The Bible and The Constitution: Still Relevant, Or Inconsequential?

 

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the state of our nation. I can only imagine that many of my fellow citizens are doing the same. It isn't too difficult to come to the conclusion that our historically unique plan of government [that the Founders of this nation constructed] is in very real danger of being dismantled, or at least drastically altered. This isn't the beginning of such a de-construct plan -- in fact, we have been seeing the development of such a plan for some years now. 

This realization has caused me to go back in the archives of this blog to revisit my thinking on this matter. In 2015, I wrote about a question that was presented to Dr. Ben Carson during his run for Presidential office. During a Meet The Press interview, Dr. Carson was presented with this question: "Does the Bible have authority over the Constitution?" Interesting question! The question is still relevant today, especially since I would venture that the intervening years attest to the growing truth that both the Bible and the Constitution have seen a decrease in their influence and authority among the citizens of this land. Just read the previous blog post or turn on the nightly news.

But I would suggest that it is incumbent upon those of us who call ourselves Christians and Patriots to consider our answer to that question, along with these subsequent queries: When it comes to the laws of this nation, how do you view the authority of both the Bible and the Constitution?  Is one superior to the other?  Is it possible for them to work together to govern this land? When the Constitution was written, did the Founding Fathers give any consideration to the Bible? 

I want to answer those questions in light of the influence that Marcus Tullius Cicero had on the thinking of the Founding Fathers.  Cicero was a Roman statesman who was born nearly 1900 years before the founding documents of this nation were written. Yet it was his commitment to establishing a democratic Republic as the form of Roman government that most influenced our Founders. It is in the eminently profound book The 5000 Year Leap, written by W. Cleon Skousen, a faith-based political theorist, that we find Cicero's own theory that good laws, sound government, and the formula for happy human relations rests in the existence of "Natural Law". We find the spirit of that term in the language of the Declaration of Independence ... When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

In his book, Skousen elucidates this idea of Cicero's influence when he writes, "To Cicero, the building of a society on principles of Natural Law was nothing more nor less than recognizing and identifying the rules of "right conduct" with the laws of the Supreme Creator of the universe." In his own words, Cicero wrote this: "There will not be different laws at Rome and at Athens, or different laws now and in the future, but one eternal and unchangeable law will be valid for all nations and all times, and there will be one master and ruler, that is God, over us all, for He is the author of this law, its promulgator, and its enforcing judge." 

And these concepts were understood and endorsed by the Founding Fathers as they approached the structure of a new government that would be the law of the land in the newly formed United States of America. These concepts are interwoven into the declaration for our Freedom and into our Constitution, As espoused by author Skousen, "The Law of Nature or Nature's God is eternal in its basic goodness; it is universal in its application. It is a code of "right reason" from the Creator Himself. It cannot be altered. It cannot be repealed. It cannot be abandoned by legislators or the people themselves, even though they may pretend to do so. In Natural Law we are dealing with factors of absolute reality. It is basic in its principles, comprehensible to the human mind, and totally correct and morally right in its general operation."

These ideas and precepts are as sound today as when they were espoused by Cicero nearly two millennia ago; and they are emphasized in our founding documents nearly two-and-a-half centuries ago. But here is where we find ourselves today... our society is not in agreement that our Creator exists, nor that absolute moral authority exists in Him. In fact, Moral Rightness or Truth have become relative... they can mean something different to different people. And when God is not your authority of what is right or true, then it is far too easy to declare that any law or laws based on those concepts of law and government [or the Holy Book that proclaims them] can be ignored or changed. It will become far too easy to alter, repeal, overhaul, or abandon them by an immoral and unjust citizenry, or body of legislators. 

You see, our Founders believed that the common man should have control over his own destiny. And they believed that through Divine guidance men could live a good, virtuous, and moral life. But they were no fools -- they recognized that laws were necessary to curb the actions of immoral men. And they sought to establish a system of laws that operated similar to the laws God laid out for the ancient Israelites, with Leviticus 25:10 as the heart and soul of government: "Proclaim Liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants". [Note: This verse is inscribed on the Liberty Bell]. And then there is what is at the center of this astounding and unprecedented new form of governing ... our Founders deliberately structured a form of government with all the power in the people! 

And to be historically accurate, they didn't initially get it right. After much debate the Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, which offered no executive or judiciary oversight; nor was there any taxing power to financially support the government, and no power to enforce laws. It came pretty close to operating under a system of anarchy. It wasn't until 1787 that our Constitution was approved and the ratification process began. The result was a document that was designed to maintain political equilibrium between the people in the states and the federal government. The emphasis was on strong local self-government, keeping the power base close to the people. There was a healthy fear of political extremists that could swing the needle of Liberty from monarchy to anarchy. And only the Constitution could protect the people from being subjected to the whims of such extremism.

I truly believe that God was involved in the creation of our Constitution through the men that He put in authority.  At that time, these men foresaw a nation of individuals who were generally governed by Biblical precepts -- checks and balances and a limited government were at the center of the Constitution, and would serve such a Biblically-minded society well.  Then, as now, I believe that the Bible has authority over each of us as individuals, and the Constitution has authority over the government.  That combination has worked for us, and contributed to a generally balanced co-existence between the two powers -- as long as we continued to embrace Biblical morals and principles. And that's where we find ourselves today.

But as God and the Bible have become more irrelevant in our society -- again, refer to the previous post and results of a national survey -- we have seen that both the Bible and the Constitution have lost their place in the governing of our nation.  In fact, there is a third player in the game, and it is Government, with a capital "G".  Since our society seems to want to eradicate the influence of both the Bible and the Constitution, is it even relevant to the masses to ask which has more authority?  Clearly, the Bible is being mocked, derided, and re-conceptualized to serve the needs of the ungodly.  And, in its tattered state, is there enough of the Constitution left to warrant any real authority?

