Hey, sorry I'm just now updating. Last week was great. In Acts, the gospel has now moved on to the Gentiles, which is a major shift and not taken well by the Jewish leaders of the synagogue. Peter is imprisoned, but God does a miraculous work in setting him free all while the local body of Christ is diligently praying for his rescue. (read Acts 12!) Let's see.. King Herod tries to steal God's Glory in Acts 12 and God will not put up with it. (may it be a lesson to us all, God takes sin and His Glory very seriously; hence.. Jesus's crucifixion)...
... Acts 12 really is an amazing chapter, but the thought that I want to share with you the most comes from Acts 13. Here we see that Paul and Barnabas are sent off for work the Lord has called them to (Acts 13:2) and they go, but as they come to a place, they don't come as we usually do when we approach evangelizing or sharing our faith. They take authority over wherever they are. They aren't rude or disrespectful, but they let it be known they have authority. They act with authority, and the reason is because they do actually have all authority. It's not a strategy or a mind game they come up with on their own. "ALL AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Jesus)....and behold, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, to the end of the age." -Matthew 28:18-20. We must wrap our heads around this concept that the whole earth and everything in it is under God's Authority. I think sometimes we see the battle between good and evil, and we make satan out to be God's counterpart (like they are equal opposites), but he is not. Satan is not allowed to do anything, except that which God allows him to do. Read in Job where satan has to ask permission to test God's servant Job. Without God allowing it, satan can do nothing. Satan has no authority over our God! So, with that said, we have to remember that everything is God's. We cannot look at the bars, strip joints, prostitution houses, and slums and say, "That's satan's territory". NO IT'S NOT!!! Satan may temporarily be reigning in that place, but IT IS NOT HIS!! Too many times we walk into a dark place, feel the presence of evil, get uncomfortable and say nothing. This doesn't have to be in an dark "place"; it may be walking into a conversation that you know is shedding no light and nothing but darkness is coming from it. When you stumble upon a conversation like that, does the subject quickly change? Is the authority of Christ made known (w/ or without words)??? If you have the Spirit of God living in you, you have all authority in heaven and on earth with you. May our coward hearts believe this and stop running from people and places that have no authority at all. Do we not trust that God himself can handle any situation? Do we really have the faith that we proclaim we do? I pray for whoever is reading this to have boldness to truly believe this and walk in the Authority of God. AMEN.
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