We are blessed in Australia, We have right to free speech, the right against unlawful search & seizure & the right to trial by jury. We have the right to vote & the right to worship.
Those rights were purchased by the blood of men who fought & died for them. Most Australians not only claim those rights, but demand them.
Yet so often the same people who claim their Australian rights haven't even bothered to find out what rights accompany the citizenship in the kingdom of God. If you are one of those people, let me tell you God will not be outdone by the Australian government.
Everything our earthly government offers us, God will provide more & more. The Bible says that the government is on Jesus' shoulders. As Christians, we should never be caught wallowing in our circumstances because our scriptural rights have been purchased by His blood.
You cannot benefit from rights that you don't even know you have. But once you search the Scriptures & discover your rights, you then have to claim them. I have never searched for gold but I have heard how it is done. Finding the gold isn't enough. Once you search it out, you then have to go to the right place & file a claim. If someone challenges the claim then you have to stand on your legal rights & fight.
Likewise, before you ever live a victorious Christian life, you must stake your claim to your rights & fight for them. A Jesuit priest once said the most amazing thing. He said that he didn't believe the Word of God was the literal truth, & yet this man gave his whole life to the priesthood! Can you imagine giving your whole life for a concept you don't believe is the literal truth?
It's sad, but that kind of thing happens all the time. That is why you see graveyards with more life then some churches,
The Bible says in Hosea 4:6 N L T (All Scriptures are from N l T unless otherwise stated).
My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God,
I will forget to bless your children. Recognise that what you do not know can hurt you. Pursue & value true spiritual knowledge. do not neglect God's Word.
The pursuit of spiritual knowledge & understanding should be high on our list of priorities. Can you think of a specific situation in which not knowing was hurtful or detrimental to you. Ask God to continually give you knowledge & revelation so that lack of knowledge will not destroy you. Eons ago, when God created the angels, Lucifer was the prince of the Morning. He worshipped the Lord, walked with Michael & Gabriel, & played music from the tabrets God formed in him. The angles were innumerable, & they sang & glorified God. All Heaven & Earth were in a perfect state, that is until iniquity was found in Lucifer.
Do you know what great sin he committed? The Bible says he sowed discord among the angels. He flapped his lip so much causing a third of the angels to fall. We need to stop & think before we sow discord anywhere~in our homes, in the work place & especially in the Church. God doesn't take it lightly. Lucifer ascended into heaven to bring destruction to God's kingdom. They had a great war, & Jesus said “" Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! ( Luke 10:18) This was not a vision that Jesus saw satan of cast out of heaven; rather He saw the ultimate defeat & demise of satan. If you look in the book of Revelation, you will find that the lightning that proceeds from the throne is the anointing. When Lucifer was booted out of heaven, God stripped him of his anointing. That is the price you will always have to pay for discord. It will rob you of the anointing. Lucifer became spiritually dead, full of malice & hatred, & the father of lies. He began defaming everything God created, especially man. Adam was the smartest, most beautiful man who ever lived. God gave him power & dominion over everything He had created. Adam ruled the stars, the sun, the planets, the universe, the galaxies & planet earth. Eve ruled & reigned with him.
I want you to understand, that God did not look over His shoulder cheeking them to make sure they did everything right. He left them to do exactly what they wanted to do. Then in the cool of the day, he showed up to walk & talk with His creation. When they committed high treason through sin, it brought judgments in the Garden of Eden. One judgement came upon the snake, one upon the women & one on the man. When God told the snake that on his belly he should go does not mean that the serpent had legs, it is likely a poetic language supporting the fact that the animal kingdom will not be able to reverse its post~fall condition on its own; & when Jesus said "you shall eat dust" is also figurative for extreme humiliation. All the animal kingdom came under the curse because of sin. Then God looked at Eve & said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you. Gen3:16)
In other words, not only would the woman's great blessing of bearing children be painful to her, but she also live her life desiring to be equal to her husband, but he would rule over her.
Now this curse has been seen throughout history~Inequality for women began with sin. Before it, man & woman lived in harmony. After it, they did not. Today's uphill battle for equal rights rages in many parts of the earth. Christ sacrifice over two thousand years ago on the cross brought salvation from the curse for Christian men & women~a way of the distortion of our relationships toward one another brought on by sin's entrance into earth. Gal 3:13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree
By faith we receive the benefits provided by His death, including justification. We also learn that through Christ we are all equal.
You may be wondering what happened to Adam? What judgement did he receive? Well God told him in Gen 3:17-19 “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” For the man the curse was very harsh~the ground which was what Adam tented was cursed. In other words Adams job would be much more difficult. His occupation would cause him to sweat & work all the days of his life. His major mistake was heeding the voice of the woman instead of God.
