SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY

BY

AMUSU JOSEPH

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR COMPLETION OF LAY MAN PROGRAMME OF MOUNTAIN OF FIRE AND MIRACLES MINISTRIES

NORTH CENTRAL REGION 5 KUBWA ABUJA

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CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that this project spiritual authority was carried out by

Amusu Joseph under my supervision.

……………………… ……………………

SUPERVISOR H.C.D

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DEDICATION

I dedicate this project to the glory and honour of the triune God who

indwells the believers and delegated power to them to dominate, also to all

pastors and teachers of the word who teach and encourage members to

exercise authority in the earth today.

This delegated authority was given to every Christian so that the sick

can be healed, finances can be loosed and those bound by other may be

free.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All glory, honour, adoration and thanks go to the almighty father, the

giver of wisdom.

My sincere gratitude goes also to my beloved wife Mrs. Roseline

Amusu, where support and prayers have kept me together, I acknowledged

the patience of my four good sons, Michael, Joseph (Jnr.) Gabriel and

Premus. God bless you all.

I also appreciate the followings, our coordinator Sister Bunmi, brother

Adeleke, Bro. Ayeni, Pastor Abraham Sister Bukky, Bro Owolabi, Bro

Daniel, Bro Enuoyibo and other pastors who are always there to teach and

encourage me and my colleagues not to give up but to push on. I am much

grateful to the authority for organizing the type of training for us to identify

our various ministries. May the good Lord bless you all.

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ABSTRACT

God’s Amazing plan for the salvation of humanity includes authority, power, Dominion. Authority means lawful permission to execute power or ability to bring judgment or justice for or against. Spiritual authority to change your life to discover self, this delegated authority is given to every Christian or believer as that the sick can be healed, finances can be loosed and those bound by satan may be free, author in Christ makes you discovers powerful principles in your own life and makes us to live in victory on the earth. This comes through the knowledge of God, and through the anointing of the Holy Ghost. The name Holy Ghost is available to you and me today.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. iCertification .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. iiDedication .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. iiiAcknowledgement .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ivAbstract .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. vTable of Contents .. .. .. .. .. .. .. vi

CHAPTER ONE1.0. Introduction .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11.1. Power Authority and Dominion .. .. .. .. 21.2. Possessing Authority .. .. .. .. .. .. 5

CHAPTER TWO2.0 Does the Devil Have Power?.. .. .. .. .. 72.1 The Devil Show of Power .. .. .. .. .. 82.2 Doesn’t He Have Power? .. .. .. .. .. 102.3 Devil Has No Power to Do Evil .. .. .. .. 102.4 The Irreversible Change .. .. .. .. .. 132.5 If He Has Power .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 142.6 Is Anyone Asking the Devil the Source of His Authority . 142.7 The Devil Stole the Authority of Man .. .. .. 15

CHAPTER THREE3.0. Jesus Has Authority .. .. .. .. .. .. 183.1. The Jews Didn’t Know The Source.. .. .. .. 193.2. Jesus Authority Over Spirit Of Death .. .. .. 193.3. His Authority Suspends Physical Laws .. .. .. 223.4. His Authority Over Elements Of Nature .. .. .. 233.5. Other Men Possess Authority .. .. .. .. 253.6. Moses Possessed Authority .. .. .. .. .. 263.7. Joshua Possessed Authority .. .. .. .. .. 273.8. David Possessed Authority .. .. .. .. .. 273.9. Elijah Possessed Authority .. .. .. .. .. 28

CHAPTER FOUR 4.0. The Authority of the Believer .. .. .. .. .. 29

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4.1. Man’s Dominion at Creation .. .. .. .. .. 294.2. Jesus Gave Power to the Believer .. .. .. .. 304.3. The Authority Is In His Name.. .. .. .. .. 33

CHAPTER FIVE5.0. Release Your Faith .. .. .. .. .. .. 375.1. Confess What You Believe .. .. .. .. .. 39

References .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 44

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CHAPTER ONE

1.0. INTRODUCTION.

Authority is used to exercise to power conferred on a person by

higher personality. It commands and receiver’s appropriate obedience, a

traffic officer may be smaller in stature, but as long as he wears his control

traffic, on his own, he has no might or physical strength to command

vehicles to move or stop.

He relies absolutely on the power of the government. He acts in the

authority the government has vested in the agency that he works for and no

motorist dare disobey him.

In like manner every believer has been empowered by God and in

exercising this power, He relies on divine authority to reign and rule on

earth, the authority is needs to enjoy the blessings which God declared

upon man when he created him Gen. 1:28 says, “And God blessed them

and God said unto them, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth,

and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the

fowl of the air and over every living thing that moved upon the earth.”

There exists the enemy whose activities are to steal, kill and destroy

the blessings of God in the life of man He (the enemy) wants to rob the

child of God of his benefits the power given o a child of God is the authority

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in his hands to stop the enemy in all his attacks. The power to stand

against satanic attacks and rule over adverse situations of life has been

vested in every child of God. He uses this power to possess authority.

Jesus said, “Behold I give you power to tread on serpents and

scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any

means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). What you need to exercise this power is

authority you are presently facing challenges, and will face even more as

times goes on, these challenges will threaten your existence, you need to

posses authority to withstand the demonic powers that are behind these

challenges and emerge victorious over them; you need authority to survive

odd times and strange ordeals of life.

My earnest prayer is that God will ease our eyes of understanding to

open, give us the zeal, the boldness, the faith to live by the word, possess

authority that will help us to fulfill our purpose in life, Amen.

1.1 POWER AUTHORITY AND DOMINION

Many times, the word power and authority are used synonymously.

