We Have Power and Authority!

Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. Mark 6:7 NIV
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Ephesians 3:7 NIV

While the religious are working to undermine the Spirit of The Word of God, we who have received Jesus into our hearts and live to please Him, know we have power by Holy Spirit to accomplish all things--loving all unconditionally--and in doing The Word, not just spouting The Word.

The power and authority are not just given to us to preach the Gospel, but to live the Gospel and to carry over into our everyday lives. We have the power within to receive all the visions and gifts Holy Spirit has for us in order to accomplish all we need to do here on earth.

Unfortunately, there are some who are acting as if the power we have through Holy Spirit is intended to have power over people to control them. God never intended for people--especially not Christians--to control others, but to share the Gospel with them so they, too could receive Holy Spirit and allow Him to control what we do. That's the Power that needs to control, not the rich who think they are all "powerful" and have a right to dictate to others. The evangelical movement has forgotten what "evangelism" means. It is not about forcing others to share a viewpoint, but to spread the love of Christ and the Gospel message which is "love" not dictatorship. The power we have is not about being religious, but to keep us in Relationship with Christ.

When we love, we do so without hesitation or confrontation, but with acceptance that we are all one race--the human race--and we are all entitled to the same fair, equitable treatment by all. This is not a question of loyalty to a party, but it's about loving other human beings, not controlling them. I've said this before and I'll say it again, "God allows us to CHOOSE our paths" and no one else should intervene, knowing there are consequences for whichever path we take in life. That's God's way; it is not the way of evangelicals who think they need to control others--especially women.

For the rest of the Believers--we must choose to exercise the power and authority given to us through Holy Spirit so we can promote love, integrity and honor in every arena and event in which we participate. GOD IS LOVE! He loves us in spite of our imperfections and He never told us to put political party views over the care of one another. The least we can do is to love others as He loves us and "defend the rights" of the poor and needy. That's what He expects us to do--not control people.

I can't speak for others, but my only desire in running for President in 2020 will be to serve the needs of the people, not to beat people into submission to my will or the will of a political party. Hope you'll stand with me--exercising the power and authority given us to care for all. Check me out on facebook.com/YesIam2020 and watch for updates.

For Those In Authority!

        

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior, To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. Titus 1 NIV

Pray for understanding and re-read and then compare what is said to what we see in the behavior of those in authority.

Yes, I know this is Paul talking about authority in the church, but the same traits and expectations for leadership in the church should extend to those in authority anywhere else.

Think about it!

Of course the first person who comes to mind for me is the #WHidiot and all those in Congress who claim to be Christians but have not learned to walk the Christian life. They do not exercise discipline; they are corrupt and self-serving, seeking what they can do for themselves and not concerned about what is best for all Americans; and they lack self-control, are narcissistic, liars.

When God gives us instructions about how to be leaders, we ought to use those instructions across the board--in whatever situation we find ourselves--whether political or not whether paid or not. This is what it means to be a great leader.

Based upon God's Word, we do not have a great leader in the White House; in fact, we have a tantrum-throwing toddler-in-chief commanding America's military to stroke his own ego, not to protect Americans or American interest. This is an unacceptable way to lead and it certainly won't protect us from the enemy--which is not outside the United States, but in the White House.

God knows and I'm counting on His love to prevail and protect those of us who know from the folly of the fool who thinks he is more than he is.

How We Got Here!

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.” But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us.Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”  I Samuel 8 NIV

If we take a few moments to contemplate this passage of Scripture and align it with where we are right now--we can see how we got here--to this time in 2017.

I'm a visionary and have an extremely creative imagination and while reading this I saw a parallel time period from then to now.

Hillary tried to warn us what would happen if 45 was elected--in all three debates--she let us know what would happen.

45 let us know who he was, but people blinded by dissatisfaction and willing to believe lies, didn't listen.

Evangelical leaders who claim to be pro-life (within the womb), but hate others outside the womb, wanted to see a Supreme Court Justice appointed who would overturn Roe v. Wade. Coupled with their hatred of Obama--the first Black President--they convinced people that God chose Trump to be president--using a well known tool--gas lighting--repeating lies until they are believed, leading people to distrust their own judgment.

What we learn from Samuel is that having a king to rule over the Children of Israel was never God's idea, but the people who badgered Samuel, who chose to have a king--after being warned about how a king would treat them. God never leaves us with choices without presenting the consequences of our actions (Deuteronomy 28).

Just about everything we were warned about with Trump has come to pass. He will lie about lies and back peddle on promises and those who CHOSE him--by electing him as president--are now crying, "foul!"

The Children of Israel didn't listen to Samuel and many people--those who are the most needy--refused to listen to Hillary and chose instead to believe the lies perpetuated by Trump.

Understanding what happened and how a kingship was established--the people's choice, should help many to understand that when Paul talked about "honoring authority" in Romans 13:1--(again I say), he was not talking about a president--but the authority that God established which is Christ Jesus.

The people didn't want to accept God as their King so He gave them what they wanted. Disgruntled, deluded, and duped gullible Americans didn't want Hillary as their president so He allowed them their choice.

