"And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, HE GAVE THEM POWER OVER UNCLEAN SPIRITS, TO CAST THEM OUT, AND TO HEAL ALL KINDS OF SICKNESS AND ALL KINDS OF DISEASE."
Mathew 10:1 (NKJV)
• Jesus called his disciples and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.
- Every Believer in Christ Jesus, bonafide children of the Kingdom, those who are Jesus' disciples, has been given the authority, power to trample on serpents, scorpions, and all the power of the enemy [the devil], and nothing shall by any means hurt them (Luke 10:19).
- The day you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you were empowered, given the authority to use the name of Jesus and to silence the enemy, the devil.
YOU have been given power to bind demons and loose whoever or whatever may be under the bondage of the devil: "And these signs will follow those who believe [who have Believed]: In My [Jesus'] name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues" (Mark 16:17). - Your words become powerful and weighty!
YOUR words become an order, authority, that when you speak, there would be response in the kingdom of darkness; demons will run, and angels will carry out your words (1 Samuel 3:19). - God wants you to rule on the planet earth.
HE wants you to be His representative, ambassador, an extension of His kingdom on planet earth. - You are to rule and dominate by the authority given you in the name of Jesus Christ and the Word of God—the Bible.
THE Kingdom is for those who will make His Will be done on earth.
THE people of the Kingdom are to rule in the world! - The manifold wisdom of God are to be made known through the church: "TO THE INTENT THAT NOW THAT THE MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD MIGHT BE MADE KNOWN BY THE CHURCH to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 IN WHOM WE HAVE BOLDNESS AND ACCESS WITH CONFIDENCE THROUGH FAITH IN HIM" (Ephesians 3:10-12 NKJV).
AUTHORITY to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness has been given to you (Matthew 10:1).
• The Disciples
Authority is given to those who are His disciples and not everybody.
IF you want to manifest Power, you have to be His disciple.
ONE can be attending Church Services without being a disciple.A disciple is a follower, a pupil, a learner, who learns of his or her Master.
SOMEONE who observes and practices whatever he or she has seen and learned from the Master. Such would want to be like their Master, Jesus Christ, in all things.Disciples of Jesus are the Believers who are following His footsteps, who want to do all He has instructed and commanded: "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, "IF YOU ABIDE IN MY WORD, YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES INDEED" (John 8:31).
Practicing the Word of God, that is, living in line with the Word, and doing the principles of the Kingdom caused you to be a disciple indeed, and you automatically partakes in the authority delegated BY Jesus Christ to those who believe in Him.
• The Practice of the Kingdom principles gives you the Authority.
- Some of the Kingdom principles were shared in our previous lessons which you have to adhere to, in order to exercise authority.
- However authority is not cheap, you have to deny the self, to fully walk in the authority that Christ has given the church—the Believers.
- Authority is given to the disciples, but they have to work at it, appropriate it: For every promise of God has to be appropriated through prayer and the practice of the Word of God—in order to walk in the reality of it.
THEY have a part to play in order to exercise authority, or manifest power.
THEY have to live a holy life, deny the flesh, and walk in the light of God's Word to exercise authority (2 Timothy 2:19-21; 1 Peter 1:15,16).
SUCH Believers also would need to pay attention to prayer and fasting in order to walk in the fullness of the power—authority (Matthew 17:18-21; Mark 9:25-29). - If you are a Christian, a disciple who lives in sin and wants to be like the people of world, you might not be able to walk in the fullness of the authority made available for those who belong to Him.
YOU cannot be a friend of the world and enjoy a sweet communion with the Holy Spirit who is the source of God's power: "Adulterers and adulteresses! DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD IS ENMITY WITH GOD? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself [herself] an enemy of God" (James 4:4). - To enjoy Christianity, you have to go beyond the level of being a church person.
- Someone who attends church services without intimate relationship with God is called a carnal Christian or a fleshly ruled Christian.
• Are you ready to be serious with your Christian life?
- Are you ready to deny yourself of the things of the world which are of value to you in order to gain Christ, manifest His power, and exercise the authority you have in HIM (Philippians 3:8).
THE truth is, if you failed to present your body a living sacrifice, deny your flesh of things it craves or lusted for (Romans 12:1);
YOU will remain at lower level in the Kingdom and you may not be able to enjoy all the Kingdom benefits.
• Be ready to put the flesh to death (Colossians 3:5,6), and shun the evil attractions of the world beckoning to you, that you may gain Christ (Philippians 3:8).
- "DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD OR THE THINGS IN THE WORLD. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him [her].
- FOR ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD—the lust of of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—IS NOT OF THE FATHER BUT IS OF THE WORLD.
- And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; BUT HE [she] WHO DOES THE WILL OF GOD ABIDES FOREVER."
1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV)
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!