AUTHORITY

Authority = the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience

BIG REMINDER: The same power that kicked Satan out of heaven resides within you.

(YOU MIGHT NEED TO READ THAT AGAIN)

Last week was Holy Week, and I want you to go back and look at something again with me. Right now, I want you to go to Mark 11:12-14 and Mark 11:20-24. In verses 12-14, Jesus is making his way from Bethany to go back to Jerusalem with his disciples and approaches a fig tree out of hunger only to find that it’s bearing no fruit. He then curses the tree, and they continue moving forward. After Jesus sets the record straight at the temple in Jerusalem, He and the disciples leave for the evening, and the next morning as they are passing through, Peter points out the withered fig tree in total amazement. Then, Jesus turns to them and says, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (verses 22-24 NKJV)

 What’s so incredible is Jesus is literally the Son of God, yet He is reminding us here of the authority that has been given to us too. We just have to believe, and I’m telling you right now, God has proven this scripture to me more times than I could ever count!

There have been lots of mountains of disease that have come my way, mountains of financial hardships, mountains of trauma, mountains of unforeseen circumstances, mountains of infertility, mountains of difficult people, and I have had the privilege of watching those mountains being cast into the sea.

THAT IS THE GOD I SERVE.

I can say with full confidence that I know that I can fully trust and rely on Him because His timing and plan is always perfect. I can say that the authority that rests in glory rests within me through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that same power rests within you too!

I want to really hit on this because I need you to understand that the spiritual realm is more real than the physical realm. As you pursue Jesus and seek Him, you will soon find that more battles will come your way, and you will soon find that the target on your back gets a little bigger. Now listen, I’m not telling you this to scare you but to tell you the truth and bring you to a place of awareness. 

And see, Jesus knew what the disciples would be up against in the future. He knew about the mockery that would come. He knew the enemy would persecute them. He knew that they had a great task ahead of them, but He also knew about the multitudes that would be affected. He knew about the healings to come. He knew about the blessings to come in the crushing.  So, He planted that seed in their hearts using the illustration of the fig tree to remind them that whatever they ask, it shall be done.  “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (verse 24)

And guess what?? I believe that Jesus had us on His mind too when He uttered those words to His disciples... Because Jesus knew that within the weight He carried, we would all be granted authority through His blood and  through the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) that would soon be coming. (John 14:26/John 16:7)

If Jesus never died on that cross, we wouldn’t have that same connection to heaven or  the gift of the Holy Spirit, but because of His sacrifice, He bridged the gap between heaven and earth. From that moment, we can walk in the authority and co-dependency of the Holy Spirit and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We can curse the attacks of the enemy. We can take back territory that’s been stolen. We can take our freedom back, and we can speak healing  and resurrection over our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can cast out demons. We can speak life, protection, and provision over our families. We can rebuke the mental and emotional attacks that the enemy tries to use against us while we war against him. 

He did that.

Jesus did that for you and for me.

So, don’t you dare for a second let the enemy deceive you into thinking that your prayers mean nothing. Don’t you dare let him fool you into believing that you’re nothing and nobody. Don’t let him deceive you because he wants to confuse, suppress, and silence the children of God. That is his mission.

I NEED YOU TO GET THIS: After Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and were confronted by God Himself (CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE), God says to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15 NKJV)

Understand that  the seed of the serpent represents the wickedness and sin that was being birthed in that very moment, but the seed of Eve represents the coming of Jesus Christ and how He would defeat the enemy through the crucifixion “bruising his head.”

That is something to rejoice in guys!

In that moment, God could have totally wiped out humanity, but He didn’t. Instead, He met them with perfect grace, clothed them, and affirmed that humanity would have the upper hand against the enemy. 

And fam, because of this right here, YOU HAVE THE UPPER HAND TOO OVER THE ENEMY.

So, BE ENCOURAGED TODAY. You were not created to be a doormat for the enemy and his schemes, but you were created to be a warrior for the kingdom.

Let’s pray:

God, I just pray that we would be reminded of these words in a time of need. God help us to be courageous and to stand firm in your truth and Your authority. You are the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, and we know that You are a firm foundation. God help us to trust You and to speak up and to speak out against the enemy of our faith. Lord, I pray that You would ignite the church and every believer, and I pray that the church would arise. Lord, lift the heads of every believer, leader, and every prodigal that they may see You and hear Your voice among all the noise and chaos. Holy Spirit, touch every heart and every reader that they would be reassured of the authority that resides within them so that when the enemy comes, they are ready.

In Jesus name, Amen.