Wednesday, February 25, 2009

GIVING AUTHORITY - Spiritual Warfare 2


Eph 6:4 And, you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
True Spiritual authority is generational. We have such a responsibility to pass on our spiritual understanding and teach what we know to another generation, each generation models to the next what it means to have spiritual power or authority. Like in the story of Elijah and Elisha, Elisha receives a double portion of every thing his spiritual father Elisha had because it was modeled to him over a life time. I have seen this in happen in many of the largest churches in our nation. Fathers in the faith built significant churches and there sons have gone on to build a number of ministries larger than the fathers that have a greater reach and they do it in a much shorter period of time. This is the power of modeling or giving spiritual authority. Take the time to identify who you can have an input into. This doesn’t always have to be over a life time. One of the men that had an impact on my life, took the time to take three guys from our church on a mountain climbing trip. I’ve never forgotten that trip and all three of us went on to be in ministry. We can all make a difference in someone else’s life. Be a spiritual mom or dad to someone else. All those who have spiritual authority had it modeled to them. Even Adam the first man would walk and talk with God at the end of every day. Elisha had Elijah, Eli had Samuel, Solomon had David, Joshua had Moses, Peter had Jesus, Timothy had Paul and thank God for Barnabas, the great encourager, who reached out to John mark when no one else would. I look back and thank God for the wonderful people who have contributed to my life in this way. Who are you reaching out too? Where are the fathers in the Faith? We should all seek first to teach the kingdom of God - and everything else we need will be added to our lives
Seek to model first the principles and possibilities of heaven in lives of those who look to you. What are people around you learning and catching from you are you spiritually contagious. I love the quote ”if you where put on trial for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you”.
If someone imitated your life what would they become? Paul once said imitate me because I am imitating Christ. Do you raise others up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord
This word Admonition means - caution, warning, reprimand and most importantly approval. This is our job description. Take this role seriously when it comes to bringing up others in kingdom principles. Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it. Paul says, once we reach a certain age we should all be teachers - but instead He says I still have to teach you, you are such babies, by a certain age you should be giving back. It should no longer just be all about you. The bible says be careful not to call anyone father, let no one call you teacher or leader. Now this obliviously is not saying we don’t teach or act as spiritual fathers because that would contradict what Paul has already said. What this is saying is we have this spiritual responsibility not to teach our ideas and our agenda we should always seek to pass on Gods design and pathways. He knew us before the foundation of the world, He designed us, he knows our destiny. So if we are influencing others we better make certain that his design is what we are modeling and we are taking the time to know it.
The bible says one day I will stand before God and give account for those I have spiritual authority for. I will give account for the state of the lives I watch over, sobering, and so it should be. We need to ask ourselves the question regularly, what can I do, to live as Christ, before my family, my church and those in my world, to lead and guide them into truth, If you devalue the importance of church life and Christian living, what do you think others around you will do with that, most often treat it as nothing. If we want spiritual power we must nurturer that in others, give it to others so they will understand and pass it on also. Spiritual authority is cyclic; it is more a relay race than anything. Take every opportunity to be a father to make disciples of others. Wasn’t that his last command and entirely the conclusion of the “all the authority” given to him.
Pro 27:23 riches are not for ever: and the crown doses not endure to every generation?
It is passed from one generation to the next. Take up the responsibly of modeling spiritual authority to the next Generation.

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