Perhaps the more appropriate question is this: Is there enough of the Bible's influence in the Constitution to withstand its destruction by the Government?  Ultimately, as a faithful Christian, I have to go back to the one Truth that overrides all ... YHWH is Sovereign, Supreme, and the absolute Head of this State. His Word is authority over everything man-made ... whether it is a governing document like the Constitution, or a governing body of men.  That might not be the politically acceptable answer in this debate, but we are at the stage in this nation (and the world) where the individual freedom of men and women is at stake. It is time to quit playing the political game, and recognize Who has the real Power in this world. 

It is clear to me that God is the Ultimate Authority in this world that He created.  But I also know that His Word says that He appoints rulers over nations by His authority, and we are to be loyal to that government... as long as they are loyal to God's laws.  It is also clear that we have a spiritual Enemy that seeks to usurp God's authority in this nation. And now we find ourselves in a unique situation -- the leader of our government is still unresolved. So I pray that the goals of the Founding Fathers will be realized as they expressed their hope for the new nation .... I thank God that I have lived to see my country independent and free. She may long enjoy her independence and freedom if she will. It depends on her virtue (Samuel Adams) .... Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other (John Adams) ... The sum of all is [this], if we would most truly enjoy the gift of Heaven, let us become a virtuous people; then shall we both deserve and enjoy it. While, on the other hand, if we are universally vicious and debauched in our manners, though the form of our Constitution carries the face of the most exalted freedom, we shall in reality be the most abject slaves (Samuel Adams). 

 So, what shall be our destiny? The Bible proclaims the path to a righteous and prosperous nation. And the Constitution was designed for a moral and religious [faithful] people. Will we reap what we have sown, or will the cries of the truly repentant restore our nation to one that God will recognize and bless? I exhort the Ekklesia in the land to join with me on our knees, praying together as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God for a return to righteous government. And then rise, and staying focused on Jesus, our Authority in Heaven, we will declare a revival of morality and virtue in this nation, and it will pierce the hearts of all those in rulership positions -- that hearts will be turned away from self-aggrandizement and humbled in servitude to meet the needs of all people. Pray that if God determines that judgment is due our land, that it be swift and completely cleanses us of our sins. And finally, we find our strength and our truth in the Word of God. It is still relevant and it is still Light and Life to our souls and spirits. God bless each of you as you seek solace in the Word today!

Jeremiah 18:7-10      If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.

Warfare In The Spiritual Realms - Part 2

In the previous post I presented my theological position on spiritual warfare in "the heavenly places", and today I wish to take a more in-depth look at what our responsibilities are as followers of Christ and members of the Ekklesia. 

So, I will begin by stating that I operate in this life by a Biblical worldview; in other words, the truth of who the Bible says I am, and whom I serve, is the foundation of how I live and what I say and do. That includes my understanding of the topic today. In the light of spiritual warfare, I also want to re-establish that the Bible speaks of the First Heaven as the realm where we exist; the earth, sky, atmosphere, etc. The Third Heaven is the place where God and Jesus dwell and where they sit on their thrones. It is their domain/Kingdom and the seat of their government. Since there is a First and Third Heaven, we must assume that there is a Second Heaven. Although not specifically mentioned in Scripture, there are many indirect references to it as the place where Satan and his demons exist and exert their influence over cities, nations, the Church, and anything or anyone who restricts the kingdom of darkness. One such reference is Ephesians 2:1-2, which says, And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince (Satan) of the power of the air (the realm of Second Heaven), the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

Since Scripture makes it clear that Satan has been expelled from Heaven for his disobedience and mutiny against God, it is apparent that Paul is talking about his influence in the Second Heaven when the apostle says in Ephesians 6:12, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. Paul is making it clear that we aren't battling with flesh and blood human beings on the earth, but rather with "spiritual forces of wickedness" in "heavenly" places. Those "places" include both the First Heaven and Second Heaven. Since we find no Scripture that says Satan lives on the earth, how are we to understand how Satan can afflict us in both of these "heavenly places? We must move beyond our Western mindset [which is based on Greek (rational) thinking], and begin to comprehend the mindset of the Bible. 

We begin by grasping that there are hierarchies of demons that follow Satan. It will help if you can understand that demons are "disembodied spirits of the deceased Nephilim", who were the offspring of Fallen Angels mating with human women [noted in Genesis 6:1-4]. Since these ungodly offspring are derived from immortal heavenly beings, they cannot be destroyed completely. Neither can they return to Heaven, as is the case with our spirits. Therefore, these spirits are cursed with remaining on earth to wreak havoc in the lives of humans, causing torment and oppression. These are the "ground level" demons on earth that operate in anger, bitterness, guilt, shame, hatred, rejection, etc. -- and keep the sons and daughters of God from living in freedom.

But as Ephesians 6:12 shows us, there are higher levels of demons; namely, rulers, powers, world forces, and spiritual forces. Included in these designations are fallen angelic powers such as the "Prince of Persia" and the "Prince of Greece". They fought against the angel who was responding to the prayers of the prophet Daniel in Daniel 10:20. The archangel Michael, who is the "Prince of Israel", fought alongside this angel [sent to Daniel] so that this heavenly being could let Daniel know that his prayers had been heard, and that he came bearing a vision of what the future held for God's chosen people. This passage describes the battles that rage in the Second Heaven between the angelic forces of Heaven and those who owe their allegiance to Satan. Just like with Daniel, many times the earthbound demons receive instruction from higher-level, "cosmic" demons and work with them to attack and obstruct our assignments to take back the dominion of the earth that God originally gave us in Genesis 1:26-31.

That is a very short and abbreviated explanation that attempts to explain the spiritual layout of the Heavens, who occupies them, and the opposing forces loyal to God and Satan. So how are we to operate in this dynamic? What are our duties and responsibilities, and how far do they extend? What exactly has our Lord commissioned us to do, and what power and authority have we been given to wage spiritual war?

Sadly, "the Church" in 21st Century America has very knowledge, and let's face it ... tolerance ... for this discussion. Once the Lord revealed [to me] these higher truths of the spiritual dimensions and the activities that go on there to obstruct the Body of Christ from knowing their true identity, I have only met opposition from within the religious structure of the Church. And that only serves to allow Satan and his followers to continue their war against the Kingdom of God on earth. It is important that we take off our "religious glasses" and see the Kingdom and our position in God's army come into focus. That first requires that we know the power and authority that Jesus has given us.

