The Authorized Man
One of the verses of scriptures that thrilled me most while growing up as a young Christian is John 1: 12-13 ‘However, to all who received him, to those believing in his name, he gave authority to become God’s children, who were born, not merely in a physical sense, or from a fleshly impulse, or from man’s desire, but of God’ (ISV). I could not just get over this scripture. Since then, it never stopped ringing in my subconscious that I was given such right freely. As I kept pondering over this scripture then, it dawned upon me that if I am authorized to be God’s child, it therefore means that I have been given the mandate to act on His behalf; as some would say, like father like son.
Using the relationship that we have with our biological parents as an example, you do not need to be told that you can act on behalf of your father; you easily find yourself doing it. It therefore means that I can act in His capacity. Simply put, I am an heir to my father. I can speak, command, demand, reject, resist, control, etc like my father does. It doesn’t matter if I am still a kid growing up or already a full grown man. The fact remains that once a child, ever a child, I have been born already. While growing up as a child, I might not know so much about what I have got but it does not change the fact of what I have. Though it may take me time to realize the potentials, abilities and privileges because of my level of maturity, it does not change the fact that I am my father’s child.
Jesus said, as my father works so I work. My father and I are one. Whatsoever I see my father do, I do. Amazingly, Jesus never equated Himself with God before the Jews, but they interpreted his statement of referring to God as His father to mean equality with God. We are sons of God, heirs to the throne and have supernatural abilities embedded in our lives.
In the days of Jesus, people around him could not get over simple statements that changed various tides such as: ‘Peace, be still’; ‘Be thou made whole’; ‘Thy faith has healed you’; ‘Your sins are forgiven’; ‘Ephrata …, be opened’; ‘Lazarus come out’; etc.
Traits of a man under authority:
He doesn’t get jittery when suddenly called upon to rescue a situation. Knowing so well that He who lives in him is greater than he who lives in the world, he speaks to stormy seas with an ease of command tone.
He acts with confidence. He is undisturbed about seemingly unachievable task, but always resolute about the inherent abilities that he has received of God. He is convinced that he is a solution going somewhere to happen. However how long it may take to prevail over people’s doubt and faithlessness, he remains firm and fully convinced that the tide must change.
He sees every challenge and difficulty as a means to prove God’s sovereignty over all things. Rather than attest to the reality on ground, you should affirm the supernatural abilities of God’s power to transform every given situation.
Another wonderful trait of an authorized man is that, he must always complete every assignment at every given time and make sure there is no stone left unturned. Jesus in John 11: 44 instructed that the linen cloth be unwrapped from Lazarus body. His words were instructive and informing; ‘… loose him and let him go’. It shows that he was not willing to give room for chances so he capped it with freeing him completely after being raised from the dead. When the leprous man was healed in Matthew 8:3-4, he told him to go and show himself to the priest and offer gifts commanded. This will serve as testimony and path way to societal freedom and acceptance.
But friends, remember that these things do not just happen except you have given yourself over to a continuous prayer lifestyle. By so doing, you are guaranteed a medium of obtaining depth of understanding during study of scriptures and more confidence is built in your abilities in God.
– adeyiga awomuti
Psalms and Strings, the unavoidable duo
Much as I have heard wonderful things that manifested after praise and thanksgiving session, I have also witnessed some with my very eyes. Sometimes the experiences are unbelievable. Though in most cases, people are found subsequently attributing the great feat to their personal efforts, thereby consciously or unconsciously making attempt to down play the main reason for the miraculous performance.
Once you have scaled the hurdle of affirming the veracity and authenticity of God’s ability to turn around any situation (as discussed in the two previous articles of this series), you have withstood the challenge of distraction and discouragement. Now is the time to turn from people and their doubts and focus on God who holds the key to unlock miracles. Your attention should strictly be to see the manifestation that transcends the norm.
At this juncture, you can’t afford to ignore the fact that the surest way is to concentrate on making your supplications and request known to him with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6).‘By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of ourlips giving thanks to his name’ (Hebrews 13: 15). Praise is an act that is long tested and proven to yield amazing results.
In John 11:41, Jesus exhibited the power inherent in thanksgiving. ‘So they took away the stone. And Jesus, looking up to heaven, said, Father, I give praise to you for hearing me’ (BBE). Offering thanks and praise to God could be as simple as He said it. After Jesus gave thanks over 2 fish and 5 loaves, the multiples fed in thousands were overwhelming.
Fundamentally, praise offered to God must stem from a faith-filled heart. ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him’ (Hebrews 6: 11). Faith is the triggering force that praise acts upon. Without it you may be acting like a man who intends to build a castle without a foundation which it can stand on.
