August 27, 2009
-
Getting into the Peace of God – the Authority of the Believer by Pastor Don
To get into the peace of God we need to get our Spirit man to dominate the situation. The flesh tries to rise up over our spirit man and dominate. We need to have the spirit man dominate the flesh so that the spirit man is in charge.
When we receive our resurrected bodies, our spirit will dominate. Jesus is a perfect example.
Luke 22:39-42 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
When we are in stress there are steps we should take.
1. Go to a place of peace, find in our lives our own Mount of Olives. Notice that Jesus was accustomed to going to that place that gave Him peace. We need to find our place.
2. Identify the fact that we are creating a safe haven. Be honest about the times we are in stress, acknowledge it.
3. Pray that you don’t enter into temptation. Say something to the people in our lives, those around us. Speak up, let people know that we are on edge.
4. Jesus withdrew from them. We need to withdraw when we are in a position where we can’t act right. God tells us to be angry and do not sin. Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, and do not sin”:a]’> not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.
When Paul was dead after the stoning, he went up to Heaven, and saw this vision. Notice also that after the people prayed, he rose up and went to another city – there was no talk of bandaging him or fixing him up. He was not dragged out of the city, he was healed. When he was laying on the ground, the disciples were praying, his work was not completed, so he rose up, but during the time on the ground he had this vision of the third heaven. He did not have to be cleansed of sin, he walked right into the glory.
Acts 16:16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
He did not have spiritual perception about this slave girl at first.
Acts 16:17-18 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.
She did this for MANY days before Paul caught on. This is discerning of spirits and spiritual perception, and it is not always instantaneous. Most of us don’t take the time to look around us and do this discerning.
If you are feeling uncomfortable, check out what is around you.
It says that Paul became greatly annoyed, and he said to the SPIRIT – not to the girl. He had faith and acted in the authority of the believer, over the alien spirit.
Acts 16:19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
He did not perceive that when he cast the demon out of the girl that everyone was not going to be happy about that. He interfered with her master’s profits.
Paul did not perceive the devil’s attack at first, for the devil came with flattery, kindness and partial truth.
Pastor Don continued and told us that just because people quote scripture does not mean that they are doing something without a motive, there may be something else they are trying to do. The motive may be to make money, it may not be to bless you. Pastor Don spoke about the infomercials who take Biblical principles but not give Jesus credit. They take the methods to make money, but leave Jesus out of the mix.
In the religious world it happens a lot that people do not listen or perceive the truth when they hear it. When Paul was to be delivered to Rome, it was decided to sail even though Paul spoke a prophesy against sailing.
Acts 27:7-9 When we had sailed slowly many days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone. Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them..
The fast was over, this was in the fall when sailing was tough.
Acts 27:10 saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.”
Paul, who was not a sailor, advises the professional sailors. He perceived prophetically but spoke this to unspiritual men.
If Paul was speaking to the Church today he could have said, “I believe the Lord is showing me.”
Paul had the authority of the believer to act on spiritual perception, but the sailors did not cooperate with what Paul perceived. They acted by what they knew in the physical. The perception that a believer has the authority to tap in and use the prophetic perceptions.
The beginning of spiritual perception is realizing that you aren’t smart and you don’t always know what to do. Then we are in a safe place and God can show us something.
We need to stay humble.
Heather