Will God hear our prayers when we ignored Him? The prayers of the righteous avails much and we shall soon see whether He hears and will answer us--relieving us from this nightmare and the policies that hurt the poor and the needy.

Ignoring God and the obvious--the back-peddling pathological liar is how we got here; now it's going to take the same God we ignored, to get us out of the mess made out of an honorable position which no longer is held in high esteem by much of the on-looking world.

We can say anything we want to say about how God does things, but we only have to seek His Word to find out the truth--God has always honored man's choices and warned us of the consequences of our choices, but many refuse to listen.

What?

Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness;”and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. 1 Corinthians 3:18-23 NIV

Some things just need clarification and so today, I'm going to attempt to clarify some of what Paul has said to the Believers of that era and how it applies to us today.

We are told repeatedly in the bible about not allowing ourselves to be deceived by those who would hoodwink us into believing a lie. If we understand how Satan operates, we know that he approaches some in the guise of a sheep when he is actually a wolf--ready to devour the vulnerable.

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Galatians 3:1-3 NIV

Are we living according to the Spirit of God or our flesh and the dictates of man? We are also warned about listening to and obeying what "mere mortals" say over what God has said. The best example we have of courageous souls who chose to obey God rather than "evil authority" is Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They all refused to obey the dictates of an evil authority--one who worshiped idols and knew not God and the evil authority ordered them to be killed--Daniel thrown in the lion's den and the others into the furnace--heated hotter than ever before. And the outcome--God shut the mouths of the lions and protected them in the blazing fire.

Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. Daniel 3:15-18 NIV

If we continue reading the story, we see how God is able to save those who belong to Him and with the demonstration of His power, convince others to take Him seriously.

Now, to get back to when we ought to obey those in governmental authority.We are not obligated to obey any authority that does not honor The Word of God. Therefore, when people use the following verse of scripture in an attempt to get us to believe Trump is God's choice for president, they lie and the truth is not in them. But let's keep scriptures in context and see what God is saying through Paul, while remembering how Jesus opposed the Pharisees who were an authority.

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. Romans 13:1-5 NIV

Wait for it to sink in. For there is no authority except that which God has established. Remember when Paul is talking to new converts in Rome and then remember when our "democratic process" was established. Was this established by God or man?

Exactly when did God establish the governmental hierarchy we now have? Did He decide we would have a president, vice-president, speaker of the house, etc. or did man make that decision?
If the established authority was indeed established by God--then we could all rest assured the servant of God would know God. How can we be a servant of anyone we don't know? And if a servant of God is in a position of authority, then it is for our good and we are obligated to obey the established authority in the servant of God. Is Trump a servant of God or of himself? We know by all accounts seen--Trump does not know God and even though there are some who are praying for conversion--the prayers do not negate the fact that since Trump is not a servant of God--he is not an authority established by God, but by man.

But there's more.

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet," and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:6-10 NIV

We are told the authorities are God's servants who give their full time to governing.

Have we even seen a full-time servant of God governing in the White House lately? And just as a side-bar issue--when Barack Obama was in the White House for eight years--where were all these "Christians" admonishing people with the same passage of scripture they now want others to adhere to with Trump? Double-Standard much? Of course, there is and please note--I'm not saying God chose Barack Obama because I know people chose him and elected him for two terms. In fact, I don't know of any president that God chose since he never went to the polls to vote.

For those who have been reading my blogs for awhile, you know I've criticized Obama when I saw him veering off on more than one occasion. Always, always being the watchman that God has called me to be--no matter who is in what office.

But since we are commanded to love--there is such a huge difference between Obama and Trump that we can see though some of Obama's policies may have been contrary to the Word of God--what he did, he did out of love for the people he governed.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism. Colossians 3:23-25 NIV

We are told that whatever we do--we should do as unto The Lord, not man. So if we're going to honor the authority in the White House--acknowledging the established rule of government by man--not God--then we should make sure the person in White House is a servant of God, not of his own greed and need for power. At any time--we see those in authority not obeying God--we are not obligated to submit to them or obey. We are not to turn our backs on those who are the poor and needy and the foreigners in our land. That is not of God. We are to love all and love God.

What we must remember in all of this is one thing--God is our authority and we must always seek His direction for everything we do, not mere mortals since they are fallible and God is infallible.

Honoring Authority!

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.   Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:1-10 NIV

POLITICS ALERT!

The Word of The Lord!

Considering the fact that Trump has openly and defiantly rebelled against the current president in his attempt to nullify the legitimacy because of President Obama's skin color--shows he does not honor authority.

Considering the fact that Trump brags about not paying taxes--shows he does not honor authority of The Word.

Considering the fact that Trump is openly promoting fascism in a democracy--shows he does not honor authority and integrity of the democratic process.

Considering the fact that Trump cheated on his first wife with his second wife--shows he does not honor authority or commitment to his vows.

Considering the fact that Trump has so many pending lawsuits (74 at present count) against him--shows he has no respect for authority, commitment, or integrity.