When God cursed the ground, thorns & thistles came up. The Bible teaches us that even nature groans & travails to be brought back yo it's original state (Rom 8:22) That is why Jesus wore a crown of thorns. It was not by accident; it was by design! Jesus came to reverse the entire curse, including the curse on the ground. That's not all. He also redeemed the animal kingdom because of Jesus they didn't have to sacrifice any more lambs, pigeons, doves or cattle. He redeemed them all. Last but not least He redeemed mankind from the curse of the law. You see, God loved man so much He sent His one & only son to die a cruel, cruel death on the cross paying the price of sin for all mankind.
Think about Adam for a minute. God told him that when he ate the forbidden fruit, he would die. But we know God wasn't only talking about a physical death because Adam lived physically for nine hundred & thirty years. God was also talking about a spiritual death. Adam died spiritually on that day in the Garden~He was cut off from the life of God that may have sustained in that body for eternity. Yet Adam was so full of power of God in his body that it took sin, sickness, demons, disease & Lucifer hundreds of years to kill him~ hundreds! The day Adam sinned he handed over all of his rights & dominion~the earth, the planets, the animals, & the galaxies~to Lucifer.
But God had a plan to get the planet Earth back legally, like it once was under Adam. If you think about it, when satan tempted Jesus, he said "All these kingdoms I'll freely give you." ( Lk 4:6) Jesus didn't contend with the devil about that because He knew that satan was offering Jesus what He legally owned. That's what made the temptation real. Satan was offering Jesus what he legally possessed. Jesus refused to compromise. He went to the cross & took upon himself all the sins of the world. Then He died, went to hell, & beat the devil on his own turf.
The second Adam (Jesus) did what the first Adam should have done: He took dominion over the devil & legally took back the right for mankind to be united with God. in this earth. I hear a lot of people ask why hasn't the devil left yet? The answer is simple: it is because he is still ruling & reigning over anyone who who doesn't know Jesus. He has the legal right to sell them into slavery, to get them on drugs, to bring them divorce & starve them into famine, he has the right to steal, kill & destroy, BUT he doesn't have the right to bring any of those curses on the believer. That is why it is crucial that you know your scriptural bill of rights.
We see just one of them in John 14:12-14 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it
This Scripture is saying that the promise is not that the disciples will perform works that are greater in value or significance than His. Rather they are greater in scope & number, in these respects: 1) Because He was crucified, Jesus earthly ministry was limited to a few years, but after the Resurrection & Pentecost, His ministry was & continues to be multiplied through Spirit~empowered believers. 2) Our works include the preaching of the gospel, resulting in the blessings of justification, reconciliation & the gift of the Holy Spirit coming to humankind~all post Resurrection manifestations of Christ.
We need to pray for & expect the "greater things" in the ministry of the church. The key word in John's gospel is "believe." Faith unlocks our understanding of the Scripture & releases the Spirits activity in our lives. Faith, like love, evidences itself in obedience. Finally faith approaches God boldly to receive from Him the things it needs. We also see in this passage that Jesus always glorified the Father. Now if it was important for Him to glorify the Father, then the body of Christ~the Church (us)~should be about the same business.
You may ask how do we glorify the Father? We do it by doing the same thing that Jesus did. He promised that we would do the works that He did, & greater as I have just explained. It is time that you understand your rights & privileges & start claiming them! But I warn you there is one solid stipulation to the promise. It isn't fasting. It isn't praying. It isn't sacrificial giving. It is believing.
Many years ago I realised my life was a mess on every side. Finally it dawned on me that the devil was taking my blessings all because I was letting him. I was letting him because I had a lack of knowledge about what God could do for me. Satan was working up a storm he was putting sickness on my body. Yet God was saying by Jesus stripes, I was healed! I like that report a lot better. The Lord said "It is there for you, just go & get it"
He will say the same to each & everyone of you~He wants you well. The devil screamed you can't have it. He tried to pull me away from my healing & destroy me. For me this did not happen overnight but finally it dawned on me that satan was under my feet! Jesus put him there, & I almost let him up. I have often wondered why so many Christians glorify the name of satan. With things like: "You know satan destroyed us." "Satan hindered us." "Satan killed Nana." I don't wont to hear anything about satan. Talk about what God has done for you! Just go to the Father & glorify Him: "Father Jesus delegated His authority to me in John 14. & You said that I am seated in heavenly places with you. Therefore I take authority over this situation. People have been fighting for centuries when all they need to do was to stand. When you stand in faith & patience, the Bible says you'll inherit the promises of God.
