January 15, 2025

We recently preached 'Ten Essential Aspects of The Holy Spirit':  

1. God's presence in us, or in a church, or in the Jerusalem temple per Ezekiel 8-11 is an objective assessment;
2. The Holy Spirit cleans up our whole temple, our whole inner person from the inside out;
3. The nature of the Holy Spirit is that He overflows;
4. Holy Ghost baptism brings the gift of discernment- there for the asking and taking;
5. The Holy Spiritual whets our spiritual appetite for the receipt of Holy Ghost Baptism;
6. The Holy Ghost is "another [second] advocate and he sticks up for all of us;"
7. The Holy Spirit gives us rest and consolation;
8. The Holy Spirit is always communicating with humanity;
9. Holy Spirit baptism gives all the faithful at least one ministerial gift;
10. The Holy Spirit reveals an inner beauty, literally an inner grace and inner joy and strength.

https://www.zionopentecostmission.com/ten-essentials-of-the-holy-spirit.html

Today we're preaching number 11.

11. God Shares His Spiritual Ministerial Jurisdiction Based on Personal Faith, His Revealed Word And Spirit of God:

Key Hebrew Scriptures

"So God created mankind in his own [Spiritual] image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Genesis1,27 NIV

"Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. "Genesis2,19 NIV

"Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." Genesis15,5 NIV"

"When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates- the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” Genesis15,17-20 NIV

"Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpeh and Shen. He named it Ebenezer [stone of help, witness to the helping grace of God to Israel and its leading teacher], saying, "Thus far has the Lord helped us. So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Phlistines had captured from Israel were restored to her, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the power of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. Samuel continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also judged Israel. And he built an alter there to the Lord." 1Samuel 7,12-17 NIV

Key New Testament Scriptures 

"I have come in my father's name [ie I have total jurisdiction] and you refuse to accept me; if another comes in his own name [no jurisdiction] you accept him." John5,43 

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew16,15-19 NIV

"As the Father has sent me, so I send you. 22 When he has said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'receive the Holy Spirit.' If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them, if you retain the sin of any, they are retained.' " John20,21c-22

"Go [Ananias], for this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel. I myself with show him how much he must suffer for my name." Acts9,15. NJB

"After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” Acts27,21-25

"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable [eternal Spiritual seed, which bears fruit as it breaks out of its seed shell and renders us fit to bear and use God's ministerial jurisdiction], through the living word of God." 1Peter1,23 NIV 

Getting Spiritual Jurisdiction? (aka Spiritual Dominion)
The Lord Jesus gave me three more essential aspects of the Holy Spirit. These three may be a little more challenging than the first ten- but no less fruitful. So if we all hang in there- we will have a faith breakthrough that takes us to a higher level of bible wisdom and knowledge.

The first of these three more essential aspects of the Holy Spirit, or Number 11 if you prefer, is that God chooses and makes Christian leaders by granting them ministerial jurisdiction through filling them with the Holy Spirit so they can carry out their Ephesians 4 office or offices, and, or use their Spiritual gift or gifts (1Peter4,10; 1Corinthians12,7).

This ministerial jurisdiction is God's sovereign choice after seeing and testing the personal saving faith and obedience of the person. 

This ministerial jurisdictional grant subsists of all necessary supernatural favor to carry out his or her offices, and or use his or her gift(s)- so long as we remain faithful and obedient unto the Word and the Spirit of God who empowers us.

Spiritual jurisdiction- the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus- in us fully- is the foundation of what Jesus meant when he said  "without me you can do nothing." John15,5

What Does Jurisdiction Mean?

I will give a couple of brief examples. Every court and court system has jurisdiction over certain types of cases in a certain geographical area. In Connecticut we have a Supreme court, the highest court, and an Appellate court under it that hears appeals. Then there are our state "Superior" courts where most civil lawsuits are initiated. Civil courts hear all kinds of disputes claiming money damages. Family courts deal with property settlements and divorces and adoptions and custody and visitation matters. There are also criminal, housing and small claims courts. The latter regards a claim for $5k and less in damages.

And there are also federal courts too in each state.

All these courts have their own jurisdiction, in a particular geographical area, to hear particular matters. When your case fits the jurisdiction, and the type of law at issue, the court grants you "standing." That is, it recognizes your right to bring or defend claims based on the nature, the applicable law, and location of the matter.

In the right court- you have jurisdiction- and thus that court can sort out the responsibilities of all parties. 

So say in a family-domestic matter the family court in a partular state or county has jurisdiction, and each of the spouses are parties. In some extraordinary cases even the children have jurisdiction to have their individual rights especially protected. In that case, the court appoints an attorney, a guardian ad litem, to be at the side of the child, so that his or her best interests are protected. 

Here's an example of jurisdiction from our national history. We live in the good old USA. We fought the Revolutionary War between 1775-1783 to release ourselves from the religious and political, legal and judicial jurisdictions of the crown of England. These royal jurisdictions left the American colonies and colonists at the lowly beck and call the English crown. The colonies each had individual charters, or contracts, whereby the English royalty, the jurisdiction giver, determined the rights and privileges and limited jurisdictional breath and powers of each colony based on what the crown wanted from them.

The colonies brought the European concept of state religion to our new world. Thank God we didn't accept "state" religions for very long here. State religions always intrude on our God given rights to freedom of conscience and to have any religion- or no religion at all. The Massachusetts Bay Colony- with its claim to both secular and religious and legal jurisdiction- banished Roger Williams- who was on track to be one of their top leaders until his beliefs outgrew the colony.

So, after he was banished, he created our first Christian separation of church and state in Rhode Island at Providence.

Connecticut and Massachusetts abandoned their state religions in 1818 and 1817 respectively. Williams in 1636 barely escaped with his life due to his non conforming views in relation to the state religion of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. John Barry wrote and excellent book about him. "Roger Williams And the Creation of the American Soul"  2012 PenquinRandom House. Williams was banished in the dead of winter- and escaped with the help of a tip by a leading politician, a governor of the colony, if my memory serves. So he trudged south and founded Providence, the first city and place in America, and perhaps the world, that definitively and fully separated- by the dictate of divine providence- the jurisdiction of religious government from secular government.

Thank God for Roger Williams. There is a private college named after him in Bristol Rhode Island.

US Revolutionary War Was A Jurisdictional Fight

So we fought a war against England to replace the one sided jurisdictional charters suffered by the colonies. These didn't give us much power to live in freedom- economically, politically and religiously. Having physically left the jurisdictional territorial based state religions and governments of Europe, we "Americans" in time grew to want something different: to create our own government and our own private churches pursuant to our own particular political and religious jurisdictional powers, with ministerial rights given directly to us from God not from folks claiming to be kings and to have both the political and religious favor of God.

We US based Christians in the 21st century have one king. His name is Jesus. He alone is king of kings, and Lord of Lords. 

So our Revolutionary War in large part was about shrugging off Europe's elitist and overeaching political and religious jurisdictions in favor for our own new world political and religious jurisdictions. We wanted to form our own limited Government that protected all people, where every adult citizen had a voice at the ballot box, and no one had more or less rights than anyone else.

And we also wanted a culture and society free of all the various forms of political and religious coercion that is rife with any union of state and church.

This is our US history.

Some say we are a 'Christian nation" even now. No, we are a nation founded on freedom of religion, that has- thank God- a lot of Christians. And also, thank God, we are a people and nation that is very good at spreading the gospel around the nation and the world.

It has been a bit rough and tumble arguing about who has the rightful political jurisdiction in our federal system- the states or the federal government- and we can't forget local jurisdictions either.

States have had many of their jurisdictional powers diminished in the last 100 years and it's a healthy discussion to not to let our federal government get so unwieldly that people lose their power and agency where they actually live and work, and where their kids go to school.

Similarly, the Christian religious history in the good old USA also includes the ongoing discussion about whether the primary jurisdiction of the Christian church is at the local, or some other larger level. https://zionpentecostmission.com/all-church-is-local.html

A lot of Christians read the New Testament as teaching that the primary jurisdiction of the Christian church is at the local level. This is what I teach. Others see church as denominational or a corporate or a business based jurisdiction, with the corporation capable of being as jurisdictionally big as its lawful territory within a nation, or region of a nation.

However, many Christians- by custom and practice of the historic church- believe it is not primarily governed at the local- or at the parish level if you will- but from a larger geographical region of a church's choosing.

If you believe according to the bible that the church is governed at the local level you probably wouldn't ever concede your private local church jursidiction to any sort of national church, or any other larger church, here or elsewhere. You would remain independent.

As to an official national church in the USA, this seems to go against our history and invites us- or tempts us- into jurisdictional overreach- that tends towards the mire, perils and false political crusades of state churches throughout the ages.

State churches are one of the things we eventually left behind in Europe- because by and large- we want our individual and church rights more than we want a dogmatic national church that will inevitably step on the religious rights of anybody who doesn't believe accordingly.

Individual civil rights and the rights to freedom of religion mean no official national religions allowed. Thank God for religious tolerance and pluralism and free speech and association in the good old USA. We'll get our blessed and joyful fill of the total rule and reign of Jesus in His earth based millennial kingdom rule from Zion with all his holy ones, Jew and gentile (Jude 14 and Zechariah 14,5, 1Thessalonians3,10), after Jesus comes back to judge the earth and wins the battle of Armageddon (Revelation19,11-21).    

That said, there have also been healthy religious and judicial discussions- and judicial rulings- that rightly assert that freedom of religion doesn't mean freedom from all religion in public, which is a totally valid point.  

All in all, separate jurisdictions for state and church, and no national church and freedom of religion, or no religioin, has worked out well in the good old USA. 

Jursidictional Wrangling In Politics And Religion Is Here To Stay

But please note- the issue of the separation, or mixing of political, judicial, and religious jurisdictions- across all sorts of geographical and political boundaries is not going away any time soon in our nation, or in our modern and interconnected world.

Not The Custom Of Good Old USA To Concede Jurisdictions

We Americans, most of us, are not keen to concede power to international or globalistic jurisdictions, in faith or politics or anything. As a young nation and people we more or less enjoy our jurisdictional freedoms from overbearing religions and foreign and domestic political powers, and globalist organizations, and wealthy non government organizations (NGOs). This is especially so in our present age when anyone with a micophone- or a social media account- can stir the pot of jurisdictional power and breath in religion and politics, and cultural influence, or any other matter, anywhere in the world.

A prime example of jurisdictional political and religious wrangling- that the world is going to see a lot more of in the future- is presented by the International Criminal Court. The "ICC" is located at the Hague in the Netherlands. It was founded in 2002.

Though the genesis of the ICC came out of the UN, it is an autonomous court, accountable to itself and funded by the signatories of the so called "Rome Treaty." It is designed as a court of last jurisdiction. That is, it is not meant to take the jurisdiction of national criminal courts, but to try individuals who may be acting with impunity as to crimes- such as genocide and war crimes- which national criminal courts might be too craven or ill disposed to prosecute. 

(That said, it seems like there might be an analogy between the shortcomings of private prisons getting paid to adminster public justice as the autonomous ICC getting publicly funded by signatory nations, but more or less autonmously administering public criminal justice.)   

The ICC recently issued a warrant for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for their alleged starvation and genocide in Gaza after the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. 

The ICC, since 2January 2015, recognizes the jurisdictional statehood of Palestine- a signer of the Rome Treaty. Thus the latter per the ICC enjoys the criminal jurisdiction and protection of the ICC. But Israel never ratified the jurisdiction of the ICC over itself and presently takes issue with Hamas running Gaza.

So, on January 27, 2025 Poland is hosting International Holocaust Rememberance Day- celebrating 80 years since the liberation of Jews in the Auschwitz Concentration camp. Poland has made known that it plans to honor the ICC warrant.

So Israeli PM Netanyahu will not be going to the event.

My point here is not to comment on any such proposed ICC, or past ICC cases, but to introduce the larger point of this sermon: jurisdictional matters are crucial in all politics, law and all religion. As Christians, we teach that Christianity in governing itself should follow the jurisdictional principles of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. We will be laying out these principles as this sermon unfolds.

As to Israel submitting to the jurisdiction of any court outside Israel, Numbers23,9 is worth noting. 

In this scripture God in his sovereign word has given Israel the jurisdiction to dwell separate from the religious, political and judicial jurisdictional claims of the nations, of the gentiles: "From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations." NIV

Deuteronomy33,28 is similar: "So Isreal lived in safety, Jacob lived alone, in a land of grain and wine, whose heavens drop down dew." ESV

Final Antichrist Will Claim All Jurisdiction Over All Politics And Religion

The final and biggest international political and religious jurisidictional issue will present itself with the final antichrist in the first three and one half years of the seven year tribulation prior to Jesus' return to inaugerate the Kingdom. This final antichrist will claim transnational jurisidiction over all politics and religion and claim rule over everything. This is who our bible calls the 'man of lawlessness- or rebellion.'  

2Thessalonians2,3-4 says he will claim to be God in the church. 

In simple terms, he will claim to have jurisdiction over all of us, all nations, both politically (as we will see in a moment from Scripture) and religously while himself being the 'lawless one!' He will submit to no religious or political jurisdictions or legal jurisdictions- other than those of his own pretension- and will proclaim himself the master of all jurisdictions.

This is not a conspiracy theory, but the Word of God of what will happen in the future. As to his future claim to total jurisdiction in the church:

"Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day [day of the Lord] will not come until the rebellion [Great turning away of any bible based faith] occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple [the church!], proclaiming himself to be God." 2Thessalonians2,3-4 

This Final Antichrist will claim to have lawful and religious power in and over every jurisidiction in all the world, and he will make everyone take his "mark" before they can buy and trade (Revelation13,16-18).

As to his claim to political and religious jurisdiction, this will be way worse than what the Massacusetts Bay Colony divines did to Roger Williams. Revelation13,1-9:

"The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed [Some sort of revived empire]. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months [three and a half years, beginning of seven year tribulation]. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. NIV

9 Whoever has ears, let them hear. " NIV

Spiritual Jurisdiction Comes Directly From God

Praise Jesus, now that we have understood a little about what jurisdiction is, and recognized its importance, we can move on to preaching God's grant of Spiritual or ministerial jurisdiction to lead in the Christian movement, ie in the church.

Our God of the bible has been most fully revealed by Jesus, and He rightfully, and directly grants Spiritual jurisdiction to us Christians, on his terms, to whomever He wants to lead in His and our gospel mission of salvation to all the world. (And to anyone he want to give Holy Ghost Ministerial gifts.)  

It is in the Hebrew scriptures we first learn this: God alone, God who is Spirit, grants ministerial jurisdiction directly to his people by His Word and Spirit:

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah1,5 

While national governments, through their founding documents, grant political and legal authority and jurisdiction, God alone, who is Spirit, grants Spiritual authority and jurisdiction (Matthew 16,15ff John20,21-22).

