Is it not true that the abuse of authority has created, in most of us, a distrust for those who claim it? Yet nothing can be accomplished in the Kingdom of God without it! How serious this is, for without the correct use of authority and power, the Kingdom of God cannot advance. The Lord has graciously granted me a vision of His Authority, and to whom He will entrust with this most essential of all needs in today’s Church.
This year we will see a select group of men and women arising in whom the Lord will grant unprecedented power and authority. They will be those who focus is on bringing glory and honor to Jesus Christ and who do not use their authority to manipulate God’s children into giving to support a lavish lifestyle. They will be leaders who know what it is to sacrifice and give back.
What will this look like? Their words and actions will be backed up by the Lord’s own authority and power. Indeed, after the Lord grants this authority to those He can trust, He will release His power into their hands. Once the power is returned to His Church, we can expect the world-wide revivals to begin sweeping the land. To me, the passage that best describes how God honors His children with authority and power is this one.
1 Samuel 3:19-21
19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel, from Dan even to Beer- sheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. 21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh. For the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
Indeed, the Lord will stand behind the words of these anointed ones, “They will decree a thing and it will be established. For they will not speak of themselves, but will speak only what they hear the Father saying.”
Job 22:28-29
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. 29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
It is not by accident that the authority and power granted to Samuel was a result of the mis-use of the authority granted to his predecessor, Eli, the prophet. The result of the abuse of authority is clearly described in in this verse.
1 Samuel 3:1-3:
…and the Word of the LORD was rare in those days. There was no open vision. 2 And it happened at that time, when Eli was lying down in his place, and his eyes began to become dim so that he could not see these words.
Indeed, when authority is abused, the true Word of the Lord is rare and the eyes of those in authority grow dimmer and dimmer. I was watching Christian television last night and moving from Christian channel to Christian channel and four out of the five stations were using their authority to gather ever greater measures of money by some scheme or another. What is tragic about this is that as I have watched these ministries over a period of several years, it seems the only theme they teach on is gathering riches. Thankfully, one of these ministries was sharing one of the most powerful truths the Lord is releasing in these days. Do you know what he was teaching on? It was the “Fear of the Lord” as to the pursuit and gathering of money, riches, and titles to the expense of our spiritual walk.
Truly, the best way to learn truth about any subject is to turn to the Word of God and see how it is developed. One of the ways we do this is to search for every place the word “authority” is used in God’s word. Let’s do that together. The first mention of the word authority is used in the Bible is this passage.
Esther 9:29
29 And Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority to confirm this second letter of Purim.
The first use of authority mentioned in the Bible is a letter commanding the children of God to celebrate their salvation. Esther is a type of Christ who interceded at the throne of God for the salvation of His sons and daughters. Can you imagine any more encouraging thought than to know JESUS CHRIST Himself is praying for you and I right now?
Hebrews 7:25
25 Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.
The second place that the Word of God is used to teach us on the subject of authority is the mis-use of God’s gracious gift of the same. This passage speaks of a man named Shebna. He was treasurer for Israel but he was using the money not for Israel’s benefit, but for his own. Hear what the Lord says to this man who had been given a powerful leadership position.
Isaiah 22:15
15 This is what the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, says: “Go visit this administrator, Shebna, who supervises the palace, and tell him: 17 Look, the Lord will throw you far away, you mere man! He will wrap you up tightly. 18 He will wind you up tightly into a ball and throw you into a wide, open land. There you will die, 19 I will remove you from a your office; you will be thrown down from your position.
Dear one, these are frightening verses, “You will be thrown down from your position.” The Lord will throw you away and you will die. The Lord tells us not to seek authroity unless He calls us to it because those who are in authority will be judged by a higher standard. The year 2012 will mark the transference of authority and power into the hands of many unknown but faithful men and women of God. Here is one of the passages the Lord has laid on my heart for this year.
Isaiah 22:20-23
20 “At that time a I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah. 21 I will put your robe on him, tie your belt around him, and transfer your authority to him. a He will become a protector of the residents of Jerusalem and of the people of Judah. 22 I will place the key to the house of David on his shoulder.
Did any one ever hear of this man? No! He was one who labored in an unknown field while the Lord purged all pride and selfishness from his heart. I heard the Lord say that He is going to place His sons and daughters in places of authority that include the seven mountains of influence. The political mountain, the educational mountain, the sports and entertainment mountain (is Tim Tebow one of these), the mountain of the family, the business, and last but not least, the Church. They will rule and reign for Christ. Representing His nature and character and they will not bend to the pressure of position, fame, power, or influence. They will be the ones whose eyes are focused on the Son of God and for Him and Him alone will they fulfill their positions of authority and power, always in His Character and Nature.
Isaiah 22:20-23
20 “At that time a I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah. 21 I will put your robe on him, tie your belt around him, and transfer your authority to him. a He will become a protector of the residents of Jerusalem and of the people of Judah. 22 I will place the key a to the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens the door, no one can close it; when he closes the door, no one can open it. 23 I will fasten him like a peg into a solid place; a he will bring honor and respect to his fathers family.
If there ever was a need for the correct manifestation of God given authority, truly it is the hour we are living in. Genuine authority finds its only source in Jesus Christ and those whom the Lord will entrust with His authority will have to have His heart. We have heard a great deal about the Apostolic ministry this past decade, but most of it was about getting Churches under the authority of an Apostolic head. As biblical as this is, we have gotten the cart before the horse. The true mark of an Apostle is that he has seen the Lord. Not only seen Him, but have been changed into His likeness. Dear one, that likeness in not only a gentle lamb but it is also a roaring Lion.
Revelation 4:11
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
The Apostles we will see being raised up this year will not have to tell us that they are Apostles. We will know it for ourselves for we will see the glory of the Lord’s authority upon them. They will not have to ask us to join them, for we will want to be under their covering because they walk in the nature and character of the one they are representing.
MORE TO FOLLOW
Apostle Robert Rogers
www.onemillionvoice.org
