Pastor Ken…
Good morning, everyone. Welcome on this Tuesday morning. Good to see you.
Excerpt from Kenneth Hagin’s book, “The Authority of the Believer”…
This morning I thought I would take a moment and share something. It’s actually a little story in Kenneth Hagin’s book, “The Authority of the Believer.” He writes in his book, “Years ago, I read about a man who was found dead in a small shabby room he rented…” If I remember right, this was during the great depression in the thirties. 1930s, 1920s. “a rented room for $3 a week.” So he lived in a rented room for $3 a week. He had been a familiar site on the streets of Chicago for about 20 years, always dressed in rags, eating out of the garbage cans. When he wasn’t seen for two or three days, concerned neighbors went to look for him and found him dead in bed. An autopsy revealed that he had died of malnutrition, yet a money belt found around his waist contained more than $23,000.”
Of course $23,000 in the 1930s was worth a whole lot more than in 2022. “That man,” he said “had lived in abject poverty, peddling newspapers for a living yet he had money. He could have lived in the finest hotel in town instead of that little rundown room. He could have eaten the best food instead of garbage, but he didn’t use what belonged to him.”
Some are one step away from the next step that God has for us…
I just have to say this morning that under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that there are some of us online here in this chapel this morning that we are one decision, one step, one exercise of our authority away from a changed life… away from promotion, away from a next step that God has for us.
Don’t pet the devils…
I love that story because it’s true, first of all, but it also is a good word picture and illustration of something that we possess from the spiritual dimension. That is what is called the “authority of the believer.” Many of us hopefully are familiar, but many aren’t. And I can recall as a college kid beginning to learn about the authority of the believer and faith. I can remember at some different times where I felt prompted to exercise my authority. Not unlike Jesus, who when He encountered the enemy in His life did not entertain him. Or as somebody once said, “pet the devils.” You know, “Nice anxiety, nice.” No. Don’t pet, play around with, or become familiar with familiar spirits. That’s why they’re called familiar spirits because people become too familiar with them, not realizing that we are possessors of authority.
Luke 10:19
Jesus Himself said in Luke 10:19, many of you probably know it. Jesus said, “Behold, I have given you authority.” Now in your New King James, it may say “power.” But it is more aptly translated “authority.” “Behold, I have given you authority.” That’s delegated power, in other words. A quick definition of authority is “the right to rule within a given domain.” And initially to start with, that given domain is your household, your life, your body, your space, your finances. You know really wherever you are prompted to exercise that authority. But Jesus said “Behold, I’ve given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions. That means over all the forces of the enemy. All darkness, all death. The New Testament calls sickness, for example, demonic oppression.
Behold, I’ve given you authority…
Whoa! Is that in the New Testament? Yes, it is. Look it up. “Behold I’ve given you authority, delegated power to tread, trample, run out of your life and out of your realm, given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by means hurt or harm you.” Amen.
Use your God-given authority to run the devil off…
That’s just good to be stirred up on the inside of us because as pray-ers that’s one of the most fundamental things we do is exercise authority. And this morning you may not know the future, what the future holds, but of course, you know who holds the future as the saying goes. And that is Jesus. He’s got you in the palm of His hand. You may not know exactly what to do in a situation or what your next step might be for tomorrow, but we do sense on the inside at times, a prompting to pray. A cue on the inside like a cue card on a TV set to use our authority, to exercise our God-given ability to run the enemy off.
It’s a bottom-line responsibility…
That’s really one of our bottom-line responsibilities as followers of Jesus is to run the enemy out of our lives. Not entertain him. Not put up with him. Not try to cope with the situation. But as we’re prompted to speak to it, to exercise authority. When thoughts come and persist and those thoughts are negative and doubt filled and anxious and maybe thoughts of negativity and failure in some way or oppression… The Bible says oppression should be far from you as a believer. But when those thoughts come, learn to quickly… What I’ve learned to do is ask the Holy Spirit, “Holy Spirit, I give you permission to arrest me. And to point out to me where the enemy is tinkering and messing around. Show me, cast light on those areas. Even in my thought life so that I can exercise authority.” And when I recognize that, I say, how dare you spirit of doubt! How dare you, spirit of fear. The Bible calls fear a spirit. It’s a spirit. And it comes around seeking to gain entrance into people’s lives. And as believers, as pray-ers, one of our fundamental responsibilities is to speak to that when it rises up and to run it off. Amen.
Another Kenneth E. Hagin story…
I love this story. It was a vision that brother Kenneth Hagin had many years ago and perhaps you’ve heard it. I’ve over the years have gone back to it time and time again, because I think it’s a good reminder of how we’re to function. And also it helps us to see what God can do and what we can do. We tend to think, “Oh God can do anything.” And, yes, He’s sovereign and He can do anything. That’s true. He’s got the power to, but He set things up in such a way that He has chosen to work in conjunction or in concert with His people. Jesus is the head, according to the New Testament, but the church is the body. And the church is presently in the earth. And so the truth is that heaven takes its cues, especially in the area of authority… Heaven takes its cues about what it’s going to do from earth, from the church.