If you are familiar with Luke 10:19, then you know that Jesus says, Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. It is important -- no, I believe vitally important -- that we understand that Jesus is referring to power and authority we have in the world; in the realm of the First Heaven. The reason I believe this is because He repeatedly instructs His Disciples and us [as subsequent followers], to "cast out demons" as part of exercising our power and authority in the commission He has given us. Note this exhortation from our Lord in Matthew 10:1, And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. When Jesus walked the earth as a human, He cast demons out of afflicted human beings on the earth, and healed human disease and sickness, and instructed His followers to do the same. These are the demons that are earthbound and "ground level", NOT the higher level rank and file demons that exist in the Second Heaven.

Furthermore, what is known as "The Great Commission" in Matthew and Mark, supports this argument. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says, All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you;. This assignment is obviously to be carried out on the earth, NOT in the Second Heaven. They are to make disciples of nations, baptizing people, and teaching people on earth to do what He commanded them, which was to cast out demons and heal the sick and raise the dead; all earthly activities. 

Mark 16:17-18 also supports this thesis: And these signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Again, these are all evidence of the power and authority the followers of Jesus have been given to minister on the earth. NOTE: Do your own research on what Jesus meant when He talked about picking up serpents and drinking poison. His listeners would have understood these idioms that He used.

This understanding of our power and authority in the First Heaven [to defeat the schemes of Satan] must necessarily lead us to ask the question, "Do we have power and authority to wage war in the Second Heaven"? Remember, this is where the demons of high administrative rank and great authority reside; and they are in full obedience to Satan who resides in this realm. This is my understanding, and as always, I advise you to do your own research and seek the counsel of the Lord and Holy Spirit. But I have discerned through study and experience that the way we battle in this realm is through mighty and fervent prayer. Satan has assigned high level demons (principalities, powers, rulers, etc.) to conduct warfare against cities, governments, nations, organizations, and yes, even individuals who stand in his way of dominating the earth. James 5:16 clearly emphasizes this principle: Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. Jesus also proclaims this truth in Mark 9:29 : And He said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” I believe Jesus distinguishes the higher ranking of that demon by calling the attention of His Disciples to the fact that "this kind" requires more than just casting out because it is a higher level demon.

Unless we are specifically commanded by the Lord, we do not engage in Second Heaven warfare. That is the domain where God's mighty angelic army battles the high-ranking demonic army of Satan. We were given dominion (authority and power) "over the earth" in our Genesis 1:26 mandate, not the Second Heaven. And that is all the more reason that we endeavor to comply with "everything Jesus commands us to do" in Matthew 28 -- cast out demons, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers (the spiritually and physically unclean); raise the dead, and spread the Good News of the Kingdom... that God's heavenly government has once again been re-established on the earth where there are to be no demonic torment, no sickness nor disease, and no death -- if we step into our identity and power and authority!  As the followers of Christ, we are called to "do the things that He has done, and even greater" (John 14:12). That involves keen discernment and proper training and instruction. The Disciples spent three years at the foot of the Master to learn their assignments. Don't you think we should spend considerable time learning from those who are successful in this sphere and whose obedience is pleasing to God? 

We, the Body of Christ, must rise up in our commission; battle in the First Heaven; doing what Jesus did; and fervently praying into the Second Heaven war so that God can put our cries into action on His behalf. He has invested SO much into us, His creation, and He desires that we work with Him to bring about the final defeat of Satan and his hordes. Do not be afraid! Increase your knowledge and training! Be wise and courageous! Stay in your lane! Fulfill what is written in your pages in the Book of Life! And most importantly, remember that the victory has already been won, and WE WILL PREVAIL!

Romans 8:31     What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us?   

    

  

The Lion Heard Us and He Roared!

 

I cannot state it enough ... God loves working with His children! And this past weekend Mark and I had the opportunity to come together with a remnant of the followers of Jesus and watch the Lord convey us into His Ekklesia. And I have deliberately chosen that word convey because it means "to transport or carry to a place; to make an idea, impression, or feeling known to someone; to communicate a message or information; and finally, [in accordance with Law] to transfer the title [to property]". And let me tell you how all that happened.

At our gathering last month to teach on Freemasonry, the New World Order, and the Anti-Christ spirit, we left that assembly with one of the attendees asking, "So, where do we go from here?" In the ensuing days, the Lord instructed me that we needed to congregate again to answer any questions that might have occurred as a result of people meditating on what they had heard. So, I sent the word out, and as I expected, once the original information had been disseminated, there would not be as big of an interest in attending a follow-up. That is not said in condemnation; it is just the reality of human nature and I knew that people would have other obligations. Whatever it would be is what the Lord intended.

So, we were 15 in number and to be honest, my spirit did not feel encouraged to prepare in the same manner as for the first assemblage. In fact, days and weeks had gone into the primary presentation, and I felt that the Lord wanted me to trust Him with a plan He had for this subsequent gathering. So He gave me a few bullet points He wanted me to cover and then I felt I was just to turn the reins over to Him and watch what happened. I couldn't wait!

So, we began our follow-up meeting with Communion and the blowing of the shofar, which calls together a solemn assembly. We also blew the shofar in honor of The Feast of Trumpets, which commemorates a future [and hoped for] event when "we will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory" (Mark 13:26). We also announced that we were prophetically walking in the "Ten Days of Awe", in which the Lord will open the Books in Heaven to review what we have accomplished for His Kingdom. We are to fast, pray, and repent as we wait for the Feast of Tabernacles, when the Lord will one day dwell among us upon His earthly throne for 1,000 years, inaugurating the Millennial Kingdom.