The opening scriptures quoted and read above show that from Adam in the garden, to the patriarchs and to the Hebrew prophets etc etc-  all these folks got their call and particular religious faith office and jurisdiction right from the Holy Ghost, as God's sovereign Spiritual gift, and through Spiritual revelation as based on God's Word.

This is the biblical pattern and practice of God- for the Apostles Peter and Paul, and the rest of the Apostles, and the Christian prophets Jude and John the Revelator, and all the evangelists, and pastor teachers, and all the Christian Apostles and leaders of all stripes- since the beginning of our faith 2000 years ago- up to all of us in the vineyard today.

We are all granted ministerial jurisdiction from God, who is Spirit, from his supernatural appointment call and designation and his Holy Ghost infilling that comes to us by way of our personal faith and his revealed Word and will.

We get this Spirtitual jurisdiction directly from God- not from any political ruler, or a European court, or church board, or a state church, or Christendom of old.

Yes, Church administrators and elders- according to the Word- recognize this jurisdictional conferral by God. And certain leaders of a church often lay hands on the head of the leader after he or she has received ministerial jurisdictional directly from God. This is a biblical practice. In laying on hands, which should not be done too quickly, according to 1Timothy5,22, a church seconds God's graceful jurisdictional grant.

It seconds the already granted motion of the Holy Spirit, by praying the fullness of God's blessings upon the person.

After this ritual of "ordination," the person is "licensed" in, and by, his or her particular church.

But his or her ministerial jurisdiction, and or his or her gifts, come directly from the transferal of the supernatural Spirit of God from God and thus that person can be welcomed to use that ministerial in the body of Christ. 

Having recognized the work of God, the call and equipping, administrators of a particular church agree with God that the person has been granted Spiritual jurisdiction by God himself, and grant licensure as they see fit.

As Paul told the overseers of the Church at Ephesus at Acts20,28: "the Holy Spirit made you overseers." He didn't say "I made you overseers." He said God made you overseers. This doesn't mean the elders of the church at Ephesus were not ordained by their church it means that God, who is Spirit, gave them the jurisdictional office of overseers, elders, just as he likewise gives ministerial gift(s) to people. 

All the leaders in the Hebrew scriptures and New Testamant were chosen and made so by God Spirit, as decreed by His revealed word, and His Spirit, from Adam onward. As bearers of God's Spiritual image and likeness (to a lesser or greater degree), all Christians leaders have been essentially tasked like Adam with sharing in God's Spiritual dominion (Genesis1,27) by exercising the ministerial jurisdiction granted to them by God according to God's grace and their prior testimony cooperating with Him and his Word.

With this jurisdictional status leaders in the Christian movement can speak and act on God's behalf and represent God and His people in religious matters accordin gtho their office(s) and gift(s).

The Hebrew saints of the bible shared God's Spiritual image and likeness by having first his Word, and then His law (both spiritual things) and then also having God's Spirit on them, and around them, by way of God's favor, what we call grace.

Long before there were corporate officers laying hands on people in our modern day, there were folks like Abraham, and Jacob and Joseph in the bible that were made worthy and powerful to minister what God wanted them to, because they had His Holy Spirit favor and jurisdiction, and fellowship, not because they were perfect, but because they more or less obeyed in faith what he said to say and do.  

With God In the Flesh Ministerial Jurisdiction Given By Jesus- God In Us

With the advent of Jesus and then His resurrection, and the sending of the Spirit since Pentecost, humanity's share of God's Spiritual dominion became more interiorized. This is so because now God is in us, rather than just around us, or "on us." This God-in-us aspect of Christian revelation is promised to all by Acts2,39. This scripture promises that upon repentant faith in Jesus and our covenantal personal faithful adult water baptism by immersion in his Name- we will to us receive God's Holy Spirit in us- His Holy Ghost baptism- which is required for Christian ministry. 

And when this happens- praise God-our Christian Spiritual faith and ministerial jurisdiction is powerful and alive, and thus potentially effective- because our Spiritual image and likeness to HIM is that much stronger. And with God in us, our worldwide gospel mission is made a bit easier. This is the simple upshot and message of the day of Pentecost.

We minister in Jesus' Name and power until he raptures us, and then we come back with Him after the seven years of tribulation to reign with him in the Kingdom after the day of his judgement.

Supernatural Transfer Of Jesus' Ministerial Spirit To Individuals And Then Local Church Creates That Church

By his sovereign choice the risen Jesus deigns to share His Holy Spirit jurisdiction with us- first as individuals to personally serve Jesus and his gospel- and then as a group of individuals that gather together to start a local church. Ten people would be a Minyan, a quorom, for our Jewish forbears through whom salvation was given, so why not start up a church now with ten people?

A local church is at its most basic level a spiritual jurisdiction granted by, birthed by, and organized by, the Spirit of God, according to the Word of God.

This is the pattern from the original birth of the church at Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost, up to the present.

Garden First Spiritual Jurisdiction Created By God

The garden of Eden was God's first earthly grant of Spiritual jurisdiction. Yes, Adam was given actual power of Spiritual and physical dominion over the garden. This was epitomized by Adam's power to name all the animals at Genesis2,20. 

Out of love for us humans, God wanted to fellowship with us- to share the Spirit He alone has- with us who are made in his Spiritual image and likeness. In time- we grow to appreciate the great bounty of His love and this shared grace of our Holy Spirit fellowship with him- especially as it fuels our gospel ministry for him.  

Genesis2,15 describes God's general jurisdictional grant to Adam "Yahweh God took the man [whom he had given the breath of life] and settled him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and take care of it."

Then at Verses 16-17 God gave the rule, the Word, which if Adam followed, he would always have the right faith and Spirit, and a home to live forever with God:

"Then Yahweh God gave the man this command, 'You are free to eat of all the trees in the garden. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you are not to eat; for the day that you eat of that, you are doomed to die.' "

What's In A Name? And Naming? Spiritual Jurisdiction

Interstingly, God's jurisdictional grant to Adam includes naming the creatures God had just made. God was keen to allow Adam to participate in His creative power by this. Remember when Jacob fought God, wrestled with Him, and of course he lost, and then well Jacob limped- he lost his fight with God.

But if you'd like to try and fight God, you are welcome, but you might be left in worse shape than Jacob's limp. There comes a moment in time and a place when it's time to stop fighting God and start using the jurisdictional power of his name.

Genesis32,29 describes how fervently Jacob wanted to know God's name. He wanted to know and use God's name because this would give him a type of official jurisdictional power and influence. He could tell his friends and his fellow people "I know God's Name and you should too."

Having God's name is really good news to have and to share: 

"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." John14,12-14

Why such good news? What's in a Name? To have someone's name, or to name something, or someone, is an open door to knowing and serving and even loving that person more fully.  

You have a baby- their name is so important. Don't mess around with the name of your child! Don't give them unclean or wordly names. This is to abuse your jurisdiction to name them!

Or, you have a sweetheart? You use her name a lot! Right? It sounds so good to you. But then perhaps you make up nicknames, so you name her again, or she names you! By our reverent and life giving use of a person's name, or naming anyone, we are cooperating with God creative Spiritual power, because naming is meant to be both loving and creative, a real blessing of sorts.

If we do it with reverence and faith, we are participating in God's personal blessing and creative power on their life.   

"Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name." Genesis2,19 NIV

Whatever you call your child, or your business, or your little ranchito, that is its name. Naming is a type of Spiritual dominion, a type of Godly Spiritual jurisdiction that God shared with Adam.

And moreover, we all have this jurisdictional right to use Jesus' Name- and so enjoy the power and authority of Jesus' name.

Yes I know, it seems like we who work for churches or other Christian organizations are ministering in the name of the organization. No, we might be employed or be the founder of a religious organization- and work for it, and pay its bills and do its adminsitration, but the jurisdictional power and Spirit to do good and gospel things- to do anything good at all- comes from God Himself, who is Spirit.

It comes from using his Name with faith in Him and according to His Word and God's Spirit.   

Our Final Jurisdictional-Kingdom Name

Revelation2,17 is like the final icing on the cake for those of us- who by faith- get to the marriage supper of the lamb. This marriage supper is after the rapture of the faithful to heaven, saving us from the seven year tribulation that the world will still suffer.

But the marriage supper of the lamb (Revelation19,9)- the final celebration of the marriage, the big reception party- happens when the whole church that Jesus laid down his life for (cf Ephesians5,25-26), all the saved can attend (cf Revelation19,1 "the roar of a great multitude." And Matthew22,1 parable of the wedding feast where everyone is invited).

The whole body of believers includes Jew and gentile: all his holy ones of Zechariah14,5; Jude 14; 1Thessalonians3,13; and per Revelation19,14 the "armies" of heaven dressed in linen botth Jew and gentile. This bride includes Hebrews who died before Jesus was incarnated but who heard the gospel from Jesus after Jesus descended into the realm of the dead when he died on Calvary's cross: 1Pt3,18-20; 1Pt4,6; John5,25, Revelation1,18; Romans14,9;Ph,2,9-10, cf "Jesus Christ's activity in the realm of the dead," Catechism of NACI). The raptured bride includes also all gentile Christians who have died who will rise at the rapture with the faithful when the trump sounds. 1Thessalonnians4,13-18

All these- the Hebrew sainst, the raptured gentile church, the believers living at the time of the rapture- all these folks will return and follow the risen Jesus when he returns in judgement and inaugerates the kingdom. 

This analysis of who and when will the faithful enjoy the marriage supper of the lamb is on keeping with Luke13,30: "And people from east and west, from north and south, will come and sit down at the feast in the kingdom of God." (cf "The Marriage Feast Of The Lamb In Heaven or Earth?" Lamb and Lion Ministries; David R. Reagan.)  

So, the marriage supper is a big tent affair and begins right after his judgement of the earth at the beginning of the millennial kingdom. 

Revelation2,17 tell us that part of our reward of eternal life will be God giving each a white stone with our new Kingdom name on it. It is our ticket, to get us all into the marriage Supper of the lamb at the start of the millennial kingdom in Zion. This kingdom is firstly the reward of the Hebrew saints, and then all of us non Hebrew saints too. This new name is also an eternal jurisdictional grant that perfectly fits the quality of our personal faith, and will reflect the exact faith with which we overcame the world. This new name will reflect the faith that got us into the "place" we all want to be- with Jesus forever (Robert Mounce: The Book Of Revelation Eerdmans 1998 p. 83):

"To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna [Eating! Think marriage supper. This manna was lost at the fall of temple in 586BC]. I will alo give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it." Rev.2,17.

And the further joy of this new name is that we- as individuals- will immediatly understand how and why this name perfectly matches the quality of our faith. This is God revealing and giving us an ultimate and new jurisdictional name to each of us, a new name, rooted in what we did by way of faith for him, a God given name that will be our jurisdictional calling card in the kingdom and in eternity.

This will be our best and highest name so to speak. It will open up the doors of the marriage supper of the lamb for us and follow us into the kingdom- and grant us all a type of jurisdictional access to be with Jesus and each other in the kingdom for a thousand years, and then unto eternity.    

A new name for a new and better place. A place we can call "home", free at last, a home with all the other overcomers, a home in which we now have a proven "ownership" share- as symbolized by our new name.

Since we have been eager for the things of the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God (cf Matthew11,12), now we rejoice in what our faith has sown- a new and perfected gospel name given by Jesus, that represents the best of us, and says we're at home with Jesus in the kingdom with Jesus our king.

Oh praise Him! Oh Praise the Name above all names, and our final name-giver.  

Cooperate With Our Spiritual Jurisdiction Or Lose It

Adam soon realized that he'd like a wife- cultivating the garden and naming the animals was nice and all- but there's got to be more than gardening and animal fellowship and naming. So God gave him Eve, bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. Amen he thought. And after that blessed discovery, they married. 

It was all good for awhile, Adam was cooperating with the ministerial jurisdiction given him, and Eve had not gotten too curious for their own good.

But then satan, that originally high but then permanently low or fallen angel (Ezekiel28, under the figure of the rich king of Tyre) went to work tempting Eve.

The New Testament defines satan in three ways: 2Corinthians4,4: "The god of this world;" John12,31: "the ruler of this world;" and Ephesians2,2: "the prince and power of the air." He is allowed the title ruler- in a fallen world- by our one true God. He is allowed temporarily to be the princely power of the air, allowed to command demons and have an influence over evil- and allowed to be the evil prince over all that is evil in the world so to speak.

All this adds up to what one wise teacher taught me- shortly after I started to operate in healing and deliverance ministry. When we sin, and don't quickly repent, we are giving jurisdiction- rule in a sense- to satan over our lives. And if we keep sinning, or the sin is a very grave as was Adam and Eve's in the garden, we lose that Spiritual jurisdiction that God gave us.   

Now curiosity is sometimes a good thing. Life today requires lifelong learning- this necesitates some degree of wanting to know more, of curiosity is a good thing. But knowing more is always subject to the law of God's Word and the law of the Spirit.

Now Satan, that tree of knowledge of good and evil- knew that Eve might be tempted to eat of satan's tree.

She was too curious for her own good, so she ate of Satan's tree, which never bears good fruit, because she gave in to satan's temptation to know like God knows.

And as the saying goes, and I'll modify it- when some good women go bad, some good men, like Adam, go bad right after them. So a good man like Adam lost his Spiritual jurisidiction. So they both were sent into the "sin bin," outside the garden, into the wrong spiritual jurisdiction for failing to play by God's rules.

So sin cursed their lives- just as it does ours- if we persist in it. And we men had to earn our keep by the sweat of our brow- and woman had great pain in childbearing.

And life thereafter, has become pura vida, like nothing is easy, hombre.

They both lost their right to eat of the tree of life, who was Jesus, who was right there in the garden for them! And yet they chose rule breaking and thus lost eternal life. 

So Adam also lost the easy and pleasant spiritual jurisdiction ministry he had. He was keeping the garden tidy and naming all the creatures in the garden, yet after his sin he got fired from His job and evicted too!

Have you ever got fired from a job you liked and or kicked out of an apartment or house you really liked?

Oh my- pray for the folks in Western North Carolina and now California- losing your place to live is a really bad deal.

As to Adam and Eve, Genesis3,24 says God "banished the man, and in front of the garden of Eden he posted the great winged creatures [angels] and the fiery flashing sword, to guard the way [of unworthy folks] to the tree of life."

The tree of life is Jesus. He grants good jurisdiction to Adam and to all mankind. And the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is Satan. He grants bad jurisdiction- by teaching his "deep secrets" as he did to the church of Thyratira acccording to Revelation2,24, and as he has done in every age in the church.

He teaches his "deep secrets" since some folks are more fascinated by doing evil in evil jurisdictions than serving him in blessed jurisdictions. There still are folks who want to teach the "deep secrets" the always ugly secrets of satan today.

But sin is sin, nothing fascinating about it. Just garden variety ugly, garden variety evil, just the common stuff of sin bin of cowering humanity.   

So, choose your favorite tree and your favorite jurisdiction wisely people!