That’s a good reminder this morning. And so this is not just some ethereal concept. This is kind of bottom-line Christianity. And brother Hagin shares a vision he had in 1952. So this goes way back. He said “In 1952, the Lord Jesus appeared to me in a vision and talked to me for about an hour and a half about the devil, demons, and demon possession. At the end of that vision, an evil spirit that looked like a little monkey or elf ran between Jesus and me.”
A demon-like entity interrupted the conversation…
So they were having a conversation in this vision and this monkey like demonic entity runs between the two of them, Jesus and Kenneth Hagin. And then he says, “Then the demon began jumping up and down, crying in a shrill voice, yakity yak, yakity yak. I couldn’t see Jesus or understand what He was saying. Through this entire experience, Jesus was teaching me something. I couldn’t understand why Jesus allowed the demon to make such a racket. I wondered why Jesus didn’t rebuke the demon so I could hear what He was saying. I waited a few moments, but Jesus didn’t take any action against the demon. Jesus was still talking, but I couldn’t understand a word He was saying. And I needed to because He was giving instructions concerning the devil, demons, and how to exercise authority. I thought to myself, doesn’t the Lord know I am not hearing what He wanted me wanted me to. I need to hear that. I’m missing it. I almost panicked. I became so desperate, I cried out ‘in the name of Jesus, you foul spirit, I command you to stop.’ The minute I said that, the little demon hit the floor like a sack of salt and the black cloud disappeared. The demon lay their trembling, whimpering, and whining like a whipped pup. He wouldn’t look at me. “Not only shut up, but get out of here in Jesus’ name,” I commanded. And he ran off. The Lord knew exactly what was in my mind. I was thinking, Why didn’t He do something about that? Why did He permit it?
Jesus said, “I couldn’t have…”
Jesus looked at me and said, “If you hadn’t done something about that, I couldn’t have.” That came as a real shock to me. It astounded me, in fact. I replied, “Lord, I know I didn’t hear you right. You said you wouldn’t, didn’t you?” He replied, “No. If you hadn’t done something about that, I couldn’t have.” I went through this four times with Him. He was emphatic about it saying, “No, I didn’t say I would not. I said I could not.”
Kenneth couldn’t accept what He was saying…
I said, “Now, dear Lord, I just can’t accept that. I never heard or preached anything like that in my life. I told the Lord, I don’t care how many times I saw Him in visions, He would have to prove this to me by at least three scriptures out of the New Testament, because we’re not living under the Old Covenant. We’re living under the new. Jesus smiled sweetly and said He would give me four.
And so I think that that’s something we need to kind of be refreshed in regularly, especially as pray-ers, as believers that we share, as I say, an identical position and possession with Jesus. We share in the resurrection power of our Lord. We share in the ability to put the enemy on the run. Our authority that Jesus granted us that He delegated to us as backed by heaven, as backed by Jesus.
Lester Sumrall testimony…
I remember hearing a story a number of years ago about Dr. Lester Sumrall. Actually it was about this pastor’s wife who dealt with excruciating pain in her body. And every so often it would flare up. And the only thing she could do to deal with it, this excruciating pain, was go to the doctor and have the doctor give her something to knock her out for a day or two until it’s subsided. And on this one particular instance, the pain flared up. She could hardly see straight. It was so debilitating and her husband, the pastor, reached out to Dr. Lester Sumrall and said, “Would you come and pray for my wife?” Well as Dr. Lester Sumrall came over to their home, all that was needed was for him to step through the door of their home and the pain left this woman and her life forever. And I love that because what stepped through the door was Dr. Lester Sumrall. Well, yes. But more specifically authority stepped through the door. He understood who he was and what he possessed. And when he stepped through that door, the enemy, that sickness, that pain recognized that authority and it left.
We possess this same authority…
And God is leading us and wanting us to become skillful and comfortable and confident in what we are and what we possess and in the exercise of our authority that this should be the same case for us. This should be a common occurrence for us. Because of the presence of God that we host and the authority that we possess, the enemy runs. The enemy leaves without us even, at times, speaking a word.
James 4:7 says the devil will flee from you…
I’m reminded also of James 4:7 in the Passion translation, which says, “So then surrender to God, stand up to the devil and resist him. And he will flee in agony.” You might say, “I’ve not heard that translation before.” Well, actually that’s translated almost literally from the Aramaic. In fact, it says in notes and notation here, as translated from Aramaic, the accuser will flee in agony because of the one who stands with you. So you may have a hard time seeing how you have authority this morning, but understand it’s not just you, it’s the one who stands with you. Amen? The delegator of that authority. So when we go praying, keep that in your consciousness.