Sometimes I think that God must wonder why His kids don't pray out of their hearts instead of their heads. Then the devil would know who they are in Him. Instead, most people have satan on the front pew of their church. They give him place, when the Bible commands us not to give him a place in our lives (Eph 4:27). Sometimes we get side tracked with what satan is trying to pull that we forget that Jesus told us to ask anything in His name & He'd do it. When God says anything he means anything His Word will not return to him void Isa 55:11 (N K J) says So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Choose to believe that God's Word is the most powerful force in the universe & act accordingly. But remember that He shall only answer that prayer if it is His will for your life. Just a few of the things that are His will are: He wants you to claim your healing, He does not want you to be side tracked by the devil & He wants you to walk in what He has called you to do. Faith takes God at His Word when circumstances seem to deny the truth of His promises.
Our ability to endure to the end will depend upon allowing the Holy Spirit to train us in this kind of faith. God's promises & plans (words) are as sure of fulfillment as the fact that it rains & the sun comes out. There is no excuse for spiritual weakness & poverty in the family of God & when I say poverty I am not just talking about material wealth but wealth in all area's. The wealth of heaven is ours. We are not suppose to come to God like a tramp. we have to come to Him legally~as a son or daughter. Most Churches have a tramp like attitude with God. Saying things like "Now Lord you know my shoes are in a bad way. We don't have anything; the devil took it away from us"
Don't come to the Lord like Freddy the freeholder. You are not a tramp, & you won't impress God by acting like one. Remember the story of the prodigal son? The elder brother had a tramp attitude. He was as much a son as the prodigal, but he had a servant's attitude. He owned everything his father had, but he whined you won't even give me a goat to have a party with my friends. His dad just looked at him & said "What's the matter with you? Don't you know everything I have is yours? Do you know why he never took a goat or a cow? He didn't know his rights & privileges in the family. Yet he had the audacity to walk out of the party. His dad loved him very much, so much that he followed him outside to try & talk some sense into him. How many times have you acted that way to God?
If someone isn't saved, he's a slave. The Bible says that you are either a child of God or a child of the devil. So if you are a child of God you get all power.
I know you may ask what I mean by that statement? Nobody has all power except God. Lets look at Mat 28:18 NKJ) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. I can hear you saying sure all power has been given to Jesus but it hasn't been given to us. Turn with me if you will to Eph 1:17-23 NKJ) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you [That is you & me He is praying for] the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, [That's us] and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Drop down to the next chapter & verse 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I want you to get this, the day God raised Jesus out of the pit of hell, He raised you & me, too. He set us right beside Jesus~far, far above every devil & demon. Not that only that but He gave you & me power of attorney to use Jesus name because our eyes have been enlightened to understand the Word of God. You are a citizen of Heaven who happens to be living on earth.
No demon from hell has the right or authority to bring any of satan's curses on you. You weren't brought by the devil. You were brought by Jesus Christ. You are sitting with Him in heavenly places. I know what you are thinking that you are not seated in heaven but right here on earth. But that is only your physical body, your spiritual authority is seated with Jesus in heavenly places. All you have to do is claim it.
You have the right to claim eternal life. A home in heaven. God's protective care. Victory over sin. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Divine health. Prosperity (All area's). To be translated in the rapture. To live with the Father through all eternity. & ever other promise in the Book, from Genesis to Revelation. One of our rights is liberty, & not just the liberty guaranteed in the constitution. 2 Cor 3:17 AMP) promises Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom). The Amplified Bible defines liberty as emancipation from bondage: freedom. If the Son liberates you then you are really & unquestionably free. We are free from the power of sin. (Rom 6:14)Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
The Bible says that sin will not have dominion over you.
The words sin & satan are synonymous. If you call yourself an old sinner, you are actually saying satan has dominion over me. If you are sinning every day you have a sin problem you need to get to the altar & make Jesus the Lord of your life~In deed not just word. Rom 6:15-16 NLT) puts it this way Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.
If you have given your life to Jesus, the righteousness of God has been imparted to you because, through Jesus, you have received God's nature. Sin & the dominion of satan cannot have authority over you because Jesus is your Lord. It is time for the Church to wake up & do what God sent us here to do so we can go home. We don't have a caravan up in heaven or a shack, Praise God we have a mansion waiting for us. That home is your right & privilege. you can have a nice home here too, if you are willing to believe God for it & claim it. We must also learn that we have the right for our body to line up with the Word of God that says I'm healed.
Jesus said that sin, sickness & disease will not have dominion over us.
Take preventive medicine everyday through the Word of God. I am not asking you to do anything that I would not do myself. The Bible says that it is health to your flesh. It also say that a merry heart does good like a medicine. Learn to laugh. We are free from manipulation & control. Free from fear of what others think of us. we are free from comparing ourselves with everybody else. Free from competition with others. Free from selfishness. Free from legalism. Free to be an individual that is free to be you.
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