The topic of authority has been greatly misunderstood. Few things have been so distorted or defiled so thoroughly as our understanding of authority.  Throughout the centuries the swords of authority have swung wild and long, haphazardly, and with much destruction.

What has been missing has been a true understanding of God and of his authority and how this flows out and into the world and through our own lives; we lack awareness of the heart, character, nature, and priorities of God. 

In addition to this, we often want our own way and we use authority to exercise power over others. 1 This is the same basic sin of satan as he tried to access and take over the power of God for his own purposes and plans. 2 

Therefore, without a Holy fear of our Lord, without hearts and lives intent on representing God and God only (knowing him first), authority will go bad.  For authority either births good things for others or creates chaos, intimidation, and fear (out of which no good thing can come). 

The difference is established by the character, maturity, discretion, prudence and holiness of the person carrying the authority; out of a pure heart flows good things, out of an evil heart flows bad.  Out of a pure heart authority brings many good things to others, out of an evil heart authority brings much destruction to many.  The motive of our heart makes all the difference in the world. It begins in the heart.

“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b ESV 

Our strengths of character, maturity, discretion, prudence, holiness, are gained through the years, through trials and errors, experiences, failures, and successes.  It is only as we risk opening our hearts to the King of Kings and risk to have His heart opened to us that we are equipped from deep inside to live an authority that mirrors him and expresses his heart.

Now, because we are all created in the image of God, spiritual authority is in everyone in seed form. 3  We all carry a mark of God upon us and we can all become active in that mark, the touch of God, for the benefit of others.  God is the influence we are to bring to the world. 

Over the next months we will come to see that spiritual authority is marked by the supernatural of God through our natural person. It is both the simple things we do that encourage, build, equip, reach out, and minister the grace of Jesus Christ to others.  And it is then the powerful touch of God that transform our heart and minds and lives in Christ. 

Spiritual authority is not about how leaders lead or how managers manage, rather it is how individuals and communities in Christ can own the expression of God through them for the increased life and healing and hope of others, the Kingdom of God come to earth.

Spiritual authority is not about commanding each other, spiritual authority is about expressing God’s heart over all of creation in such a way that we and others are more whole, increasingly free, restored to the original image as God intended when he made us, empowered to do his will and to pass on the Lord’s transformative love and restoration to all those around.  This happens as we yield our entire lives and hearts in obedience to God’s voice. 

I assume you are taking this course because you desire your entire life to be used by the King of Kings.  In pursuit of this we bring our entire lives and heart and motives before the Lord.  We allow God to thresh us in order that anything not of God will be burned away in the fire of God’s holiness.  We enter into intimacy, authenticity (which is just a fancy word for honesty to the core of our beings), and transparency. 

You have already been experiencing this during the first part of this course.  Here, in these next months, we take all that you have been learning and experiencing and we fine-tune it further in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Here we are: 

  • Grown into sons and daughters of The King
  • Solidly understanding our position within the Kingdom
  • Practiced in the art of the Spirit
  • Always surrendered to our Lord
  • Well-equipped with God as our master trainer
  • Coming to know God by heart

The Walking in Spiritual Authority part of this course will position you into a solid knowing of God, his heart for his creation, your place in the bigger scheme of things, the manner of our Lord and with tools to bring the touch of the God to a dying world. 

Welcome to Walking in Spiritual Authority. 

“He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God who has called you into fellowship with his son Jesus Christ our Lord is faithful.” 1 Corinthians 1:8 NIV

………………………….

1. In other words, to get our own way or to make happen what seems right to us. Authority is often misused in the application of religion. People will have a sense of ‘right’ so strong that they will go to all means to ensure that ‘right’ happens. But there are two things wrong with this. 1. The thing they think is so ‘right’ may in fact be wrong, “Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness.” Luke 11:35 NLT  2. Even if the thing is right, forcing it upon others through power is wrong. 1 Peter 5:3

2.  Read both these passages for reference to Satan Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:11-19

3. Every single person is created in the image of God. This means that every single person carries the hand-print of God and it is therefore important to honor each person, to give respect to everyone; inherent value is given to each and every person, not because of who we are, but because of who God is – Genesis 1:26-27, 31; Matthew 25:34-40

=> Next take a look at the Outline for Month Five

Capturing Courage International Ministries :: capturingcourage.org
College of Capturing Courage :: collegeofcapturingcourage.org
Email Us :: college@capturingcourage.org