God is sounding a wake-up call to the world, to this nation and more specifically to us as believers. Have we lost our concept of God—of who He is—of His Kingdom and His authority? Have we become so distracted by the voices and events in the world that we like the twelve spies Moses sent to check out the land of Canaan have become disillusioned, discouraged and fearful? Have we like the spies limited God’s power and authority to intervene in our lives and in this world? In a world full of chaos and uncertainty, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by our own weakness and powerlessness. But there is one source of strength that never fails, God’s power. Erwin Lutzer, in The Rebirth of America said: “Only the people of God can arrest our slide into the cesspool of destruction and demise. But the question is whether we have the moral fiber to put our own house in order so that we can speak to the world?” I believe that God is calling us to get our hearts and minds back on Him, His Kingdom and His authority. God exercises His authority over all people, and He asserts His control over time—past, present and future. God’s Throne is the seat of His judgment. He discerns between good and evil, and He administers reward and punishment alike. God is real, God has a plan, God is in control and God loves us!
The Kingdom/Authority of God
I Chronicles 29: 31 says: “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.” Psalm 103: 15 says: “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.” Psalm 145: 13 says: “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.” God declares to Isaiah in 45: 18: “For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens, God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I AM the LORD; and there is none else.” Therefore, the Kingdom of heaven and earth belong to God who is the Source of all authority and power.
The Angelic Rebellion
In eternity past God created an order of spiritual beings called angels whose chief attributes are strength and wisdom. All was in harmony among these beings until Lucifer, God’s anointed cherubim, usurped God’s authority and sought to over-throw His Throne. Isaiah 14: 13 reveals Lucifer’s “I will” marked the introduction of sin into the universe and two hundred of God’s angels followed Lucifer’s rebellion and all were cast out of heaven. Lucifer became Satan, the adversary of God, and makes earth and air the scene of his tireless activity. He became prince of the powers of the air (Ephesians 2:2) and he is at the head of a vast house of demons (Mt. 7: 23).
Man’s Authority
God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit moved upon a dark and chaotic earth to bring order and to make earth inhabitable for mankind. In five days God brought life to the plant and animal kingdom and on the sixth day He created man in the likeness of the Godhead—with personality, the ability to think and make choices—with a body, soul (mind, will and emotions) and spirit. God saw that it was good—very good. God put man and woman in a perfect environment where He communed with them every day—face to face. It was and is God’s desire for His Kingdom to come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Mt. 6: 10). Man was given authority over the earth and the creation (Genesis 1: 28-30); and crowned with glory and honor (Ps. 8: 5-8); yet subject to God his Creator (Genesis 2: 15-17. The divine intention was and is that man should have fellowship with God in obedience.
War Against God’s Kingdom
After the creation of man, Satan entered into the serpent (Genesis 3:1) and, beguiling Eve by his trickery, secured the downfall of Adam and through him of the race, and the entrance of sin into the world of men (Rom. 5: 12-14). His aim then and now is to secure a kingdom for himself where he can be worshiped like God. BUT GOD who has all power and authority already had a plan of redemption not only to redeem mankind but to resolve the angelic conflict. The goal of God is to restore sinning man to His likeness, fellowship, and authority (Romans 8: 29). Therefore, God set forth in Genesis 3:15 a declaration of war between the seed of Satan and the seed of the woman—the Redeemer. He pronounced judgment upon Satan and all who oppose God and refuse life in Christ who is the seed of the woman. Sin’s disorder makes necessary a headship—an authority vested in man as the head of the family—the order husband, wife, children. Man relinquished the authority over the creation to Satan who would come to be known as the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). Then began Satan’s long warfare against the work of God on behalf of humanity, which still continues. He still has access to God as the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12: 10) and is permitted a certain power of sifting or testing the self-confident and carnal among believers, but is a strictly permissive and limited power, and believers so sifted are kept in faith through the advocacy of Christ. God established spheres of authority in the world, such as civil government. Rulers and kings have their spheres of influence (Rom. 13:1) as does Satan (Col. 1: 13) but Christ has been placed above all realms of authority (Eph. 1: 21).
