UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY 3

MEMORY VERSE: And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around about Elisha. 1 Samuel 16:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 11-12

There are different categories of authority. We briefly looked at authority at home yesterday. Let’s look at authority in the church of God. It is important that you and I remember this at all times: all authority belongs to Christ. Matthew 28:18 says, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and earth". Whatever authority one has is a delegated authority from Christ. The head of the church is Christ. Colossians 1:18 says, "and he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence". Although He (Jesus) owns all authority over the church, He has delegated some of the authority to some people. The founders, GOs, GSs, Senior Pastors, etc all have a delegated authority from Christ over their congregation or ministry. Their congregation includes pastors, workers, deacons, deaconess, etc. This delegated authority is a spiritual one. As a church leader – senior pastor, founder, GOs, GSs, etc – invested with so much authority from Christ, they can pronounce blessings upon their congregations including the pastors under them, and the Lord will grant it. They can literally ‘move the hand of God’ on your behalf or over your matter if you serve them well. Elisha cried to God on behalf of his servant and the Lord granted his request.2 Kings 6:17 says, “And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” A man or woman, who has the authority to open the windows of heaven, also has the authority to shut it. As such, you must flee things that could cause your church leader to be unhappy with you.

Pastors have a delegated authority from Christ over their deacons, deaconess, assistant pastors, workers, etc – the whole congregation. However, their authority is under the authority of the founder, GO, GSs, Senior Pastors. Pastors too can ask God for things on your behalf and God will grant it- provided you serve them well .The deacons and deaconess, youth leaders, cell group leaders have a delegated authority from Christ over the workers under them. One thing with spiritual authority is that, it is more potent than all other forms of authorities. Whether one has been to bible school or not, the pastor has a delegated authority from Christ over one. One may be more educated than his or her pastor, the pastor still has a delegated authority from Christ over one. One may even be older than his or her pastor, the pastor has a delegated authority from Christ over one. This is why you must not argue or exchange harsh words with your spiritual leader even your youth leader. Whatever you do to them, it is not them that you have done it to, but to God who gave them the authority. Also, when one’s wife speak rudely to the pastor’s wife, it is not the pastor’s wife one has spoken rudely to but the pastor (because they are one). And, it is not the pastor really that one has spoken rudely to but God. This is why as a child of God, you must not threaten your pastor or shout at them. When you walk out on your pastor, it is not your pastor that you have walked out on but God. When people join your church, as a pastor, interview them to know why they left their church. If they left because of a quarrel with their pastor, please send them back to go and make peace and get the blessing of their pastors. It does not matter how gifted a sister is, she must not join the choir until she has made peace with her former pastors. This is discipline in the house of God.

ACTION: If you have ever been rude, openly or in secret, to any man or woman of God, please go and apologize to them and ask God to have mercy.

PRAYER POINT: Father, we come against the spirit of rebellion in the body of Christ.

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UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY 2

MEMORY VERSE: Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 84-86

There are different categories of authority. For example, let us look at authority in the family or in the home of a believer. The father is the head of the family. He has a delegated authority from Christ over his household. Matthew 28:18 says, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth". He has a delegated authority over his wife. According to Numbers 30:6-9, if a woman makes a vow to God and her husband says “i cancel it”, it is automatically cancelled. If the woman stubbornly pays the vow to God after the husband has cancelled it, it is a waste because the Lord will not accept it. Before putting any sister into a position in the church, we must seek the consent of her husband. The man has a delegated authority over his children. According to Numbers 30: 3-5, if a child makes a vow to God and the father says, “I cancel it”, it is automatically cancelled. As a father, invested with so much authority from Christ, you can pronounce blessings upon members of your household including your wife, and the Lord will grant it. A man who has the authority to bless also has the authority to curse. So as a child of God, don't do things that will make your husband or father to put a curse on you. However, as a man who has a delegated authority from Christ, you are to love your wife even as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25).