To a large extend, they are different in their meaning. Worse still they are

confused with another word dominion.

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We shall be examine the meaning of these words in a little detail and

conclude that without power authority is not derived and without authority

no one exercises dominion. It will be clear that translators of the New

Testament inter changeably used power as authority and vice verse in

some scriptures.

1. POWER

Power is the ability to do something in the context of our discussion,

only God has power, He is the ultimate power. He is the one that has the

absolute ability to do all things. He is the almighty. David said, “God has

spoken once and twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God”,

(Psalm 62:11). All power derives from him. He rules by his power (Psalm

66:7). Even the civil government of the world derives their power from God,

that is why all men, especially children of God are enjoined to submit to

them, for there is no power, but of God; powers that are ordained of God

(Roman 13:1).

The constitution of any country serves as the supreme law from

which every operative of the government derives its power. This shown that

even the constitution indirectly derives its power from God.

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2. AUTHORITY

Authority, on the other hand is derived, conferred, or delegated

power. A person that is less superior to the one who has the power

exercise it. In fact authority is exercised on behalf of the person who has

power and has given it. As we noted above, God has the ultimate power,

every other person that possess authority has derived power from him.

Moses went before Pharaoh and did many miracles, He did not

possess the power for the feast in himself. God vested him with it, he was

only walking in authority. He was doing all he did on behalf of the owner of

the power. He was an agent and God was the principal as lawyers say.

The Jews wondered at the miracles that Jesus did and asked “By

what authority does these things and who gave thee authority (Mathew

21:23). I believe thus these things and who gave thee this power Jesus, as

a man was only using the power that he derived from his father.

3. DOMINION

Dominion is authority to rule or be in control. Note the progression,

power is given, it is authority in the hands of the receiver who uses it to rule

in dominion. The exercise is dominion or rule over or control the traffic of all

road users by virtue of the power conferred on the traffic regulating agency

by the constitution of the country.

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It is therefore, obvious that without authority, dominion cannot be

exercised.

1.2. POSSESSING AUTHORITY

As it was pointed out, God is the only source of power every other

person on earth and in heaven derives power from him. It is authority to

them and by this, they rule in dominion over situation and forces that are

opposed to his order in their lives. This is processing authority failure to

possess authority, is a major reason for failure in the affairs of life.

Whatever you do not dominate will definitely dominate you, there is no

vacuum in life, life is in a flux of conflicting forces.

Does the child of God have authority over forces that are opposed to

his well being on earth, the answer is “yes” we know this from God’s orders

to man when he was created. God’s order who and it still is.

“Have Dominion” (Genesis 1:28) God knew that there would be an

operation to this order that He gave to man. Though the first couple was yet

to experiences any opposition, they had been equipped with the seed of

victory over all forms of opposition that would come. We shall discuss the

authority of the believer and its sources.

The only power that is against the order of God in man’s life is the

devil’s. He (the devil) attack man’s life directly through his organized

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lieutenants, he also attacks man indirectly through the worldly system

which turns man against God, and automatically into his (the devil’s)

enslavement, he also uses the weakness of man’s flesh to make him (man)

succumb to his tricks and viles, this is the way he steal, kills and destroys

everything good in man as if he (man) does not have authority. Yet the

scripture teaches that as the devil and his demons where at the mercy of

Jesus when he was on earth, so are they to every child of God that knows

the authority that he has been vested with. Were the devil and his demons

at the mercy of Jesus? The answer is a loud “yes”. He knew that power

was conferred on him. He used it as his authority to have dominion.

Our aim is to assure the believer that he really has authority over all

the machinations of the enemy of his soul.

The believer is you, you are not at the enemy’s mercy, you can and

should stand up to his opposition in your life and put him where he belongs.

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CHAPTER TWO

2.0 DOES THE DEVIL HAVE POWER?

In our Charles Capps books, he stated that people of the world have

not yet seen the authority given them through Jesus Christ, neither have

they accepted the authority that is rightfully theirs because of being born on

earth.

Man as created in God’s likeness to have fellowship with deity. He

was the crown of all nations. He possessed abilities beyond our

comprehension, yet he failed because he broke God’s word, when Adam

bowed his knee to satan, he lost his spiritual authority.

I am almost sure that you have never doubted that the devil has

power before now. Does the devil have power? Just like I did, until I started

to mediate on this chapter, you have always believed without questioning

that devil is very powerful. It appears that even some Christians, a good

number of us, fear the devil more than ever.

The tempo of prayers increases immediately the Pastor raises a

prayer point against the onslaught of the devil, whether it is real or

imagined. We don’t take time to study the nature and personality of the

devil. Don’t misunderstand me; I know that the devil does a lot of things

against God and mankind. Anywhere God’s work is, the devil is actively

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against it. The greatest work of God is man. Therefore the devil’s activities

are most pronouncements in the life of man and what he (man) does. This

is most clearly seen in his ability to successfully confuse Eve about God’s

purpose in their lives and their existence in the Garden of Eden.

There are many mysteries that are waiting to unfold to us in heaven.

Why God permits the devil to inflicts so much suffering on his children and

waste innocent lives is one of them.

2.1 THE DEVIL SHOW OF POWER

The devil does not have an iota of respect, even for God, he sees

himself as a rival god and will want to receive worship from men. He

appeared in the conference that God was having with his Angels obviously

uninvited.