Considering the fact that Trump has openly denigrated so many different groups of people--shows he has no love in his heart for others who do not look like him.

Now, considering the choices we have for president--should we be more concerned about "emails" or temperament; emails or predatory behavior; emails or sociopathic behavior; emails or narcissistic racism; emails or alleged pedophile (December 16, 2016 court case); emails or what's in the best interest of the country for everyone--not just a handful; emails or measuring the worth of the candidate with The Word as the benchmark?

Anyone who is voting "party" as a priority over "country" reveals some serious character flaws in judgment.

The facts are what they are--both candidates have lied, but only one is promoting fear-mongering, hatred and bigotry--on a consistent basis. God knows and if people are open to hearing God speak to their hearts--they'll hear what He has to say over all the noise and clamor of "church folks" and those who would jeopardize the security of a nation in order to prove loyalty to a political party--who has done nothing but obstruct the process of democracy for the last six years.

People have a choice to make and I pray they will consider all the factual evidence (not innuendo) before casting a vote. A lot can happen in four years--we can experience peace and forward movement or total decimation of the democratic way of life. I have already chosen the path of peace because love trumps hate every day!

Do We Understand?

Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked, but those who heed it resist them. Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully. Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse. A discerning son heeds instruction, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father. Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor. If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable. Proverbs 28:4-9 NIV

When we are given specific, implicit instructions as to how to live to please God and ignore them, we're opening the door for Satan to walk in and rule. And we see this on a regular basis.

To backtrack our history for just a moment, within the educational systems, across the nation, we see the result of taking prayer out of the schools. When this country allowed a demented woman to convince lawmakers that "prayer in schools" was a violation of the constitutional rights of others, Satan and all his imps--stood on the sidelines--cheering, and turning somersaults, salivating at the opportunity for destroying the minds of the young. Gone--respect of teachers or anyone in authority; teens who feel like misfits deciding to take the lives of innocent people, and many school buildings are more like--airports--with metal detectors at the doors and security personnel searching back packs. Can we see them?

When sociologists decided that "corporal discipline" was child abuse, lawmakers once again (blinded by Satan's plans) told parents their kids couldn't be spanked. As a result, we have a society in which kids rule because parents are afraid to discipline them and when parents have no control over kids, neither does anyone else. When we take away authority of parents--we set our society up for failure. Do we see it?

Then, with the outcries of another few demented people, it became unconstitutional for prayers to be said at government facilities, and school events, and other public events and don't dare mention the name--God--that apparently has the enemy so shaken that he trembles every time the name is mentioned. Even with the celebration of Christmas--the Christians' celebration of Christ's birthday, has almost been forsaken--because of the commercial aspect pervaded by all those seeking wealth. Can we see it?

And now, the group that openly and reverently honors the enemy--that master of deception--Satan--is allowed to influence young minds further, by promulgating "the nonsense of religious beliefs" as after school clubs. Parents--who were duped into believing that prayer violates constitutional rights from their earlier era, are probably the ones who will allow their children to attend, "Satan's clubs."Are we paying attention?

There is a profound difference between people being religious--ardently acting upon one's beliefs--and being a follower of Christ. Satan's followers are religious--they ardently act upon what they believe. Some Christians--ardently act upon what they say they believe--based upon the denominational doctrine. Believers in Jesus Christ--simply live according to The Word--not denominational banners. Why? Within The Word--there is life--and instructions for living life--that pleases God. So, if we're not living according to The Word, not heeding instructions, we are praising the wicked (figuratively and literally), and the prayers being offered are detestable to God.

Do we understand, yet?

Let The Lord Guide!

To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The LORD works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster. Proverbs 16:1-4 NIV

Everything happens for a reason--even when we may not understand what the reason is. A lesson should be learned from everything we do and one of the lessons learned should be--unless we do things the way God guides us to do them--chances--we won't see what we planned to happen.

One of the reasons we are often disappointed with people and with self is that we won't trust The Lord.  We hem and haw about things instead of seeking Him, hearing Him, and obeying Him, and then some even get mad at Him--when they don't obey.

We are told to not lean on our own understanding, but to trust God. Do we do that? Most of the time we don't and instead of admitting it, we keep going down a merry garden path that leads nowhere.

How do we know when we're trusting God? If we do all things according to His Word, we can see how everything lines up with His promises. For example: The Word tells us to honor parents so we'll have long life. This means we obey--Godly parents who won't tell us to do the wrong thing--and respect their judgment as they guide us through life. When we don't--we run into our own self-destructive obstacle courses and then wonder what happened. For some--their lives are cut short and for many others--they end up living beneath the promises of God--simply because of their disobedience.

Parents are the authority in our lives until we develop that right relationship with God. If we cannot obey the authority we see--right in front of us--how can we ever hope to obey God? The role of parents is to guide children--teaching them right from wrong and correcting behavior that needs adjusting and living life as an example to them. When we fail to do this--we leave ourselves open to seeing rebellion and having no foundation by which to make adjustments--other than God's Word. To think we can expect children to simply "do as we say and not as we do" is the biggest mistake any parent can make. We must be a "living example of appropriate Godly behavior" so our children can and will see God in us.