Choose to operate and minister in the Name of Jesus. Serve him in the ministerial jurisdiction that he himself gave you by his Spirit. Choose always His Spiritual presence- not the presence of evil and its toil. Not the presence of death and the drudgery of sin, which is all about satan's bait, and switch, after he snares you.

What Satan promises and offers seems so good. But what sin delivers every time is heartache, loss, the worship of idols- idols are literally weaknesses in Hebrew- weaknesses and endless death- that's what sin is about.   

So now humanity- all of us- had to get back to the tree of life, to the right jurisdiction, to the garden so to speak, by cooperating with God by faith.

Israel tried with Moses to get back to God by receiving the law. The Law could only bring them so close- couldn't give eternal life. Tried again with the priesthood and the temple cult, still didn't bring the closeness to Jesus and salvation that Adam and Eve already had in the garden.

But the truth is- sin robs us of the original jurisdictional blessing of the garden, of being made in the fullness of our Spiritual image and likeness of God. This is the loss of God's presence near us and in us, and a grave blow to the blessed level that God wants all humanity.

The Temple tumbled in 587 BC. The presence of God left it according to Ezekiel10,8ff. God's Spirit fled. Now, that temple was at one time holy or protected by a huge angel just like the garden was, per Genesis3,24. 

Then some in Israel in the couple-three hundred years before Jesus tried making nice with the Greeks and gaining more philosphical knowledge, and so become more like us gentiles. But this certainly didn't bring them closer to God or the eternal life and the peace of the garden either.

Then Jesus was born, King of the Jews, and some of Israel, and some of us gentiles, soon realized we had to all go through His shed blood- to get out of the sin bin and Satan's fallen jurisdiction.

Satan is not my father or my brother.

Or yours.

My brother is Jesus and He is the king of kings. My father God is creator of all- and they are both very happy to see us operate jurisdictionally in the name of Jesus.  

But first we need to humble ourselves, confess our sins to Jesus, and ask Him to save us. Then we will have eternal life, and then paradise of the garden, so to speak, will open up again.

Only through our blood bought redemption by Jesus on the cross will we get back the fullness of our Spiritual image and likeness to God. Only after being washed in the blood will we receive the Holy Spirit baptism, and thus ministerial jurisdiction- to speak and bring the life and truth of the message and the presence and love of Jesus to all the world.

Abraham's Faith Grants Him Grace And Broad Jurisdictional Favor 
God made many whole hearted attempts to get humanity into greater fellowship with Himself by granting jurisdictional power and breath to his chosen leaders. There was the garden attempt. There was God's attempt through Noah and with all creation, but only eight souls and a few pairs of animals were spared God's judgement and wrath upon sin, having taken refuge from sin by building the ark. 

Then God figured to start a nation, a representative nation through the jurisdiction grant to Israel's first patriarch Abraham a descendant of one of Noah's sons, Shem. The patriarchs were God's first national faith representatives - what he wanted his whole holy people-nation of Israel to become- a faithful people- so faithful that one one day she Israel would bring salvation to all the world. John4,22, Isaiah49,6.

Abraham who lived about 2000BC is perhaps God's greatest example of faith in the Hebrew scriptures. He is known as our "father in the faith." Then there is Issac and Jacob and Joseph and the prophet Moses (circa 1250BC), who led the people out of Egypt and received the law on behalf of his people.

These patriarchs had great Spiritual favor through their obedience to God's revealed word. By this favor they were given jurisdictional victories over their enemies and also the right to both receive the promised land as gift of God- but also to purchase pieces of it as they migrated there.

And so they received from both God and man the right to settle among the indigenous peoples of Israel. This is their national story, and it is still unfolding.

The Steps Of A Righteous Man Are Ordered By God And Jurisdictional

Psalm37,23-24 describes the formative steps made by the faith leaders of Israel like the patriarchs: "The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." NIV

Other translations say that God orders the steps of a righteous person. This is true of his patriarchs of old, and of all God's leaders even all of us who have made our personal faith covenant with Jesus. This direction of our steps by God is itself a type of jurisdictional and ministerial grant. We get direction from the Spirit and the Word, and we walk along in faith with Jesus, and he is more or less directing our steps, to the calling and ministry he then gives us- among the people and places he chooses. 

Wherever the Patriarchs (like the Apostle Paul, as we shall see in just a bit)  walked they were protected and favored. Protected and favored not because they never sinned, but because by their faith example they cooperated with God's goal of forming His eternal Israel of God, His people of God, unto the Kingdom of God, a kingdom of priests according to Exodus19,6 and 1Peter2,5 and 9. 

Likewise, the Apostles and prophets of the Christian movement served and followed the ordered steps of God to form and advance an eternal Christian people of God, both Jew and gentile, a royal priesthood, King Jesus' priesthood, the great high priest's priesthood of all the faithful. 1Peter2,5 and 9.

This priesthood is ordained by the Spirit of God first by faithful adult baptism and then Holy Ghost baptism, a holy priesthood that announces his wonders, his miracles, a priesthood to whom God himself grants jurisdiction for the gospel work by giving us the fullness of His Holy Spirit.

Again and again Abraham demonstrated his trust of and obedience to God's promises. This personal faith was always credited to him as righteousenss, as the means of receiving God's grant of jurisidction for official leadership.

Prior to making his personal covenant with the Lord, at Genesis15, Abraham even bargained for a son, an heir.

What could be more dear and personal than wanting a human heir? The Lord not only promised one heir, but made him the jurisdictional Spiritual father of the eternal nation of faith- promising Abraham offspring as numerous as the stars above (Genesis12,2-3; 15,5 and 22,17).

In this same fifteenth chapter of Genesis, he also received from God the jurisdictional land grant of Israel that we also read at the beginning of the sermon "from the Wadi of Egypt to the great River Euphrates." Genesis15,18 

Here also in Genesis15, God also prophesied the slavery of His people in Egypt for 400 years. And that this would be temporary, but that Israel would leave there with great possessions. 

We are Abraham's bible believing Spiritual heirs today. 

Grant of Jurisdiction Confirmed By Fire Of Holy Ghost

All the prophecies of Genesis 15 and the patriarchal and Israelite land grants of jurisdiction to Abraham were confirmed by the fire of God, the Spirit of God passing between the two sides of the cut up sacrificial animals, one side for Abraham, one side for God. Abraham did this sacrifice with an all out personal word based bible faith. 

This fire teaches us that it is the Holy Spirit- the very presence and substance of our invisible God- that grants and confers- and confirms again and again- the covenants and the Spiritual dominion and ministerial jurisdiction we receive from our loving God- in exchange for our personal faith, our trust in God.    

Then in Genesis 22 the patriarch Abraham is put to the test by the clear voice of God telling him to sacrifice his only begotten son Issac. This is the same son Abraham had ardently bargained for, and won, as part of the covenant between Him and God. And now God- what- wanted Abraham to give him back?

But Abraham again faithed on God, and again it was credited to him as righteousness. Issac was spared- God provided the sacrificial ram- and Abraham passed another faith test.

The faithful patriarchal and jurisidictional steps of this man were ordered. His faithful steps helped form his people well and all faithful folks thereafter too. Time after time he overcame every challenge by trusting God, and this is the standard for all bible believers up until today.

God's Ministerial Jurisdiction Is Backed Up By Our Fair Dealing

This is a lesson we can all learn from.

Abraham's jurisdiction to the land was not only granted and gifted through the prophetic word and Spirit of God. It was also strengthened and enlarged by his fair dealings with the indigenous peoples of the future Israel. When he wanted to bury his wife Sarah in the cave of Machpelah, on the plain of Mamre (near Hebron, Genesis23,16), Abraham made sure that he paid full price to the Hittite Ephron. 

Sometimes in life- it's best to follow the Spirit and pay full price to strangers. Why? So there are no expectations of indebtedness to someone we don't know well. And don't forget Abraham's jurisdictional promise to the land and faith matters were really important, so why take chances?

Do it right he first time!

Sometimes even "free" is not free. And sometimes a "bargain" is not a bargain! The bible is so rich in wisdom- would we pay some attention. 

Sometimes we buy something or are gifted something, and the other party doesn't really want the ownership to pass. So sometimes even a gift is not a gift! It's more like a debt that has to be paid back. So Paul says "Owe no one anything but the debt of love." Romans13,8 

And sometimes not paying full price is too much like taking a gift- that somebody doesn't really want to give.

So, Abraham wasn't messing around about His wife's tomb, he paid full price.

But this simple purchase by Abraham goes down in salvation history as the down payment on the land that God had already promised. One scholar, Ligon Duncan, calls it "the first step toward fulfilling the divine promise of Genesis 12." And we know what this promise was- the whole land of Isreal would belong- by both jurisdictional right and gift of God- to the faithful children of Abraham, of whom we gentile Christians, even as mere branches on Israel's tree of life, count oursleves. 

There were other jurisdictional purchases by Israel's jurisdiction bearing leaders. For example, David paid Arnon or "Ornon" (the Jebusite) full price for the site of the temple Mount (1Chronciles21,24-26). For Abraham, and Joseph, and David, and other faithful leaders, there was no such thing as cheap grace:

"I insist on buying it at the full price. I will not offer Yahweh what belongs to you or bring burnt offerings which have cost me nothing. So David gave Ornon six hundred shekels of gold [Answers in Genesis "Balancing The Budget" puts this at $600K in today's money!] by weight for the site. There David built an altar to Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him with fire on the altar of burnt offering."

Again we see another huge bible principle- properly received Spirit based jurisdiction from God also includes fair- and even inspired- dealing with all humans as Abraham did. And sometimes- as with David here- purchasing the temple mount- going out of his way to pay in full amount- is the best policy.

Afterwards, David happily sacrificed in faith- this faith again brings down the fire of the Holy Ghost that confirms God's grant to Israel of political and religious jurisdiction. 

So over the millenia of Israel's call and equipping there have been many leaders who responsibly cooperated with God's grant of jurisdiction to minister on God's behalf and on behalf of His first people.

Thus, we can understand Isaiah49,6 that says that Israel now is ready for even greater Spiritual jurisdiction being given to her, even unto being the light of salvation to all the nations:

"It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I shall make you a light to the nations so that my salvation shall reach to the remotest parts of the earth." NJB

Let all the faithful of the Lord have compassion on Israel- because our good and gracious Lord Jesus has really challenged them to live up to all the great blessings they were given by Him: "To whom much is given, much is expected." Luke12,48

Would we gentiles have been able to bear the jurisdictional grants and blessed jurisdictional burdens and responsibilities of Israel? Would we gentiles have been able to represent our one God as light to to the whole world?

God Himself Claims Israel As His Jurisdiction
We can also note that God himself, the God of the bible, by right as creator of heaven and earth, and liberator of his enslaved people in Egypt, has also claimed territorial and Spiritual jurisdiction to Israel and Judah: 

Psalm114,1-2 puts it this way: "Alleluia! When Israel came out of Egypt [1250BC], the House of Jacob from a people of foreign speech, Judah became his sanctuary, and Israel his domain." (We will later talk about Leviticus25,23 where God makes this claim to jurisdictional ownership to Israel, as belonging to him.)

Israel does not just jurisdictionally belong to God's first people Israel- and one day to all God's faithful people in the Kingdom. It firstly belongs to God Himself, the God of the bible. Ditto the temple of old. It was not man's home or the priest's home! But God's personal home! Ditto the church! Jesus gospel and priestly house- built on the cornerstone of Him- the risen rock, is his gospel house. It's not our house. It's his house- It's not our church or our movement it's his church and his movement. We just announce the wonders and praises of Him.

This gospel house is where he is welocme and he lives. Or not. The faith of the risen rock and cornerstone Jesus is in his gospel house and is is in all of us living stones. Likewise, the priesthood of our risen high priest Jesus is in this house and in the the souls of the priesthood of all his faithful. 1Peter2,5-9. Or, not!   

Getting Spiritual Jurisdiction In The New Testament

Matthew 16,15-19: Upon Peter's Rock Like Faith Profession Jesus' Confers Gospel Mission Jurisdiction  

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock [of your gospel confession] I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” NIV

Jesus is searching his first leaders, for the right answer as to whom people say He is. It was Peter who had this Spiritual knowledge revealed to him first- as communicated by our heavenly Father.

So, here's the principle: the Spirit directly confers and reveals knowledge and confers and reveals God's Word and confers and reveals our ministerial jurisdiction. 

As a faithful Jew Peter got the answer right. Firstly, Jesus was the messiah king and deliveror of Israel, and secondly, and more surprisingly to Israel, he was also the Son of God (and thus God in the flesh). Thus, he was the untilmate fitting and Godly Son and messiah to institute the kingdom of God in Zion. Peter is commended for his foundational profession of faith, the "bedrock" of faith (NIV Study note) and of the gospel message upon which the church will be built.

The church isn't built on Peter's name, Petros, Rocky, the strong in faith one, or Peter Himself, but on the rock of Peter's strong "Rocky" like foundational and apostolic profession of faith. I say "Apostolic" because Apostles are sent ones, and not lsent by God unless they have the right message first. He got this gospel faith and His jurisdiction to teach the message from God Himself, not from his name, or any later denominational claim, but from the supernatural revelation of the Father- that Jesus is Israel's messiah and the very Son of God.

This is the trustworthy bedrock upon which all Christian churches are to be built. So long as the apostles and all Christian officials - then and now- keep and teach this right foundational profession of who Jesus is, they have, and use, the gospel keys to the kingdom of heaven.

That is, they have the right message of who Jesus is to teach to all the world unto eternal life for all.

(cf Isaiah22,15 and 22,22-25 depicts two of the king's key bearers, first Shebna and then his successor Eliakim, losing their jurisdiction over the king's administrative realm, losing the keys. This is to suggest and teach that the Hebrew scripture typology of the Hebrew King's keeper of the keys, a servant of the King, or any group of Apostles as keeper of the keys Matthew18,18, is not irreplaceable, or that office of Apostle is itself ipso facto without potential error). 

Gospel Message Key To God's Grant Of Ministerial Jurisdiction
So the supernatural Holy Ghost jurisdictional power of God does not permanently reside in any certain Christian apostle, or group of apostles, or from any denominational succession of the same or similarly situated leaders, or any claimed denominational office, or any human tradition, but from God's ongoing choice and anointing according to the Spirit of God in us.

This Holy Spirit grant of jurisdiction to an apostle, or group of Apostles, or other Christian office holding leaders (Ephesians4,10) is a sovereign and ongoing gift to each by God in response to his personal and proper and ongoing gospel profession and preaching of the biblical salvation message that unlocks heaven.

So, likewise the ongoing use of keys, ie spreading of the gospel and opening the doors of heaven thereby. Similarly, any valid adminsitrative binding and loosing of God's people is tied to a leader's ongoing bible based gospel faith, the faith that maintains God's jurisidictional grant of the Spirit to them.