The discussion between him and God led to the trail of Job. You

know how much job lost to this trail. He lost everything including his very

health in Job 2:7 we read “so went Satan forth from the presence of the

Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his

crown”. He was able to persuade King David to take a census of the nation

of Israel, against God’s instruction and against the wise counsel of his

servant. 1 Chro. 21-1 says “and Satan stood up against Israel and

provoked David to number Israel”. Yes it was the nation of Israel that he

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stood against because God, who would not condone disobedience in man,

punished the nation of Israel with a plague that killed many thousands of

them for this misdemeanor (Unacceptable). Why could satan successfully

tempt David to do what led to the death of so many thousands of men that

were made by God? Was it because David did not use his authority, or

didn’t think or know that he had authority?

Satan met Jesus, the son of God to tempt Him in the wilderness. He

aimed at derailing God’s plan for the salvation of mankind by asking Him to

jump down from a height in order to demonstrate that He was the son of

God. But for the Lord’s constancy of purpose and use of authority, he

would have had his way. The Lord used His authority to put him in his place

(Mathew 4:1-11). At a time Satan desired to have Apostle Peter to “sift you

as wheat”. You must have experienced the devil’s sifting at a time. It is a

very difficult thing, Had Jesus not prayed for Peter, the purpose of the devil

would have prevailed over that of God (Luke 22:31-31). He (Satan)

succeed in his ploy to take former Apostle Judas Iscariot to hell. Luke 22:3-

4 says, “Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot being one of the

number of the twelve. And he went his way and communed with the chief

priest and captained, how he might betray him unto them”.

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2.3. DOESN’T HE (DEVIL) HAVE POWER?

With all these feats would you say that the devil has no power? If he

has no power, what has he been using? If he has power, from where did

he get? In an earlier chapter, we have established that God is the ultimate

power sources. All power is derived from him and it is used as authority by

others in order to have dominion. Did God give Lucifer, as he was known

before his fall from grace to become satan, power to do evil?

2.4. DEVIL HAS NO POWER TO DO EVIL

First, we shall prove that he does not have power to do evil, He is not

a parallel god! He could not originated his own power (Psalm 62:11) say

“God hath spoken once, twice have I heard that power belongeth unto

God”. As we have established power in exercised in the hand of the

receiver as authority. If he doesn’t have power by himself what is the

source of the authority is using? We must understand that angels are

messengers of God. They serve Him in different capacities. They take

orders from him. Psalm, 103:20 says “Bless the lord ye his angles that

excel in strength, that do his commandment hearkening unto the voice of

his word”. They have great strength which is not theirs, but given to them

by their creators, the strength is for carrying out their responsibilities. They

do his commandments; they are bound to obey what he says. They do not

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have any power to do what he does not instruct. Therefore seeing that the

activities of the devil are against the will of God, He (God) could not have

given him such power. Why would God give him power to oppress his

children at all? He was of the same status as the Arch-Angel Gabriel who

heads angels that carry good messages to mankind. Gabriel brought

answer to Daniel’s prayer for the people of Israel (see Dan 9:21). He

brought the good news of the yet–to–born John the Baptist and Jesus

Christ (Luke 1:19,30-31). The Arch- Angel Michael heads Angels that fight

wars on behalf of God for mankind. He came to help Gabriel the angel that

was bringing a message about “what shall befall the people in the latter,

days” to Daniel, when the latter was ambushed by satanic rulers that were

called the Prince of Persia and the prince of Gracie (Dan 10:13,12).

Also the Arch-angel Michael headed the warning Angels that dislodge

satan and his cohort from heaven (see Revelation 12:7). Lucifer also as an

arch angel was charged with the business of Heading the angels that

praised and worshipped God and for properly leading other singing angels.

In the scriptures that teach the fall of Lucifer, there is nothing to show that

he had power that was different from that which was for singing. He was

only wise and beautiful. Ezekiel 28:12 says “thou sealeth up the sum full of

wisdom and perfect in beautiful was the anointed cherub that covereth”.

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He was not anointed for other assignment than to do his service of leading

other angels in praise and worship to God (see verse 14). We also know

that the greatest pipe organ ever, was made into him the day he was

created. Since he was the leader, he was the most equipped.

His wisdom and beauty must have given an inflated image of himself,

He then pushed against God. Angel could be independent in their thinking.

He said in his heart. “I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above

the stars of God, I will sit upon the mount of he congratulation in the sides

of the north, I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the

most High” (Isa. 14:13) When used in the negative sense wisdom and

beauty can win accompliances into crime. Bible scholars agree that the

former Arch angel Lucifer lured a third of the total angels in heaven into his

revolt. Rev. 12:4 says “And his tail draws the third part of the stars of

heaven and did cast them to the earth”.

Absalom, the beautiful son of king David, used his beauty and

wisdom to discredit his father. He embraced and shook hands with the

Israelites and kissed them as they came to justice, until persuaded them to

support him to dethrone king David. 2 Sam. 15:6 say, “And on this manner

did Absalom to all Israel that came to the King for judgment so Absalom

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stole the hearts of the men of Israel”. Absalom succeeded in his bid. I

believe he learned this from satan.

2.5. THE IRREVERSIBLE CHANGE

God cast out Lucifer from heaven into the earth. He became satan,

oppressor, the devil, chief doer of evils. His acompliances were also cast

out with him, they became demons, evil spirits. They could not do good

anymore but evil continuously. His beauty and wisdom became cunning,

subtlety, viles, devise, tricks, which all mean deception. These are now his

stock in trade, not power. He depends on people falling for all these tricks

and subtlety to get them into trouble. This he does by tempting mankind.

Man’s inadequate knowledge of him and the pleasure of flesh are his

greatest tools. When a man falls for his tricks, he (the man) has offended

God. He has committed a sin which attract punishment from the just God.

Thus, satan relies on the disobedience of man to bring man into judgment

with God. He does not have any power to force a man to sin if the man

does not cooperate with him.