Do we make mistakes as parents? Absolutely--but most of us are quick to acknowledge the mistake and move forward.  I don't know of any perfect parents because they're all human beings--subject to falling short. But that doesn't mean they should keep falling. For as long as live--we should learn from our mistakes and when we don't--we keep doing the same thing over and over again--expecting a different result--which is the definition of insanity.

The simplest solution for correcting or adjusting what we do to align with The Word--is to trust God and live according to His Word--no ifs or buts, just doing it. Let Him guide us into the place of excellence He desires and then wait for the victory to manifest itself!

Praying For Those In Authority!

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. I Timothy 2:1-4 NKJV

Whatever we do and however we do, we must have a purpose. For without purpose, we are merely marking time--waiting to see which way the wind will blow or the dice will roll. This is what happens we act without understanding and purpose--anything goes and we simply accept it.

However, in this passage of scripture--Paul's letter to Timothy--we see instructions given for those in authority and the purpose. The purpose in this case is that God desires all to be saved and come into the knowledge of truth. Of course truth is a philosophy of its own, but for now, we'll concentrate on God's Truth as the only means by which anyone can be saved.

Now--here's the million dollar question--in recent weeks regarding the presidential campaigning--who has exhibited the most godly character in speaking to the people at town hall meetings, during debates and in their campaign ads?

Granted, I understand some people have made of their minds simply because of their frustrations and bitterness against the current President, but is that a reason to vote "willy-nilly" for a clown who has demonstrated disrespect and disregard for other human beings? For anyone who does not understand authority should certainly be put in a position of authority over others. And every time ungodliness opens its mouth, the evidence is heard.

If ungodliness wins the election, then it means those who know The Lord were not praying for righteous authority, for the prayers of the righteous avails much. We can and we must pray for the office of authority and anyone residing in it. Why? So we can lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness--not ungodliness--knowing how to love one another and respect all.

Our prayer for the office(s) of authority should include the reign of Holy Spirit over whoever sits in a position of authority. For those seeking authority, our prayer should include a willingness for them to seek wisdom from God and to hear and obey Holy Spirit in all matters. 

Father,

In the name of Jesus, we pray for every person seeking or in a position of authority in every walk of life, but we especially pray for those who seek to lead this great nation. Holy Spirit take up residence in the White House and make Your presence known from the top to the bottom. Lord, open every person's spiritual ears and touch every heart--giving them a desire to seek You in every situation and the Wisdom that only You can provide--having them hear Holy Spirit when He speaks and then obeying without hesitation. For we know when godliness reigns in the hearts of men and women, peace will prevail and confusion will have no place to dwell. We thank You for hearing and responding to this prayer and speaking to the hearts of all who agree. Amen!

Praise The Lord and Be Blessed!

"Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion, He who is the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 134)

Who are the servants of The Lord?

All those who proclaim to accept the Work on the Cross as a means of reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ are the servants of The Lord--those who are obedient to His Word--proclaiming what He says to all. If then, we are servants of The Lord--giving Him rulership over our lives, why do we find it so difficult to obey--Our Lord--one who governs?

The simple answer is most people don't understand how Lordship functions as it once did in England and in other nations. It certainly doesn't have a place in the United States because we won't allow anyone to be "Lord over our lives" and we certainly won't allow Holy Spirit to govern us. When a person was "the Lord" over property (a region, however designated by a king), he was the authority in the lives of those who lived on his land. Here, in America, we seem to forget that when we accept The Word on the Cross, and Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we give Him authority over our lives. A relationship with Jesus is a matter of the heart, not the head (or mind) and we allow Him to govern when we accept His Lordship; if we don't allow Him to be Lord, all we've done is to be religious and ritualistic.

I'll be the first to admit than granting someone else authority over my life is challenging and almost impossible when it comes to mere mortals. Yes, I obey the laws of the land when they don't conflict with my relationship with God. But I will not obey the laws of the land when they are in opposition to God's Word. That's settled in heaven for me. But when we cannot obey God's Word because we are more concerned about what people think or being politically correct, then we are not servants of The Lord because Jesus is not our Lord and we therefore lie--if we say He is.

When we're in a worship service--who are we praising--God or man? Do we lift our hands in praise because we really want to honor God or we simply obeying the dictates of others who have tell us what to do?

Even if we're not willing to admit where we are in our relationship with God--He knows--He knows our heart. And He knows if we only lift our hands because someone else directed us to to do so, our hearts don't belong to Him.

I can lift my hands wherever I am--and often do so when I think about just how good He is. I don't need anyone to prompt me to lift my hands or raise my voice in praise of the God who loved me enough, to come down from heaven, hang on a cross and die for me--in spite of me--and still loves me.

O that men and women and children would really understand how wonderful it is to be loved when we are not worthy! O that those who proclaim to love Jesus would be more obedient to His Love! O that all would begin to worship Him in spirit and in truth! What a wonderful, blessed world this would be if all would honor Him as Lord, obey, and love! Give Him praise and be blessed!

