New Crowns of Authority for the Meek

It is said that wounds from a friend can be trusted, but some of the friendly fire I’ve witnessed lately, in the form of words, seems anything but kind. [1]

They’re more like kisses from an enemy. No matter how sweet a kiss from an enemy is, it’s still from an enemy.

Thinking of these things and more, like:

• Attacks on Christian voices at the hands of other Christians.
• The significant contrasts between heavenly insights on the same matters.
• Waves of prophecies that seem to speak to the idolatry of men’s hearts. [2]

I’m like “God, I’m confused.”

Then I thought, I don’t want to have anything to do with this or any semblance with many of these people.

Deep sigh.

But this isn’t possible. I can’t just disconnect myself from God’s people and expect to remain fully connected to Him.

With this whole thought canceled, I considered what I could do.

And prayed, I want to be able to see [receive divine insight and counsel] into current events, about the past, and especially the future. And I don’t want to see to be seen, but I want to see to shift things.

Therein the stillness of the night, I was reminded of something God shared with me on Wednesday, August 23, 2017, about authority. Which seemed suitable, considering I was asking for something that would require a new level.

Since Sunday, August 20th, I’d been meditating on a few scriptures. One of the scriptures I’d visited was Ephesians 1:17, here Paul, a very respected leader, writes a prayer:

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: (KJV)

While I know that I could never exhaust my knowledge of Christ, for days, I wondered why God wanted me to encounter wisdom and revelation about Jesus. Then while listening to a message on power and authority, the answer came (Listen to Dr. Matthew Stevenson’s 8.21.17 Monday Night Madness Message from Atlanta, GA)

The widely popular story of the Sons of Sceva, reveals a major principle none of us can afford to forget. These men attempted to take authority over the powers of darkness and lost.

Some Jews also were traveling around forcing evil spirits out of people. The seven sons of Sceva, one of the leading priests, were doing this. These Jews tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus to make the evil spirits go out of people. They all said, “By the same Jesus that Paul talks about, I order you to come out!”
But one time an evil spirit said to these Jews, “I know Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
Then the man who had the evil spirit inside him jumped on these Jews. He was much stronger than all of them. He beat them up and tore their clothes off. They all ran away from that house.

Acts 19:13- 16 Easy-to-Read Version

What stood out to me in the scripture, wasn’t the demoniac’s response to the men, but the men’s initial statement to the demoniac. They attempted to invoke the authority of Jesus Christ without knowing Him saying, “By the same Jesus that Paul talks about, I order you to come out!

And it’s impossible to use someone’s authority without an authentic relationship.

To simplify this, I would not vouch for you if I didn’t know you, and you couldn’t benefit from any perks of a relationship with me if we don’t have one.

Dishonor disables authority

One thing that significantly hinders authority is dishonor.

We need to honor God, and when we say our ways, our ideas, and our methodologies are better than His, we are not.

To think that my thoughts are greater than the One who says His thoughts are higher than mine is defiant and idolatrous. [3]

We also need to honor others, not just those we like or know personally. Christ taught his followers to honor even the religious leaders that despised him.

Knowing how corrupt the Pharisees and scribes were, he never taught his followers to disrespect or dishonor their authority. He taught them to do the opposite.

Then Jesus spoke to the people and to his followers. He said, “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees have the authority to tell you what the Law of Moses says. So you should obey them. Do everything they tell you to do. But their lives are not good examples for you to follow. They tell you to do things, but they don’t do those things themselves. They make strict rules that are hard for people to obey. They try to force others to obey all their rules. But they themselves will not try to follow any of those rules.

Matthew 23:1-4 Easy-to-Read Version

The Broad Transformation of the Church

The church has been in the process of reformation for a while, and God is doing a “new old work” in us. I say “new old work” because really it’s just what the Church was created to do initially.

If we are to infiltrate communities, shape cultures and transform the world we need God’s authority.

And we need a new level of authority, to do that which we have not been doing.

Many Christian pundits, leaders, and thinkers have caught wind of this in the Spirit. They recognize that the church is failing as a cultural leader and influencer. And they are laying the groundwork to change this, by:

• Uprooting errant teachings
• Teaching believers how to invade culture and influence the world.

But this is what the Lord says:

I’m inviting you to receive wisdom and revelation into the mysteries, markings, and mechanics of Christ because I want to give you new authority.

Humble yourself before me. Come to me as a child, by putting away what you think you know and readily accept what I tell you.

Put away your traditions, put away what you’ve been taught or what you’ve taught others. I sent my son into the earth for many reasons, and one is so I can teach you directly – by my Holy Spirit.

Allow me to shed you, allow me to unravel you, allow me to undress you. Come naked before Me. Come empty before me. Allow me to fill you. Come hollow before me and you will be filled. Allow me to give you new robes and to redress you.

I want to give you robes of righteousness, suitable for places of honor and vessels of honor.

When a worker goes out, the laborer is instructed not to take money. [4] I’m preparing to send you out, and I need you to leave behind what you think will support the journey. Leave behind old resources, leave behind past provisions, leave behind your traditions.

Allow me to shed you. What I have is better, what I have is greater than what you think you’re losing. Pride will lead you to hang onto the old. The need to be right will cause you to miss out.

Let go and receive.

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References

1. Proverbs 27:6
2. Ezekiel 14:2-4
3. 1 Samuel 15:23; Isaiah 55:8-9
4. Mark 6:7-9

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