Kingdom of God – Authority

I have broken my own rule already – doubling up on ‘A’ in this Kingdom of God series! But I didn’t feel it could wait for another 26 blogs before addressing today’s topic.

Authority is not a commonly addressed theme in churches, certainly not in the UK anyway. We might speak of it in relation to God or Jesus, but not so much in relation to us as His followers. Yet, authority is a vital part of what Jesus has delegated to us, to enable us to play our part in ushering in His Kingdom ‘on earth as it is in heaven.’

What is the difference between authority and power?

Power can be exerted by the use of force or violence (abuse of power). By contrast, authority requires permission. It depends on the acceptance by some of the right of another to tell them what to do. Jesus had no political power, no army at his command, no great social status and no wealth, yet He exuded authority. He did not make other people do what He commanded. Some went away sad (the rich man); others accepted His invitation and followed Him, fully surrendered, eager to pursue the life He offered.

The crowds were amazed at [Jesus’] teaching, for he taught with real authority – quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

Matthew 7.28-29

While teaching on the sabbath in the synagogue, Jesus cast out a demon from a violently shaking man. His power was clearly on display and the gathered worshippers were astonished by his authority: “What is this new teaching that comes with such authority? With merely a word He commands demons to come out and they obey Him!” (Mark 1:27, TPT). His authority was backed up by God-given power (through the Holy Spirit).

“Then [Jesus] called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases” (Luke 9.1). When Jesus sent out the twelve, He equipped them with the power and authority to get the job done. He gave them authority (permission) to cast out demons and heal the sick; but it was Holy Spirit power that gave them the ability to do it. In Luke 10.1 Jesus then sent out a group of 72 in pairs with a similar mission.

Then, after His resurrection and before His ascension back to heaven about six weeks later: “…Jesus came close to [His disciples] and said, “All the authority of the universe has been given to me. Now go in my authority and make disciples of all nations… And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age” (Matthew 28.18-20, TPT). Many have written books on these few verses, generally known as the Great Commission, but for now please note:

• Jesus has all the authority.
• He commissions (sends) His followers into the world.
• He delegates His authority to them to get the job done, which is…
• …to make disciples (students or followers of Jesus) in every nation. It’s a global task with universal appeal.
• It includes teaching these new disciples to follow ‘all [no exceptions] that I [Jesus] have commanded you’, including healing the sick, etc.
• He’ll always be with us. It is, after all, a co-mission (a partnership) and not merely a mission.

At the moment of new birth (see next blog, ‘Born again’), God gave you authority through the name of Jesus. “I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father! For I will do whatever you ask me to do when you ask me in my name. And that is how the Son will show what the Father is really like and bring glory to him. Ask me anything in my name, and I will do it for you!” (John 14:12-14, TPT).

The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these

John 14.12

If we are going to do the works of Jesus, we will need two essential ingredients: authority and power. We must have a foundation of intimacy with God (more of that in a later blog), and we should always be motivated by compassion for others; but without His authority and power, we won’t have what it takes to fulfil His commission. Authority comes from the fact that God has commissioned us to cast out demons and heal the sick. The problem is that many of us don’t realize our God-given authority. But even when we do realize it, we won’t succeed if we do not ask for the power to perform these actions.

The power we need is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:38 says, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” It is the same Holy Spirit who will come upon us and release His supernatural gifts in us, empowering us to do the works of Jesus.

Understanding our God-given authority will affect how we pray. Jesus and His disciples did not pray petitioning prayers. They commanded healing. What’s the difference between petitioning and commanding prayer? A petitioning prayer might be: “Father, I ask you to heal Fred’s ankle and remove the swelling and pain, if it be your will”. A commanding prayer might be: “Ankle, be healed. All swelling and pain leave, in the name of Jesus”. The prayers of Jesus and His disciples were not directed at God but at people’s conditions. Here are some examples…

• “…Jesus bent over [Simon’s mother in law] and rebuked the fever and it left her” (Luke 4.39).
• “[Jesus] said to the paralytic ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home’” (Mark 2.10).
• “[Jesus] took her by the hand and said to her ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’” (Mark 5.41).
• “Silver or gold I [Peter] do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” (Acts 3.6). And he did!
• “Aeneas, Peter said to him, ‘Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and tidy up your mat!’ Immediately, Aeneas got up” (Acts 9.34).
• “Turning towards the dead woman, Peter said to Tabitha, ‘Get up!’ She opened her eyes and sat up” (Acts 9.40).

The power is in the word. How did God create? He spoke things into being; He didn’t fashion them with His hands from mud! Words that have their origin in the Father’s heart are powerful – they release life. So, use your God-given authority and command healing – always in the name of Jesus. He is the only victor over satan, sin and sickness after all! It is only through Him that healing comes.

Use your God given authority and command healing – always in the name of Jesus. It is only through Him that healing comes

It’s not how most of us have been taught to pray and it might therefore take time to adjust. It might seem strange at first, but there is no better time to start than the present! I prayed like this for several months before seeing any answers. Pray therefore for boldness (the subject of another blog soon under ‘B’), because you’ll need it! And remember, you are called to be obedient, not successful (a later blog under ‘O’). The outcomes rest with God, not you. But generally, people will be glad you cared enough to pray, even if there is no immediate improvement. I will write separately about disappointment (not so long to wait for ‘D’)! We can’t hope to be as successful as Jesus, but the more often you pray like this the more you will see God do. And remember, faith is spelt RISK! When we truly live by faith (reliant on Him), there aren’t many easy wins.

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In Spring 2018, Sheila visited the church building and we got into conversation. She asked for prayer against the effects of a stroke a year earlier. We prayed, commanding healing. Her right hand and foot – usually cold – became warm. She then mentioned out of the blue that her chiropodist said her left leg was shorter than the right. We put her legs up on a chair with her back square against a pew. Sure enough, the left leg was about 2cm shorter than the right. We asked her friend Pat to verify this. We prayed, commanding the left leg to grow. The left leg lengthened to the same length as the right! Again, Pat verified this. Sheila said she felt movement in her leg as we prayed. She tried it out without her walking aid, and said it felt different; she felt more stable as she walked. Seeing all this, Pat then asked for prayer. She had had sciatica down her left side for two years. We commanded the sciatica to leave in Jesus’ name; she tried it out and said there was a reduction in pain. After praying again, she said she felt heat in the affected area and, after trying it out again, said there was an 80% reduction in pain and improvement in movement.

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• Can you do more to represent (lit. re-present) Jesus? What’s holding you back?
• Do you simply doubt that he could use ‘little ole me’?
• Are you uncertain as His child about your God-given authority?
• Is it the fear of looking foolish if nothing happens?
• Who’s reputation is at stake, and who’s ultimately responsible for it?

Why don’t you ask the Lord for a greater revelation of the authority you have in His name, and ask Him for a greater empowerment of the Holy Spirit in your life. As you walk in both authority and power, you will see the Kingdom of God advancing and the kingdom of darkness defeated!

I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm! Ephesians 1.19-20, TPT