Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Understanding Spiritual Authority

I wanted to take a moment and explain what it means to place yourself under someone else’s leadership and authority. This is the greatest key to going to the next level of ministry. It is also is the toughest and hardest to learn.

Romans 13:1-7, Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

*Recognizing: The law of the flesh vs. the law of authority
Understanding where your authority begins the enemy ends!

*You will never have power to change the atmosphere until you change your garments! Joel said it best when he said rend your garments!

I. The following is some guidelines concerning walking under and with those in Spiritual authority!

*When self runs into team- self will always search for an exit strategy

• Jesus gave you authority! He understood that authority is given and not stolen. He said everything he did was because His father allowed him to do it!
• Your authority is determined by your brokenness.
• Realize from the beginning of your life self preservation has been driven into you!
• Realize when authority is placed over you- rebellion is the natural reaction
• The mirror will always be your biggest enemy
• True disciples must live daily killing their flesh and resurrecting their Spirit
• The enemies number 1 goal is to make you feel isolated
• When your Spirit is tired your flesh feels free to roam
• Jesus gave us power to change every situation, but our flesh screams your not worthy!
• Spiritual authority is never activated over your life until you are in a position to rebel
• When asked to do what hurts your pride- then your pride will be louder than your humility
• When authority walks into the room the hidden desires try to scream louder
• The biggest moment of change for a disciple comes when they have a knife in their hands and they refuse to use it.
• Spiritual authority has the power to use, abuse, and refuse!
• Realize under spiritual authority is where you actually have freedom.
• Your future depends on those over you and their future depends on those under them.
• When confronted with an opportunity to serve Spiritual authority must recognize those under them as a part of the team.
• Spiritual authority is not removed when the disciple surpasses them, but when it is handed away.

Recognizing those over you! Will bring recognition of what God has done in you!
II. How to react to those in Spiritual authority over you:
1. Authority is only given to those whom have placed themselves in a place to grow.
2. When authority comes in conflict with self preservation there will be a battle.
3. Always ask yourself is there a reason for the direction being given.
4. When being asked to complete a task watch for a moment to take it to another level.
5. Understand the person in authority is also under authority.
6. The next level of ministry is always determined by the foundation of the earlier times of submission.
7. If authority rubs you wrong you must always ask is there something in me that has to change.
8. If authority rules incorrectly then know that God will expose that leader.
9. When asked to complete a undesirable task realize this is the moment for your Spirit to win and flesh die.
10. Remember those in Spiritual authority will always have to give an account before the heavenly father.
11. There is a harvest awaiting those who receive and handle spiritual authority correctly.
12. Once you learn that you must submit and walk under a covering then it opens doors for you to establish a life of authority!

III. Understanding how to walk in Spiritual power and authority!


A solid understanding of spiritual authority is vital to build your faith when casting out demons, healing the sick, and exercising your authority over the powers of darkness.
When we have been given authority to cast out demons, but instead we pray that God brings the demon out instead, we are basically asking God to do something that He gave US the tools to do ourselves! Jesus told US to cast out demons! Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to ask God to cast out demons!


Mark 13:34, "For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch."
How authority works
Authority doesn't beg; authority doesn't ask; authority commands! We are not told to ask God to cast out demons, we are told to do it ourselves! We are not told to beg demons to come out, we are told to CAST them out!