It is also notable in this conversation about keys or a key, is that of the risen Jesus at Revelation3,7. This verse tells us he is the sole custodian and user "of the key of David': "These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the Key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open." 

(This verse shows the forward thinking and supreme wisdom of God as it corrects and anticipates any notion that us humans might possess God like powers of salvation or damnation in oursleves, or that we can't lose ministerial jurisdiction.) 

Peter's profession is the proper and primary revelation about Jesus from God the Father. Praise God! 

Any deviation from this Apostolic confession, by any Christian leaders, as revealed by God Spirit and Word, and elucidation of the the same, would mean that the ongoing prophesy of Revelation3,7 kicks in.

So at Matthew16,19 the risen Jesus gives binding and loosing pastoral jurisdiction to Peter, and later to the other Apostles too at Matthew18,18: "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, I tell you that if two or three of you agree on anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."   

So we churchy types- especially those of us who believe in the continuation of the teaching offices of Ephesians4,10 (Apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor teachers- all of whom have governance roles in the local church) are at the very least tasked with being actually informed with the same supernatural revelation of faith for our proper profession (and receipt of Holy Spirit), that God gave to his first ordinary course apostles, and to the Apostle Paul, so as to maintain the right Spirit and the Word based teachings according to the salvational purposes of our one faith, one adult baptism and our one Lord and Savior, Jesus. 

Second NT Description of Direct From God Spiritual Conferral Of Ministerial Jurisdiction John20,21-22

On the evening of the day of his resurrection Jesus appears to his leading disciples and directly confers ministerial jurisdiction by breathing on them. John is keen to emphasize that Jesus as God in the flesh is updating the original breath of life that God as Spirit gave to Adam when he created him: "the the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and then breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being." Genesis2,7-8. NRSV

Here at John20,21c-22 John notes that the breath of life of Genesis is now the breath of a new life, a restored life whereby the actual life of God, who is Spirit, will live in us. This new life constiutes the direct conferral of ministerial capacity and jurisdiction:

"As the Father has sent me, I send you. When he said this, he breathed on the, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them, if you retain the sin of any, they are retained.' "    

Without the ministerial empowerment of the Spirit of God directly from God, as on the day of Pentecost or as in this scripture John20,21-22, the believer has not received ministerial jurisdiction.

Likewise, John 1,32-33. This scripture reveals Jesus' receipt of full messianic and Son Of God gospel mission jurisdiction by the explicit visual confirmation of the Spirit descending and resting on Him, so he, Jesus, becomes the one that baptises us in the Spirit, for the furtherance of of shared gospel mandate and ministry: 

"John [the Baptist] declared. 'I saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven and rest on him. 33 I did not know him myself [at that point as Jesus' minstry began], but he who sent me to baptise with water said to me 'the man on who you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is to baptise witht he Holy Spirit.' " NJB    

Keeping Our Spiritual Jurisdiction 

Getting our Spiritual jurisdiction to teach, or to use ministerial gifts and to do any ministry with power from above, may be easier to get than to keep it.

This is so because the Spirit of God is sovereign. His Spirit blows where He wills and fills those who come to him with an ardent personal faith. And we all as humans are in the same position as Job was- subject to God's will- and his testing. Not to mention the requirements of his Word, and his revelations and personal teaching to each of us, and his ongoing provision of grace- all these are given, or not, or taken away, on God's terms, according to his will and Word and Spirit.

And any degree of wisdom reminds us God is the giver of everything we have- including Spirit based ministerial jurisdiction and Holy Ghost gifts: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job1,21 NRSV

As giver of Spiritual jurisdiction in His vineyard, He can also take away the same in his vineyard too. 

Could Judas have betrayed Jesus to the high priest without having lost (or never had) the gift of true faith in Jesus? Not likely. As soon as he lost his growing faith in Jesus- as Jesus revealed Himself (not as Judas wished him to be)- he lost any jurisdiction and favor to continue representing him.

Luke at chapter22,3-6 reveals that the chief priests and teachers are looking to betray Jesus, and are willing to pay 30 shekels. We also see also that the spirit of Satan entered into Judas. Jesus immediatly recognized this, and thus warned Judas "The Son of man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him!" 

I bring up Judas' loss of jurisdictional favor because Luke and Jesus make it clear here how quickly we can go from ministering and serving God under the the Lord's favor and jurisdiction and how quickly that jurisdiction can be removed.

While some leaders may lose ministerial jurisdiction quickly according to a total betrayal to the Word and Spirit, like Judas, some might lose it after an accumulation of various challenges and pitfalls and snares that are not overcome by personal faith.    

The Four Most Common Ways One Can Lose God's Spiritual Grant of Ministerial Jurisdiction 

1. Reject The Word Of God:

The good teacher at "Got Questions" cites John6,64  in his teaching "Why did Judas Betray Jesus?":  "There are some of you who do not believe" for the claim that Judas didn't think Jesus was God in the flesh. Or, we could say there are followers just  along for the "look see" not the belief of continually following Jesus.   

He also cites that the new testament also reveals no profession of loyalty by Judas. And that he didn't refer to him as "Lord," but only "rabbi." This good teacher also rightly suggests that Judas likely thought the messiah would be the military liberator against Rome- as did many of the teachers in that era. He also points out by the time of his death Jesus had publicly taught that his peaceful death would be salvific and that he was not going to pick up arms. 

This analyses are all full of considerable insight.

And with the aforesaid fact that Luke 22 tells us satan entered into Judas before he betrayed Jesus- these are a convincing that Judas clearly had lost any incipient jurisdiction, and any favor at all, to represent Jesus. 

Similarly, 1John5,7-12 speak of our need to testify to the fullness of the revealed Word about Jesus- ie to the resurrectional spirit of Jesus- and the cleansing water of our covenantal personal faith baptism that washed us clean- and to the saving blood of Calvary.

This passage from 1John echoes John6,64 of our similar need to believe the most important aspects of the revealed gospel Word about Jesus. This is not only the right testimony of us humans, but also of God:

"There are three that testify; the spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree. If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God [ie God's Word] is greater; for this is the testimony of God that has testified to his son. 10 Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him [God!] a liar by not believing the testimony that God has given concerning his son. 11 And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."  

So if we reject the essentials of the New Testament Word of God, we are bound to lose- sooner rather than later- any jurisdictional ministerial conferral of the Spirit. 

As Paul encourages all of us "And take the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God." Ephesians 6,17. 

If we are going to fight and win Spiritual battles, and overcome the many challenges of serving Jesus as leaders- and thus keep ministerial jurisdiction- we must have both a solid faith in the Word, and the Sword of the Spirit that comes by way of faithing on the living Word.

John8,31-32, one of the least preached verses in the whole New Testament. It stands for the truth that we must continue in the Word if we are to continue being Jesus disciples and teachers. For without this and growing in the Word, we are always going to tempted to betray Jesus and His Word, and the gospel, and then risking our right testimony, of spirit, water and the blood.

And when this happens we risk losing the favor of God, the Spirit of God, and any ministerial jurisdiction just like Judas: "Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you continue [abide] in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

We can't become brittle and fragile and constrained half-way students of the Word- and thereby reject its power and wisdom. But to overcome any of this, we continue in the Word, and learn to never be ashamed ot it. We also need to plan to be lifelong learners of the Word- continuing in the word (Ron Hutchcraft comes to my mind), abiding in it and the personal faith that brings the Spirit of God and which makes the Word so real and rewarding.

John14,26 promises us the Spirit will bring all things to our rememberance- whatever Jesus said and whatever he is saying now. Oh praise God- and have confidence people and leaders- God who is Spirit is always helping us live by the Word and keep the ministerial jurisidiction and Spirit and gifts he has given us.  

2. Wavering And Stumbling Back To Corruption Of World And Losing the Spirit

2Peter1,5-10 is a great passage about our newly restored divine nature from faith and the Spirit of God in us. This divine nature- this Spirit of God in us- by personal faith in the revealed Word- is our "escape" from the corruption of the world.

How are the world and the people in it corrupted according to 2Peter1,5?

"Through disordered passion." Such as, but not limited to greed, lust, pride, hatred, envy, unjust violence- these are the principal disordered passions that can make leadership folks stumble. You can see these running riot right in front of our noses to the last centimeter of every nation in our fallen world.

As Christians we don't necessarily lose our call to salvation and service, or our ministerial gifts and offices from God cf Romans11,29, but friends anyone can lose God's supernatural Spirit that directly from Him confers the jurisdictional right to use our offices and gifts by living in the flesh. 

As Romans 8,9 says: "But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him." 

If we are in the flesh- serving the flesh- consistantly living that way, the Spirit of God leaves our temple just as it left the Jerusalem temple according to Ezekiel 10,18, just as the favor of God left Judas. And when this happens the Spirit of God is outside us, knocking on the door of our souls and churches, outside us, trying to get in once again, to bring us back to salvation, infilling, and service.

"I stand at the door and knock!"  Revelation3,20. If folks close the gates of their churches and souls to living in the Spirit- folks lose the Spirit and anointing and their teaching jurisdiction simply because they are no longer open to God's presence and Word in their souls or their churches.  

3. Fail To Heed Or Preach The Things to Come 

John16,13 "When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you things that are to come." 

The Apsotle Paul is always telling his audience of his letters- don't let anyone fool you, or take you captive, and deceive you. He is always saying- in essence- you are better and wiser than that! 

Now I don't think that our age is any more or less intelligent or wise than the gentile and Jewish folks who lived 2000 years ago and heard the gospel. The Jewish hearers of the gospel knew quite a bit about God from their Hebrew scriptures. But the difference I see that Paul's audiences lived in a time where the future things of prophecy and judgement, and Jesus coming back within a generation (ie 40 years), were very real.

And we contrast their ever present hope and our modern ever present interest in the now. I agree now and the present are the only place and time to live. And I get that. I like living in the now and the present. And today is the day of my salvation and your salvation. Today is the day of our blessing and gratitude for Jesus . 

But where we are sometimes  weak as Christians- is teaching the things about the eternal future we all face. We are living in In society and a church age and a culture that used to say "what have you done for me lately?"

And now says "what are you going to do for me now?" 

Now seems more interesting and fun than the biblical prophecies of the future unfolding over the centuries. But I figure the Spirit just might be telling us, and our culture and our church, and our politics, and our social media, and the compilers of the 24 hour daily news cycle that we also need to speak about the future things of our faith, the future things in God.  

So by this time in my life- and being pretty simple and having the Spirit in me-I figure its time for me to bear down and preach and teach a bit more prophetically like Jesus and Paul and the rest of the New Testament writers.

Though some of these future bible things might at times be a little scary, nothing is quite so scary to me as thinking that wanna be globalist governments and future rulers taking away our freedoms and our government printing our US money for every new fangled idea here and abroad- like that might save us?

But for you and me who claim to teach and be bible believers- this prophetic future is where the Holy Ghost separates the marrow from the bone. This interesting nowadays is perhaps an opportunity for us Christians to do our part to bring a faith sobriety and Holy Spirit faith focus back into the church- rather than more drifting with the cultural currents and calling everything in the now "good." 

So I am thinking that we in the church and might want to agree with John 16,13 and start declaring the things about the future from the Word and the Spirit, before we get so distracted we might never be able to think straight again as a culture, a nation and a church:

Paul writes:

"Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,
not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction." 2Thessalonians2,1-3 NIV

This is not about the rapture (1Thessalonians4,17), right before the tribulation (seven years after the rapture). We talked about these in one of the last hours of this same series.This in contrast is about some people in Thessalonica that believed- wrongly and haphazardly- that God has already judged the world and the general resurrection has already happened. So, it's party time.

The world is now sort of like Thessalonica was- some have forgotten- or are in a state of wishful thinking- that perhaps God is on a long vacation, and the world and us Christians are not ever going to be judged according to God standards and his Word.

But though it's been 2000 years of waiting on Jesus, the word 2Peter3,8 says that one day for God is like a 1000 years. So He's not really delaying. He is just us more time to get prepared (and to read the signs of the times.)  

And getting prepared for the future includes judgement. Why would God judge us, after 2000 years of waiting on Him? It's just been a couple of days in his mind anyway!

Why would God judge us?

Firstly, because he says so! Every knee will bow. And for our lack of faith, specifically in Jesus Christ, the way the life and the truth, the only way to the Father. And for all our world's injustices and unjust wars, for the vain and violent potentates and plutocrats taliking of everything good for everyone, but it mostly seems like this more for everyone is first and always for themselves. "It is easier  for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Luke18,25 

And then Lord Jesus is also going to judge us about how we have treated women and children, and other vulnerable people, and for the lawlessness and hyper greed and the commodification of people- the buying and selling of souls (Revelation18,13) which is the stock in trade of the modern world. 

But take heart, little flock, salt of the earth, this whole world and everyone who lives in it, or has lived in it, is going to be judged. Just right and fairly. This is a declaration about the future pursuant to John16,13. 

When was the last time you heard even half a verse about Jesus coming back and judging the world, going to judgement and war with and against the final warmakers. When have you heard anything about God turning the tables- about the last being first, about the meek inheriting the earth, ie the kingdom of God?

This judging of the world when Jesus comes back- with all His holy ones- is as Christian as 'love your neighbor as yourself.' As Christian as 'unless you forgive, God won't forgive you.' As much bible as 'unless your righteousness exceeds the that of the scribes and pharisees, you won't get into the kingdom of God.' 

Someday soon we should be declaring more about future and eternal things- that the Spirit teaches- if we want to keep our precious teaching jurisdictions and also use our ministerial gifts.

Future prophetic things are also hopeful and joyful things, so is God's judgement- his cleansing- his sanctification and redemption of the earth- unto the kingdom of God: Psalm58,11: "People will say, Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth."

Revelation19,11ff predicts this future judgement on the earth: 'Then, I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself. 13 he is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven [the raptured, and the martyrs, the Hebrews saints to whom Jesus preached the gospel after he died], wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which is to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of irom; he will tread with wine press of the fury of the wrath of God th Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, "King of kings and Lord of Lords."

Would you be ready for this Jesus on the white horse? This is no baby in the manger. He sounds pretty fired up. He sounds like he is not too fond of lukewarm leaders or just preaching for goose bumps, and popularity, for some form of politics and money.

He sounds like a savior and Lord who expects us not to ever run out of oil of the Holy Spirit if we want to continue using our minsiterial jurisidiction and using our gifts. 

So when I read this Revelation19,11ff it dawned on me by way of the Spirit- the contrast of Jesus coming back in judgement and all the Holy Ones right behind him, like Jeremiah and Amos and Isaiah, and Zechariah and all the holy ones, the Spiritual "armies" of heaven, that all the holy ones, oh glory are coming back. Hungry for that marriage supper. Happy about Jesus reigning in the kingdom and reigning with him.

What a joy to see that Jew and gentile and all the world are going to be governed and led on earth by King Jesus our High Priest. And then I thought, "Oh my what about Revelation17?"

