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The Authority of the Believer
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John Erickson
Matthew 18:18 - "Surely I [Jesus] say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven"
There are three heavens:
1. The heaven in which God exists;
2. The stellar heavens(the "universe")
3. The Atmospheric heaven surrounding the earth.
Daniel 10:12-13 - ... "Fear not Daniel: for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humble yourself before your God, your words were heard and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days. But Michael, one of the chief priests [angels] came to help me..."
Daniel waited 21 days for response. An angel was dispatched from the first day, but was delayed by the "King of Persia," a demonic atmospheric-realm spirit. This is the "Atmospheric Heaven."
In Ezekiel 28:1-2, reference is made to the "Prince of Tyrus", another demonic atmospheric-realm spirit. Ezekiel was told by God: "Say to the ruler of Tyrus..." and then gave Ezekeil words of authority that would bind that ungodly spirit which dwelled in the atmospheric heaven.
So...
"Binding in heaven" in Matthew 18:18 refers to binding satanic spirits in the atmospheric heaven of this physical earth, in the name of Jesus. Jesus tore all those satanic strongholds down, and now, since the time of New Covenant, they are not to be regarded as forces for us to yield to. Rather, they are intruders which must submit to those of us who are in the New Covenant.
FIRE
Fire is the Word, and it is in the Believer (Hebrews 1:7) "...Who makes his angels winds [spirits] and his servants [Believers] flames of fire."
Ezekiel 28:18b-19a - "So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed ... all are appalled."
Ezekiel 8:2 - ...a figure of a man... From his waist down, fire; from there up, had the appearance of glowing metal... and there before me was the Glory of God...
Malachi 4:1-2 - "...Day is coming, burn like a furnace, the arrogant and the evildoer will be stubble, and that day will set them on fire...the sun of righteousness...
Jeremiah 5:14 - ..."I will make my [God's] words in your mouth a fire - and these people [will be] the wood it consumes.
Malachi 4:2 - "sun of righteousness... healing in its wings (wings refers to shape, flashes, tongues of flame: "Fire-like flashes of splendor", as implied in its original wording),
Acts 2:3-4 - "And there appeared to them tongues of fire, which separated, and came to rest on them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance.
2 Corinthians 4:3 & 6 - If the Gospel is hidden, it is hidden to the dead ... who cannot see the light... For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light shine in our hearts... [The entrance of His Word brings light (Psalm 119:130)]
This fire is in the Word, and it is in the Covenant Elect: Hebrews 1:7; Psalm 45:6-7
3 Guarantees Concerning Prayer
- Results.
- The Word.
- The Holy Spirit.
1. Results. attention to the way you pray - not in worrying about saying the "wrong thing", but in being bold and speaking deliberately. Speak accurately about the situation and the results, and realizing that our knowledge of the totality of the Spiritual World is limited - so that we will be open to revelation knowledge in the process.
"In the name of Jesus" - the authority over every name in existence.
God's holy, anointed written word. Prayer is a Covenant Practice. Therefore, prayer needs to be based on the Legal Provisions of that Covenant, which was established in the Word. This then energizes and backs the prayer by the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. The Word then becomes our guarantee in the field of prayer, as it makes God the empowerer of our prayer life.
3. The Holy Spirit is a guarantor of our prayer. The effectiveness of our prayer life is dependent upon the degree of confidence we place in the Holy Spirit. He is God's Power in our lives.
As God is the same yesterday, today and forever, the prayer based on the Covenant, when held to as unshakably as we do to the Covenant itself, will force change in the environment and over ungodly spirits, influences and conditions.
Ephesians 6:13 - 18 - Take unto yourself the whole armor of God, having done everything to stand - stand, therefore... with the belt of truth... breastplate of righteousness... feet fitted with readiness... the shield of faith [aggressive certainty]... with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one ...helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit (the Word of God)... Praying in the spirit... with all kinds of prayer [in all situations, using all types of prayer].
"All Manner of Prayer": Four General Classifications of Prayer
The prayer of faith.
Prayer that changes things.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Praise.
Prayer of intercession
Prayer failure is a failure in the precise utilization of the different kinds of prayer. Or, of using situations inaccurately... like failing to regard our physical work to correct a situation as a form of prayer. Our "Faith with Works" should be regarded by us as an action of prayer. It is one component helping to make up the "whole" of our prayer life.
Prayer that Changes Things: Binding & Loosing
Anointed words are fire.
Luke 13:12 - "...thou art loosed from thine infirmity..." Loosed from Satan (v.16) who had bound her. The fire struck that spirit of infirmity, and it departed.
Prayer of Agreement. Prayer that changes things is prayer based on God's word, intending to bring circumstances (not necessarily people) into line with God's word and God's will.
Prayer changes things - Don't see prayer as an effort to try to persuade God to change his position. God has already said what was good and bad in the lives of Believers (Deuteronomy 28), what is a blessing or a curse. We don't have to coax Him into fulfilling His word and His law.
Strife and discord interfere with, and weaken, the action of prayer. This creates an emotion which opposes prayer. This applies even if the strife-producing people are not involved in the prayer-agreement with you. It also places too much importance on the actions of other people.