After executing the seven days order, the Israelites capped the pulling down of Jericho walls with the shout of praise. With faith in God, Paul and Silas preoccupied themselves in prison with prayers and praises to God. At the event of this, scriptures recorded that there was an earthquake and the prison gates flung opened and their chains broke. Through praise, the depths are broken, gates are opened, revelations are obtained, visions are understood, and testimonies abound. Within the tribes of the Israelites, the Levites were skilled in playing various musical instruments and offering praise to God. In some battles fought or while conveying the ark of covenant, they sang praises ahead of the ark or sometimes ahead of the army. Perhaps, this was God’s way of showing that it is an integral part of exceptional results.
It does not matter in what form, how, or where you carry it out, what is most important is that you should make a habit to give thanks to God even in the face of great challenges. Such an act has done great and marvelous things and history can always repeat itself in newer dimensions. You may sound very foolish and stupid before people when you do it, but remember that God used the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.
Reality may suggest you spend time thinking, crying, wailing, lamenting, complaining, or doubting. Faith on the other hand, insists that all things are possible to him that believes. For the expectation of the righteous shall not be cut short. Faith sings, praises, and appreciates God when reality is busy weeping. Faith patiently waits to see miraculous manifestation of thanksgiving, while reality on the other hand, quickly suggests that we should dismiss the possibility of change.
– adeyiga awomuti
| One of the greatest problems facing most believers today is that they suffer from an identity crisis. They do not know who they really are. They do not stand for something (the right thing) and so they fall for anything. This has resulted in mismanaged potentials. A cat that does not know its identity will attempt to swim and an eagle that forgets its identity will scratch with the chickens! Are you scratching when you should be flying?
There was a time in my life when I used to wake up every night to pray to God to give me more power and grace to do exploits for him. Sometimes I would be so moved by my prayers that I would begin to cry. I did this for several months with no visible progress in my life. But glory to God, I later understood Ephesians 1:3 and immediately realized that I had been scratchingall the while. What do I mean?
Ephesians 1:3 says “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hathblessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
I was scratching because I was telling him to bless me with more power but His word says he has blessed (past tense!) me. I was asking for power and grace, which are spiritual blessings, but His word says as far as spiritual blessings are concerned, then it has already been given to me. And then I wondered … but that man of God used to tell us to pray hard for these spiritual blessings, or I think I have seen it somewhere in the bible. Then these words echoed – whose report will you believe? Wow! I was wallowing in an identity quagmire. But why hadn’t somebody enlightened me all the while? It could be likened to me asking God to make me male, it does not make sense. Did that mean that all those nights of waking up to ask for what was already mine was a waste? Several questions kept running through my mind.
But what I do now, I asked. I shared my experience with a friend and he said – “don’t confuse me, I have been doing this all the while and it has been working for me”. Many Christians make similar statements when their lifestyle is in contrast with God’s word. But if a 2 year old boy cries every time he is hungry, does that make crying for food a good thing, even though it “worked” in the past? Our God may overlook our time of ignorance as babes but he desires we grow up (Acts 17:30). He wants us to stop scratching when we should be flying. He wants us to stop crying when we should be teaching. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and that makes us the best set of people living on earth. As we continue in this series, we will discuss how to express these blessings in our daily lives. Till then, keep basking in the euphoria that you have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
– tope aladenusi
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| Finishing Strong with Knowledge
I remember someone once told me that a bird can only fly with what it has swallowed. It is impossible for a bird to fly with what it is hoping to pick up along the way. It is what a man has that he gives; likewise, man only acts upon what is within his scope. Once it is beyond his scope of understanding, it most likely has eluded him. The more informed you are about a given situation the better your actions will be. Why do you think when companies are recruiting they require certain years of experience? The reason is simple- the more experienced the person is, the better and faster the job will be done. In addition, it will take off the cost of training the individual for a start. Also, while on the job it is the same experience that will keep you on the track of effectiveness and prompt delivery.
What then is experience or how is it acquired? Simply put, it is the accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events or activities. Without knowledge, opportunities will be squandered and abuse definitely inevitable. It was the level of Jesus’ knowledge about His rights, abilities, and mission that stood him out. It was same knowledge that afforded him outstanding performances when confronted with issues. He knew He had the authority and power from God to raise the dead.
For example, Jesus gathered enough experience over time through knowledge to handle cases such as: 1) John 9:4; He knew He had to work hard at the assignment handed over to Him by the Father while it is day because the night was coming when no man will be able to work. So while going about, He had the mind of mission. He was duty bound in all that He did to the extent that He prepared ahead. As Christians, we are duty bound to solve the world’s problems. We should be an embodiment of solutions anywhere we find ourselves. Remember, we have been given the ministry of reconciliation; reconciling the world back to God. Interestingly, there is no way we would go about reconciling the world back to God without introducing them to the entire package that is in redemption; Life, Righteousness, Healing, Fruitfulness, etc. 2) He made preparations ahead of his time because He was well informed of the task before Him. In recognition of His link to the Father, Jesus himself regularly spent time in the wilderness, mountains, etc, to pray and enjoy communion with God alone. These periods of one-on-one fellowship seemed to help Him prepare for the activities ahead. Matthew 4: 1- 11 3) Lastly, he proudly displayed His level of knowledge by informing His tempter of the details in the written Word, when he was tempted in the wilderness.