Matthew 8:8-9, 13, "The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it... And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour."
Authority is exercised through our spoken word. The power of life and death are in the spoken word: Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
Jesus' own authority
One thing that made it clear that Jesus was the son of God, is because He exercised authority that nobody else had access to in history!
He cast out demons using His authority: Mark 1:27, "And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him."
He cast out demons with His spoken word: Matthew 8:16, "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word..."
He healed the sick with His spoken word: Luke 7:7, "Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed." Also John 5:8, "Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk."
Jesus has been given authority over everything: Matthew 28:18, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
Authority to heal
Jesus said to, "Heal the sick"! Matthew 10:8, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." I think it's interesting how Jesus didn't tell us to pray and ask God to heal the sick, He told US to heal the sick!
I have never seen where Jesus prayed, "Father, please heal this person!" Instead, we see that Jesus healed people with His spoken Word! In John 5:8, Jesus told the man to, "...Rise, take up thy bed, and walk."
The early church healed people in this same manner. In Acts 3:6, "...Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." Notice in Luke 9:1 that He not only gave His disciples authority over all devils, but also to cure diseases: "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases."
Authority is exercised when there is a RIGHT to exercise it. They weren't praying and asking God to heal people, they had the authority to heal, and they were exercising it with a spoken word, just as Jesus did!
I want to clarify that I'm not saying that prayer can't heal people... because it can (James 5:14-15)... I'm just saying that we are taught to heal the sick using the authority that Jesus gave us! I have seen and heard of many healings that took place through prayer, so I'm not saying not to pray, or that prayer doesn't work. I'm simply saying that we have authority over sickness, and therefore we can exercise our authority to bring about healing in another person's life!
I also think it's interesting how Mark 16:17-18 tells us that healing can come through the laying on of hands: "And these signs shall follow them that believe... they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
The laying on of hands can encourage the transferring of power from us into the person and heal them, just like the woman who felt power flow from Jesus when she touched the hem of His garment (Mark 5:30)! Jesus said that those who believe will have the Holy Ghost flowing out of their innermost being (John 7:38-39), and even Peter's shadow healed people (Acts 5:15)!
Authority to cast out demons
Notice that we are never told to beg or coax the demons to come out, neither are we told to pray and ask God to remove them, but we ARE told to cast them out! Matthew 10:8, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." And also look at Mark 16:17, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils..."
Luke 9:1, "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils..."
Luke 10:17, "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name."
Jesus distributes His authority
Mark 13:34, "For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch."
Jesus is given authority: Matthew 28:18, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
Authority given to Jesus' 12 disciples: Luke 9:1, "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases."
Authority given to Jesus' 70 disciples: Luke 10:17, "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name."
Through Jesus' name
Notice that the authority Jesus gives His people is not to be used in their name, but Jesus' name:
Luke 10:17, "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name."
Mark 16:17, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils..."
Acts 3:6, "...Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."
To use somebody's authority through their name is quite an honor! It's like being able to go to the bank and draw out a million dollars on behalf of a wealthy businessman!
Authority has been given to "Them who believe"
Jesus gave His disciples authority to carry out His will here on earth, but they weren't the only ones. He also gave ALL believers authority to heal the sick and cast out devils as well! (Mark 16:17-18)
Authority to cast out demons: Mark 16:17, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils..."
Authority to heal the sick: Mark 16:17-18, "And these signs shall follow them that believe...they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Mark 13:34, "For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch."
Authority is accessed through faith
It is also helpful to point out that our spiritual authority is accessed by faith. There is a lot to be learned from the story told in Mark 9:17-29 about how faith allows us to access our authority. When the disciples came across an unusually strong demon that wouldn't budge (verse 18), Jesus made it clear that they lacked faith by calling them faithless (verse 19). He also made it clear that some demons are so strong that a higher than usual level of faith is required to cast them out (verses 28 and 29), and that we can gain that higher level of faith through prayer and fasting (verse 29).
Matthew 17:20, "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

This is your moment to live a life of power and authority!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Is Jesus America's Mascot?