God has said to him “I will destroy thee” (Ezekiel 28:16) and he did.

Lucifer which means son of the morning became satan. The adversary or

oppose. His former beauty and wisdom, having been corrupted now lure

people away from God. What a destruction!

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2.6. IF HE HAS POWER

We are not faced with the thought that the devil did not have any

power to do evil of his own and had not received it from the creator, yet his

activities are known and recognized even by the Lord Jesus Christ. What

power or authority does he operates if he has any.

2.7 IS ANYONE ASKING THE DEVIL THE SOURCE OF HIS

AUTHORITY

As the Lord Jesus was walking in authority over all the works of the

devil, healing people that were sick, raising the dead, giving sight to the

blind, raising the lame to walk and casting out demons from their victims.

The Jews were astonished. They asked him the source of his authority. “By

what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority?

(Math. 21:23). If the Jews asked Jesus the source of his authority, why is

no one asking the devil the source of his? Is it because we believe that the

authority of Jesus has its source in God, that we believe in him if we know

the true source of the devils authority apart from the fact that it is not from

God, we would be more emboldened to talk the spiritual warfare to his

gates. Remember that God promised Abraham that his seed shall possess

the gates of his enemies (see Gen 22:17). We are the seed of Abraham.

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Gal 3: 29 says “Any if ye be Christ then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs

according to the promise”.

2.8. THE DEVIL STOLE THE AUTHORITY OF MAN

We are gradually closing in on the devil. We are discovering that the

big belly he has made himself could actually be punctured and deflated.

Friend, you shall noon be exercising your authority over him and his illegal

authority, if authority is illegal it is no authority.

God made man and gave authority and dominion over all that he had

made. God said “let us make man in our image, after our likeness and let

them have dominion” (Gen 1:16). David the psalmist, by Gods inspiration

said, “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of they hands,

thou hast put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:6). This authority however

excludes angels man is a little lower than angels (Psalm 8:5). The

exclusion doesn’t include Satan and his demons because they are fallen

angels. The devil has always been a thief as far back human history dates.

After being thrown out of heaven, he was at the Garden of Eden. He had

lost all the angelic glory. In the Garden of Eden he deceived Eve, by telling

her that the fruit of the tree was good for food. That is the lust of the flesh, it

was pleasant for the eyes that the lust of the eyes. It was to be desired to

make one wise, that the pride of life. Eve bought into the devils tricks and

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pronto, she took the fruit of the tree and ate it. Poor Adam, he so much

loved the wife that he did not question her sudden decline from following

God’s instruction that they both heard and know. 1 Timothy 2:14. “Adam

was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in transgression, he

willingly disobeyed God”. The deed was done.

Everything, the first man received from God he surrendered to the

devil including his authority. That is how the devil stole the authority that

God gave to man. Hear what he told Jesus during his temptations, “All this

power will I give thee, and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me

and to whomsoever I will give it” (Luke 4:6). Jesus knew that what the devil

said is true, he did not refute it. The devil therefore had legal authority to

rule over the world. Adam, the former god of this world willingly

surrendered his authority to him.

In summary, the devil satan in all his doings is using a perverted

authority. God initially gave him power for praise and worship, but his

rebellion perverted it. Music is a veritable tool by which the devil lures the

youth into destruction nowadays. Some goes for the relish of beauty

pageants. But praise God, we have the last Adam Jesus Christ the son of

God who had defeated him in his trickery and wrested the stolen authority

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out of his hand and has handed it over to those who believe in him, (see 1

Corinthian 15:45) HALLELUJAH!!!

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CHAPTER THREE

3.0. JESUS HAS AUTHORITY

When Jesus the son of God came to the world He stripped himself of

all the power of divinity so that he could totally identify with mankind as a

man. The miracles that he did were done in his capacity as the son of God,

but as a man who was empowered by God. His father. He possesses

authority and used it in order to rule over the devil, the chief opposition to

God’s rule.

Jesus was born as a baby, he was in his foster father’s carpentry

workshop until it was time for him to start his ministry. He could not do any

miracle until he was empowered by God. Thus, at his baptism in water by

John the Baptist, He was coming out of the water “And lo the heavens were

opened unto him and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and

lighting upon him” (Matthew 3:16).

There and then he received the power from God to do all He did. Now

you can understand what the apostle Peter said in Acts 10:38 “How God

anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went

about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God

was with him”. Jesus was anointed or empowered by God. God was ever

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with him as he went about using this power as His authority, over all things

that were contrary to God’s order. Wherever the power of God is being

manifested, it is God that is at work, and not the person, who is just a tool

that is being used to do the work. Jesus, in manifesting the power of God

conferred on him was performing in authority.

3.1. THE JEWS DIDN’T KNOW THE SOURCE

When the Jews didn’t know the source of Jesus’ authority they kept

asking him “who art thou” He explained to them that both his words and

actions were all what he got from his father. They were not really his. He

said, “I have many things to say and judge of you, but he that sent me is

true, and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. When

ye have lifted up the son of man then shall ye know that I am he and that I

do nothing of myself, but as my father hath taught me, I speak these things”

(John 8: 26, 28). God was in Jesus to do all the speaking and the working.

Jesus was speaking and doing the things and the enemy seemed not to

exist.

3.2. JESUS AUTHORITY OVER SPIRIT OF DEATH

Jesus also exercised his authority over death. His friend Lazarus

became sick and died. The Lord deliberately got to his house four days late

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after he had been dead and buried. His body was at an advanced state of

decomposition. When Jesus told his relations to open the grave, one of

Lazarus sisters, Martha, warned that the body was already stinking: “Lord

by this time he stinketh for he had been dead four days” (John 8:39).

