One of the most alarming things I see in the Body of Christ is that we do not understand Godly authority. Authority has almost become a dirty word to many Christians today. We say we are in submission and authority, but do we understand what true Godly authority is? One of the things we are going to have to test in these last days is those who "say they are Apostles and are not and seen that they are false." (Rev. 2:2) Many leaders in the Body of Christ demand authority from their people. Many use authority wrongly and are never open to hear God through others. Jesus taught us in Matthew 24:24, "there will be many false christ and false prophets who will do and great signs and wonders, so that if it were possible even the very elect will be tricked."
Yet on the other hand, many believers won't submit to God given authority either. Miriam and Aaron opposed Moses in the book of Numbers by saying to him, " you take to much on for yourself, we hear God as well as you do." Yet when God answered them, He told Miriam and Aaron, " I speak to you in dreams and vision, but I speak to Moses face to face." In this God was teaching them who had a "greater authority." Just because they could hear the Lord one way, did NOT GIVE THEM A PLACE OF AUTHORITY OVER MOSES!
How can this happen to them and to us today unless we don't have a correct understanding of Godly Authority. You see there are people who will want to "take" authority and those who won't "submit" to Godly authority. We even have teaching today that says, " you have to take your authority." But Beloved, we can't take it, we must use it when God gives it to us, but we can never, ever take what He has not given us. The Lord told me, Henry, YOU CAN NEVER TAKE AUTHORITY, I GIVE AUTHORITY AS I CHOOSE!
Recently I was on a mission trip in the middle of the equipping time, when I had an open vision of an ocean. From the depths of the ocean 4 heads arose, and they spoke to me, "we have the same authority as you." They were heads of men, ordinary people, but huge, trying to take a place over me in the spirit. These spirits manifested through people the whole entire time we were there. People who thought they had a place did the strangest, wierdest things to try to say, "we have the same authority you do." It was amazing, strangers telling us about their place, their vision and how they were "somone of importance." Not one of them could lay down what they had, or be open to the "present work of the Lord." Nor was their a true spirit of humility and brokenness coming forth from them. It was more of a demanding that says, "recognize me."
After visiting a church in the next city and sharing the vision of why God has brought us to this city, a woman stood up and said, "Are you going to go to every single church and ministry in town and tell them what you are doing, or are you just going to barge in here." I knew this was not her speaking but the spirit of Jezebel through her trying to establish a place under the spirit of the anti-christ. The Spirit of anti-christ always is concerned with the "things of men" and not the things of God. This is important for us as believers to learn.
It was Simon Peter who had the true revelation of who Jesus was in Matthew chapter 16:16, "you are the Christ the Son of the living God." In this statement, Peter was not just declaring who Christ was, but the AUTHORITY Christ has over us. He had already seen the miracle He did, healing, deliverance, multiplying the fishes and the loaves. The Father revealed who Jesus was and His place of authority to him. But something happens a little later on when Jesus tells them he is going to be crucified and die. This same Peter speaks again, and says, " Lord, this will never happen to you." Jesus replies in verse 23, Stand behind me satan, for you are concerned with the things of men and not the things of God.
The woman in the church yielded to that spirit and spoke to try to take authority over me, by intimidating me not to do what God wanted me to do there. Or at best wait until we get everyone's agreement to what God was saying for us to do there. This woman did not understand authority from God's eyes. Anyone can speak what they think they have from God, but because God speaks to you doesn't give you authority. We think false prophets are going to come in to the church and seduce her away from God and some will, but the greater danger is how we are allowing it in God's people to speak.
I once had a lady tell me, that whenever she received a word or vision from the Lord she is always right. Why? Because she asked the Lord, never to say a word that was not from Him. I told her He won't answer that prayer, because the spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets. She would have no part of that . She would not place her gift under Godly authority. She took her own place of authority. Beloved, we need to truly ask God for the Spirit of Discerment to increase in our lives. We need to know by the Spirit of God what is and is not Him! Many are still learning to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit and that is alright, but we must undersand that gifts are not a place of authority, just gifts given by the Holy Spirit for other!
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