Matthew 18:19 - "...if two of you on earth shall agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my father..."
Because "where 2 or 3 are gathered [in unity of purpose] in My name, there I am in the midst of them."
Refer to Ephesians 6:17: And take the helmet of salvation, and [take] the Word of God praying. Take the word of God praying always. Take the Word of God praying always with all kinds of prayer.
Principle: Take the word of God as the basis for the prayer and for the agreement. That leaves the struggle and doubt out of the process. Then act as thou it has already happened!
PART 2: IMMOVABLE FAITH
"Why do you call me,'Lord,lord,' and do not do that which I say? Whoever comes to me, hears my sayings and does them... is like a man who built a house, dug deep... the flood stream beat vehemently against it, but it could not shake it, for it was founded on a rock; But he who hears my sayings and does not do them is like one without a foundation - and when the flood came, it immediately fell and the ruin of that house was great." - Luke 6:46 - 49.
The Living Word is the foundation to faith; the Active, intimately Revealed Word, the Enlivened Word, has more power than any earthly material.
Matthew 16:16, 18 - "Thou art the Christ [Anointed One]..."
"Blessed are you... for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven..."
"...you are Peter [petros (a small rock)], and on this rock [petra (a large formation of rock)] I will build my church..."
Compare this with the previous reference to the "rock foundation" in Luke 6:46-49 being the Living Word of God, and this reference to standing on revealed knowledge from the Father as being the rock upon which the church is built.
"Press Ahead With Your Anointing"
(Stated as a "prophesy" from a popular preacher; Whether or not you accept it as an actual "prophesy", I think it has some Word-based encouragements for Believers in general.)
"My mercy will make up for the mistakes; don't be of fleshly things. You are spirit. You have flesh. and, if you're led by the Holy Spirit, the things of the flesh - the limitations - won't take precedence. You won't be worried about what other people say. You won't be worried about finances. You won't be worried about how things look before the victory. You'll just keep on going with what God has empowered you to do. You will recognize and realize that there are going to be mistakes in the process, but you will not be resistant to learning, or to being open to correction by God's revelation. You will know that this instruction and correction won't defeat you. It will not give you any cause to discontinue. Continue on, acting as though Jesus has sat down on the throne and said, "It is finished. Now go and get done what I've told you to do."
"I will walk in that," should be your confession. Even when you feel your weakest and lowest, maintain your lordship of the Anointed Jesus. Don't let some Satanic thing like sickness or unforgiveness or resentment cause you to testify to darkness, or testify to pain, or testify to the evil one. Hold fast to the lordship of Jesus throughout those things: one reason being just to avoid giving honor to the devil and to things that are trying to destroy you.
Jesus is alive and seated on the throne no matter what circumstances indicate. And even when it appears that you're in a momentary defeat and there are those who are laughing at you, "remember that I am not laughing at you," saith the Lord. And you who are connected to me will see the final victory over the situation... Hold fast to the foundation of faith which is the Living Word of God.[Conclusion of "prophesy"]
JOY & APPLYING "FAITH-ENERGY" TO LIFE'S SITUATIONS
James 1:2 - Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations;
A lot of unbelief has been taught around this verse, attributing God as the source of afflictions in order to "teach us something."
James 1:3 - "Knowing..."
Religious tradition often identifies disease and death with religious-sounding phrases (i.e., "God took that child because He was lonely and wanted to make another angel") which infect the thinking of the listeners, particularly children who build their comprehension of God around that little "pacifying" distortion. Those religious-sounding phrases only "dress-up" what the world calls "The luck of the draw."
James 1:3 - "Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience."
It doesn't say, "The trying of your faith increases your faith." It is, "The trying of your faith develops Patience - longsuffering. A demand on your faith releases the power of longsuffering.
That is the order which is at work in developing this Spiritual Patience.
1. The temptations place a demand on your Developed Faith...
2. Which then releases the Energy which produces the effect of patience.
James 1:4 - But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.. (Knowing this.) This is the will of God in those verses - that you develop to the point of not being at the mercy of afflictions and temptations. It is a means of attaining victory over afflictions - they're not to be viewed as "acts of God".
1 Corinthians 1:30 - But of him [God] are you in the Anointed Jesus, who of God has become for us wisdom, righteousness and sanctification and redemption. That, in line with what is written: He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.
Know that your victories derive from God. Don't glorify the mechanics of the work involved, the information sources, or the people who provide the information or opportunities. It is only by the Revelation Knowledge of God that such resources can be made useful. "Wisdom" is the God-given ability to use "knowledge".
In a trial or temptation - since you need to approach it "knowing", and that knowledge must be processed by God-given wisdom - pray for Revelation Knowledge as your first step:
(1) TRIAL: seek...
(2) REVELATION KNOWLEDGE which produces the...
(3) WISDOM to use...
(4) KNOWLEDGE
...and seeking the details as you need them. Avoid letting your mind draw you to negative conclusions. Draw back into your "center", your spirit, by the Observation Exercise (observing the warmth of the right hand and the center of the forehead, which directs our attention away from the flesh and the ego [more on this...]) and thereby re-acquaint yourself with your connection to God and reorient your focus away from material limitations.
© John Erickson
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