The Lord however assured her that with her faith in God authority

could be exercised over the personality that mankind fear most, the spirit of

death. Jesus had said, “For as the Father raiseth up the dead and

quickeneth them, even so the son quickeneth whom he will as the Father

hath life in himself, so hath he given to the son to have life in himself” (John

5:2;26). His Father gave him power over death, He could, therefore recall

the spirit of any dead person from the world of the dead to rejoin the body

no matter the space of time between when death took place and when he

saw the dead.

Jesus only needed to walk in authority to exercise dominion over the

spirit of death. He called out the spirit of Lazarus. John 11:43 Says “He

cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forth”. The dead man regained

physical consciousness, the decomposition disappeared. Maybe had all

parts of his body replaced with spare parts from God’s store or new ones

were made. The burial clothes on him were still intact. Those joyful

relations had to free him from them. Someone has said that if Jesus had

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not mentioned the name of Lazarus, many other dead persons would have

risen from the dead as well. I believed this because He has authority over

the spirit that is holding the captive in the world of the dead.

We have it on record that Jesus also raised a twelve year old

daughter of Jaisus from the dead. Her father had come to request that

Jesus would come to heal her when she was critically sick. The Lord was

delayed on the way to their house by another need for healing the girl died.

A message came from the house, to dissuade the sad father from bringing

Jesus to the house, since according to them, all hope was lost. But hope is

never lost by those who know, the resurrection and the life. Jesus told the

man to ignore the discouraging message and only believe. He said “Fear

not believe only and she shall be made whole” (Luke 8:50). To Jesus, the

girl was sleeping and would be woken up. To the consternation of the

parents of the dead girl, she arose as Jesus hold her hand and said “Maid

Arise”. Her spirit came back into her body.

Also a widow in Nain was going to bury the corpse of her only child

when Jesus met the funeral procession. Jesus comforted the weeping

widow, touched the casket and said “young man, I say unto thee arise, and

he that was dead sat up and began to speak (Luke 7:14-15). It seems to

prove that God is always timing miracles to show how much a man who

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has faith in him can do: the one who walk in authority is from above and

“He cometh from above is above all” (John 3:31). Whether the person has

been dead for days and buried like Lazarus or that she has just died like

Jairus’ daughter or he is about being buried the authority of Jesus over the

spirit of death remains most potent.

3.3. HIS AUTHORITY SUSPENDS PHYSICAL LAWS

Jesus authority is not only in the spiritual realm alone. The raising up

of the dead also demonstrates his authority over physical laws. The laws of

nature.

When physical body dies, it must be decomposed. How can a

decomposing body become living and fresh all over. Many physical laws

must have been suspended. The authority that Jesus carries suspends

them because it supersedes them.

This is what happens when a miracle of healing occurs naturally if a

disease is not treated properly, it progresses and may claim the life of the

sufferer. If spiritual authority is exercised and the disease ceases the

authority must be stronger than the law of progression that works the

disease. How does a withered hand or leg become normal. In the healing

of the woman with an issue of blood, Jesus felt a spiritual motion in his

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body. He said, “Someone hath touched me: for perceive that virtue (power)

is gone out of me (Luke 8:46). The virtue went on to stop the physically

uncontrollable flow. It overpowered what could have killed the woman

untimely.

3.4. HIS AUTHORITY OVER ELEMENTS OF NATURE

Jesus walked in authority over the elements of nature. He was in a

boat with his disciples when a great storm of wind came raging. This could

have capsized the boat but when he was woken out of sleep by the

frightened disciples. “He rose and rebuke the wind and said “unto the sea

peace be still and the wind ceased and these was a great calm” (Mark

4:39). You can not rebuke a person that is above you. Neither can you

order circumstance that are beyond you. The element of nature like winds

and storms and dangerous movement of the sea have physical laws

governing them. Jesus exercise his authority over such physical laws and

the element obeyed him. This was a great marvel to his disciples, they

exclaimed, “What manner of man is this that even the wind obey him”

(Mathew 8:27).

You don’t have to have any knowledge of physics to know that you

will think if you step unto a river. But Jesus walk on the sea to rescue his

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disciples from an imminent danger. One of them, Peter, was so surprised

and enthused that he requested that Jesus should make him walk on the

sea as well. At Jesus word of authority the sea was once more made solid

for Peter to walk on “He walked on the water to go to Jesus” (Matt. 14:29).

Those who walk on authority don’t depend on their own ability but the

ability of the one who had delegated power to them.

Later Jesus said something that is very remarked about authority in

the hands of those who would believe in him. He said, “verily, verily I say

unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also: and

greater works than these shall he do. Because I go unto my Father” (John

14:12). How would believers in him do what he did, and more than He did,

without using the resources available to him. This is why it is vital for every

believer in Jesus to understand that he or she has power that Jesus gave

him or her and to walk in it. Are you confused to read that Jesus gave

power to believers in him? Why isn’t it called authority? The power of God

became authority in the life of Jesus but it is power when he gave it to

believers so that it might be authority in their hands.

When it was time for Jesus to go to heaven. His disciples watched

him move upwards into the sky until he went out of their sight. This is

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historical. Acts 1:9 says “And when he had spoken these things while they

beheld, he was taken up and a cloud received him out their sight”. He

actually moved up against the law of gravity.

You will remember that God took Enock to heaven without dying (see

Genesis 5:24). Also Elijah went to heaven by chariot and horses of fire

transport. Elisha, his successor saw it and cried “my father, the chariot of

Israel and Horsemen thereof and He saw him no more” (2 Kings 2:12).

Elisha witnessed what the disciples of Jesus experienced as their master

was taken to heaven.