This chapter seems about just the opposite of the holy zeal of Revelation19,11 and following. It seems Revelation17 is about God's future judgement on the leaders and churches who are like not still fired up like Jesus, but who might still have their license to be religious leaders in their well chosen unctious career, but are depicted by the Word as having lost something by and by, like perhaps God Holy zeal that confers ministerial jurisdiction, or never had that zeal to begin with. 

I heard a preaching recently on  WHIS 104.9 FM  by a preacher named W. Robert Godfrey. He was preaching the fourth installment of his "Overview of Church History" (Ligonier Ministries). He cited a Scotch Irish Presbyterian Minister from Ireland, named Gilbert Tennant who came to the colonies as a revivalist. And he preached a sermon in the heydey and midst of the "Great Awakening" in the American Colonies, in about 1740.

The sermon was called "The Danger of An Uncoverted Minstry." 

And I immediatly realized that for many centuries in the Christian church, folks and churches and leaders- well we thought all our ministers must all have the Spirit of God and jurisidction driectly from God to do what they are doing. 

And we have already shown that the Apostles Peter and Paul and all the other New Testament leaders also got their ministerial Spirit directly from God.  As Jesus said, "you can't do anything without me."

Yet here it was- into the middle of 18th century- before Preacher Gilbert Tennant awakened some of the colonists to the reality and idea of a church leader, and thus possibly, a church that did not have the Spirit of God.

His sermon was entitled "The Danger of an Unconverted Ministry." Tennant challenged his hearers to decide oh my- if they had uncoverted ministry in their church? Revelation 17 had been in the bible since forever, and who could forget Judas, and others who lost the Spirit, or never had it, the Holy Spirit that defines ministerial jurisdiction at the right hand of God? 

Tennant's rhetoric is audacious to our ears but fundamental to our topic: "Is a blind man fit to be a guide in a very dangerous place? Is a dead man fit to bring others to life? A mad man fit to give counsel in a matter of life and death? Is a possessed man fit to cast out devils? ... " A captive bound in the massy [bulky] chains of darkness and guilt, a proper person to set others at liberty? ... Isn't an unconverted minister like a man who would teach others to swim before he has learned  himself, and so is drowned in the act, and dies like a fool?"  (learn.ligonier.org/articles/the-danger-of-an-unconverted-ministry) 

Oh my goodness, people- salvation is a serious matter- preaching salvation with a personal saving faith is a serious matter. Souls are in the balance.

And so is preaching the future prophetic things of the Jesus a serious matter, like judgement. So is being a fully converted Christian leader with a clean conscience, so is getting folks ready for judgement.  

This is in line It's in line with Paul the Apostle's defense of his Jurisidictional based God-given gosple ministry in Ephesus. As he left for Jerusalem and met with the Ephesian elders in Miletus one last time he says at Acts20,25-29: "And now I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again. 26 Therefore, I decare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood [the life!]of any of you, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God [NASB ie the whole prophetic gospel]. 28 Keep watch over yourselves [that you don't stumble] and over the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God [not a denomination or corporation] that he obtained with the blood of his own son. 29 I know that after I have gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock." 

Paul kept the ministerial jurisdiction he recieved from God, and he was telling the Ephesians elders to keep theirs. Paul's minsterial jurisdiction flourished and abounded, by his preaching the whole gospel in season and out, a gospel that included bold teaching about the future things of prophecy, like the rapture, and the future antichrist trying to take total religious jurisdiction in the church, like judgement, like all the Holy Ones following their Lord into the kingdom who kept their faith and teaching crisp and sharp- and full of the fire of the Holy Ghost.

Thus, he accomplished two things- first he fully kept his jurisidictional right- received directly from God- to the be the leading prophetic teacher in early Christianity. And secondly, he did his part to prepare the people of God to be ready and eager to declare the future things of prophecy such as the Lord's rapturing the church, such as the great apostasy and such as Jesus return in judgement after the tribulation.

4.  Fail To Help The Bride- ie The Whole Church- Make Herself Ready 

Revelation19,7-9:

"Let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, [in heaven] for the marriage of the lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready; to her it has been granted to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb [Kingdom- Jerusalem, after earthly judgement so all the bride- all the saved church- can attend.]"

The leaders of the churches- to keep their ministerial jurisdiction- directly given by God- have to prepare the church- of which they are a part. Thus we have to prepare oursleves too- for heaven and the marriage supper [in the kingdom, from Jerusalem after earthly judgement, so all the saved, the faithful the are eager can attend].   

To do this we leaders and all the faithful must teach the whole gospel, keep the right testimony- spirit-water-blood (resurrection, pesonal faith covenantal adult baptism, and saved by the atoning blood of the lamb) and thereby declare the truths of the gospel Word.

These are some of our best faith deeds which follow us into heaven, and help us prepare for the rapture, the marriage of the lamb, and the marriage supper after judgement of the earth with all the saints, all the faithful and saved, as the Kingdom of God begins.    

Two NT Parables Also Describe The Importance of Keeping The Faith and Holy Spirit Fully In Us And Thereby Keeping Any Official Jurisdictional Mandate Or Gift Ministration 

1. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John15,1-8 NIV

Ezekiel15,1-7 is our Hebrew scriptures for more fully understanding this image of the useless vines of Judah and Israel, and Jesus' New Testament parable. If we Christian teachers don't stay on and in the Vine of Jesus- how can we do our part to make the bride, the church ready to meet Jesus. And if we are not in and on the vine of Jesus, we will lose jurisdictional offices teaching offices and gifts if we Spiritually get separated from the risen Jesus.

Ezekiel15 make the point that vines in nature aren't worth much- you can't even make anything useful from a vine- it's just fit for being attached to God or for judgement and burning due to its faithlessness like Jerusalem at the time just before the Baylonian exile, so useless that God's presence left the Spiritual jurisdiction of the temple (Ezekiel10,18), and went with the exiles in Babylon (Ezekiel11,16; cfPsalm90,1; 31,20).

2. The second parable is the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, or bridesmaids. Five have some oil left, some Spirit left in them, and five do not. The latter are without the light of salvation and the fire of the Holy Spirit. According to Matthew25,1-13 they have lost the Spirit, and thus any ministerial jurisdiction.

This passage is an allegory, an exemplary gospel story about people, ie us "Christians", who claim to be ready to meet the bridegroom Jesus, but perhaps are not. It's not just about women or virgins.

"Virgin" is a figure of speech for all those who claim to be ready to meet Jesus in judgement, the bridegroom.

But neglect and flojeria (laziness) and distraction has spiritully over taken some. This could happen to anyone- but especially to foolish leaders hoping to be among the final bride of the lamb, but not prepared for salvation. These folks "virgins" those especially set apart for God's worship and service, should be the most purely prepared and ready to meet Jesus in the rapture and at the the heavenly marriage of the lamb and enjoy the marriage supper. Cf Ephesians5,25-27

This allegory well fits the modern Christian church- and a certain percentage of its "teachers"- who might jealously proclaim their license to teach in their particular church, but do they still have the fire of the Holy Spirit that defines their ministerial jurisdication from God?

Or, did they ever have it?

The mid twenetieth American Preacher and Prophet William Branham was full of the fire of the Holy Ghost, especially about preparing the bride church to meet the bridegroom Jesus. He was keen that she be made ready- by the Word and the Spirit. In his book "An Exposition of The Seven Church Ages" he cites 2Corinthians11,2 wherein the Apostle Paul says about his faith preparation of the Corinthian church: "I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." (p. 76) 

I think Br. Branham had this same godly jealousy like the Apostle Paul for the whole church- to do his part and then some to present a holy people, a holy bride to God, to Jesus the bridegroom. 

Br. Branham writes of Paul "Paul had been the means of bringing in multitudes of the gentile sheep; he fed them, and cared for them, until they brought forth righteous fruit and were prepared to meet the Lord as part of the gentile bride." (Ibid).

Br. Branham also takes up the theme of a worthy and prepared gentile bride in his book "The Revelation Of the Seven Seals" (p. 86) He cites the redemption of the widow Naomi (who lost her husband Elimelech). Her family had lost their lost estate, their land in Bethlehem of Judah and moved in a time of lack to Moab. So Naomi was the  widow, living in Moab with her two sons and her two daughters in law. Her daughters in law were Moabitesses, Arab women. Then her two sons died. So Naomi had to get back to Bethlehem so that Boaz, her near kinsman can redeem her and change her desolate and penurious lot. Leviticus25,47-55 provided a way for a near relative to fairly purchase back the lost estate. The redemption price was determined by how close the redemption was to the Jubilee year in Israel. Every fifty years by right and law Isrealites who sold their ancestral property got it back for free. If the Jubillee year was ten years away from date of redemption the redeemer had to pay the value of the property for the remaining ten years. So Boaz as the near kinsman redeemer of Elimelech, redeemed the property, bought it back, so His Israelite family would no longer de destitute. Genesis38,8 talks about the duty of a brother to marry the widow of his brother.    

Well you might know this beautiful love story. Ruth one of the the Arab daughter in laws wants to go back to Judah with her mother in law. And she utters the most famous verses in the book of Ruth “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." Ruth1,16-17 NIV

And Branham writes of this: "Boaz had to become a redeemer. He was the only one that could. He had to be a kinsman, a near kinsman. And in redeeming Naomi, he got Ruth. That was Jesus, Boaz typing Christ. And when he [Jesus] redeemed Israel [On the cross praise God!], He got the gentile Bride [too, the Church is mostly gentile!]. So then you see, so very beautiful!"  

Boaz had the jurisdiction, the right, to be the redeemer of the family of Naomi, and since Ruth (Ruth in Hebrew means "the beloved" per n. a NJB 1985 Doubleday 351) was tagging along, and now part of this family which she loved- and whom they loved dearly- well she took a shine to Boaz at the urging of Naomi. 

We as the gentile bride-church didn't deserve salvation or redemption, or help in any way from the Lord God and messiah and kinsmen redeemer of Israel. Jesus was no kin to us! But we were like the gentile Ruth who was in real need, tagging along. And Ruth, bless her heart, humbled herself and accepted the economic salvation and redemption that comes from a generous and loving man.

So, to top it off, she asks Boaz to marry her (Ruth3,9), ie redeem her too- from her poverty and widowhood.

And Boaz, like Jesus, was just that generous and just and obliging, to redeem all those in need, Jew and Arab, Jew and gentile.

This marriage gave issue to Obed, as mentioned at Matthew1,5, Obed, whose "father was Boaz and mother was Ruth," in the line of King David and Jesus who is called the Christ! 

Oh my- this is beautiful. All because Boaz did his part to save and redeem Naomi back to the family homestead and he got Ruth too. And how did he do that? He Stepped into his jurisdictional role as Kinsman redeemer, Goel, like Jesus did for his people the Jews and like Boaz did for Ruth, a gentile, out of his love for all people. 

Paul did his part to bring the gospel to the Jews first and to prepare the mostly gentile bride church at Corinth. Jesus, the bridegroom, at Calvary by his blood, the common life of all humanity, did his kinsman redeemer part for Israel and for all the gentiles to prepare us all for salvation and eternity with him.

So why should we be so foolish and ungrateful as to not get prepare ourselves and all God's people for the marriage supper of the lamb. Let's get cleaned up, washed up, water and Spirit baptized up, and get that ministerial jurisdiction that the five foolish virgins, half of them, wasted by neglect and flojeria (laziness) and distraction.         

I am thankful for the preaching of William Branham here. He gave his life to prophetic preaching that prepared the bride church, the gentile church to be ready to meet Jesus, because he was always burning with he light of faith.

It would be nice if we could borrow the faith and thus the oil of those who profess the one saving apostolic gospel? 

If that were possible- but oil- by way of ever repentant saving faith- the Spirit is something one has to get for oneself and keep for himself or herself.

As verse 9 says, not without irony, why don't you "go to the dealers [the oil salesmen!] and buy some for yourselves!"   

No this oil and this Spirit- and our minsterial jurisidction from God- and our salvation can't be bought! It's the all the free gifts of God's loving grace.       

Jesus' Pre-Judgement On Temple Without Spirit

This matter of maintaining God's grant of teaching jurisdiction is also revealed by Jesus' total dismissal of the Temple Priesthood who allowed the money changers to make His father's house into a 'den of thieves.' That is, this priesthood still had the apparent license to bind and loose, but has missed the prophesied messiah Jesus, the new temple John2,19, God in the flesh, and the new giver ministerial jurisdiction.

And thus they had lost their teaching jurisdiction by 33AD when Jesus died and rose again on the third day, as our one high priest. All this was symbolized by Jesus' dramatic judgement on the temple religious class by overturning the money changers tables they let into his Father's house, which was now also without the Spirit of God (and NB there is no biblical record of the Spirit ever coming back into the post exilic rebuilt temple).

And thus Jesus prophetic action of overturning the tables of the money changers, tells us that the temple is under God's judgement, and soon to be destroyed, which it was in 70 AD by the Romans, and that the Spirit wasn't there, nor possesed by priesthood that rejected Jesus.

That's a brief and big picture look about God in the person of the risen Jesus granting teaching jurisdiction to His Apostles (and by extension the whole faithful people of God) and a prophetic look at him taking it away based on our proper gospel message and our own personal and saving individual faith unto the infilling of the Spirit.

God's grant of teaching jurisdiction is not permanent and not without God's review and the recipient's ongoing proper profession according to the informative and definitive presence of the fullness of the gospel Spirit in the teacher according to God's sovereign will and pleasure. 

Certainly, we would expect Romans8,9 about actually having the Spirit in us, or not, has consequences for all believers and for those in ministry according to God's sovereign will and Spirit: "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him."  

As William Branham ably preaches God's Spirit is in His Word- not necessarily in his churches as institutions. God's Spirit might be in his leaders of a church, or it might have been lost in certain leaders of a church, but still found in others.  

Biblical Examples Of Leaders Who Have Lost God's Grant of Ministerial Jurisdiction

I am not going to go into detail as to every biblical leader who lost his or her grant of ministerial jurisidiction- that would take too long- for this sermon anyway. But instead I'll take one very meaty example of loss of ministerial blessing and let this be representative. We saw Adam's loss of ministerial jurisdiction in the garden, and we saw Judas lose his, and we mentioned that the Temple priesthood like had already lost theirs as Jesus cleared out the money changers tables (Matthew21,12ff)

'Den of thieves' is like saying "these folks have no more jurisdiction." And we rememeber that the Temple was destroyed in 70AD as prophesied at Matthew24,2

But the Lord put on my spirit to go into a bit more deatil about Korah's rebellion- as a benchmark biblical object lesson for elaborating loss of minsterial jurisdiction. Then I will just list the other principal examples of losses from the Hebrew and New Testament scriptures.        

