Today there is the division of nations, provinces, and towns among the denominations. This is plain folly.
Even within one denomination in one country, things are divided again. Men who know too little of conflict in prayer and even less on waiting on God sit down at a table conference and divide the country and say, “Mr so and so, here is your area or zone or group.” Then some say, “this denomination has stepped into our area and stolen our converts”. Others say, “this preacher came into my area or my town and carried out a campaign without my permission.” All these statements and attitudes manifest deep spiritual blindness and the madness of human manifestations.
No one can decide the extent or the limits of the ministry of another. No one can own a town simply because some board put him there. None can own a village, tribe or nation in that way.
There are two sides to the matter of the limits of spiritual authority. The first one is that the extent and limits of ministry are first of all decided in heaven and not upon earth. John the Baptist said,
“No-one can receive anything except what is given him from above.” (John 3:27)
If the Lord gives you
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a village,
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a town,
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a tribe,
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a nation,
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a group of nations,
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a continent,
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continents
to take spiritual authority of, then you have it or you have them. No denominational board or council or synod can take that away from you. You must quarrel with no one about it. You must go on as the Lord has called you.
The second side of the matter is that the extent of a man’s ministry is determined by the extent to which he can
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Overthrow principalities
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release captives
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bring captives to render total obedience to the Lord Jesus.
The one who can set himself free by overthrowing the principalities at work in his life and no more has spiritual authority over himself if in addition, he brings himself to render a perfect obedience to the Lord Jesus.
The one who can overthrow principalities and powers in one hundred lives, release these captives and bring them to render total obedience to the Lord Jesus has spiritual authority over one hundred people.
The one who can do that same work over a village has spiritual authority that extends over a village. The one who can do it over a town, tribe, nation, etc. has spiritual authority over that realm and to that extent.
Yes, spiritual authority extends to the area and people over whom one has overthrown principalities and powers and established the glory of the Lord. This is determined by the extent of consecration and total abandonment to the will of God. It is determined by the extent to which a person gladly takes up his cross and follows the Lord Jesus in daily suffering and death.
The Bible says,
“For though we live in the world we are not carrying out a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ being ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.” (II Corinthians 10: 3-6)
Render complete obedience to Christ. Love Him supremely. Hold nothing back from Him. He will then allow you to exercise spiritual authority to the full measure and extent that He has allotted to you.
Amen.