things done in darkness, but our light will expose them. We have to be wise and discern that we are living in evil times and remain full of the spirit. We are to speak to each other with psalms and hymns of encouragement, giving thanks and submitting to each other in love. Paul spoke of the need for submission and love in marriages.

As it relates to authority, couples can exercise spiritual authority over each other through their marriage covenant. I am not talking about the type of authority which controls, but remember when Paul said that a saved wife can sanctify her unsaved husband and a saved husband can sanctify his unsaved wife (1 Corinthians 7:14). In this sense, the spouse who is saved, stands in the gap before God for the other spouse. I also believe that there is a way in which spouses can pray for each other, with a degree of authority that is not accessible outside of marriage. Since the husband and wife are one flesh, then what affects one spouse affects the other. As such, many couples have testified of how one spouse accepted the Lord and then stood in the gap for the salvation of the other.

Paul also spoke about the importance of children obeying their parents and honouring them. This commandment comes with a promise of long life and blessings. Similarly, parents have spiritual authority over their children and their words and actions can shape their destiny. I think my father understood this principle as I remember a time when he took my brother and I to attend a new primary school. The principal wasn’t impressed by our presentation and spoke negatively over us. She said that we had a long way to go in terms of progressing in the school and scoffed at my father’s suggestion that we were intelligent. As soon as my father left her office, he took authority over us, cancelled every negative word which she had spoken and declared that we were intelligent. At the end of our time in that school, it was my father’s words that prevailed as we progressed ahead of most of our peers.

My father made sure to remind the principal at our graduation, about what she had said, to show her that her words did not stand in our lives. Many people have authority in this earth sphere including doctors concerning health, teachers concerning education, Pastors regarding their members, husbands and wives regarding their spouse and parents concerning children. We are spirit beings so spiritual authority extends outside of the church, as most things take root in the spirit realm before they manifest in the natural. Our words and actions activate spiritual laws, so understanding and using authority can help us to walk in victory. I believe that our words concerning our own lives, carries more weight than what someone on the outside says about us. Parents can use their authority through the spoken word, to cancel a negative pronouncement over their children and replace it with the word of God. We also need to exercise this principle, whenever anyone says anything about us that is contrary to the word of God.

A.P.-Y.

Paul spoke in Ephesians 4 about unity in the body of Christ and encouraged us to be humble, gently and patient. While spiritual authority relates to waging war against the adversary, our love for one another and our unity is a major ingredient in winning battles. We are one body in Christ and as we work to establish the kingdom, we have to remain united. “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:5-6). Jesus said in Matthew 12:25, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” When Jesus ascended, he led a host of captives and distributed gifts to the church. The captives were the kingdom of darkness the gifts were restoring what was originally taken, back to the church.

His ascension suggests that he had descended, to the lowest parts of the earth to conquer hell and death. After his ascension he distributed the five fold ministries including the prophets, apostles, evangelist, shepherds and teachers. “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). This is to help us to grow spiritually and to remain in unity in Christ. As we mature, it will no longer be easy for us to be swayed by false teachings and deception. We are to speak the truth in love and work together to support the expansion of the church. We now have a new life in Christ and we are no longer to walk in darkness. There are still many people in the world who have their eyes blinded to the things of God. Due to hardness of heart, people can become callous and give in to sensuality, greed and impurity.

As we have learnt the ways of Christ, we have to put aside our old sinful nature, which is corrupt and deceitful and have our minds renewed by the Holy Spirit. “and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). We are urged to speak the truth at all times, become angry without sinning and don’t allow the sun to go down while we are still angry. ”and give no opportunity to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). Those who once stole should find a means for honest work and we have to guard our mouths so that we speak to build up others. Paul cautioned that we should not grieve the Holy Spirit, who is our seal for redemption. This is the final deliverance from the consequences of sin, which Jesus paid for on the cross. Paul also said in Romans 8:16, that the spirit bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God.

The seal of God is the Holy Spirit and our qualification for salvation and access to God. We grieve the Holy Spirit when we rebel against God and shun his warnings to us. We also quench the spirit when we ignore his inner promptings concerning affairs in our lives. We need the Holy Spirit to be fully operational in our lives, if we are to walk in power and authority. The reality is that we cannot do anything without the strength and power of the Holy Spirit. Without his power, we are merely exercising the flesh and relying on our skill or intellect. Paul cautioned us to put aside bitterness, anger, wrath, resentment, slander and malice. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

A.P-Y.

Yesterday we considered our seating in heavenly places in Christ Jesus and the indisputable authority, which gives us power to allow or disallow happenings on this earth. Our seating in heavenly places also symbolises the restoration of our place in heaven, which Adam lost after the fall. Paul reminded us that we were once Gentiles, considered uncircumcised, without Christ and aliens from the commonwealth of Isreal. Being outside of this promise, we had no access to the blessings of Abraham, but are now reconciled through the blood of Jesus. Jesus brought us peace and tore down the dividing wall that separated Jews and Gentiles. He set aside the Jewish law, with its rules and commandments, in order to join both Jews and Gentiles as one people (Ephesians 2:15).

Through Christ’s death on the cross, he created a church which is one body and the division was also destroyed on the cross. His message of peace was to those far away and to those who were nearby. Through Jesus Christ, we all have access to the father, through the Holy Spirit. We are no longer strangers or foreigners, but fellow citizens of the household of God. We are also built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. All of us as saints, are built together, growing as a holy temple unto God. Together we are one body for God to inhabit through the Holy Spirit. Paul was the apostle assigned to bring the Gentiles to God and spoke of the grace, which allowed the revelations and mysteries to be made known to him. These mysteries were not known to the former prophets, but was revealed through Christ to the apostles and prophets after his resurrection.

Paul preached to the Gentiles, the rich things of the gospel, which no one can fully understand. “to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God” (Ephesians 3:10). The context of this scripture is that these mysteries, were also being discovered by angelic rulers and powers in heavenly places. Peter also said that the angels long to look into matters being revealed to the prophets and apostles (1 Peter 1:12). Paul also spoke of the apostles being put on display and being a spectacle unto men and angels (1 Corinthians 4:9). This wisdom was to give us the boldness and courage to confidently approach God, through Christ. Paul’s prayer for the church was that we would be strengthened with power, through the spirit of God in our inner beings.

He prayed that the love of Jesus Christ would dwell in our hearts and that we would fully understand and experience his love. This love will help us to be full of the presence of God and allows the Holy Spirit to live through us. Our authority in Christ is founded on his love for us and our love for others. We have to accept the love of God, believe that he loved us and died for our sins and accept his sacrifice of redemption. The world will know that we belong to God through our love and the unity and oneness of the body of Christ, give us authority in the world. “and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:5, 8).

A.P.-Y.