1. Sons Of Korah 2Chronicles20,19 (Levite Singers Not Priests) and Numbers16;

"Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath and Levite, and the Reubenites Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth were proud and rebelled against Moses with two hundfred and fifty Israelites who were leaders in the community, prominant in the solemnn feasts, men of repute. 3 These banded together together against Moses and Aaron and said to them, 'You take too much on yourselves! The whole community, all its members, are consecrated [true enough but not said with Spirit of God, Satan can quote scripture too, Exodus 19,5-6], and Yahweh lives among them. Why set yourselves higher than Yahweh's community?'"

This was quite a rebellion against Moses and Aaron- 250 of the most powerful men in Israel. It happened in the desert after Israel was delivered out of Egypt.

This was a type of clerical coup attempt by the less prominent Levites- the singers and temple servants in the temple. This subclass of Levites- the priests like Moses and Aaron- were Levites too- are sort of like what many Christian churches today would call "deacons" working under a pastor. So this subclass of Levites banded together and wanted to overthrow the high priest Levites who were their bosses in all things cultic.

Moses gets mad- in righteous anger- and issues a challenge:

"Tommorrow morning Yahweh will reveal who is his, who the consecrated man is who he will allow to approach him. The one he allows to approach is the one whom he has chosen. This is what you must do: take the censers of Korah and all his party, put fire in them and  put incense in them before Yahweh tommorrow, and the one whom Yahweh chooses will be the consecrated man. Levites you take too much on yourselves!" Numbers16,5-7

Moses Confronts The Leaders of This Clerical Coup 

"Moses then said to Korah, 'Now listen, you Levites! It is not enough for you that the God of Israel has singled you out of the community of Israel, and called you to be near him, to serve in Yahweh's dwelling; and to represent the community by officiating on it's behalf? [Moses fully recognizes their God given, Spirit given, minsterial jurisidction as cultic "clerics"] He has called you to be near him, you and all your brother Levites with you, and now you want to be priests as well! 11 For which reason, you and all in your party have banded together against Yahweh himself: for what is Aaron that you should mutter against him?"  8-11  

"Moses then summoned Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab. They replied, 'We will not come. [ie we don't respect your mininsterial rule over us] 13 It is not enough for you to have brought us away from a country flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert, without your making our absolute ruler? 14 What is more, you have not brought us to a country flowing with milk and honey and you have not given us fields and vineyards for our heritage. Do you think you can hoodwink these people? 'We will not come' 15 Moses flew into a rage and said to Yahweh, 'Disregard their cereal offering! I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.' " [these guys have lost you favor God, and I as the prophetic leader know it- so let them have it Lord!] 12-15

So this censer challenge is an all out clerical darby is on! (or donnybrook if you prefer.) May the duly authorized clerics- operating within his correct jurisdiction- win.

And one fact- and a little more context- is also necessary for us to understand this challenge.

Worshipping with a censer- that's the sacred metal container wherein incense is burned- in which the precious and sweet smelling incense is burned- and then offered to God- represents lifting of the people's prayer to God.

In the Israelite cult this is reserved only for the priesthood.

We are about at Numbers16,16 and following. The matches has been struck and the incense is smoking up the place- it's the good jurisidictional censers in the hands of Aaron and Moses and the presumptive censers in the hands of the priestly posers.

Both sides will bring their burning censer to the front of the tent of meeting. And then verse 19 tells us: "Then, Korah having assembled the whole community to confront them [to go against Moses and Aaron] at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of Yahweh appeared to the whole community." 

Nice! God shows up to witness this jurisdictional fight.

The glory of God is the Spirit of God- the very same Spirit that grants the jurisdictional measure of one's clerical office. So what happens now that all the principals in place? Well God's asserts in effect that Moses and Aaron have won at and it's divine punishment time.

So at verse 21 God tells Moses to stand clear of the troublemakers: " 'Get away from this community. I am going to destroy them here and now."   

Moses knows the Lord is on his side so he singles so he prophesies:

Verse 28 puts it this way: " This is how you will know that Yahweh himself has sent me to perform these tasks and that I am not doing them of my own accord. 29 If these people die a natural death such as people commonly do then Yahweh has not sent me. 30 But if Yahweh does something utterly new, if the earth should open its mouth and swallow them and all their belongings, so that they go down alive to Sheol, then you will know that they held Yahweh in contempt.' 31 The moment he finished saying all this, the ground split apart under their feet, 32 the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their families, all Korah's people and all their property. 33 They went down alive to Sheol with all their belongings. The earth closed over them and they disappeared in the middle of the community. 34 At their cries, all the Israelietes round them took to their heels, saying 'We do not want the earth to swallow us too!' 35 Fire then shot out from Yahweh and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering incense."     

So the biblical lessen is- use only your own proper ministerial jurisdiction only, and your own ministerial gifts, and then only wisely at that, or you will lose them. 

God took away the fire of their Spiritual grant of jurisdiction with the fire of his cleasing judgement.  

2. Aaron's Son's- Nadab and Abihu Offer Unholy- or "Strange" Fire.

Leviticus 10: This strange fire rebounded out and consumed them in death.

3. Sons of High Priest Eli- Hophni And Phineas

1Samuel4,1: "sons persisted in their wicked behavior [selfish; greedy]; towards Yahweh." 

Like King Saul they relied on their former jurisdictional anointing, but the Spirit is off of them, as suggested by their losing the battle against the Philistines, wherein Israel lost four thousand men at Ebenezer- where the Lord had helped them in the past.

Moreover, Eli's son Hophni and Phineas were sloppy in their priestly duty. This also suggested that they had lost their Spirit based ministerial jurisdiction. 1Samuel2,12-36 tells us they coveted the peoples meat sacrifices, raw meat of them, as barbecue for themselves, so they could roast all they wanted and avoid the small boiled portion that was theirs by right after it was properly sacrificed to God.

So after the first loss of the 4,000 men they think that bringing the ark into the next battle will magically change the result with the Philistines- who again were more valient. This time Israel loses 30 thousand men! And the Ark is captured by the Philistines and both Hophni and Phineas dies in the battle. 1Samuel4,6-11

The presence of God in the ark doesn't make up for the lack of presence in the anointed jurisdictional leaders who have squandered it away with sloppy, selfish, disinterested and riotous leadership.     

4. King Saul Lost His Kingly Jurisdictional Grant Of The Spirit of God 

King Saul was Israel's first King. Samuel was the leading priest and prophet of the time. Samuel was anointed with great jurisdictional favor. He was very reluctant to anoint a king in that for Israel had always been taught rightly- as we are today- that the only fully and truly anointed king- is the Lord God himself.

But Samuel obeyed the Lord and Saul became Israel's first King.

He was like what we would call today- bi polar, unstable.

In the end of his service saul realized- according to 1Samuel28,6- that he was abject as to jurisdictional spiritual authority. He couldn't get any answers from God either by dream, divination, or by way of a prophet about going to battle with the Philistines.

Failing to get an answer from God as to what to do, and how to lead, was a sign and symptom that his former kingly jurisdiction anointing was now off him.

So, his last ditch effort (like Hophni and Phineas' similar "magic" was foolishly tried) to get guidance was to go to the witch of Endor-in disguise- and then she could conjure up Samuel and he could give a word as to how to proceed as King. 

1Samuel28,16-17 depicts Samuel's answer and rebuke to King Saul whereby Samuel tells him he has lost his jurisidictional anointing to be king:

"Why consult me when Yahweh has abandoned you and has become your enemy? 17 Yahweh has treated you as foretold through me: he has snatched the sovereignty from your hand and given it to your neighbor, David."     

5. King Ahab's Loss Of Spiritual Jurisdiction Declared By The Prophet Elijah:

1Kings21,25-26: "And indeed there never was anyone like Ahab for double dealing and doing what was displeasing to Yahweh, urged on by Jezabel his wife. He behaved in the most abominable way, adhering to idols, just as the Amorites had, whom Yahweh had disspossed for the Amorites." 

The prohets of Baal all told Ahab to procede in war against the Aramaens in Ramoth. But the King of Judah Jehoshaphat wanted a second opinion. So Ahab's nemesis, the prophet Micaiah, is summoned and predicts defeat: "I saw all Israel [Israel and Judah] scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd." (ie Israel wil lose if she fights the Aramaens) 1Kings22,17. 

But Ahab is stubborn and proud and dons a disguise and goes into battle anyway, and falls at Ramoth in Gilead (Verse34ff). He was shot in one of the seams of his armor- which failed to disguise him.

Leaders In The New Testament Who Lost Or Never Had Their Jurisictional Grant From God

1. The Nicolaitans In Ephesus: Revelation2,6 and 15 

Rev.2,6: "It is in your favor, nevertheless, that you loathe as I do the way the Nicolaitans are behaving."

Rev.2,15: "And there are some among you that follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans." 

Note the progressively more severe sins of the Nicoalitans- from too many hierarchical religious deeds to teaching doctrine that explicitly controls the people through worldly and ambitious clericalism.    

Nicolaitanism: This is a greek word that literally means dominate the laity, the people. It is a form of non biblical clericalism which attempts such domination of the laity by those leaders who use their jurisdictional office and rank, and perhaps gifts too, to control the laity, the people. If not checked, this type of leadership leads to God's removal of his Spirit and his grant of ministerial jurisdiction. This sometimes means that leadership folks are left in ministry- with a church license- after the Spirit of God has already left them, as per Revelation17. This chapter depicts the eventual judgement on such husk and no kernal, chaff but no wheat officialdom, after God withdraws His ministerial jurisdictional Spirit, or never gave it in the first place.

2. Jezabel and All False Prophets-Prophetesses

Revelation2,20: "Nevertheless, I have a complaint to make; you tolerate that woman Jezabel who claims to be a prophetess, and by her teaching is leading many of my servants away to commit the adultery of eating food which has been sacrificed to idols. 

This was an actual woman in the early church in Thyratira, but there have been men and women Jezabellian false prophetesses and prophets in every age of the church, in all denominations and all churches, and in every form of Christian ministry under the sun.

This demon spirit is a spirit of manipulation that is can be variably proud and mean and unctuous- as needed- to pursue to whatever agenda or false doctrine, or self aggrandizement, or clique, is being advanced. 

Jezabel has to claim to be a prophetess because she, like her forbear Jezabel married to Ahab, she doesn't have the right ministerial Spirit on her, or in her, which the people and leaders could discern, but who tolerated her ministry and failed to remove her from the same even though she was leading other leaders to the "adultery" of eating the fruits, the food sacrificed to idols, by participating in or leading pagan sacrifices. See also 1Corinthians10,21 "You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons."   

This is not a misogynist verse, in that the Judeo Christian scriptures do countenance woman prophets, such as Deborah in Hebrew scriptures, but it is not common in either testament of the scriptures. 

3. Antichrist spirit Leaders (From Erroneous Non Biblical Doctrine)

1John2,18-25:  Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ [God in the flesh]. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also."  As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you [antichrists lose Spirit and thus can't be qualified for ministry at all]. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life." NIV

Those who refuse to recognize that Jesus is God in the flesh- have committed a heresy both against the incarnation and the saving work of God's son on the cross. Only the blood of the God man Jesus can save us. Thus, these people are "antichrists" because their doctrine leaves room for the final antichrist to procalim himself God, even in the endtime tribulation church, which is exactly what the final Antichrist will do. (2Thessalonians2,4). 

So, this teaching is the first and last Spirit disqualifying heresy, and a fallen demon spirit, an invitation to apostasy, and auto excommunication- all of which means nobody who so believes can have any true Spirit in him or her, let alone any lasting direct grant of ministerial jurisdiction.

4. Possibly one or more of The "Super Apostles" of 2Corinthians11,5 and 12,11:  

I merely mention here Paul's leadership rivals- which he tags derisively and ironically as "Super Apoatles"- for thoroughness here. These folks may covet his position and prestige and huge jurisdictional mandate from God and been out to build up a name for themselves, that surpassed his, more than lifting up the name of Jesus and the gospel. 

But my sense is these rivals and critics of Paul- is that their rivalry (and thus minimization of Paul) was no more trying than the present modern and popular preaching marketplace, and that Paul did only what was necessary and proper to call them out in his writings.    

God's Teaching Grant of Spiritual And Teaching Jurisdiction Is Not Territorial But Is Local

God is Spirit and His jurisdiction- like his Spirit- goes where, and to whom, He wills it. It is by no means a territorial jurisdiction- as if one's supernatural jurisdictional and teaching grant could be established, defined with, limited or extended by imperial or other political leaders or jurisdictions, or by church leaders. It can't.

God's choice and jurisdicational grant to faith teachers (Prophets and Apostles, Evangelists, Pastor-Teachers), and founding pastors, and local churches, and all other leaders and offices, and those gifted with ministerial gifts, come from our ever living God who is Spirit. He sends and grants ministerial jurisdiction based on his sovereign will and the local need regardless of territorial considerations and which denomination or church got there first.

As local Apostle and pastor, James, the brother of our Lord, having local pastoral jurisdiction in Jerusalem, protected the core apostolic biblical doctrine when he issued the decree of Jerusalem Conference that decided to welcome gentiles and not make their entrance into the Christian movement burdensome. His descree is spelled out at Acts15,19-21. 

Samuel Forerunner For Out Of The Ordinary Course Apostle Paul Who Receives Extraordinary Gospel Jurisdiction  

"Go [Ananias], for this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel. I myself with show him how much he must suffer for my name." Acts9,15. NJB 

Please keep this huge delegation of minsterial jurisdiction to Saul of Acts9 as we look at Samuel- who like Paul- who was required to take on the broadest and deepest and most varied jurisdictional based ministry of his testamental era. 

Paul Is The New Samuel- Both Had An Amazing Breath and Depth To Their Ministerial Jurisdiction.

In the Hebrew scriptures perhaps the broadest jurisdictional burden bearing and responsible leader in the history of Israel (Moses is a close second) was Samuel. His mom Hannah prayed a beautiful and intense prayer for him, calling his very life into existence by her cry to God which is found at 1Samuel2. His mom then dedicated him to the priestly temple service of the Lord at Shiloh as a mere child. He lived in the eleventh century BC (1070-1012 BC).

1Samuel3,19-20 is mighty complimentary to Samuel. "The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and let none of his words fall to the ground [ie he gave great counsel]. And all Israel from Dan [in the farthest northern city in northern Israel] to Beersheba [the southernmost city of Judah]."

He is also considered Israel's last judge per 1Samuel7,6 [at Mizpeh in the Territory of the Tribe of Benjamin].

As last judge- you think he could retire or take a long vacation, but there was always more to do for Samuel. The responsibility fell to him to help Israel move toward a proper monarchy, for its own defense and protection, and away from the tribalism, when most everybody was doing what each thought was right in his or her own eyes (cf The New World Dictionary-Concordance to the New American Bible, World, 598).

He was also wary of kingship because God had always been considered the only king for Israel, and he wisely and fully warned against it at 1Samuel8,10-18. But God's people would not relent and the Lord said to Samuel "Listen to them and give them a king." So he anoints Saul king at 1Samuel9. 