3.5. OTHER MEN POSSESS AUTHORITY

There is a world between obeying instructions and acting by the

power you are vested with. God instructs his servants to do some acts

which must happen. However, servants of God too act in accordance with

the power. He has conferred on them when they do so, they are walking in

authority.

When God sent Moses to the Children of Israel and Pharaoh, He

instructed him to perform three acts that would prove that God has sent

him. He was to throw down his shepherd staff when he picked it up. Again

he would put his hand in his armpit it would be leprous on withdrawing it

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and become normal as he put it there ones more. He would also pour the

water on the Nile on dry ground and it would become blood (See Exodus

4:3-9). God assured him that one or a combination of these acts would his

commission to the Israelites.

3.6. MOSES POSSESSED AUTHORITY

Moses exercised his authority as a servant of God as the recessions

required. One such occasions was when some men, numbering about two

hundred and fifty under the leadership of Korch, Dathan and Abiram

challenged his authority. They gathered themselves together against

Moses and Aaron and said unto them, “ye take too much upon you, seeing

all congregation is Holy everyone of them and the Lord is among them:

wherefore then, lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord

and when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face (See Numbers 16:3-4). The

meekest man on earth was angry. Using his authority, He decreased that

these men would be punished with an uncommon mode of death (see

Numbers 16:28-30). As soon as he stopped talking, the ground under them

opened and swallowed them alive with everyone and everything that

belonged to them. Moses authority was “Hereby ye shall know that the Lord

has sent me.” In other words, the proof of this commission was the

fulfillment of whatever he said. Those who are sent are empowered.

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3.7. JOSHUA POSSESSED AUTHORITY

Joshua took the mantle of leadership from Moses, a tie came when

he had to confront five kings of the Amorites who had come to fight Gibeon,

a new colony of Israel God fought on Israel’s side but it was getting stark

and the battle still on. Joshua, in exercise of his authority made an unusual

requires to God.

He said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still upon Gibeon and thou

Moon in the valley of Ajalon”, the sun and the moon stood in their courses

for about a whole day (See Joshua 10:12-14). The scripture records that no

other man had received an answer to prayer from God like this. I believe

that this comment may no more be applicable as greater works than the

Lord Jesus did are being done, in ore days according to this word since he

left. Men and women of God are using their authority to rule over

circumstances, the devil and his demons.

3.8. DAVID POSSESSED AUTHORITY

David was a man who understood such authority. He used it

frequently. In his travails when King Saul hunted his life, he spared the

latter’s saying that he would not stretch his hands against the Lord’s

anointed but he used his authority to curse Saul.

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David said furthermore as the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him or

his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle and perish (I

Samuel 26:10). Saul and his sons descended into battle and perished as

David said.

3.9. ELIJAH POSSESSED AUTHORITY

The prophet Elijah used his authority too, when he saw the spate of

ungodliness in Israel. He locked the heavens over the land for three and

half years and kept the keys in his pocket. 1 Kings 17:1 says “and Elijah

said unto Ahab as the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand there

shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word”. He later

brought rain to the land by his prayer. God did according to his prophet’s

word. Elijah exercised authority over the elements of nature (I Kings 18:41-

45).

Brethren, our Lord Jesus Christ possessed authority. The prophets

and the apostles walked in authority, if we live in the word of God. Abide by

the word, with total commitments backed by faith, we shall possess that

authority.

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CHAPTER FOUR

4.0. THE AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER

The lord Jesus gave an account of his stewardship to his father. This

is recorded in the seventh chapter of the book of john. He said he had

given the words that his father gave him to his disciples. (See John 17:8-

14). Then he said that he had also given them the glory that his father gave

him “and the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them that they

maybe on, ever as we are one” (John 17:20).

The glory that makes the father and the son one should be in the

ability to dominate every force that is opposed to God.

4.1. MAN’S DOMINION AT CREATION

At creation, god gave man dominion over all he created he even had

this in mind before aerating man. He created man after, he decided t give

him dominion. Genesis 1:26-28 says “and God said, let us make man in our

image after our likeness and let them have dominion”. So God created man

in his own image, in the image of God created him, male and female

created them and God bless them, and God said unto them, “Be fruitful and

multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion”.

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As a result of the fall in Eden, man lost the dominion Jesus came to

restore it at Calvary. All things without any exception are subjected to

Jesus. He brings the captain of their salvation, became totally identified

with the redeemed man. Hebrew 2:11 says “both he that sanctified and

they who are sanctified are all one for which cause he is not ashamed to

call them brethren”. As he became totally identified with man for his

redemption, the redeemed man also became totally identified with his

victory over the devil and all his demons. He is now seated together with

Jesus in the heavenly places for above principalities and powers and

dominions (Ephesians 1:19–22, 2:4-7).

4.2. JESUS GAVE POWER TO THE BELIEVER

As we have said earlier, the father gave the son power which formed

His (Son’s) authority on earth. In Mathew 28:18 we read “and Jesus came

and spoke unto them saying all power is given me in heaven and in earth”.

The only reason a believer needs authority is to be in control over

what is not God in his (believer’s) life and to his behalf. This I believe is

what is contained in part in the Glory that the Lord Jesus handed over to

his disciples. What he handed over to his first set of disciples is what He

also handed over to us since we are to keep the forces of darkness at bay

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as we occupy the sphere of authority till He comes. We don’t have less

authority than He had to dominate the forces of darkness. In fact, he said

“verily, verily I say unto you he that believeth in me the works that I do shall

he also do and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my

father” (John 14:12). How would we do greater works than His with less

authority than His? That is not realistic, the demons in the end - time

appear to be more wicked than before. God is ever releasing greater power

upon his children to keep the devil in check.