We then set the meeting in motion with the Lord's first bullet point: that it is imperative that the Body of Christ understand that our spiritual warfare battles take place in both the physical and spiritual realms. For instance, it is important that we clearly discern what we see in the physical -- that the legitimate and peaceful assembly of movements like Black Lives Matter have been hijacked by BLM, Inc; of which the founders boast that they are "trained Marxists". It is imperative that we understand the importance of that statement and what aligning oneself with the ideology and political philosophy of Karl Marx really means (see this post to begin your own research). In addition, when we are able to see the danger of combining Marxism with the anarchy of Antifa, we can get a clear picture of what we're up against in this physical realm. But, as Christians, I discern that the Lord encourages us with the same words He gave Israel in Deuteronomy 20:3-4, Right now you are advancing to wage war against your enemies. Don’t be discouraged! Don’t be afraid! Don’t panic! Don’t shake in fear on account of them, because the Lord your God is going with you to fight your enemies for you and to give you victory.

 Then I discerned it was important to make a distinction that we did not make in our initial presentation. We had diligently researched how Satan had managed to infiltrate the government of our nation from the very beginning. Using the Parable of the Wheat and Tares as our precedent, we showed how Freemasonry and it's connection to false Egyptian gods, and ungodly oaths, curses and rituals had seeped into the secret societies that are woven throughout our country's framework. Like the tares (weeds) in the field Jesus sowed, Freemasonry has remained hidden and worked its "majik", uniting with the Illuminati and New World Order to corrupt this nation and call it away from the foundation that was laid when it was first discovered. 

So, we made it clear that before the events of 1776 and the formation of the United States of America, there was a covenant made by God with men He chose to set the spiritual destiny of this nation. One of these men was John Winthrop, a Puritan and leading figure in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Here are his prophetic words: "Thus stands the cause between God and us. We are entered into covenant with Him for this work … The Lord will be our God and delight to dwell among us, as His own people, and will command a blessing upon us in all our ways, so that we shall see much more of His wisdom, power, goodness and truth … We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies.”

But there came a warning with this prophecy ... Winthrop also said this: “If we shall deal falsely with our God … if our hearts shall turn away … so that we will not obey … but shall be seduced and worship other Gods, and serve them, then our blessings will cease to exist”. And we can all discern those "gods" which are so evident in our society: profit, greed, power, material possessions, lust, etc. And it's not hard to see that our blessings are in grave danger of being eradicated.

Once the important concept of a covenant with God for our nation was affirmed, the Lord wanted us to establish the importance of understanding the spiritual realms and our position in the battles that occur there. After a brief review of the realms of First and Second Heavens and the demonic activity that is orchestrated there against us, we confirmed that the battles that ensue are the Lord's, and He directs our participation from His dwelling place, in Third Heaven (I will present a more comprehensive examination of this concept in the next post). 

 

At this point we were coming to the conclusion of our management of this gathering, and the Lord instructed us to make clear the understanding of what it means to be an Ekklesia. We all needed to be on the same page in order to move forward. So we explained that an Ekklesia is an assembly of Christians acting as the governing body of the Kingdom of God on earth; instituting the government of Heaven so that the earth resembles Heaven – no abortion, no racism, no pedophilia, no evil, no sorrow, no murder, no poverty etc. We all have a part to play, an assignment, a calling as the Body, (one is an arm, one a leg, etc), but we operate in unity, joining our forces to defeat Evil. We have been given keys, such as prayer, fasting, binding and loosing [as in Heaven]. Jesus gives us that mandate in Matthew 16:18-19.

 

That is when I heard in my spirit that Jesus wanted to take over from there and do something powerful with this group. So, He gave me new insight to reveal that as part of our weapon of prayer, we should ask God to reveal the kingdom of darkness's strategies and trust Him to give us a battle plan to outflank them with strategies He would supply. And from that moment on, the Holy Spirit filled that room with testimonies of direction and strategies that the Lord had given individuals to war in the spirit for their children's schools, for the nation, for their health. 

 

And then the most powerful and beautiful thing happened ... I clearly heard in my spirit, "Now it's time to BE the Ekklesia", so without any preamble, I announced, "Let's stand together and become a true Ekklesia. Let us pray as the Lord leads us." What emerged was a powerful movement of the Spirit as we asserted our power and authority as the Ekklesia to transfer our prayers into the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of God, that they might be delivered to the Throne Room so that the Lord and His heavenly host could act on them! We declared that we were putting on our spiritual armor to join the Lord in His battle against the evil forces that were threatening our country, our schools, our communities, our health, our families and everything under our dominion. We decreed that we were taking back territory from the kingdom of darkness and we would bring the Light of Heaven to destroy the strategies of evil men. We cried out that we were being restored to our Genesis 1:26 and Psalms 115:16 dominion over the earth and we will not tolerate the usurping of our authority! We prayed for vision and clarity and wisdom and power and battle plans and tactics. We declared that the victory is the Lord's, but we are prepared to enforce it!

 

We may have been small in number, but we were mighty in spirit and purpose! And maybe we didn't appear to make much of an impact by the world's standards, but Father God, His heavenly host, and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah heard us ... and He roared! A faithful friend and member of our Ekklesia, Tami, saw an explosion happen in the spirit, and later shared that as our group stormed Heaven with our prayers, she and her husband, Keith, felt the atmosphere shift and it was powerful. She said, "I have been a part of an intercession group, and it usually took hours to accomplish what was done in 10-15 minutes". And my husband, Mark, saw a ball of fire with rotating parts form in the room as we prayed. Praise Jesus! We were not a necessarily polished and accomplished group of prayer warriors, but our hearts were sincere and pure, and like I said, our Father loves to work with those who come boldly before His throne (even if we are not particularly experienced or gifted in expressing ourselves). He took our voices and manifested them in the Spirit, and I can't wait to see the structures and strategies of the Enemy begin to crumble and fail! 

 

This was the first time this particular group of individuals gathered together, but I know it was ordained by God and it is not the last time the Enemy will recognize our small Ekklesia. We are going to continue to meet for contending prayer, to listen to the Lord for new strategies and new targets to direct our prayers towards. I thank the Lord for gathering us together, for taking over and leading us into a powerful display of the effects of our purposeful prayer. We were all changed by this experience as the Lord molded us into His Ekklesia ... we know that the gates of Hades will not prevail against us and that we are prepared to take back territory for the Kingdom of God with righteous and violent prayer; with eager and vigilant and relentless zeal in order to obtain the promises of God's heavenly government on earth. Thank you, Jesus, for taking the reins of your government on earth and showing us who we are and how You want to work with us!