But then not long after, Samuel has to rebuke the foolish king Saul for playing at sacrificial priesthood, when he wasn't a priest, by offering an impatient and unauthorized burnt offering in a vain attempt to win a battle. 1Samuel13,13.    

Samuel was also a prophet and a priest, and kingmaker though a reluctant one at that. As to Saul He was in a weird religious position of obeying God and carrying out a tough task of making Israel's first king that might not turn out too well politically or religiously. He was the most trusted leader of his time and age, as evidenced by two books of the Hebrew bible being named after him.

He carried out the day to day responsibilites of prophet and priest (the latter at Temple at Shiloh) and also counsellor-judge. He truly deserves to be known as one of the leading "founding fathers" of the religious nation of Israel.

He had more favor and a broader jurisdiction and more offices than almost anyone in the Hebrew scriptures. He also lived in a time when the Philistines were a real nemesis and problem, not just an occasional bother.

What I note about him is that he has all this responsibility- of taking Israel into monarchy and help the twelve tribes out of the chaos and weakness of a mere tribal confederacy, a type of ancient feudalism of sorts. His resume was tremendously broad, but he humbled himself in a long life of service that revealed that God knew just what he was doing in granting him both prophetic and priestly jurisidction- and political and judicial jurisdiction and authority too.

This inspired breath of his ministerial jurisdiction was almost unmatched with anyone in the bible - save for Jesus and the Apostle Paul.

As we move on toward the amazing and similat jurisdictional breath of Paul, I want to read a passage captures some of the breath and depth of Samuel as mediator over Israel. He was sort of a more well seasoned and well rounded, but less dramatic version, of Moses. It's a passage that makes contact with his priesthood, and down to earth faithful prophetic act of walking his spiritual and judicial beat, and his courageous and timely faith role as the supreme Spiritual leader and animator of Israel, the best of the best, and mature and humble too.

This humility is particularly seen in that he yearly walked the 40 mile circular (The Voice Translation) Spiritual Spiritual-Counsellor and judicial beat (sort of like the Methodist missionaries travelling by horse to their small US congregation in the vast expanse of the American Midwest and Southwest), counselling all in need and deciding religious cases in the very center of physical Israel. He did this route from his home in Ramah just five miles north of Jerusalem. He certainly did his part, and then some, in forming God's people and nation:

This is 1Samuel7,10-17. Note the Lord responding to Samuel's faithful sacrifice with loud thunder:

"While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines... Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpeh and Shen. He named it Ebenezer [stone of help], saying, 'Thus far has the Lord helped us.' So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to her, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the power of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. Samuel continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also judged Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord." 1Samuel7,10-17    

The New Testament church leader with the broadest  portfolio and Spiritual jurisdiction- like Samuel's- is the Apostle Paul. Peter at Matthew10,6 was told to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But Paul was told to go to the whole world, gentiles and gentile kings and to His own people, the Jews. This is the immense task and jurisdiction that the Lord granted him. It began and is described in Acts9.3ff and 9,15 above which we read. 

Paul was struck blind by the light of the risen Lord Jesus in Damascus Syria as he pursued Christian Jews to inflict on them the same deathly fate as the deacon Stephen suffererd. 

At Acts9,4, after he was struck blind, Jesus asks "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

We know Paul knew it was the Lord God who struck him down blind because Paul asks at verse 5 "Who are you Lord?" That is, he addresses Jesus as "Lord," that is God! In effect, the most politically and religiously powerful and gifted Pharisee in all Israel  knew he was totally "busted"- and blinded- by the Lord God himself. But Paul may not know that this Lord God who had struck him down is Jesus, and thus Jesus answers and sternly tells Paul what's what and who's who:

verse  5 "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting." he replied. Verse 6: "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." 

Acts 9,8-9 tells us Paul was blind for three days and lead into the city of Damascus. Paul was to meet there a faithful Christian Jew named Ananias to whom Jesus appeared in a vision. Acts9,10. Ananias is told by Jesus at verse 11 "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying [Saul has found real saving faith having been struck down blind]! Verse 12 "In a vision [a blind man sees again in a vision! Because he couldn't see anything else! What a good sense of humor the Lord has!] he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."

But Ananias is a bit stubborn about his gospel task- so he tells Jesus in so many words that this Saul has come to town to harm the saints and arrest them. But the risen Lord sternly orders Ananias to do as He says.

This order contains and reveals the broadest and most amazing ministerial jurisdiction given to Paul, a man still blinded! "Go [Ananias], for this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel. I myself with show him how much he must suffer for my name." Acts9,15. NJB 

When Ananias hears how broad Saul's jurisdictional-ministerial mandate is, he stops fussing and obeys. Thus, verse 17 says "Then Ananias went [sounds like that very same third day] to the house (on Straight Street) and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul he said, 'Brother Saul [what respect now that Jesus told him how important Saul's mission is, and been informed by the Lord that Paul has been praying], the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road [three days ago] has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Verse 18 [ie get his Spiritual jurisdiction]: "Something like scales fell from Paul's eyes [was this Luke's way of describing Paul simultaneous healing-baptism in the Spirit?], and he could see again. He got up and was baptized."

So let's review for a moment the swiftness of Paul's conversion and sending. He has ridden a horse 200 miles, an instrument of war, from Jerusalem to Damascus in keeping with his intent and purpose, to broaden his persecution of Christian Jews.

Then he's struck down and blinded by the "Lord God." And yet, within these three days he has met the risen Lord- on day one. Then prayerfully repents on Straight Street- mayby that was day two. Then on the third day- he has his sight and strength restored by Ananias laying hands on him, and makes his baptismal covenant with the Lord and gets filled with the Spirit of the Lord.

Now he is actually "worthy" of the Spiritual download of this massive grant of ministerial jurisdiction that was announced to Ananias.

That's three very exciting days in a man's life!

But there's more- he gets right ot work. Verses 19 and 20 of this same Acts9 tell us that after spending several more days, say three more, with the disciples in Damascus: "At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God." 

So within about six days- he begins his broad ministerial-jurisdictional mandate to bring the gospel to everyone, starting with his own people in the synagogues.

The synagogues had a political and religious jurisdiction (a "minyan" 10 Jews means you can conduct the official work of the people of God) as enclaves for the people of God, outside of Isreal. Paul as a leading Pharisee and now a Christian deputized by Jesus, king of the Jews, has gospel jurisdiction in the whole world- to all the peoples of the world. He starts from synagogue to synagogue.

As Paul thematically wrote at Romans1,16:

"I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power for the salvation of everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then for the gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness [a Spiritual reality] from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'" 

Paul was always obedient to this ministerial grant of jurisdiction he received from Jesus, first to the Jews in the synagogues and then to the gentiles and to the gentiles kings wherever.

As to gentile gentile "kings" of Acts9,15, Stem Publishing's "The Christian's Friend" Magazine 1897, in an article "Paul and the Seven Roman Officials", names the "kings" that Paul dutifully witnessed according to the jurisdictional favor of the Lord:
1. Acts13,6-12: Sergio Paulus, deputy governor, pro consul, of Cyrus;
2.  Acts18,12-17: Gallio, pro consul of Achaia;
3. Acts23,26:Claudius Lysias, captian of 1000 men;
4. Acts24: Governor of Caesarea Felix;
5.Acts26,24: Porcius Festus, Successor Governor Of Caesarea;
6.Acts27: Julius, Roman centurion in charge of Paul voyage to Rome;
7.Acts28: Publius, "Chief man of the island of Malta. Paul healed his father! 

Similarly, Acts13,44-47 depicts Paul's switch on the fly from his gospel mandate in the synagogues to the gentiles:

"The next sabbath the whole town [Antioch in Pisidia] assembled to hear the word of God. When they saw the crowds the Jews filled with jealousy, used blaphemies to contradict everything Paul says. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out fearlessly 'we had to proclaim the Word of God  to you [to Jews, to the nation of Israel] first, but since you have rejected it, since you do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life [This subject matter is polemical- a heated religious argument- don't be scandalized by this rhetoric or allow it to sanction Antisemitism], here and now we turn to the gentiles. For this is what the Lord commanded us to do when he said I have made you [Israel] a light to the nations, so that my salvation may reach the remotest parts of the earth."    

Can A Ship Be A Spiritual Jurisdiction?

Now one more passage, bear with me, about the amazing ministerial jurisdiction conferred by the Word of Jesus and the Holy Spirit to the Apostle Paul. This passage is both life and death serious and humerous too- Acts27,10ff. Paul is sailing on ship bound for Rome to defend his case before Caesar. This trip represents Paul fulfilling his jurisdictional gospel mandate to the gentiles, and the kings of this world, since Rome being the center of the non Jewish or gentile world. The Alexandrian, ie Egyptian, ship had trouble landing at Cnidus, a city on the coast of Asia Minor, in what is now Turkey. This was because the wind would not allow the ship to hold its course. So they give up on landing at Cnidus and instead pop out into open seas and then sail to the lee side of Crete, the south side, trying to use the island topography beside them to take the brunt of the wind.

It was late in the sailing season- like late September or early October- and very dangerous season to keep sailing- but they had missed harboring at Cnidus and are hoping to harbor on the South side of Crete. So Paul is a man blessed by God. He is full of the Spirit. And we alos know this He has an outsized ministerial jurisdiction- a life and death God mandated missionary task of getting to Rome.

So God totally wants to protect this task, Rome being the epitome and apex of his jurisdictional gospel mandate.

So what does he do? In essence, he sees the sailing crisis and at first he tries diplomatically sort out who has jurisdiction over the Egyptian ship. He might have well just screamed out- "brothers I am just a lowly Jewish scholar and Roman prisoner from Jersualem, but right now I am a prophet and listen up! We here are in big and bad trouble. And I got a Word from the Lord- so I am your captain now."

But he didn't do that. He tried diplomacy first:

Acts 27,10 "Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disasatrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also. 11 But the centurion [Roman official charged with getting Paul to Rome who apparently has power and influence with the Egyptian crew] instead of listening to what Paul said [stop in Fair Havens and winter there] followed the advice of the pilot and the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Pheonix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest."     

Anyway, they didn't listen to, or take Paul's inspired advice. And a hurricane force "Northeaster" swept down the island and they lost control of the ship [and couldn't harbor for the winter at Pheonix] and were swept out to sea again. So Paul after three days of terror and confusion speaks up- this time more forceful like Jesus did to Paul at his own conversion. And this time Paul fully asserts his Holy Ghost prophetic jurisdiction, again.

This was something he enjoyed wherever he went, as prophet, as Apostle, as a gospel witness:

Acts 27,21  "After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: 'Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete [Fair havens], then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed [prophecy!]; 23 Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you."

God is so faithful. He stands by Paul and his mission. He stands by his handpicked and empowered leaders and by their Holy Ghost jurisdictional protection. So much so, that He gave Paul Spiritual jurisdiction over that boat, and over all, the lives of the people on it! And they all lived because Paul, God's man, with the greatest jurisdiction of all king Jesus' disciples, was on that boat.            

Has the Spirit Taken Jurisdiction Over Our Temples, Our Bodies?

Nobody's living and human body has contained more of the Holy Spirit than Jesus' body.

Paul in his word at 1Corinthians6,19 tells the Corinthians a deep and profound life changing truth: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God. You are not your own." NIV 

In other words, we Christians have given Spiritual jurisdiction of our bodies to the owner and High Priest Jesus of the Temple of our body.

A physical temple in the bible is a holy place governed by the word and Spirit.  And because God's Spirit dwells in the temple- it's also known as "God's house." So it's a place that God's Spirit reigns and lives and speaks up. It's a place where he, through his Word and Spirit has full jurisdiction. So when Paul reminds the Corinthians that our bodies are temples of the Spirit, and we are not our own, he is saying that God is not only is meant to live in us, but that he has jurisdictional rule in and over our bodies.

Or, he might get up and leave! As he did according to he Temple in Jerusalem according to Ezekiel10,18. 

Not An Easy Truth

And this living Spirit in us, in our Temple, wants to rule and reign- and bring to heel all the lawless and faithless unspiritual worship and unrepentant sinful acting that leads God's people back into sin and death. So I am not saying this concept of our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit is an easy truth, but it's time and perhaps past time for us Christians to deal with this scripture in a more serious way, and invite the holy Spirit into our temples once again and perhaps more aware of what we are doing and how incredibly amazing is it to have God who is Spirit living in us.

And once we get a even a glimspe of the magnitude of this truth- then best resolve to let God rule us even there. As we said in our initial 10 essential aspects of the Holy Spirit- the discernment of the Holy Ghost in us, or anywhere, is an objective assesssment. He is either in us, in the temple or not. We have repentant faith, he's there as imperishable supernatural Spiritual seed of faith 1Peter1,22-23. By this seed we are reborn and saved. Then as we grow in faith, as per the promise of Acts 2,39 we received the promise of of baptism of the Spirit.

Whether we are at the seed Spiritual state or the fullness of the Spirit living in us of Holy Ghost Baptism, the only place for God who is Spirt to live is in the temple of our body, that is in our present physical body.

So while we might or might not have this truth fully working on us in our life yet, why don't we start now inviting the Holy Spirit out loud into all the jurisdictional places into our lives- into our bodies, our houses, our churches, our businesses, our small groups, our ministries, our cars, our classrooms, our relationships, our computers, and even into our curated selfie media world.

We can name any important "place" in our life- and God who is Spirit, wants to inform it, and be in it, and Spiritually govern that place with us according to his word and his jurisdictional gospel purposes.

This is not charismania I am teaching. It's not fluff and little nutter.

The word say "You are not your own. You [and your bdoies] were bought at a great price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1Corinthians6,19-20. Our bodies and souls and spirits were all purchased and redeemed by Jesus, and thus he "owns" them. He wants jurisdiction over them. And if he owns them, and we trust and have faith that he does, well then, it's up to us invite HIM in and have his will done in all these places.  

Only when we have God's Spirit in all the spiritual and at least some of the physical "jurisdictions" of our lives, will we see these jurisdictions get cleaned up, and filled up, and us get healed up rightly.

But without a Holy Ghost bible view of who we really belong to, our teaching today of His direct Spirit blessing of ministerial jurisdiction may appear, and be, too daunting.

Oh glory people of God! It's time to recognize and clean up all the little jurisdictions in each of our lives, and houses, and all the rest, with the Word and the Spirit and our own personal faith. And then we operate in the Holy Spirit jurisdictional power of Jesus and His gospel, and faith.

We are living by faith and spread the gospel in Spirit and truth- when we step into our ministerial jurisidctions and operate in them and live there in them with God with confidence and conviction. 