The Kingdom/Authority of Christ
We know that God was manifest in the flesh—Emanuel—God with us—Jesus Christ. This is the season of the year that the tradition of men designates to celebrate His birth. Extensive research has produced much evidence that He was born either on 9-11-6 BC or 3-20-6 BC. Since Christ fulfilled all the Spring Feast in His first Advent, it is most likely that He was born on Passover as He is the Lamb of God—born in the Towers of the Flock in the fields of Bethlehem where the priestly shepherds raised the sacrificial lambs. The primary message of Matthew was that the promised kingdom of heaven-on-earth, about which prophets of old had spoken, had finally arrived, after 400 silent years. (Over 365 prophecies of His first Advent were fulfilled precisely.) The Messiah made Himself known to His people and John’s message to Israel was loud and clear: “Prepare the way for the Lord! Make His paths straight! Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” (Mt. 3: 2) He came as their rightful King, but they rejected Him and His authority. In Mark 11: 28 and Mt. 21: 23, the chief priests, scribes and elders questioned by what authority He performed miracles. Jesus said in John 10: 18 that “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Knowing the rejection in the hearts of the religious Jews of that day, Jesus said in Luke 17: 21: “Neither shall they say, Lo Here! Or, to there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” They missed their most glorious opportunity and caused the kingdom promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to be postponed until a time yet future when Israel as a nation will repent of her sin and cry out to her Messiah for salvation. Israel’s rejection secured salvation for Gentile nations, for God was not surprised by their rejection of Jesus as Messiah as His plan of redemption for mankind and the resolution of the angelic conflict had been in place before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13: 8). Jesus’ death and resurrection defeated Satan, sin and death and although Jesus does not return to earth at this time or establish His kingdom on earth at this time, both events are anticipated and will take place at the end of the tribulation when Jesus comes to earth in glory (Rev. 19: 11-12). During the 40 days after His resurrection He explained to the disciples that all the scriptures were about Him (Luke 24: 37, Acts 1:3). In other words, Jesus was announcing a new dispensation known as the Church Age when the kingdom would be in the hearts of men by the power of the Holy Spirit. Israel’s rejection secured salvation for Gentile nations, and for 2000 years, men and women have been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
The Kingdom Authority of Believers
Jesus’ last words spoken to the disciples before His ascension into heaven focused on the kingdom within each believer: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1: 8) The outpouring of the Holy Spirit marked the birth of the Church—the Kingdom within each believer. The Bible says that we are the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12: 27). Jesus is the Head, we are the Body—and His authority is perpetuated through the Body—the Church made up of individual believers. In God’s mind, when Christ was raised, we were raised in the mind of God: “He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:6) Both the Head and the Body are seated there, next to God, in the place of power and authority as His heirs (Rom. 8: 17). That means that everything that’s His—including His authority—now belongs to us! There is power in the Name of Jesus! We can’t stop the forces of darkness (sickness, fear, evil, lack) with our own strength but we can stop them with the delegated authority given to us by God in Christ. God Almighty Himself is the power behind our authority! Ephesians 6: 10 says: “Be strong in the Lord and the power of HIS might.” Our authority over the enemy rests in the NAME OF JESUS!
The question is: How do we use that authority? The first requirement is intimacy with God. Each day we must spend quality time with Him reading and meditating upon His Word, confessing any sin in our life and talking with God just like a person talks to his friend. The second requirement is boldness—declaring God’s Word and claiming its promises. Jesus said in Mark 16: 17-18 “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will be no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Jesus made it very clear that His Name is the key to all authority: “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My Name, I will do it.” (John 14: 13-14) The third requirement is conviction of God’s absolute justice and righteousness. The fourth requirement is concern for God’s glory—disregarding personal interest and ambitions to do everything as if we are doing it for Him and His glory. The fifth requirement is dedication to the task God calls us to—“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4: 13) The sixth requirement is to daily put on the armor of God (Eph. 6: 10-18) that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. The seventh requirement is a willingness to identify with those who need our prayers and intercede on their behalf. God is looking for a man or woman to stand in the gap. He is looking for someone to make up the hedge against the forces of evil. Will you offer yourself to God to be salt and light at such a time as this? Each time someone decides to live for God, we move one person closer to revival!