We have authority over all power of the devil demons are evil spirits,

Satan is their Head this means this means that Satan is an evil spirit too.

He is the Head of the realm of wickedness. These forces are those we

wrestle with (see Ephesians 6:12). But Jesus is the head of all principalities

and power (see Col. 2:10), so are we too. He rules over them and has

subjected them to us.

We co-ruler with him. When the lord ordained his apostles he gave

them power to cast out all evil spirits from the life of anyone they

tormented. Mathew 10:1 says “And when he had called unto him his twelve

disciples, he gave them power against unclear spirits, to cast them out and

to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease”.

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Why didn’t he send them out to preach alone and leave them

helpless about the unclear spirit? The unclear spirits cause the sickness

and disease as well as the unbelief in men. Peter said “How God anointed

Jesus of Nazareth with Holy Ghost and with power who went about doing

good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil because God was

with him” (Act 10:38).

Without exercising authority over this unclear spirit the root of their

oppression will be firm in the victim’s lives and bodies. Specifically the lord

charged the apostle. And as ye go , preach, saying the kingdom of heaven

is at hand, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils,

freely ye have received, freely give” (Mathew 10:7-8).

The power that the Lord gave to the apostles had not been

withdrawn, more so when believers in every century have to confront the

devils and his cohorts. As the word of the lord was passed to us through

these apostles, so was the power over forces of darkness because we

have believed the lord through their words (John 17:20).

We also inherited the power that enables them to hold the fort for

him. It is authority in our hand to exercise dominion over evil forces. The

apostles went out preaching and profitably using their authority. The Lord

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sent out another set of seventy disciples with the same authority, they

came back with this testimony “Lord even the devils are subject to us

through thy name” (Luke 10:17). After this testimony came or more specific

statement of transfer of power form the lord to his early disciples and by

implication to you and me. Jesus said “Behold I give unto you power to

thread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and

nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). The authority of the

believer is over all the power of the enemy without any exception.

4.3. THE AUTHORITY IS IN HIS NAME

The testimony of the seventy disciples was “the devils subject t o us

through thy name” (Luke 10:17). This was before the lord started to teach

specifically that the disciples could pray to the father in His (Jesus name)

name. also the apostle john saw a man that was not in their fold casting

out devils in the name of Jesus, he promptly reported this to the lord. Luke

9:49 say “and john answered and said, master we saw one casting out

devils in thy name and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us”.

These two instances show that the lord must have taught his

disciples that the power he gave them was in his name. After His

resurrection, he declared that some signs would authenticate the believed

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faith as they proclaim the Gospel. These signs shall be commanded in my

name. Every believer has the authority in the name of Jesus to case our

devils. The authority is in His name.

The authority to bind and loose powers belongs to God only (Psalm

62:11) he gave it to the son (Matt. 28:18), the son gave it to those who

believe in him (Luke 10:19). The believer will be exercising it by binding the

unclear spirits that desecrate their lives and those of their loved ones and

loose the grace and goodness of God upon themselves and others as well.

This is the use of our authority as God’s stewards much of heavenly

bounty, we would enjoy on earth depends on our understanding and

practical application of the principle of binding and loosing which Jesus

spelt out in Matt. 18:18, “verily I say unto you, whosesoever ye shall bind

on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth

shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto, that if two of you shall agree on

earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of

my father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my

name there am in their midst”. An individual believer can bind whatever on

earth and loose whatever in heaven.

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The Lord extended the same authority to all believes and the prayer

of binding and loosing becomes more quickly effective and believes join

their faith together to bind the common enemy and loose the common

blessings. For this purpose the Lord said that he would manifest His

presence where believers gather together in His name “for where two or

three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”

(Matt 18:20).

God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah said “no weapon that is

formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against

thee in Judgment thou shall condemn, this heritage of the servants of the

Lord and their righteousness is of me” (Isaiah 54:17).

You have the authority to neutralize spiritual forces that come

against. You in any form, you have the authority to cancel whatever satanic

pronouncement has been made against you. Then authority is your

heritage, a dictionary defines heritage as the history, traditions and qualities

that a country or society has had for many years and that are considered

an important part of its character.

It is the history, tradition, quality and character of saints of God to

quench all darts from the kingdom of darkness and keep evil tongues quiet.

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The scriptures above tell us that the source of this heritage is God, “their

righteousness is of me”. This means God puts his saints in the position to

do this. Why won’t you start to exercise your God given authority, today

and now?

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CHAPTER FIVE

5.0. RELEASE YOUR FAITH

Faith plays a vital role in the exercise of authority. God can do all

things by prayer and faith brings His hand down to them. It is written is not

an empty phrase because of the personality behind it, about His word, God

said for “as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven and returneth

not tither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it

may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be that

goeth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void but it shall

accomplish that which I please and it shall prospect in the thing whereto I

sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11). Again He said for I will hasten my word to

perform it (Jeremiah 1:12).

That is why you most meditate on the scripture for the Holy Spirit to

give you a rhema, the revelation or current application of it. Though David

did not say “it is written”, he had experienced God in his victories over the

lion and the bear both of which he killed with his bare hands.

He consequently asserted to Saul that, “thy servant slew both the lion

and the bear, and this uncircumcised philistine shall be as one of them,

seeing he had defied the armies of the living God” (I Sam 17:36). He, thus

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acted in faith when he ran to take on the giant on the later drew near him.

He was totally persuaded that the battle was the Lord’s and he would

surely defeat Goliath for him as He (the Lord) defeated the lion and the

bear.