Perhaps, it's time to gently suggests to lukewarm folks fronting Jesus that there's more to our faith than claiming God lives in us. Time to perhaps gently remind men and fathers and husbands and pastors- if we want to be the jurisdictional spiritual head of the family- like the bible says, and be respected by womenfolk, we must be gentle and considerate with them. (1Peter3,7) And also remind all and ourselves that a Christian man, like Paul said, doesn't mistreat and exasperate his own flesh and blood- his kids. Colossians3,21; Ephesians6,4

We can and we must take back for Jesus and the Holy Spirit the jurisdictional territories of our homes, our marriages, our own minds, our own bodily temples, our phones, and computers and our digital profiles, and all our consumption of media, as well as in our own houses and apartments, and houses of worship. 

Spiritual Jurisdiction In Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation

I am going to just keep rolling on in our teaching about Holy Ghost Spiritual jurisdictions if you don't mind. 

Please turn to Revelation 2 and 3. John the Revelator was perhaps the most gifted prophet in the entire bible, save for Jesus. Without Revelation we would be clueless about the future things leading to eternal life with God. Prophets gain official jurisdiction and place and space to teach and correct and reprove and reveal the priorities of God as they speak up according to the Word and Spirit of God.

At Zion Pentecost Mission we still preach that the offices of Christinaity per Ephesians4,10-11 are operative: Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor teachers. The call, the office, or offices, the type and number of one's ministerial gifts, our personal faith measure- and the lived witness of each of us- all these are part of the breath of one's jurisdiction in ministry.

If you have one of the offices of Ephesians 4 you have jurisdiction from God to exercise that office in the local church. If you have ministerial gifts you operate within the jurisdiction of helping bring the whole gospel to all God's people in your church and the local area.

Now John the Revelator was a prophet. His primary ministerial and official jurisdiction was prophecy. But like Daniel of old, he lived at a time when the normal teachers were not preaching and teaching stronly enough. In Daniel's time this led to God's judgement on the Temple which was sacked by Babylon for their lack of good teaching. Psalm74,6. So Daniel, the prophet, in Babylonian exile, received a pastoral and teaching jurisdiction blended into his prophetic jurisdiction office.

How's that?

Because when the pastors are weak or not teaching right, ie the Temple priesthood in his day, or other extraordinary circumstances, God has the prophets (and evangelists in the time of Christianity) teach more and more. And thus they end up, by default and necessity, pastoring the people by their teaching.

This is also seen very clearly in Revelation 2 and 3 whereby the prophet John the Revelator has received a type of pastoral jurisdiction over the seven churches in Asia Minor- because that's where all the difficulty was, in greater Ephesus, the mother church of Asia Minor.

1 and 2 Timothy and Revelation 2 and 3 reveal gender issues, and weak pastor issues, issues of Nicolaitans, hierchical types who Lord it over the people, and Jezabel spirits. This Jezabel spirit- which manifests in manipulating women and men (the latter are often weak people)- who are laboring under this demonic spirit but are still welcome in churches. This false spirit can ruin pastors, make them wimpy, and render choirs discordant, and ruin local churches, and hobble entire denominations, as it hobbled almost the entire corp of prophets in the time of Jezabel and King Ahab. 

Any Holy Ghost ministry in any church, if the pastor cow tows to, and is confused about, any of the various issues of 1 and 2 Timothy and Revelation 2 and 3, as seen in updated and modern expressions today, can render a church devoid of any Holy Ghost infilled jurisdiction to do anything. 

Most of the problems in churches are about the lack of faith, by leaders and then by the people. With lack of faith man's and Satan's ideas run roughsod over God's ideas, and Word, and Spirit. This lack of faith leads to a lack of the infilling of the Spirit which renders the branches of the vine lifeless and fruitless, and sloughed off. Just as Adam and Eve lost the jurisdiction of the garden, God can take away the jurisdiction of any fallen church that is full of wordly nonsense and drama, and fails to heed the reproof and correction of God's Word, and God's Prophets, and God's Spirit, and God's Spirit filled prophetic people- more and more of whom are increasingly able, praise God, to discern true bible faith from false bible faith.

The Spirit simply leaves any jurisdiction where he is no longer welcome- just as he did the Jerusalem temple at Ezekiel10,18. And the discerning flock leave churches all the time due to lack of a bible based faith, and lack of the Holy Spirit. They will just seek a new Spiritual jurisdiction where God is actually welcome, and the Spiritual "food" is still healthy and holy, according to His Word and Spirit.

If God Sets Up a Church He Wants It To Succeed By Doing His Church His way
But don't panic- just realize, God is neither mocked or rash and capricious. If he has set up a church, and given it and its Ephesians4 officers and its people local jurisdiction, He wants it to succeed.

And he wants people to know him and serve him in all His churches.

And we can rest assured, until we hear otherwise from His Word and Spirit, He will grace the local church with his Spiritual presence, and help us- so long as we are doing our good faith part according to the Word and the Spirit. 

This is true even though local denominational churches are certainly influenced as to their Spiritual health, or disease, based on the overall organizational teachings of their larger church, but also how closely the local church leaders and all the folks in the church believe and follow the biblical Word and Spirit on the other.  

John The Revelator's Timeless Prophecy Is Always Right on Point For Healthy Christianity 
Healthy Christianity over the millenia is greatly in debt to the prophet John the Revelator. Not only does he provide the most elaborate insight into the endtimes, but also because his singular courage to simply write down the specific problems, ie name what was going right and wrong, according to Jesus in six of the seven churches that gave birth to Christianity in crucial area of Asia Minor. 

These teachings have a timeless air of insight and correction and encouragement in all the ages of the church. 

Thus, John the Revelator, who tradition holds lived longer than the other matyred apostles, helped the apostolic church in Asia Minor to safely land on Jesus as it faced the second century. I say second century because most of the original apostles had taught and written and likely already gone home to Jesus. 

In our present distracted and sometimes confused and borderline lawless day, only the eternal, strong and prophetic and pastoral Word, preached in the Spirit, as in the Book of Revelation, has the power and breath to speak to the challenges of the chruch in every age.

This is so in a time when some Godly Christians seem weary and unwilling to preach against sin, and the heartbreak it always causes, an age that often assumes that sin is always the other Christian's problem, the other churches' problem. But as the Revelator reveals, through the risen Jesus, all but one of the seven was still struggle with sin and or weak spots, and things that can only be cleaned up by faith and the fresh breath of the Spirit that comes by faith.  

As a prophet under God's prophetic jurisdiction, John interestingly addresses each of his seven letters "To the angel of" the particular local church. Angels bring a message of God, but they also have Spiritual jurisdiction, no more or less than the message God gives them. They are messenger's of the latest news and revelations of God. Each church apparently had an angel looking over it.

(Perhaps this address to the angels of these churches, rather than pastors, was God's prophetic and diplomatic way to remind the local pastors that God wanted them to get with it, and get serious with his always prophetic gospel program. Mayby some of the churches were without pastors, or without a good pastor, or a pastor that pushed around the people. So God figured out a way via John's angelic address not embaress them, but still put their feet to the prophetic fire after revealing that Jesus knew exactly what was going right and wrong in all their churches.)

Like the churches of Asia Minor, every church created by God has a Spiritual jurisdiction in the local city, or town, and state and nation where it is. Every spiritual jurisdiction of the gospel confronts Satan's particular stronghold(s) in that town, city or state, and nation. Satan doesn't necessarily have jurisdiction over any city, but he can have jurisdiction over the sins and the hierarchy of strongholds in that city. 

Every faith jurisdiction and church and ministry everywhere has to contend with the stronghold of greed. In the New York city this might be the leading  stronghold. In Washington DC, it might be the stronghold of lust.

Every ministry that practices non biblical hierarchy has to contend with the stronghold of institutional overreach, of governing too much from the top down and not from the local level up, of Nicolaitanism.     

The strongholds are attached to the dominating sins of a particular place. 

So it is by no mistake that Jesus specifies the sins and belssed strengths of six of the seven churches.   

We all Have Spiritual Jurisdiction For Prayer And Deliverance
While we may not all be prophets, or apostles, or a pastor teachers or have the sexiest gift du jour, of healing or miracle- we all have the jurisdiction- so long as the Spirit lives in our bodily jurisdiction- to pray with power and might- and to exercise the gift or gifts God has given to each of us.

Make no mistake my friends, we all have the Spiritual dominion power and the jurisdiction to pray all manner of prayers, including the often neglected prayer of deliverance from demons- for anyone in need. We also have the right to pray for the sick and hurting. Greater is He who is in us, in our temples, in our bodies, than he who is in the worId!

Praise Jesus this scripture gives all Christian the jurisdiction to pray for and deliver anyone.

No need to ask permission of anyone!

When Jesus was asked by ordinary folks how to pray: he did not say 'do not pray' as an individual or family or  'go ask your pastor.' Or 'go ask someone else.' He said  "Our father..." Every child of God has the jurisdictional right to run to his heavenly Father and pray!  And at the end of our prayer prototype lesson, we were all interestingly taught to include something about "deliver us from all evil."

That's God's invitation for us to all who do deliverance.

So some might might think as a Christians we have no ministry- but all born again Christians, all Christians- have the power and jurisdiction to pray in Jesus' Name. All of us were taught to pray in God's will, and God's will, is that people would be healed and delivered from all evil.

I am not naive after many years in ministry- you are going to take heat and pushback if you start living and faithing and praying with the jurisdictional authority God has already given you. You might even be nudged out to change churches when you want to live the Spirit empowered and word based way of faithful living.  

I have experienced push back to praying with authority in churches and everywhere else I have every prayed. Praying out loud- even in places where it is still welcomed- is counter cultural. Now you and I both know people who might share their present difficuties or challenges. And perhaps. They might be just "venting" and are not looking for too much advice.

But we Christians can just ask the person, or simply state something like, 'I'd like to pray with you, and for you! Right now if you don't mind! And then just do it. The way I see it is- if a person starts unloading their sins and sicknesses, and complaints, yes it's time to listen, at least for a bit, and to be compassionate.

But more importantly it's also likely time for us Christians, especially Holy Spirit anointed ones, to seize the opportunity, the time and place, seize our own Spiritual dominion-jurisdiction, right then and there, and get after it.

And God will honor this.

It may be the place you are in is not the best place to pray, or minister. Mayby we need to take people aside a bit, like Jesus did several times. And then pray for what's bringing them down. 

And there are times when we just have to let the compassion and the blessed words flow.

At the end of almost every 'Preaching Hour' I usually ask people to pray for me- that's the first thing Christians do for each other. It's real important. We all have the jurisdiction to pray for each other, even if we go to different churches. You and I, whatever church we go to, as Christians are called to be, and or already are, made in the Spiritual image and likenes of God.

We have Spiritual dominion by God living in us.

Dont Be Offended If Your Prayer Authority Is Challenged

When you pray with authority it totally changes the atmosphere around you. This will bother some people- don't take it personally. Don't be offended. Folks might even ask you by whose authority are you praying?

Tell them God lives in you by faith and that's your jurisdictional authority as a Christian. Jesus told us to bear each others burdens. And that we are born again and re-made, a new creation, and made in the Spiritual image and likeness of God.

We born again Christians- are not bound by the man made culture and customs. We are by definition followers of Jesus the Christ, the anointed One who anoints us, and thus He expects us all to pray with the anointing He gave us.

There was a "Great Awakening" in the 1730s and 1740s. We mentioned that before. There is also a great personal awakening when we awake to the fact that we each are made in the Spiritual dominion image and likeness of our Lord and God, even in the flesh, in God's image, not fulano de tal's image, but God's Spiritual image.

Thus, we all have Spiritual dominion, jurisdiction, to use the power of our almighty God and Father, and the almighty Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus. 

Absent being in another person's church sanctuary, or home, and knowing that outsiders are not welcome to pray there, we have no obligation to follow the customs and nicities of any other church or group, or faith, other than our own.

Furthermore, let me say it another gentler way- there always is some seemingly good reason not to pray right now, or even today, or even tommorrow- there's always an excuse. And- it should be no surpise to any of us- since we know how Jesus was treated- if someone or other is not happy about us ministering God's love and salvation, and all manner of prayer, to those in need. 

We Told Him To Stop

Mark9,38-39: John said to him [Jesus] "We saw someone using your name casting out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn't in our group. Do not stop him, for no one who performs a miracle in my name can turn around and speak evil of Me." ESV

When you are doing powerful ministry and hearts are changing- someone, even someone who knows better- is going to tell you to stop, or you are doing "too much", or" going overboard" or "doing it wrong."

Jesus' own family told him he was going overboard and doing too much ministry. Mark3,20-21. 

One of the greatest healings I ever received was from somebody who had all the gifts and blessings of God. But she really wasn't all that trained up yet- nor was I. But she was ready to pray with authority anyway and she got the job done.

God blessed her humility and conviction and courage. Stepping into the light and grace of prayer takes courage.

When it comes to the right to speak up and out in prayer and perform all manner of prayer and deliverance, God gives each and every born again person and entire holy, miracle-announcing-gospel and royal priesthood (1Peter2,5 and 9) the authority to pray for people.

The accomplished Christian artist and singer "Crowder", from Texarcana Texas, has a hit song real popular these days, especially on K-Love 106.9 FM from Hartford, called "Somebody Prayed."

Glory to God! I think it's fair to say that Crowder has already understood my final point of this sermon: you and me and every born again Christian has the jurisdiction to do the awesome miracle bringing ministry of prayer.

And we have all already have seen and know that prayer works.

'Somebody prayed' means somebody acted on the grace of God, moving upon them and in them, and then stepped into his or her jurisdictional power and authority.

And then we'll see one way or the other, as we have seen before again and again that when somebody prays with a little real faith, somebody always gets good results. Praise God.   

That's my message. God happily fills people with Himself, with His Spirit, in response to our personal faith. He's happy to fill us again and again, to overflowing, even after we occasionally and momentarily feel all tapped out.

And as we grow in faith, it won't be too long at all, until God will be very very happy to baptize us in the Spirit and give us all ministerial jurisdiction- more than we can handle- because the harvest is rich but the laborers are few. 

Final Prayer

I pray Lord Jesus that your blood bought people would be given opportunity to minister in your name- pursuant to the offices and gifts you have given them and the compassion and faith in their hearts.

As to the gifts, convince your people, show them by this sermon, that you have at least one ministry gift with their name written all over it.

And convince them all, and me too, from Revelation 2,17 that in the future you have a white stone with our new most gopsel name on it, a name that is our jurisdictional kingdom name, our Spiritual ownership kingdom name, our place in the kingdom name, our kingdom calling card name- your new and eternal name for each of us, that perfectly reflects our like precious faith, our best name given by you, that opens the door for all of us to the marriage supper of the lamb and your Zion kingdom for each of us.

In the meantime, get us ready Lord for the rapture when we, and all the Hebrew bible saints and Christian Bible saints will rise and meet you in the air. And in the meantime may our gospel service to you bear fruit, and some way, some how edifiy your body, for the glory and honor of your precious Name, name above all names. Gives us all the ministerial jurisdiction that you se fit  which by way of our trust in you and our respect for your Word and Spirit, and teach us not to take this jurisdiction or our gifts for granted. In your Name Jesus we pray.

Amen!

Br. Tobin