 

James 5:16     The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Understanding Our Dominion In The Spiritual Realms

   

     If you've never heard the subject matter of today's blog post before, it doesn't surprise me. You really have to go outside the Church building to begin to lay the foundation of what I'd like to share. If, in your study of the Bible, you tended to just breeze through Genesis, Chapter One, because you've heard In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, a million times, and you know that ultimately, after six days of creation, God rested on the seventh. Pretty straightforward, right?
     But, if you've matured in your faith, and know that there is so much depth to God and many overlays of meaning in the Bible, then you've likely wondered about how God could create Light on the first day, separating the light from the darkness, and then again on the fourth day. What's going on?
     I want to present a breakdown on some of these verses, establishing a picture of what God was doing, and then expand on that knowledge to show our place in this plan. Are you ready for a ride? Here we go!
     I first want to say, that I was engaged in my own word study, trying to come to a comprehension of what the Bible was telling me, when I took an online course with Dan Duval, pastor of the online Fireplace Church, and President of Bride Ministries. He greatly illuminated what the Bible is telling us in Genesis One. And I would highly recommend that you read his book, Higher Dimensions, Parallel Dimensions, and the Spirit Realm. What I am going to present here is simply a condensed version of his in-depth teaching.   
     So, we have Day and Night on Day one, and Day and Night on Day four. How could that be? Well, consider that God created a spiritual template of our universe on Day one, and then overlaid it with a physical construct on Day four. That's not that difficult a conclusion when you understand that He first created us as spirit and then put our spirit in a physical body. Re-read Genesis 1:1-19 again. Nothing before Day four is physical; all the descriptions are spiritual. It is a spiritual Light in verse one, and then a physical sun in Day four. The transition from a spiritual earth to a physical earth begins on the third Day.
     I want to give you a few word translations so you can further understand this hypothesis, and then we will go on to the dominion part of this equation. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... God created all the dimensions of existence and a spiritual earth. Here the Hebrew word for "earth" is erets. In verse two, Scripture says the earth was "formless" (the Hebrew word tohu) and "void" (the Hebrew word bohu). Tohu means "without form, formless, unreality, emptiness. The earth was in a state of unreality; a spiritual template. Bohu means "emptiness, void, or waste; again a spiritual connotation. When God says in verse three, "Let there be light" and the light was separated from the darkness, the Hebrew word for "darkness" is chosek, meaning darkness in an obscurely secret place (spiritual darkness). This interpretation of the word is repeated in other Scriptures, namely 2 Samuel 22:29, Job 17:13, and Psalm 107:14, establishing the consistent spiritual aspect of the word. This darkness is recorded as being over the surface of "the deep". The Hebrew word for deep is Tehouan, meaning "deep or abyss" and is referred to as "a person with a voice and hands". Then we read that the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
     Let's see if we can put all this together: There was a spiritual dimension having power in the physical realm. It is first spiritual in its origin, and then exhibits power in the physical realm. So, here's what we can know for sure from the first two verses in Genesis ... God created the dimensions of the higher heavens. God created a spiritual earth first. And the Spirit of the Lord hovered over the spiritual earth as God was preparing to form it in the physical. When God says let there be light in the third day, it is a spiritual light, and it is God manifesting Himself into the creation template. The Hebrew word for "light" here is owr.
     In Genesis 1:9-13, we read about the dry land appearing, and God is beginning to place the physical overlay over the spiritual template. In verses 14-19, we see God creating more lights, but this time the Hebrew word is ma'owr, and it indicates luminaries (stars), and "the two great lights", the sun and moon -- all physical creations. Hopefully, this will make you never read the first chapter of the Bible the same ever again! And here's something else to blow your mind --- the earth was created after we were! Remember, Ephesians 1:4 says Jesus chose us in Him before the foundations of the world.
     And lest we forget, God created the heavens (plural). So we know the Second Heaven is where the planets and cosmos exist and where the "rulers, authorities, cosmic powers over this present darkness, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" exist (Ephesians 6:12). And we know the Third Heaven is where the throne of God sits, and where, according to Ephesians 2:6, our spirits are seated with Christ. In addition, Philippians 3:20 tells us that we are citizens of Heaven. And this is where our dominion in the spiritual realms (plural) needs to be realized. 
     Our spirits can interact [and act out of] ALL the spiritual realms. Do you realize that God has a ministry for each of us, and wants to act through us, and our ministries are not limited to earth? Daniel 10:7-13 is a precise example of how our spirits can have an impact in the Second Heaven. Daniel has been praying for 21 days, and the angel Gabriel appears to tell him that from the first day he began praying, his words were heard in the Throne Room in the Third Heaven, and God sent him [Gabriel] in response to those prayers. But Gabriel was held up in the Second Heaven by the spiritual "prince" [demonic power] of Persia, until the prince [Godly power] of Israel, the archangel Michael, came to help him. This is an example of Second Heaven warfare generated by the power of our prayers in the spirit. 
     We must not forget that our dominion rests in our authority, rulership, power, jurisdiction and government on behalf of the Kingdom of Heaven. Perseverance is important on our part. Just like in Daniel, as soon as we pray, warfare breaks out in the Second Heaven and we must continue to pray. Would Gabriel have been able to endure in his battle with the prince of Persia if Daniel had stopped praying after two days? Ten days? Fifteen days? 
     It is important to understand that we will and must engage in ALL the realms -- not only here on earth, but in the Second and Third Heavens as well. We should be praying from our seat of dominion and power in the Third Heaven to battle against the demonic powers in the Second Heaven. We must examine ourselves to see if we are only battling through our prayers from this First Heaven, earth. If so, I'm here to tell you this is an inferior position. We are leaving the dominion we possess [in the Second and Third Heavens] on the table, so to speak! We have access to the Throne Room and the Courts of Heaven, and can battle [in spirit] in the Second Heaven alongside Michael and the host of Heaven. 
     As I look at the state of this world, it is apparent that we are not walking in our full dominion in the Heavenly realms. We do not recognize or understand the power, authority, and rulership we have been created to exhibit on behalf of the Kingdom of God. And the powers of darkness are taking advantage of our lack of understanding. My people perish for lack of knowledge is not a meaningless statement. Let us begin to come into our own!

