authority

Flip the Switch

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” – 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) We should never be timid about our faith, the Kingdom of God, or His promises! Instead, we should be strong and bold because He has not given us a Spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind. We don’t need to be afraid or shy about what He’s put inside of us; instead, we can embrace it, knowing that He’s provided the power — we only need to activate it. If I purchase a new home, assuming the power company has gone in and installed the correct equipment according to the proper codes, by all means, that building is set to receive power. Once I move in and pay my bill, I should have all the electricity that I need, right?

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The Radical Paradox of the Son of Man

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” – Daniel 7:13,14 Did you know that Jesus never referred to Himself as Christ? His disciples called Him that and so did other people, but the Lord, when He walked on earth, primarily referred to Himself as one thing — the Son of Man.  Many people believe that the reason Jesus called Himself the Son of Man is because He was referencing His humanity and His ability to relate to people. However, I believe this is

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Servant Leadership

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” – John 13:14 What do you think about when you hear the phrase “love your enemies”? If you’re like me, it’s possible that you ask yourself the question, “Do I really have enemies?” If you’re a Christian and one who is serious about your walk with God, it may feel strange to define people as enemies — especially if you are trying to live at peace with everyone. But what happens if you replace the word enemies in that question with competitors. How do you love your competitors? More often than not in our modern world, we are dealing not with people who are out to get us specifically, but with those who are out for their own gain. They view everyone in the world as a competitor, and that includes you.

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Loftiness Doesn’t Equal Leadership

“Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.” – 1 Kings 16:33 No conversation about Jezebel (who we looked at yesterday) would be complete without an examination of Ahab, her husband, who turned out to be one of Israel’s most wicked kings. Though he ascended to power in the land that the Lord gave to His people as a sign of covenant love, his pride and arrogance led him down a path of corruption that ultimately impacted everyone under his rule. In spite of being given the title of “king,” his foolishness in allowing his wife to influence an entire nation by willfully promoting the worship of Baal proved that he was not suited for the job. He had a place of position but a total lack of wisdom.

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Who’s on the Throne of Your Heart?

“You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.’” – Isaiah 14:13-15 Yesterday we looked at how evil doesn’t always look that way at first, and how the devil’s attacks are not always as obvious as we might think. Today, I want to talk about what I believe to be his primary method of attack and goal in the life of a believer — getting us to worship ourselves.  Isaiah 14 says that Satan wanted to be enthroned above God. He didn’t want to submit to Him or

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Jesus Won the War

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” – Ephesians 6:10-12 I believe that as Christians, you and I are in a war with the enemy. It’s imperative to acknowledge that we have an enemy and that he comes to steal and destroy. However, though it sounds contradictory, I don’t want you to be afraid of him because he’s a defeated foe. Don’t tune out teaching about your adversary, but on the other hand, don’t feel discouraged, oppressed or worried about his influence in your life. As a believer in Jesus Christ, baptized into His

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God Has the Final Say

“Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, ‘I will be king.’ So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never rebuked him by asking, ‘Why do you behave as you do?’ He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)” – 1 Kings 1:5,6 When David was a very old man and close to death, his son Adonijah thought that he should be Israel’s next leader and take his father’s place. However, the king had already decided that Solomon, his tenth son and the child of Bathsheba, would be his successor. Nevertheless, Adonijah usurped the throne and quickly gathered a group of officials around him to crown him king and throw him a coronation party. Hearing of this, Bathsheba alerted the prophet Nathan, and the two of them went to the ailing David and

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It’s a Spirit Thing

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” – 1 Peter 5:8,9 One thing Scripture makes clear is that our adversary means business. John 10:10 says that “the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy,” and 1 Peter tells us that he roams around like a lion, looking for someone to devour. And while I don’t think we should focus too much on the devil as a rule, it’s wise to be aware of his schemes, particularly so we have the right perspective on difficult people. We’ve been learning that there’s a spiritual war raging around us, and as such, it’s important to note that the battle isn’t entirely unseen. The truth

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The Son of Man

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” – Daniel 7:13,14 For the past couple of days, we’ve seen that the system of the world is controlled by Satan, and that while he appears to have unlimited power, the duration of his dominion is actually limited. The Ancient of Days is sovereign over his fate, and it’s only a matter of time before his rule comes to an end. This is because the One who ascended the throne next to the Almighty — in

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Giving Sight to an Invisible God

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” – John 16:13-15 One of the most important lessons I’ve learned through years of studying the Bible and doing ministry work is that we gain greater authority when we understand our call. The Lord’s gift to us in Jesus is one of impartation; in other words, He has given us His Spirit to make us holy and powerful like He is. Though it can

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