First of all…
You know, I believe it was in First Timothy where it says, “Therefore I exhort, first of all, that supplications, prayers and giving of thanks be made for all men. For kings and all who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our Savior, who desires for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Authority has been granted to us…
And I’m reminded of this verse because evidently Paul sees or recognizes that authority has been granted to us. And essentially this prayer is an exhortation, an encouragement, a command, if you will, to use it when it comes to not only our homes and our bodies and our present situations, but our nations and our governments and the political arena. And in the arena of all who are in authority. And you might think, “Well, who am I to pray for the President or to pray for a governor or pray for certain politicians.” But understand this, that while they have a temporary elected authority that they operate in for a short period of time. You and I have received a permanent authority in the spiritual dimension. Amen. Because of birthright. And God has called us to be the ruling class, to rule and to reign by Christ Jesus in your household. But then take it to the next level.
And in this season in particular, this season where God’s mercy seems to be extended in America, this season where God seems to be calling on the church to rise up and step up and step into the fullest of her calling and assignment, which is by the way dominion or the exercise of authority. Amen. He’s wanting to work with us.
I encourage you this morning…
And so I just encourage you in that this morning. Not only here as we pray, but also throughout your week, throughout your days, to just be conscious of the Holy Spirit and the cues. Pastor Lynne used to teach us oftentimes about that, learning to catch our cues in prayer. Where prayer isn’t just about the hour in the morning that we’re here, but prayer is about being available 24/7 to Him. And perceptive and sensitive and aware, to catch our cues and the promptings that He’s giving us to exercise authority, to lift up situations. To pray over circumstances, to enable God to get involved in the political arena and what’s going on in our nation and what’s going on around the world.
Our willingness to pray…
Because it’s our exercise of authority. It’s our willingness to pray. It’s our willingness to open our mouths in response to the Holy Spirit that allows heaven to get involved. That allows heaven to come to earth and shift things. God is shifting things right now. He is moving things in a new direction as we read yesterday. That prophetic word. And so it’s time to get behind that, recognize what God is doing and say, “Lord, here am I. Use me, send me, I’m available to you.”
James 4:7 in the King James version…
James 4:7 in the King James says, “Submit to God, submit yourself therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” And I read that again because I want to just ask you this morning, what do you need to submit to this morning? What do you need to surrender to? What is God dealing with you about right now in the realm of prayer, in your heart realm, in your life?
So I just encourage you to open your heart and ask Him what that is, because there’s authority in that. There’s assignment in that. Perhaps there’s something specific He wants you to pray about that keeps coming up or you keep seeing or recognizing maybe even just watching TV or watching the news. Recognize God’s sending us cues this morning, promptings, assignments this morning to surrender, to submit to so that He can exercise authority through us in the political arena, on the world’s stage in whatever situation He shows us.
Prayed…
Father, we thank you for this authority that you have delegated to us…
We thank you that you have given us the opportunity to be alive on planet earth in this generation…
We pray for change today in our hearts… we pray that you would open our eyes, Lord, and that you would inundate us with light and truth.
I pray all across this prayer movement and all across this prayer community this morning… for the revelation of the Holy Spirit to be transmitted … for assignments to be unleashed in Jesus’ name … for authority that we don’t even realize we have to come to our awareness…
Help us to see now … show us where you want to inject us in the situations into the political dealings of our nation.
Lord, I just sensed that this morning you want to use us… You want to inject us into things that are going on… you want us to be arrows… Arrows… shot, released into the midst of this world…
So open our eyes, Father, unstop our ears.
Father, help us as the church, as pray-ers to see what you would have us to see now.
We pray for a greater falling into alignment. That’s what I hear in my spirit … falling into alignment
Father, that you would help us to respond to the call of the spirit, to respond to what you’re saying and what you’re revealing …
We pray for a supply coming through that door, coming through that entrance in Jesus’ name… increase, increase, increase, increase. We pronounce and declare increase today.
I declare that over this prayer community and movement today over their lives and households and over their churches and ministries and families and finances.
We collectively declare increase today over the church and over the work of God to reap the harvest over the work of God, to bring forth revival and to manifest the glory of heaven.
We pray for a great unifying in the church among the believers and brethren.
We pray for a supernatural God-granted release.
I speak release to the captives today. We speak release to those who are oppressed today. Free from oppression, free from bondage, free from the past, free from that struggle, free in Jesus’ name…
We pray and we declare release over our nation today… we speak peace and release to America today … over our nation’s capital, to our state capitals across our borders.
Today we speak peace and release in the mighty name of Jesus … we pray for heaven to come through… heaven to come through… a bursting forth like a rain cloud bursting down rain and refreshing and replenishment…
We pray for heaven to burst through and upon this planet, upon America… a bursting through of glory, a bursting through of the miraculous, a bursting through of the works of Jesus, a bursting from heaven to earth of the assignments that you’re granting and the gifts that you’re giving and the things that you want transmitted in this generation in this time.