Believers' Instructions for Daily Living (Part 4)

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation" Then you will shine among them likes stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain." (Philippians 2:12-16 NIV)

Did you ever think about the phrase--"when the cat is away the mice will play" and what it means? In this analogy, the cat is the authority and the mice the subservient to the cat. So, while the cat is in their presence, they do what they must do--play hide and seek to keep from being destroyed. When the cat is away--the mice roam freely and are totally unconcerned about being caught.

Some people honor the authority in their lives only when the authority is present--right there--can't be missed. Employees will do their jobs while the boss is in their office, but if the boss is out of the office, many can hear a collective sigh of relief and most get lazy and lounge--doing absolutely nothing.

When teachers are out of their classrooms for a day or days--a substitute teacher can count on not getting anything done because the students have determined--the teacher isn't here and we don't have to do any work--even if work was left for them to do. I've heard all the stories--"the sub lost it; I didn't know we had to turn it in, the sub didn't give us any work, I took it home and forgot to bring it back." Students make up so many excuses for not doing work that they could have saved themselves some time by simply doing the work.

Paul understood that when he was around, the people honored his presence and he's commending them on doing so and encouraging them to keep on doing the right thing--whether he's there or not. And that is what all Believers should be doing, right now. Living like we know (because it's true) that God is present--in our midst at all times--and we should do the right thing at all times.

I know many won't understand this because they're thinking on a carnal level. "I can't be good all the time." Yes, we can. When we know God's Word and have a relationship with Him, we can be good all the time. The thing that keeps us from being good is our flesh--when we give in to temptation to fit in with others who don't know Him. I'm guilty--not intentionally, but guilty nonetheless.
Sometimes, my flesh overrides my spirit and I'm immediately impressed by Holy Spirit that I need to repent for the things I allow to escape through my lips. "Grieve not the Holy Spirit" I hear every time I mess up. The bottom line is--I'm more careful to not mess up, but when I do, He reminds me--He's right there and hears everything I say and sees everything I do.

The biggest problem for Believers is when they tend to act like God can't see or is deaf. He's always in the midst of everything we do and yes--He can see and hear it all. Now, we have a decision to make--to honor Him at all times, recognizing His presence or to act like He's only around in church on Sundays. It's our choice, and the world needs us to make it right now--for our time on this side of eternity is almost over and we have many souls to introduce to Jesus before He returns. 
Let's do all things as unto The Lord, desiring to please Him only!

Are You Convinced?

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39 NIV)

With all of the negative, depressive, and oppressive media reports we see and hear on a daily basis, it's difficult to understand how we could be convinced of anything good. Every day--rumors of unrest and violence all over the world--Afghanistan, Pakistan, all over the land from the middle to the far corners of the world--we seldom hear good news.

How we function as children of The Most High should not be predicated upon "world news" but by The Word of God--the Good News--that no matter what happens here on earth, nothing--absolutely nothing shall separate us from the love of God.

And one of the things we need to stop doing is bashing where we live--in America. Instead of complaining about the negative events--we should be praying for God to fill all with His wisdom and love--so we can live in peace. When we rise up against authority--whether we like the authority or not--we put ourselves in a position to not receive God's blessings because of our disobedience.  That's right--it is disobedient to rise up against authority (unless the authority is totally ungodly).

I see constant denigrating remarks about the President by people who claim to be Christians. Their remarks cause me to wonder if indeed they are followers of Jesus Christ. That is not to say they should agree with everything the President does, but it does mean we should not stoop to name-calling and cartoon caricatures that are demeaning. When other countries see our lack of respect for elected leadership, they sit back and laugh at all of us--waiting for disaster that is bound to happen.

So, since it is obvious the President is not hearing or listening to God--let's pray for him.

Since no one in Congress is doing their job--we need to pray that people will elect those who will.

Since those sitting on the Supreme Court have lost sight of their purpose as it pertains to upholding laws--not changing them, we need to pray for them--that they'll repent and hear God.

Since there are people who think they have a right to take lives--indiscriminately, we need to pray for them.

Since there are people who think they are superior to others--we need to pray for them.

Since there are people who live in total submission to those who have enticed them with evil, we need to pray for them.

Since there are people with idiotic notions about family, education, and raising children--we need to pray for them.

Since there are people on this planet who think everything should be given to them--we need to pray for them.

There are so many things we need to pray about and people who need prayer--direct instruction from God--and if we were praying, we wouldn't have time to denigrate others--in any way.

Nevertheless, we know these things are happening and no matter what--whether people stop hating or not, stop killing or not, stop being foolish or not, nothing--absolutely nothing shall separate those who truly love God from His presence or His love.

I am convinced--especially since I know the end of the story--in the end we who Believe God, win--and while we wait for the victory of ascending to heaven, we can live this life, knowing we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.

Are you convinced? If not, get into The Word and know--not just believe, but know He is our risen Savior and we can do all things well through Him.