The woman or the wife has a delegated authority from Christ over her children. Although, her authority is under the authority of her husband – her head. Even if she is the founder of a ministry and the husband is just a member, at home, her authority is still under the authority of her husband. Ephesians 5:22 says, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” The father and mother have a delegated authority from Christ over their children. Exodus20:12 says, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” The first child, boy or girl, has a delegated authority from Christ over his or her siblings. Parents should recognize this and understand that the first child and the last child are not the same. The junior must respect the senior. Do you know the moment a believer gives his or her life to Jesus, He delegates some of His authority to him or her to rule over the kingdom of darkness? Luke 10:19 says, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” As a believer, you have a delegated authority over demons, witches, wizards and all. A girl who won’t submit to her mother is not rebelling against the mother but to God (who delegated authority to her) . So also, a boy who won’t submit to dad or mum. As a child, don't talk to your parents anyhow or shout at them. When you do this, it is not your parents you are disrespecting but God.

PRAYER POINT: Father, we come against the spirit of rebellion in our homes.

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UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY 1

MEMORY VERSE: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matthew 28:18

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 11-15

What is authority? Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines authority as a “legal or rightful power; a right to command or to act; power exercised by a person in virtue of his office or trust; dominion; jurisdiction; authorization; as, the authority of a prince over subjects, and of parents over children; the authority of a court.” There are certain things you need to know about authority. Firstly, authority belongs to God. Psalm 62:11 says, “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.” ‘All’ authority in heaven and on earth have been given to Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:18 says, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” What is the essence of authority? The essence of authority is to ensure order. Imagine a city without the police force or a judicial system. Imagine a world without NATO, UN, and other bodies. Psalm 115:16 says, “The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.” The Lord gave the earth to mankind to subdue it for Him. Genesis 1:28 says, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” To help mankind subdue the earth, He gave Adam, the first man, some authority.

Secondly, God has delegated some of His authority to us. For example, He delegated some authority to our parents. Colossians 3:20 says, “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” Also, He delegated some to our spiritual parents e.g. pastors, bishops, GSs, GOs, and so on. Ephesians 6:1 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” He delegated some authority to kings, presidents, prime ministers, leaders, managers, team leaders, supervisors, chairmen and chairwomen of organisation, police, armies, navy, etc. Proverbs 8:15 says, “By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.” Romans 13:1 says, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” He delegated some authority to Fathers and husbands. Ephesians 5:23 says, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.” It is important for those who God has given authority to, to know that they are not the owner of the authority and as such, the authority must not be used for selfish gains. The authority they are wielding is only a 'delegated authority' and they will give account. Mr Vice Chancellor, the authority you have over the university staffs, teaching and non-teaching staffs, is a delegated authority. So also, Mr Police officer/ Manager/ Great man of God , Husband, Father, Leader of establishment your authority is a delegated authority not yours.

NOTE: Because your authority (over your children, wife, people working underneath you, etc )is a delegated authority, you must use it in the best interest of the One who delegated the authority to you. You must not use your authority to bully people or promote people of your own colour or race. Your authority must be used solely for the advancement of the kingdom.

ACTION: Let's pray for our leaders that the Lord will give them wisdom and boldness.

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INDWELLING AND INFILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

MEMORY VERSE: And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. Luke 24:49

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 21-22

The moment an individual confesses his sins, repents of them, and accepts Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour, an indwelling of the Holy Spirit takes place i.e. the Holy Spirit comes and dwells inside him. The Holy Spirit is not racist, sexist or tribalist. The bible says,”whoever calls on the name of Jesus shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). It does not matter who the person is or where the person is from, the moment one gives his life to Christ He (Holy Spirit) comes to dwell inside one. Every born again christian in the world has a measure of the Holy Spirit inside them, and the same Holy Spirit that dwelt inside Jesus ,when He was on the earth, is the same Holy Spirit dwelling inside all believers all over the world. The Holy Spirit, dwelling in the believer, assures him that he is a child of God. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Also, from the day one gives his life to Christ, his body becomes the temple of the living God. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” Only the bodies of ‘believers’ are the temple of the God.