2 Corinthians 10:3-4    For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.  

Truly, Truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

Truly, Truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

The Power Of The Kingdom of God In Us

    

     I am writing this blog as an encouragement to everyone who has ever felt that they had no power to overcome the troubles of this world. And I also want to address those who believe that the troubles we encounter are meant to bring us closer to God and strengthen our "spiritual muscles". I hope by the end of this article that you have renewed your mind to God's Truth.
     Sometimes I feel like a broken record, but until my last breath I will proclaim that the Kingdom of God is on this earth. And if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you are a citizen of Heaven [who happens to live on the earth], and your relationship with the King of Heaven and Earth aligns you with the God who overcomes the world. Now can you picture the power you walk in?
     It is important that you understand that with your allegiance to Jesus, it is indisputable that you have moved from Satan's kingdom of darkness into Jesus's kingdom of Light. Do not take that lightly! And do not fear! We must discern that since we have left the world system, we are now behind enemy lines, but King Jesus will protect us in this enemy territory. 1 John 5:18 says, We are convinced that everyone fathered by God does not make sinning a way of life, because the Son of God protects the child of God, and the Evil One cannot touch him. 
     But as citizens of heaven behind enemy lines, we need to be prudent and aware. We are in the midst of a spiritual war that has been raging since it first erupted in Heaven at Lucifer's rebellion. But there is no need to panic. God invites you to Pour out all your worries and stress upon Him and leave them there, for He always tenderly cares for you. Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour. Take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith. For you know that your believing brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing the same kinds of troubles you endure (1 Peter 5:7-8). We must be wise in knowing who we are, and not become discouraged when we find that we are a target of the Enemy. 
     This is where you declare that you walk in the authority of your King and that your Enemy has been defeated by your victorious King on the Cross! You don't have to listen to the lies of the devil and his hordes who try to convince you that they have power over you. It's just the opposite! When you submit yourself to God, you can resist the devil and he will flee from you. That's clearly stated in James 4:7. As we surrender to the Holy Spirit, which is the power of God in us, the devil must surrender to Him as well. There is no need or reason to give up or give in! Remember: He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world! Just believe it!
     But here is where far too many Christians find themselves struggling ... they try to fight this war in their own natural power. Our flesh cannot defeat a supernatural demon in a spiritual war. Now, that may be hard for you to accept or digest, but it is the truth of our situation here on earth. The only way to win a war against demonic power is by the supernatural power of God the Holy Spirit. And we have Him in us! Ephesians 6:10 tells us to "Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might". In other words, don't try to be strong in your own strength, but call upon His mighty power in you!
     And you need to concentrate on Jesus as your model. Jesus fought His own spiritual battle with the devil when He spent 40 days in the wilderness, preparing for His ministry. Jesus can identify with your battles because He experienced Satan trying to exploit His humanity. Jesus was hungry, thirsty and tired after 40 days of fasting. Satan tempted Him with everything from bread to satisfy His hunger, to offering Him the kingdoms of the world. But Jesus won His war with the devil by being led by the Spirit. This same supernatural power of the Holy Spirit is "the Spirit of Christ" that "dwells in you" (Romans 8:9). The very same spirit that empowered Jesus throughout His life on earth and raised Him from the dead is available to you. So don't ever let the lies of the devil tell you otherwise! 
      The Kingdom of God existed in Heaven before the world or mankind was created. But we need to know and have faith in the power of that creation, recognizing that God's kingdom rests in supernatural power -- power that characterized Jesus's life [and death] on this earth and which He transferred to us. And here is the amazing truth of that Power: Jesus's death and the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit destroyed the work of the devil and disarmed the demons. That same power resides in us and likewise is able to destroy the devil's agenda in our lives and disables the demons who attempt to keep us in bondage to the devil's lies. Jesus said it Himself, "the kingdom of God is inside you"... and all the power that comes with it!

1 Corinthians 4:20   For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. 

Einstein, The Cross, And Our Power To Heal

    Okay, it may take me a while to set up the concept of this post's title, so I hope you will be patient with me. This post comes from a fascinating study I did based on a teaching by Katie Sousa, an anointed Prison Minister who went from a life of crime herself, to being an outspoken advocate for Jesus. She took me on a wild ride from Albert Einstein's theory of space-time continuum, to Jesus's healing hand, to the power of the Cross. So, I hope I can explain how all this connects, using Scripture and interpreting the meaning of specific words and verses in the Bible. Here goes...
     I know that people [including Christians] often have a hard time understanding how our Inner Healing Ministry really works. How can we ask Jesus to be in the Spirit and be present at our table in the here and now, and He can still heal wounds and hurts that happened in the past? That's where the physicist Albert Einstein comes in.