Recently, while praying I felt God lay on my heart that for so many years our nation has looked at God as our "mascot." I mean this with all integrity of heart. God has to be more than our mascot! Our currency say's "In God we trust." Do we really? This summer in America the stock market has acted like a roller coaster, the debt keeps growing, out of control flash mobs disrupt cities, unemployment edges towards 10%, our soldiers are dying in battle, and politicians battle each other for voting blocks. I think I am one of those voting blocks. Everyone loves their team mascot. Although, mascots do not win games! A mascot is a great cheerleader for a team, but doesn’t actually play. A mascot is someone we look too for motivation and one who stirs-up the crowd. A mascot looks great on bumper stickers, flags, and t-shirts. However, a mascot is just a symbol of an idea. God is not an idea! We have always been known as the land of opportunity! The richest nation in the world! On the inside of the statue of liberty is our nations invitation to the hurting, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Our Republic has stood for freedom, and liberty as we have restored democracy around the world, fought on the beaches of distant lands, and declared a better way of life. Most of all we have declared that God is who we trust in! That is a awesome mission statement, but do we really trust God? During the turmoil we are now living in, if God is whom we trust, I believe with all my heart the churches of America would be filled to the brim with a nation crying out for God. God must be so much more. He must be our Lord! Psalms 33:12, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance"

Throughout history, when things get rough, a nation can turn in one of two directions. The nation can head down the devastating road of secularism where elitist minded people declare that man can fix our issues, or we can turn to God as our answer. I believe we are so close to an awakening. I see desperation for Jesus in services. I see a generation that has had enough of no Salt and Light religion. There is a cry coming from the mountains, plains, and shores for an encounter with Jesus. We the church must rise up. It is time for a crying out from the pulpit to the pews, from the subway to the dirt roads, from the schools to the courts that Jesus is our Lord. Now is when we truly decide are we a nation that trusts in God, or do we trust in the corners of Wall and Broad Street. God loves America, but he loves all nations on the earth. What separates our nation is that we put God up in plain site. We call on Him for our answers. If we are to be the city on the hill, and the beacon of hope we must open the door for Him to come in. Rev. 3:20 declares He is knocking at our doors. Will we answer?

The wickedness of this world is increasing. The clock is ticking on liberty and justice for all! Israel is waiting for us to rise up while Islam knocks at their doors. From Beijing to Moscow they are watching to see if we truly believe what we have declared for over 200 years. The question is this, is God just our mascot that we parade out to motivate an electorate or is He our King? There are millions in our great nation who are ready to see God pour out His Spirit. From pulpits to bible studies, to students at flag poles, there is a cry for heaven to invade earth. I still believe that “In God We Trust”, but we must not just parade him out to motivate the electorates, and try to win another moral victory. He must become our very breath!

God spoke five things to my heart:

1. We must get our joy back! Psalms 45:7, "You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." The joy of the Lord truly is our strength. No Joy means no strength!

2. We must exercise our God authority! Col 2:10, "and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority."

3. We must realize that we are overcomer's! Luke 10:19, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." An overcomer always makes sure to insert their influence in all situations.

4. We must pray and cry out! II Chronicles 7:14, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." We must seek Him and will we find him!

5. Give Him access to move in our daily routines of life. Acts 17:28, "For in him we live and move and have our being!" He wants to interrupt us. That doesn’t mean we have to lose excellence in place of anointing. I love what a dear pastor and mentor named George Sawyer told me about his church "We believe in anointed excellence." We must give him access to the inner sanctums of our offices, living rooms, bedrooms, cars, and sanctuaries.

God is calling all of His pastors, influencers, and churches, with the hand of God upon them, to call for a Holy Spirit revolution! Together we can take our nation back! It first must start on our knee's! For too long the media, the pundits, the philosophers have set the spiritual climate. We must declare Jesus from the roof tops. This is the moment the church has been awaiting! We must be the statue of liberty! Our mantra must be "Give me your tired (Matt 11:28), your poor (James 1:30), your huddled masses (Acts 1:8)yearning to breathe free (Acts 2:4)." Let the breath of God breathe life into the lungs of all believers! He breathed into the lungs of man in the garden and will do so again in their garages! It's great to have God on our t-shirts and money, but even greater to have him on our thrones! Remember to keep your eyes on Jesus! Matthew 24:12-14, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

Let's stand together! We love and appreciate you so much! Pat and Karen Schatzline





Patrick H. Schatzline

Mercy Seat Ministries, Inc.

PO Box 1150, Trussville, AL 35173

Office: 205-680-9241

www.mercyseatministries.com

www.forerunnerschoolofministry.com