Why Jesus said, "I Have The Authority to Judge."

"And He has given Him authority to judge because He is the Son of man." (John 5:27 NIV)

Who gave who authority to judge? God the Father, gave God the Son the authority to judge based upon the Father's Word. Lots of Word today since I know most reading this blog won't read the entire chapter for themselves, but I'll try to make it as concise as I can, without distorting the intent.

John 5:19-26 (some paraphrased for brevity)

v.19 The Son can do nothing by himself; he can only what He sees his father doing, because whatever the Father does, the Son also does (or says).

v.20 The Father loves the Son and has shown Him all He does...

v.21  Just like the Father raises the dead as gives them life, the Son gives life to whom He pleases.

v.22 The Father judges no one, but trusts all judgement to the Son.

v.23 So all may honor the Son as much as they honor The Father. If they don't honor the Son, they don't honor the Father who sent Him.

v.24 Whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

v.25 A time will come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live (for eternity).

v.26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

In a nutshell, Jesus was responding to the religious group once again, who were trying to kill Him because He dared to heal on the Sabbath. He told them that they shouldn't be amazed at the things He did because He was only doing what The Father said do. If they believed God the Father, then they should believe The Son whom the Father had sent to give people a choice for eternal life.

Basically, what He was saying is that if you believe God, then believe me because I don't do anything of my own accord, but have been given authority by the Father to say and do what must be done--even to the point of judging who receives eternal life and who is not.

He goes to talk about those who will be judged--those rising after death to live and those rising after death to be condemned.

v. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear (what the Father says), and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him to who sent me.

The most important lesson we can learn from Jesus is saying is that, if we believe God the Father, then we should believe God the Son and if we don't believe the Son, we can't believe the Father.
Instead of doing all we can to please ourselves (and pacify people), we should be more concerned about pleasing God and in doing so, assuring our eternal resting place in heaven.

It's not rocket science and we don't need academic degrees to understand this. We simply need to have a right relationship with God and allow Him to speak to our hearts so we'll understand--by faith--all He says in His Word. That requires having an experience with God so He can reveal Himself to us and convict us of sin, so our desire will be to please Him.

It is not having a religious affiliation with any group that will save us. We are saved from eternal condemnation by receiving Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives and understanding the work on the cross--His blood shed for us--the ultimate sacrifice and demonstration of love, by Love.

If we claim to know God without knowing and understanding His Word, we lie. If we claim to know what Jesus said and meant without knowing God, we lie. When we know Him--Father and Son--we understand how He wants us to live by understanding His Word, and we will not promote sin as right--nor will we live in sin, expecting not to be judged. 

More about what Jesus said and why, next time!

Why Jesus said, "These Words You Hear Are Not My Own!"

"Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These Words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." (John 14:23,24 NIV)

During a discussion in which Jesus was talking to His disciples (those who followed Him), He promised them the Holy Spirit, who would come to be with them, speaking to their hearts, reminding them of all they had been taught, after He returned to heaven. This is what He said to them that led to Him reminding them, He had not said a word that had not been given to Him by His Father and that He did not speak of His own accord.

John 14: 15-21
 v. 15 If you love me, keep my commands. 
v. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you be with you forever.
v. 17 The Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
v. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
v. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
v.20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
v.21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."
v. 22. Then Judas (not Judas iscariot) said,"But Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world."

For them who have an ear to hear and eyes to see, let them listen, and read with understanding.

Those who walked with Jesus were getting a lesson from Him--a lesson that should have answered all their questions about His authority. Basically, He let them know that He had not said anything that His Father had not given Him to say. Of course, the Father He referenced was God Himself. He was making it clear to them--those who followed His teachings then and those who follow them, now--that He and the Father were One and whatever the Father said, He said.

He made it clear to them that if they claimed to love God or Him, they would obey what they were told. If they didn't obey, they proved they did not love Him or the Father. They are One in purpose and intent for the benefit of mankind.

For those who think--especially those whose mantra is--"Jesus just said 'love,' think again. With love, comes responsibility and accountability on any level. The responsibility and accountability for those who say they love Jesus, but will not obey, are also saying, they hate God. This is the attitude of the world--the unbelievers--who ignore God's Word and say wrong is right and right is wrong. They do not know God and they certainly don't understand they could not love Jesus, who was God in the flesh.

When parents love their children--that love is demonstrated with the responsibility they have for the care and upbringing of their children. They are held accountable by our society to do the right thing. Now, if we hold mere human parents responsible for their children, why would we ignore God's responsibility to His children. If we belong to Him, we are His children. I would encourage all to seek God's wisdom, and re-read all of John and I Corinthians 13 to understand God's definition of love--what it does.

Love--that four letter word that the enemy has perverted with "lust" means more than just a carnal attraction to another person; it comes with responsibility and our accountability--beginning with loving God and being accountable to Him. If we don't love Him--who is Love--how can we possibly say, we love anyone else? "If we love Him, we'll keep His commandments--to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love one another as we love ourselves." If we love God, we won't sin against Him (first five commandments as given to Moses), and if we love one another, we won't commit acts of sin that negatively impact each other (the last five commandments).