     Einstein created a theory of special relativity which says there is a fundamental link between space and time. The universe can be viewed as having three space dimensions — up/down, left/right, forward/backward — and one time dimension. This 4-dimensional space is referred to as the space-time continuum, which means space and time can exist uninterrupted. Furthermore, this theory says that this continuum is like a fabric or curtain that stretches, bends, and warps. NASA proved this theory with a project called Gravity Probe B, which proved that the earth is actually bending and stretching the fabric of space. So, it was concluded that space and time are like a fabric that can actually stretch and bend.
     And guess what? It was all created by Jesus! This is the Amplified version of Hebrews 1:1-2, which says, God, having spoken to the fathers long ago in [the voices and writings of] the prophets in many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the truth], and in many ways, ² has in these last days spoken [with finality] to us in [the person of One who is by His character and nature] His Son [namely Jesus], whom He appointed heir and lawful owner of all things, through whom also He created the universe [that is, the universe as a space-time-matter continuum]. 
     But I want you to see an expanded understanding of this truth, which appears in the Amplified Classic version: But in the last of these days He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time [He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order]. 
     So, although Einstein may have discovered this theory of time and space, it was our Lord who created them and how they work together. And I hope to show you how He uses His creation to "heal the broken-hearted and set the captives free". 
     In fact, Isaiah 40:22 proves both Einstein's theory and NASA's experiment. It reads: It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in. What is a curtain made of? Fabric! And what does the fabric of space and time [which Jesus created] do? It stretches and bends and warps... as Jesus made it to do, and as He operates and arranges it [according to Hebrews 1:1-3].
     What does all this have to do with our Inner Healing Ministry? It explains how Jesus is able to heal past hurts in the present; and it explains how we are able to travel in the spirit to receive counsel from the throne room of God. Stick with me. I'm still building the premise.
     Can we agree that where God lives in the third Heaven everything exists -- all of our resources, all of our healings, all the angels and it includes all the reaches of space and the ages of time? [Again, see Hebrews 1:2 above].  So, if you lived in the eternal realm with God and Jesus, and you wanted to go to France tonight to witness the French Revolution in 1789, you could because all the ages of time are contained in Heaven. 
     We can't do that here on earth in our fleshly bodies because we are restricted by time and space. Our time is linear and only moves forward at a steady pace. And moving any distance [in space] is restricted to the time it takes you to get there. So, isn't it logical that if we want to gain access to time and space we need to get to the eternal realm of Heaven? 
     This is where the Cross comes in. The fabric of time and space is used to divide us and keep us from getting to Heaven. But Jesus made an opening in that curtain of fabric [of time and space] for us to get there. And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. Notice it split from top to bottom -- from Heaven to earth. He has given us access! Now, I know there are some Christians who think this can't be achieved until we die and go to Heaven. But Ephesians 2:6 tells us, And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus;  and Philippians 3:20 tells us that our citizenship is in Heaven. When Jesus died and was resurrected, He tore that curtain between Heaven and Earth and we have access to all the reaches of space and all the ages of time NOW!
     So how does this relate to our power and authority to heal others who are tormented by past wounds and hurts? Well, it was at His baptism that Jesus first ripped through the fabric of time and space. He went forward in time to get all the power [from the Cross and His resurrection] that He would need to do His three years of Ministry while on earth. Scripture even tells us that "the Heavens were opened to Him" -- where all the power of God resides (Matthew 3:16). Jesus had to have access to that power from the eternal realm before He started ministering to people to heal them from past events that were wounding them and keeping them in bondage to the Enemy. And Scripture uses a particular word to describe this entire concept of stretching and bending time and space to return to the origin [or cause] of the suffering. It is the Greek word EKTEINO.
     The word ek means "from [or out of] place, time, or cause". In other words the origin or beginning of a situation. And teino means "to stretch". Consider the story of Jesus healing the man with the withered hand, which appears in several of the Gospel accounts. It reads, And He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” ⁴ And He said to them [the Pharisees], “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. ⁵ And He looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The word for "stretch out" is Ekteino! Jesus took the man to the origin [time] when his hand got withered, and to the place it got withered, and the cause [or reason] it got withered and pulled it out at the root (stretched time and space to heal him in the present). And the hand was restored! He didn't change the order of the events, but He changed the consequences or the result of the events.
     Now consider the story of the Leper who was healed: When He came down from the mountain, great crowds followed Him. ² And behold, a leper came to Him and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” ³ And Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed (Matthew 8:1-3). Again, Jesus dealt with the time, place, and cause (ek) that the unclean spirit came into the man, and then pulled it out by the root (stretched time and space - teino) to restore the leper to health. 
     There are other examples, too. In Luke 4:31-37, Jesus heals a man with an unclean demon, rebuking the demon and telling it to "Come out!" That's the same word, Ekteino. And all this demonstrates what we do in our Inner Healing Ministry. We go back to the origin [a memory, or an event] in which the wound was inflicted upon the Beloved -- to the time, the place, and the cause, and then we invite Jesus to appear in that memory and pull out the hurt and the wound at the root. He's able to do that because he can bend and stretch time and space to be both in the past and then appear to the Beloved in the present at our table. 
     But here's the Good News for all of us --- when we are baptized, the power of the Cross is released when we go down in the water (and die with Christ); and the power of the Resurrection is released when we come out of the water, releasing power and authority and dominion to us! And we have the ability to stretch time and space when we go in the spirit to the throne of God and appeal for compassion and mercy and grace to help in our time of need. We have the power to experience Ekteino for others [when we stretch time and space to assist Jesus in freeing them from the bondages of their past]; and we have the ability and power to introduce Ekteino to them and to ourselves, when we go into the future and lay hold of our promises and bring them into the now! 
     Nothing is impossible for our Lord! We are not limited by time or space when we recognize that we are spirit beings who have access to all the reaches of space and the ages of time. Isn't it amazing? We serve a Mighty God! 

Psalm 31:14-15    But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!  
     

Mixed Messages

     I am oftentimes perplexed at the interpretation of Scripture from people whom I greatly respect and who I know walk in reverent obedience to the Lord. No wonder the Body of Christ is often confused and question their own life's journey and purpose. For instance, I was excited to receive my monthly newsletter from an organization founded by a Scripturally-sound Messianic Jewish leader. The lead article was entitled Rock and Key, and perfectly coincided with the recent teachings Mark and I have been conducting on the Gospel of the Kingdom.
     I was encouraged by the message of Matthew 16:13-19 that represented a historic breakthrough for the disciples following Jesus, and should be serving as a rediscovery for us in the 21st Century. These important verses read as follows:

¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my ekklesia, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