Asides the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, there is an infilling of the Holy Spirit or the enduement of power. Jesus told His disciples, “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high”( Luke 24:49). Acts 1:8 says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” The baptism of the Holy Spirit or infilling of the Holy Spirit or the enduement of power is a totally different experience. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not for unbelievers. John 14:17 says, “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” Speaking in tongues goes hand in hand with the baptism of the Holy Spirit or the infilling of the Holy Spirit. When you go through the scriptures, you will find that whenever a fellow receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit he starts to speak in tongues (Acts 10:45-46). Note this, speaking in tongues is not an evidence of new birth but an evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This brings us to the question, why must you - if you are yet to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit with an evidence of speaking in tongues - hunger for the infilling of the Holy Spirit? Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the gateway to the supernatural manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the power of God. Power to heal the sick and work miracles does not come until one receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Not until one receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit, one cannot receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

NOTE: The indwelling of the Holy Spirit (which happens at salvation) is basically for fruit bearing. The infilling of the Holy Spirit (which is the baptism of the Holy Spirit) is for service. The entire spirit filled brothers and sisters have in them an account of all the power they will ever need to be over in life. When the Holy Spirit is upon an individual, it means the individual has being filled with the fullness of God, has in him power to put him over in life, power for supernatural praying,etc.

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FREELY YE HAVE RECIEVED, FREELY GIVE

MEMORY VERSE: And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Matthew 10:7-8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 16-18

READ: Acts 8:17-20

God is not a talkative. He does not speak for the sake of speaking. Someone once said, " some speak because they like the sound of their own voice " in other words they speak and speak without making much sense. The Lord does not speak every minute as some people claim, and when He speaks it is deliberate. It is to achieve something. There are several reasons why this is so, for example, His words carry power. Psalm 33:8- 9 says, “Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” People in position of authority watch their words because with it, they can start a war and with it, they can also put an end to a war.

God does not waste His words. If He says a word, there is a reason for it. Unfortunately, many are beginning to think that some of the things written in the bible are not relevant today. They think they are old school or only relevant to the people that lived during the days of Jesus. Some have even argued that some of what Paul taught was for a particular denomination not the entire body of Christ. This is not so. Whatever you find in the bible has been deliberately included by the Holy Spirit for a reason and it is “is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” ( 2 Timothy 3:16) . In Matthew 10, Jesus sent out His 12 disciples with a charge. Verse 7-8 says, “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” Why did Jesus include this, “freely ye have received, freely give”, in the charge? It is because man has a tendency to make merchandise of the grace of God upon his life or the anointing of God upon his life. Today, we hear stories of people charging for prophesy. We receive phone alerts encouraging us to subscribe for daily prayers and prophecy. Some of us have even paid for prayers. They tell you, "bro, you need special prayers and fasting" and they charge you for it. All these are not scriptural. We hear of people selling anointed handkerchiefs, apples, bottles of water, etc. All these are not scriptural and if you have ever bought any of these, you have wasted your hard earned money. The anointing of God or healing is not for sale. Gehazi tried to sell healing and received a curse from God ( 2 Kings 5). The grace of God or the gifts of the Holy Spirit is not for sale. In our bible reading, we see Simon being severely reprimanded for offering to buy the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Don’t go to people’s houses and pray a long prayer because you want them to give you a gift. Don’t give visions because you want people to give you money. You don’t have to tell people that you prayed for them over night all in the name getting something in return.

NOTE: The Lord will not tolerate anyone who is making merchandise of His grace. He will not tolerate anyone who is using the death of Christ on the cross for their own selfish and negative ambition.

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AND YE SHALL BE THE CHILDREN OF THE HIGHEST

MEMORY VERSE: But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Luke 6:35

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Colossians 1-2

READ: Luke 6:31-35

As a married woman, it is easy to submit to a man who celebrates you. It is easy to submit to a man who puts you first. In other words, it is easy to submit (to one’s husband) when one's needs are being met and one is happy. As a brother, it is easy to love a woman who respects you. Who wouldn’t love a woman who is an epitome of a virtuous woman (Proverb 31)? Who wouldn’t love a woman like Sarah, the Great Shunamite woman, Rebekah, or Abigail? Who wouldn’t love a young pious sister like Mary?