God loved us enough to die for us (John 3:16) and so the least we can do--for those who say, they know Him, is to live for Him, a daily demonstration of who He is in living right before Him and others.

For those who don't know God or refuse to believe Him and obey; judgment has already been established and the lake of fire--awaits.

More on what Jesus said and why, next time.

Giving God His Rightful Place In Our Lives!

LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago." (Isaiah 25:1 NIV)

When we honor God, by recognizing who He is in our lives and praise Him for it, He honors His Word to us. When the prophet was speaking to God, he acknowledged God's authority over his life and deliberately exalted Him and praised for others to hear, proclaiming His faithfulness in all things.

When we call Him, "Lord" we are acknowledging the authority we have given Him over our lives--as defined by the use of the word at the time King James authorized that translation. Lords of the land, governed and provided for those who lived on the land. Since God is our provider, and we have given Him authority over our lives, He is rightly declared--Lord.

We exalt Him--lift Him up and declare all of His wonderful works--His provisions and the miracles He works in our lives. No one else deserves the praise for what He does--He inspires, He corrects, He motivates, He pours into His wisdom, He gives us favor with men, He never leaves us alone and His Word is true for He is not a man that He should lie or change His mind.

His faithfulness towards is enduring--everlasting and without measure. All He said He would do, He does--in His timing, not ours. All of His plans, decided before we were born, will be brought to pass when we hear Him and obey. For He has said, through the prophet Jeremiah, "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and give you a future."

His plans--will be fulfilled--when we seek Him first--before doing anything, hear and obey. Whenever we're not sure of what we should be doing, we need to ask Him. And we need not be afraid to approach Him boldly because He has given us permission to do so and when we do as He desires, He knows He can trust us to do what He wants us to do.

We serve an awesome God, who only wants the best for us and He's waiting for us to turn to Him and trust Him, implicitly. Can we give Him His rightful place as Lord of our lives and trust Him to provide--not only everything we need, but also to give us the desires of our hearts when we please Him?

He's waiting with open arms to receive us as His own. Why are waiting to give Him what is rightfully His--Lordship over our lives and praise for all He has done and will do?

If we have yet to make that decision--to give Him His rightful place--Lord of our lives, today is a good day to make that decision. Reading beyond the first verse of this chapter, we understand that even the destruction of lands who ignore Him or won't obey Him is part of His plans for disobedience. Today is the day--don't wait another moment--accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and know where you'll spend eternity.

Having Authority!

"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." (Luke 10:19 NIV)

The missionary report from the seventy-two who went out and proclaimed the Good News and healed those who were sick was good, but the Jesus reminded them--they rejoiced over the wrong thing, the submission of the demons to them at the name of Jesus. This they did when Jesus was with them. Now, as a cautionary note, Jesus went on to tell them, rejoice in the fact that their names were written in the book of life--not just in having authority over demons, while He was with them.

They had authority to trample on snakes--unaware of their existence, not by tempting the devil with foolishness--and not be harmed. He gave them authority--to overcome anything the enemy attempted to do them and promised them, nothing would harm them--this He did while He was with them.

Before He left to return to His place in heaven, he told the twelve (notice the reduction in numbers who operated with power), that greater works we would do--after He left, than they did while He was with them.

One of the reasons the Church of Jesus Christ is weakened and often thwarted by the enemy is because we think--the power is in the numbers. The power is not in how many people attend the building, but the power and authority is in the faith of the Believer--individually. Now, where two or three--faith-filled people gather, there is nothing they cannot accomplish when they do all in His name.

The power and authority we have is activated by our agreement with another faith-filled believer and being on one accord with Holy Spirit for the results. When we practice what we say we believe, we see the results of having power through Holy Spirit and know we cannot go wrong when we allow Him to lead.

If we want change in our society, change in our schools, change in our homes and change in our governments, we must practice the authority we have in Jesus' name by coming into agreement with other Believers, guided by Holy Spirit, and then sit back and watch Him work it out--for our good!

Before we can actively, consciously do anything in order to operate in His authority, we must Know The Word, Pray The Word, and Preach The Word, in season and out, whether people want to hear it or not (Paul's instructions to Timothy work for us today) and do all we do to the glory of God! That's Having authority!

Inspired, Prepared, and Equipped!

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16, 17 NLT)

I love it when I can go to The Word and be encouraged, when so many people make discouragement their past time. For all who claim that the Bible is merely a book and should have no bearing on our lives, proves they have not read what they attempt to refute. 

Yes, the Bible is a book--a book that is a record of not only man's history (snap-shot version), but a record of all God has ever done for those He loves.

No, the Bible is not a novel and should never be read as though it was. For those who attempt to read it as such, they will discover (if their comprehension is finely tuned) that the chronology of events is not based on a sequential timeline nor is the layout of bible.