     I agreed with the article Rock and Key that this passage is important on so many levels. First, notice that Jesus asks who the people say the Son of Man is -- not the Son of God. Here, He is wanting to see how He is being perceived. Up til now He has been careful to guard His deity from the general public, and has concentrated on preaching [and teaching His disciples] that the Kingdom of Heaven was to be restored to the earth. This moment at Caesarea Philippi marks a decisive change in His ministry. Now He is ready for His disciples to gain the bigger picture of who He is, why He came, and that He must soon be rejected, killed, and will rise from the dead three days later. This leads to deeper knowledge that all those who choose to follow Him, must be willing to suffer in this life, as He's about to, in order to gain eternal life in Heaven's Kingdom.
     The fact that Peter receives the revelation that Jesus is the Son of [the Living] God means Peter and the disciples are ready to receive authority from heaven through Him. If they can rightly know who He is, then they will soon be equipped with spiritual authority to carry on His assignment. I agreed with the author that this spiritual authority can be administered directly through His Name -- by declaring in the Name of Jesus. Then the author said it could be delegated through the leadership of the local congregation. In both ways, all spiritual authority comes through submission to the One from whom it is given. And being under the cover of authority is a place of protection, where it is safe, secure, and stable -- that is where the rock comes in.
     It is from the stable foundation of Jesus and the covering of His blood that we are protected from the forces of evil in this dark world and able to release God's good, perfect and acceptable will into this earth. In fact, we are so confident in the power of God in us [Holy Spirit] and our authority from Heaven that even the "gates of hades" cannot defeat us. [This particular site at Caesarea Philippi was considered the entrance (gate) to the underworld of death]. We have so much power and authority to release God's will that what we "bind" or "loose" on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven. And I understand the Scripture to mean that the Lord Jesus said He would build His ekklesia (legislative body of believers] to govern the earth in the model God has established in heaven. 
     As I have pointed out before, Jesus did not say He would build a Church, as in a building full of believers. He would build a group of believers gathered together to carry out the government of Heaven on the earth. So, when the author of this article wrote "if we do not have a personal revelation of Jesus and/or we are not members in a local congregation, we have little authority to influence the world for good by the kingdom of God", well, I was dumbfounded. He went on to say that our influence requires both the revelation of Jesus (I agree!) and the active membership in a local congregation.
     To me, that negates the authority of the believer as an individual. Now, I agree that the power of a committed ekklesia can be more powerful by virtue of the number of obedient spiritual warriors [working in their legal authority] to pray down strongholds and govern in the Name of Jesus. But to say that you must be "an active member in a local congregation" does not fit the biblical model that Jesus shows us. I cannot find anywhere in the Gospels that Jesus demands of His disciples that they must be members of a local synagogue to receive His power and authority. In fact, our English Bibles only record Him using the word "Church" twice, one in the aforementioned Matthew 16:18 and again, in Matthew 18:17-18. In both instances, the English word is mistranslated and He actually used the Greek word [adopted by the Romans] of Ekklesia, meaning "a political assembly of citizens" -- it is not a religious congregation. But down through the centuries, we have loosely substituted "church, congregation, and assembly" for this very deliberate word of "ekklesia". 
     Yes, Jesus taught in the synagogues, but the purpose was to introduce the Gospel of the Kingdom and the government of earth according to the Father's will. He taught in order to defeat the works of the devil [and his kingdom] by bringing a superior kingdom that offered Salvation as the entry point to a life spent transforming the earth [and the lives of men] to reflect Heaven on earth. 
     To say that this can only be accomplished in a religious group setting does not sound like anything my Lord spoke. Now this particular author doesn't go as far as others I have read, who say that Matthew 10:1 (Jesus gathered his twelve disciples and imparted to them authority to cast out demons and to heal every sickness and every disease) was only for a particular group of people for a particular time of ministry. This is known as Cessationism, a doctrine which teaches that spiritual gifts, power and authority ceased when the original apostles died. 
     So, I guess the whole point of this blog post is that it concerns me when leaders of our faith tell us that we have no power and authority as an individual. What I see is that all the parables are teaching lessons that revolve around individuals -- not groups. Everyone He healed was on an individual basis. They came to Him, one-by-one, and He healed them. Even the early Church knew their mission was to raise up disciples of Christ who would go out into the world, as individuals, continuing the work He commanded. As a disciple of Christ myself, I am not on any roll of a local church or congregation. But Mark and I are working to be a part of a committed ekklesia who will come together as a local body of believers who, in contending prayer and fasting, and our legal power and authority, can transform our families, communities, and nation. 
    But, even when not in the company of these obedient ambassadors of Heaven, I know that I, as an individual believer, have been given Christ's authority and the power of the Holy Spirit to effect change on this earth; to take back territories from the kingdom of darkness for my Father's Kingdom in Heaven. Could this just be another tactic of the Enemy to shut down our ability to defeat him? If  he can convince us [out of fear or a lie about needing a covering other than Jesus], then we will be rendered ineffective in stopping his kingdom from advancing. 
     This is what I know for certain: that when I encounter someone in a WalMart parking lot that needs a healing hand; or Mark and I sit with a wounded and tormented believer at our table; or we are called to teach a hungry group of Christians about the Gospel of the Kingdom, we are under the covering and protection of our Lord Jesus. He doesn't require our membership in a local church or congregation to continue His work. His Word tells me that whoever believes in Him will also do the works that He did; and greater works than these will we do, because He has gone to the Father (John 14:12). He needs all of us -- individuals and corporate bodies of believers -- to continue His work! And His Word tells me that He has imparted to me all His authority to trample over Satan's kingdom. I can trample upon every demon before me and overcome every power Satan possesses. Absolutely nothing will be able to harm me as I walk in this authority (Luke 10:19).
     Again, I say that He needs us all! Don't believe Satan's lie that you do not have our Lord's permission to represent Him! You are an ambassador of Heaven, and a child of God, made in His image. Your authority comes from God's Word, and being diligent to follow the Word, not your own will or any other man's. Your power comes from the baptism of the Holy Spirit in you. And whether you walk out your faith as an individual, as a part of an Ekklesia, or within the corporate body of the Church -- He can use you! Do not be made irrelevant by man-made doctrine!

Titus 2:13-15   ... our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.  Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.