It is easy to obey God’s commandment (especially when it relates to marriage and relationship ) when one feels loved and appreciated. As a sister, it is easy to submit to a man who loves and respects you. Also as a brother, it is easy to love a woman who is submissive and humble. According to Luke 6:31-35, nothing differentiates you from a pagan if you treat people as they treat you. You, my brother or sister, have not done anything spectacular when you love a woman who submits to you or submit to a man who loves you. Even pagans and atheist do that. A woman who has never walked through the doors of a church before in her life will submit to her husband (without him asking for it) if he loves and respects her. Also an atheist man will love his wife if she is submissive and humble.

Luke 6:35 says, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” Christ demonstrated how to be a true child of God by dying for us while we were yet sinner. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” While we were yet hopeless and worthless sinners, Christ died for us. He demonstrated how to be a godly husband by dying for us, while we were yet to submit to Him. This is Christ's expectation of every man. Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” The best time to show one’s love to his wife is not when she is humble and submissive. It is when she is most obnoxious. The best time to submit to one’s husband is not when he provides money. It is when you are most offended by something he said or did. This is how the children of the Most High should behave. However, it is not something anyone can do by will power. The same thing applies to loving people who are either unlovable or obnoxious or unrepentant. Loving such people is only possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. Zechariah 4:6 says, “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” It is the Holy Spirit that gives one the ability to love the unlovable i.e. become the sons and daughters of God.

PRAYER: Father, please help me to love those who are unlovable.

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IN WHOSE HANDS IS IT?

MEMORY VERSE: Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 25-30

A basket ball is useless in my hands. If i walk into a jam-packed basket court holding one, no one will take notice of me. But, the same basket ball in the hands of Michael Jordan, in his prime, his worth several millions. If he walks into a basket ball court holding a basket ball, within minutes the court will be jam packed with people screaming and shouting ‘Air Jordan’. Not only that, all the major sports channel in the world, SKY, ESPN, EURO-SPORT, etc, will rush there with their cameras to video him doing wonders with basket ball.It all depends on whose hands the basketball is. How about a tennis racket? In my hands it is useless. But in the hands of Roger Federer, when he used to be called ‘FedEx’ (FedEx was his nick name when he was the world number one ) , it is worth millions. It all depends on whose hands the racket is.

A pinch of salt in my hands is worth nothing. At best, it is used to give flavor to food. The same pinch of salt in the hands of Elisha was used to solve a national problem. In 2 Kings 2:19-21 Elisha applied a pinch of salt to the source of water in Jericho and a problem of over 100 years was solved. The bad water was healed! It all depends on whose hand is the salt. A slingshot in my hands is nothing more than a toy. The same slingshot in the hands of David is like a M9 Bazooka Anti-Tank Rocket launcher. In 1 Samuel 17, David brought down Goliath with one. Just one shot, Goliath was down and the battle was over. It all depends on whose hand is the slingshot. Two fishes and 5 loaves of bread in my hand is just enough for a child's breakfast. The best the greatest cook in the world can do with 2 fishes and 5 loaves of bread is a snack not even a meal for an adult. The same 2 fishes and 5 loaves of bread in the hands of my Lord fed 5000 men not counting women and children (Matthew 14:13-21).

Nails in the hands of an individual will cause injury. Nails in the hands of Jesus produced salvation for the whole world. It all depends on whose hand is the nail. As you can see now, it all depends on whose hands things are. As such, i want to encourage you to put your ministry, family,  visions, dreams, challenges, issues, weakness, lack, worries, financial debts, barrenness, etc, in the able hands of God because it all depends on whose hands these things are. The Psalmist says, “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22). 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” The only One who can take that pain away is Jesus. Why not give your life to Him and watch Him turn it around. Several years back, a couple who were on the verge of divorce decided to give their lives to Christ. They put their alcohol problems, divorce, and the repossession of their mortgage in the hands of God by faith and He solved it all.

NOTE: I don’t know whose hands you have put that difficult challenges but I want you to put it in the hands of Jesus by faith.

PRAYER POINT: Father, I put all I have in your hands by faith.

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