AUTHORITY AND POWER
Wednesday – July 19, 2017
Welcome back to The Three Minute Word publication and our Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews presented by Dr. Wood. The picture today was taken several years ago on the ranch we owned at the time in Texas. Patti is sitting in our Gator petting our donkeys with her signature bottle of diet Pepsi. Now to our text in Hebrews and Mark.
Hebrews 2:4 (KJV)
4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
The Word of God is sure in the mouth of a believer. The person speaking must be a believer with unwavering faith responding to the leadership of the Spirit. For a moment let’s look at the Prophet Jeremiah. You may not be called as a Prophet to the Five-Fold Ministry but the Word of God is no less effective in your mouth.
Jeremiah 1:9-12 (KJV)
9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it. (Bold added by Dr. Wood)
As we move forward with our secondary text in Mark we are briefly turning our attention to the origin of man’s authority and power in the earth. God does not have authority in the earth, man does, however God has all of the power that is necessary for the will of God to be accomplished in the earth. So, you can see this is a Father and son operation. Our obedience allows the power of God to flow accomplishing the will of God and expanding the Kingdom of God.
Mark 16:15-20 (KJV)
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
As we review the Words of Jesus prior to His ascension to Heaven and the right hand of God (Majesty on high) we find that they are a reiteration, a reinstatement of the authority and empowerments freely given to mankind by Elohim in the Garden of Eden. Now let’s look at the authority (dominion) and power (Blessing) given in the Garden, stripped away by sin, but returned by the work of Jesus.
Genesis 1:26-28 (KJV)
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Bold added by Dr. Wood)
The word ‘dominion’ is the equivalent of authority and the Blessing is the empowerment or power of God (the Holy Spirit) given man to accomplish all that God had given him to do. Following sin in the Garden the breath of life departed Adam and he and she became dead souls. They bowed their knee to the Serpent using their authority according to the leadership of their new father. The Blessing exited the earth and was available from that day to the Day of Pentecost following Calvary to only a very few people who would enter blood covenant and believe Him. The first covenant was established by the blood of innocent animals, a type and shadow that looked forward to the Blood of Messiah. In those days before the Cross the Anointing of God (not the infilling of the Holy Spirit) was available predominately to the Priest, the King, and the Prophet. Those persons could at God’s direction share their anointing with others such as Moses did with the various craftsmen building the Tabernacle. Jesus placed His Anointing on the twelve (Israel) and the seventy (Gentiles) when He sent them out two by two to minister.
By way of reminder, the Anointing is the Holy Spirit on the outside of a person, not the inside, for empowerment to accomplish the commands of God. The Holy Spirit could not indwell a person from the time of first sin to the Cross because the Holy Spirit is life and He cannot abide death (man’s dead spirit) and as yet there was no authority to quicken that dead spirit. Jesus changed everything back to the Garden and better.
Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV)
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Adam was originally given authority in the earth but now Jesus says He has authority in Heaven and earth and then He delegates it to us for the purposes of the Kingdom. The implied subject of verse nineteen is ‘you’. This brings us to the power, the Blessing.
Luke 24:49 (KJV)
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
The Blessing is back (power from on high) and there is nothing that we cannot do in the earth or for that matter in Heaven as directed of the Father. It is this same authority and power that brings the witness of God described in our texts. O praise the Lord for He is so goooood!
Until our next publication, I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
CONTACT E-MAIL: pastordavidwood@gmail.com
MAILING ADDRESS: 3 Rosswood Green Lane, Unit Two, Oakland, Maine 04963