Now this is the way you should wield your authority absolutely

believing that the forces of darkness will submit themselves to you. It is

written that, “Strangers shall submit themselves unto me as soon as they

hear, they shall be obedient unto me, strangers shall fade away and shall

be afraid out of their closed places” (2 Samuel 22:45-46). The word is the

Lord’s and not yours. It most be repeated by all that are concerned

because it shall not return unto Him void, but it shall accomplish his

pleasure and proper in the things to which he sent it (see Isaiah 55:11).

The Lord Jesus demonstrated his faith lesson when he cursed a fig

tree in the presence of his disciples were surprised to see the tree had

dried up from the root the next morning. The lesson is “Have faith in God,

for verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be

thou removed and be cast unto the sea and shall not doubt in his heart ,

but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he

shall have whatsoever he saith, therefore, I say unto you, what things so

ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, shall have

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them” (Mark 11:22-24). If you will boldly declare what has been written

about you by your authority that is rooted in your faith, you will see your

answer carried out.

5.2. CONFESS WHAT YOU BELIEVE

It was not at the instant that Jesus cursed the tree that the disciples

saw it dry up. The word nevertheless took effect immediately it was out of

the masters lips. The Lord absolutely knew it was done, but such absolute

confidence may be lacking in you. Nevertheless your word is taking effect

the time it is spoken in faith. Jesus could not doubt but you can! James said

that, “a man who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven about by the

wind and tossed up and down. He cannot receive anything from the lord”

(James 1:6-7). Confession sustains your faith till what you decree

manifests in the physical. You confess the word to sustain your faith so as

not to lose your victory. Confession is saying that what God says shall

unfailingly be. It’s consenting with God. It destroys doubt and makes God

bigger than what’s not Him. I can’t explain how Abraham knew that he and

Isaac would comeback from the mountain where the latter was to be

sacrificed. Neither can I explain how Abraham knew God would provide a

lamb for himself as he told Isaac. I only know that God repeatedly told him

that he would give him a seed through whom he establish His covenant

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and bless and the whole world. He knew that God could not double talk. He

must have reasoned, “How would Isaac be sacrificed to God and still be a

blessing to the whole world? Isaac will be alive anyhow”.

The writer of Hebrews commented on this hi Heb. 11:19, “(Abraham)

Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from dead, from

whence also he received him in a figure” Abraham kept confessing all

these things as he undertook his journey of obedience. Confession must

have strengthened his faith till what he believed God happened. This is

how powerful confession is. Rom 4:20–21 “he staggered not at the promise

of God through unbelief but was strong in faith, giving glory to God ad

being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also to

perform”.

How was best would he have been praising God than telling people,

whether they cared to hear it or not, that God would do what he said

without fail. This is confession. Believing it is done. To be great one must

be a servant the authority whom God appoint must have a spiritual

background, he must drink the cup, that is absolutely obey God’s will and

he must receive the baptism, that is accepted death in order to release life.

He must also not have any intention of exercising authority on the contrary,

he must be prepared to serve as the servant and slave of all. In other

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words he possesses spiritual ground on the one hand the spirit of humility

on the other because he does seek to be authority God can use him as

one. It is relevant to talk about authority, if the cup is not drunk and the

baptism is not received, to who is truly humble and considers himself unfit

for anything except to be servant of all, to that one the lord announces that

he may be great.

The condition for authority is consequently a sense of incompetence

and unworthiness. From the bible, we can conclude that God has never

used a proud soul, the moment a person become proud, at that moment he

is laid aside by God. His hidden pride sooner of later will be revealed

through his words, for words do not cease to leak out. At the future

judgment seat of God, even the humble will be greatly surprised and if that

be true, how much more shall be the horror of the proud on the day.

We must sense our incompetence, because God only uses the

useless, polite diplomacy is not the thing here, rather is it having a sincere

sense that we are but unprofitable servants. Through we have tended the

flock and tilled the field, yet in coming back we still acknowledge ourselves

as unprofitable servants. We do not forget to stand on the ground of a

servant. God never entrusts his authority on the self righteous and the self

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competent, let us reject, pride, learn to be humble and gentle and never

speak for ourselves. Let us learn to know ourselves in the lights of God.

Finally the lord said “for the son of man also came not be ministered

unto, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom for many”. The lord

does not come to be authority, he comes to serve – the less one is self –

conceited and the more he is humbled the more useful he will be, the more

self important and self discriminating one is the less he is useful. Our Lord

takes the form of a slave being born in the likeness of man. He never

stretches out his hands to grasps authority for it is given to Him by God.

The Lord Jesus was exalted from humbleness to the highest. This is his life

principle. Let us not stretch forth our canal hands to grasp fleshly authority.

Let us be slaves of all until one day God entrust us with a particular

responsibility. Thus shall we learn to represent God. Hence ministry in the

basic authority ministry comes from resurrection; service comes from the

ministry and authority from service. May the lord deliver us from high

mindedness.

How serious will be the judgment upon those who grap God’s

authority with their canal hands. May we fear authority as we fear the fire of

hell. To represent God is not an easy thing. It its too great and too

marvelous for us to touch. We need to walk strictly in the way of obedience,

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the path for us is obedience, not authority. It is to be servant, not to be

heads, to be slaves, not to be rulers. Both Moses and David were the

greatest authorities, yet they were not people who tried to establish their

own authority. Those today who desire to be in authority ought to follow

their footsteps. There should always be fear and trembling in this matter of

being authority.

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REFERENCES

Capps, C. (1994). Your Spiritual Authority. Arkansab: England. Capps Publishing.

Jayeoba, A.I. (2012). Walking in Authority. World Aglow Books.

Nee, W. Spiritual Authority. Joy Unlimited Publishers.

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