When each of us gave our lives to God we all done it by faith because God had brought each of us to a place of knowing there was more to life than what we seen or how we felt, and we all probably knew that there was something missing and none of us quite knew what that was until we gave Him our life and submitted to Him, His ways of living and achieving a better way of life. On that day when we gave Him our lives each of us would have had confirmation in some sort of form or shape that would confirm that there is indeed a real live God AMEN. For me it was that the grass was greener, and the sky was bluer and on top of that I never used bad language again. I just knew that my life was different and everything around me was like new the world for me looked so different and I had a hope inside me that everything was going to be alright.
What I was yet to learn was that at salvation I was also given authority and dominion, and this took the teachings the reading and revelation of God’s word. Many Christians are still in a place today of not really knowing or understanding of who they are in God and what salvation really is.
Yet as I looked around me at fellow Christians and in many churches, I did not see much evidence of this kind of living. So, for a long time I thought like many other Christians it was for special people that God favoured and not for me.
Several years ago, through Gods guidance, I changed churches and met a couple who had had complete healing from the Lord. When I heard their testimony and chatted with them, I started to seek the Lord and began to travel a different road and sought out teachings and also spent a lot of time with Father and He took me on a journey through much change in my circumstances and He has been renewing my mind through His word and revelation ever since.
There is power in thinking like Christ.
And I have discovered that God does not have any favourites, but He has given us a free will and we each have to make the choice of how far you will take Gods word and believe its for you. This is a personal journey and as I said God has given each of us a free will to make that choice. I do not know about you, but I do know that I want more I did not get saved to have just a passport to heaven I want to enjoy my life in the land of the living here on earth on my way to eternal life. I want to taste and see and live the life that God says He has for me in Jeremiah 29:11
How about you what do you want to have from your life here on earth through your salvation, do you want the more that Gods word has promised or are you quite happy to carry on the way you are?
Lets hear what the word of god says about us
Genesis 1:26-28
Then God said “Let us make man in our image in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.
27: So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
28: God blessed them and said to them, be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves on the ground.
Right at the start of creation God gave us dominion over all the earth the birds the fish the livestock the creatures. He told us to be fruitful and increase fill the earth and subdue it.
What do we find difficult to believe about this. first of all, He created us in HIS Image to be like Him He wanted us to be like Him.
He gave us dominion he gave us food he gave us fish he gave us birds he gave us every living creature before we were even created, He had already created the place we were to live and provided everything we needed to eat and enjoy life to the full,
Luke 10 :17-22
The seventy – two returned with joy and said “Lord even the demons submit to us in your name.
18 He replied “I saw satan fall like lightening from heaven 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and nothing will harm you.20 however do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
What do you hear the disciples saying here they were full of joy and quite amazed that the demons had submitted to them when they used Jesus’ name?
This is the authority we have been given in Jesus not of ourselves but through Jesus, when we have salvation it’s a turnaround, its repentance for all the wrong things we have done and a new and fresh opportunity to become more like Jesus every day and have a new life with a humble heart using His name and His authority.
What is Jesus telling His disciples here?
He is telling them that they are protected they have now been given authority through Christ to speak to demon’s trample on snakes and scorpions.
He is also telling them not to highlight the fact that the demons have submitted to them but to rejoice that their names were written in heaven.
Please note also that there were 72 of them.
I believe Jesus was keeping their feet on the ground please notice that although we have been given authority it is part of who we are as a child of God. In this world we live in people are looking for power bigger jobs bigger salary bigger houses and Jesus knew this, and we have been given authority and power through Jesus through salvation and we need to be remembering that we can do nothing but through Jesus all things are possible Amen. And we are on our journey to heaven.
Mark 16:18
They will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.
Now while we are using our authority, we need to remember it is only possible when we come into agreement with Gods word and through the word and revelation from God this is how we will grow and mature in our knowledge of who we are and to enable us we need to make a choice to spend time with God and His word.
Let’s look at what the word says about that.
Psalm 91:1
He who dwells in the shelter of the most high God will rest in the shadow of the almighty
I will say of the Lord he is my refuge and my fortress my God in whom I trust.
Dwells = lives
Rest = peace
Trust = believe
Are you living resting in peace and believing for every need ?
Romans 12:1+2
Therefore, I urge you brothers in view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Are you giving your whole body and soul to God?
Are you allowing Him to renew your mind from worldly choices to Kingdom choices in your daily walk?
How ? through spending quality time with Him and the word on a daily basis
Psalm 1:2-3
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of the wicked nor standi in the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of scoffers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord.
Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall Meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success.
- Notice that its at the start of Joshua’s new role in command of Israel that He advises Joshua.
- The word is alive and if you allow it and the word will change and renew your mind.
- We have the Holy Spirit to help us walk through any change.
- We have a free will to choose the way in which we will walk.
- Are you willing to give up the way you are doing life and follow God
- This could involve changes i.e. friends church choices work places etc.
And last but not least for today’s message
Zechariah 4:6
Its not by might its nor by power but by my Holy Spirit says the Lord almighty.
How far do you want to go in God’s word?