A closer look at John chapter 11 earlier discussed in the introductory article, indicates Jesus’ authoritative response in verse 4 to information relayed in verse 3. He stated that the sickness was not unto death but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified. I won’t be surprised to discover that he had the wind of the incident while praying prior to that moment, since he was regularly given to prayers. He had a ready answer for every given situation brought to His notice. He knew right from time that He had the power of life. This same mindset propelled Him to call Lazarus’ death a sleep in verse 11. Though He was still not informed that Lazarus had died, He must have perceived it in the spirit.
Friends, these things do not just happen by chance but by giving oneself over to much prayer. However, the battle of Jesus gaining access to Lazarus was still not over. He encountered obstacles on his way such as: the four day old dead body, the weeping sympathizers, the faithlessness and doubtful insistence of Martha and Mary, the sealed tomb, etc. Nevertheless, Jesus persisted in reiterating the fact that he is the resurrection and the life; though Lazarus was dead, he will live again.
Friends, contrary realities and circumstances will always attempt to prevail over our situations; we need to take a firm stand like Jesus did. Instead of getting discouraged or defeated with the reality and factual statements made by Martha and Mary, Jesus took charge and said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believed?”Verse: 40.
Being filled with knowledge puts us at the edge of trailing the blaze. Most times, such knowledge should motivate us to take out time to pray. Praying could be as simple as that of Martha and Mary. They simply prayed Jesus to come because their brother was sick. It could also be as simple as saying that ‘even now, whatsoever thou will ask of God, God will give it thee’. We need to affirm our conviction. No wavering or compromising even in the face of reality. The reality may be like it was said of Lazarus that he should be stinking by now but you need to affirm your control over it like Jesus did.
– adeyiga awomuti
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At some cross roads in life, prevailing circumstances may not have been fair to some of us; the severity of it in some cases propels us to speak or act contrary to our proclaimed and affirmed belief. For example, you sometimes might have said ‘I am the healed of the Lord …, diseases ain’t got any place here’, or ‘that Job/contract is mine’; but you thereafter discovered aches all over your body or eventually realized that your arch rival was favored in the award of the much expected contract.
In such situations, how do you react? “I usually …” – Did I just hear you mutter some words? Well, don’t be too quick to answer; so many people have similarly experienced one thing or the other, even the patriarchs had their share of contrary circumstances. Let’s take a look at your one time experience in the light of bible precedence.
Here is Martha’s encounter with Jesus in John 11:21-22: “Martha said to Jesus, If you had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died! But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask him for” (GNB).
One would have thought that Martha was as convinced about the situation as her statement suggested; she seemed to be of strong faith that Jesus had all it takes to transform the situation for good. But Martha’s statement later appeared to be a mere lip service without a heart conviction. In verse 24 of same chapter, Martha demonstrated her belief that her brother Lazarus will rise again at resurrection but not at that moment referred to by Jesus. Like some of us do when confronted with the reality of a circumstance, despite the fact that there is an element of possibility (though arduous) flashing somewhere, we attest to the miraculous just for the sake of it without expecting anything spectacular.
Furthermore, Jesus said to Martha, I am the resurrection and Life and those who believe in me though were dead, shall live again. ‘Do you believe this?’ she quickly said ‘I believe’, verses 25 & 26. But her next action in attempting to stop the opening of Lazarus’ tomb showed she may have just spoken without fully grasping the imlications of her proclaimed faith. For example, she tried to stop the opening of Lazarus tomb by stating the fact that he had been dead for four days and should be stinking by now. Such statement should have deterred Jesus from insisting that the tomb be opened, but He maintained his conviction. Have you ever found yourself in a similar case, where reality stares you in the face? Have you ever tagged some things unachievable, because you have facts and figures at your disposal? Perhaps, it may be interesting to take a quick look at those who fought reality to a standstill with their faith. Though the mountains that came their way appeared insurmountable, they rose above the world-defined norms and achieved extraordinary results.
I challenge you to rise above reality and unleash your abilities in the kingdom you belong to; supernatural happenings are the norm here!
In the next few weeks, we will be examining Jesus’ supernatural approach in His encounter with Martha and Mary in John chapter 11. The three key things to be discussed are:
- Finishing Strong with Knowledge.
- Psalms and Strings, the unavoidable duo.
- The Authorized man.
Till then remember that for with men it may be impossible, but with God, NOTHING shall be impossible.
– adeyiga awomuti