No, the Bible is not a book of fiction and for one to ascertain the truth of this statement, one needs to merely situate a credible history book beside the events that occur in the bible. It is a snap-shot record of historical events, divinely inspired to make sure Believers understand how God moved among His people throughout that history.

Yes, the Bible or book of scriptures as some would call it--was written by the hands of man (mankind), but inspired by God who spoke to whoever was willing to listen.

I've heard some say that there are too many translations saying too many things and so they refuse to believe any of it. That is truly sad. No matter how many versions of the bible are produced, none of the essence of what God has said or how He wants us to live--will ever change. Now, when people manipulate the "intent" of God's Word, that is an entirely different matter. For a number of reasons, some have felt the need to: remove gender, remove references of hell, and to remove references of sin. For them--judgment before God will be swift since their intent is to deceive and deception is influenced by the devil. It really takes having a Relationship with God to understand how He operates versus how man thinks about what He does.

Some have said they do not believe the King James Version because he was gay. He may have been; I wasn't around. What they have overlooked is the fact that regardless of his "sexual orientation," the king did not write the version--he authorized its translation from the original languages (Hebrew and Greek). His purpose in having the bible translated into "the King's English" was to make sure ordinary people could understand it (which happens to be why many are producing bibles in more contemporary language, but not manipulating the intent of the words).

Thank You, Father for inspiring people to write what You say, preparing us to live a life that is pleasing to You, and equipping us to do so through Holy Spirit's direction and guidance. Hallelujah!

Having The Authority!

"He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say." (Titus 2:14,15 NLT)

Paul's letter to Titus and all other ministers of the Gospel deserves constant review. In this passage, Paul reminds Titus that Jesus gave His life so we would be free from sin "every kind of sin" and that we should be committed to doing good deeds. Then, he goes on to say, remind Titus that he is to teach these things and encourage others "to do" them and when necessary, use the authority he has "to correct" others.

For those who think that preachers or believers are judging when they observe sinful behavior, think again. All believers (we should all be ministers of the Gospel) have the authority to correct others when they see other believers not living according to God's plan--not man's. Using the authority we have to correct others is not a judgment--as some would have us believe--it is a responsibility to the Body of Christ so that we remain free from sin.

Of course, there will be those who think that whenever a Believer calls anything sin, they are just judging them.  The fact they think we are judging them actually shows they have been convicted of their behavior and simply want to rebel against the conviction in their spirits because they know they are wrong, but don't want to admit it.

Think about how rebellious children act "when caught in the act" of doing something wrong. The first thing they do is "deny the obvious" and then expect whoever caught them to believe them. Now, I know some will immediately think of the "woman who as caught in the very act of adultery" who was brought to Jesus. Notwithstanding her criticizers did not bring the man she was "supposedly caught with," but she never denied any wrong doing and simply waited for Jesus to decree her fate. And when He did, "those holding stones had to drop them" because they were as guilty as she of sin, but had not been caught. He did not berate her after all her accusers left, He simply told her "to go and not to sin any more."

In other words--He used His authority to correct the crowd and the woman, forgiving her of sin and admonishing her to stop doing what she doing. Every believer has the same authority--to correct and admonish--encouraging others to receive God's forgiveness and to stop committing acts of sin. Are we doing this or are we allowing ourselves to be persuaded to "let it ride."

If Believers--all over the world--would simply exercise the authority we have been given, we would see peace in the land as we "lived" the life before others and corrected them when we see wrongdoing.We are not responsible for others accepting what we say, but we do have a responsibility to say what God says--about any and all things--pertaining to Godly living.

Lord, help us to be more like You in all we do all the days of our lives!

Teaching With Authority (Part 3)

FOR THIS REASON—no one should be allowed to teach anything to unsuspecting people when they have not been qualified and have proved they know what they’re talking about. It is not a sin to get education to teach God’s Word; it is not sin to study The Word with other books in-hand. It’s not sin to ask for help when one doesn’t understand—how to make distinctions in the eras and what was said, to whom and why. It is not a sin to question—this is how we learn! Of course, when we ask of God, He gives us direction, instructions, and corrects through Holy Spirit when we are willing to hear and receive.

Okay, the bottom line is this—Jesus taught with real authority because He knew exactly what He was talking about because He was acting with the authority of God! Imagine that! God gives us authority through Holy Spirit and we, too—can teach with real authority—the ability to simplify with practical analogies so everyone can understand.

So, here’s the question—especially for those in leadership positions teaching—are people amazed with your teaching with authority? If you’re just memorizing scripture to throw in at appropriate places—you have no authority. If you’re just mimicking what others have done—you have no authority. If you’re just preaching from someone else’s book or articles, you have no authority. If you have no authority and people recognize it—they are not going to be amazed with your teaching. If you have no real authority backing up everything you say, you’re not even amazed at your teaching—it’s just something you do to take up time.

If you really want to amaze people and please God at the same time—allow Holy Spirit to provide you with the authority you need in teaching The Word—giving God the glory, and not you or other people. God is not a respecter of persons and if we are truly His children, what He did for one, He’ll do for the rest of us—empower us to teach with real authority.