"Again,
the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that
he had, and bought it."
Matthew
13:45-46 KJV
The Church has
been given seven offices by our Master, five offices really known ONLY
to some and used by very few within the Church.
And
he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers;
for the perfecting
of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ:
till we all
come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
that we henceforth
be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind
of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they
lie in wait to deceive;
but speaking
the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head,
even Christ:
from whom the
whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint
supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part,
maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Ephesians
4: 11-16 KJV
I say "only" because
few are the ones operating in them now or even being taught how to live
in them. The desire to operate in them is not even an issue within the
church.
Most believers
do not even know how to begin seeking the operation of the Five Fold Ministry
offices. It is a desire that is not encouraged within the church by their
own leaders.
Why? Because
they themselves do not know how to operate in these God given Five Fold
ministries. How could they possibly teach others then?
Most believers
do not even know how to begin seeking the operation of these offices. It
is a desire that is not encouraged in the church by the leaders. Why? Because
they themselves do not know how to operate in these offices.
For most believers
in the church to desire to seek these offices in their lifetime is not
even an option. There is no understanding and there is no know how within
the church on how to do so.
Most are just
plain happy to manage their 501c ministry and to be acknowledged as a prominent
person within the church. And with that most leaders are well pleased.
They become complacent and are happy with just that. How sad!
There are seven
offices really but most think that the last two will not be in operation
until much later in the millennium reign of Christ.
One thing that
the Church does NOT lack however is plenty of administrators, plenty
of managers with the title of pastors and plenty who profess authority
by reason of head knowledge, dogma, doctrine and/or denominational dung.
However the
one thing that the church DOES LACK is examples of the life of Jesus
Christ himself in the vessels that profess to serve Him. That is one thing
that the church does lack, examples of Christ like leaders.
There are many
who can explain the doctrines of Christianity, God's attributes, God's
laws and even recite the Ten Commandments weekly some do it daily, but
few who can walk as Jesus walked, and very few who can display those same
attributes of God, and very very few of those who can exercise His authority.
Indeed,
while many have given themselves titles, positions and places within the
Church as Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers placing
themselves above the everyday sheep (that so desperately seek spiritual
food from Heaven,) only a handful within the True Remnant, or Ten Virgins
who carry the Lamps with the oil sincerely function in these Higher Realms
of authority that Christ purchased for His Bride.
Not only are
these Wanna BEs making fools of themselves by giving themselves Titles
and places in the Body Of Christ that do not belong to them yet, they are
making a mockery of the offices that Christ has bestowed to those who are
truly manifesting His Life within and those who are entering from the world
without.
However within
this group of Wanna Bes who diligently work clouding the Light of the True
Gospel to those who need Salvation, a new badge of True Authority has been
dispatched from above, arriving here on Earth grooming those who truly
are being decorated by Heaven.
This badge
of Authority is bringing deliverance on an unprecedented scale not seen
on earth since the time of the original Apostles. In some cases, entire
cities are being turned toward God. Some have been turned toward God already.
There is a
big difference in operating in the flesh and operating in the Spirit of
God. Just because a man or a woman for that matter gets up on a platform
and preaches the Gospel does not make them an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist,
Pastor nor Teacher. They may have all these offices stirred within their
spirit and certainly they may be very well in the making but it doesn't
mean that they are in full operation.
It breaks my
heart when I am invited to speak in churches around the country and men
and women introduce themselves to me as Apostles and Prophets.
Yet later on
when the Gifts of the Holy Spirit come into full operation during the service,
the LORD reveals that they are all living in bondage and defeat.
No Apostle
would ever live their lives in bondage and defeat.
If that is
not a mockery of the offices The Lord God has bestowed upon us, I do not
know what it is. I see NO POWER within the so-called-Church, I see NO AUTHORITY
within the so-called-Church, I see NO DELIVERANCE within the so-called-Church.
All I see is
a desire for placement and to be noticed by others. I see no reflection
of Christ like qualities whatsoever, therefore Power from above cannot
be display within the so-called-Church.
But I do see
the Light of the Gospel, the attriutes fo The LORD and the POWER of GOD
WITHIN A REMNANT.
So what in
the world is the TRUE, not the so called church but the true Church of
Jesus Christ doing in these the last days before His return for His bride?
Under what authority is she operating?
What is Spiritual
Authority anyway? It is nothing less than God Himself confirming with POWER
the word of His servant.
So many who
claim to be servants of God do not have their words that are being spoken
confirmed by the LORD GOD Almighty. That is proof enough that the titles
that they have bestowed upon themselves are not of GOD but of themselves.
Then
Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with
Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
Acts
8: 13 KJV
Moses exemplified
spiritual authority when he warned unrepentant Pharaoh. The Spirit of God
confirmed Moses's judgments with power that broke the pride of Egypt.
In the same
manner our Master Jesus manifested spiritual authority when He confronted
demons in people, silenced storms, healed diseases, and then fulfilled
redemption in resurrection power.
The Father
let none of Christ's words go unfulfilled. the Lord god continues to work
in the same manner with his servants in presents days, but only a handful
allow themselves to be used of HIM. The rest are just charlatans.
The Bible provides
us with many examples of those with spiritual authority. Every example
tells us the same underlying principle: those who are raised up by God
are backed up by God.
They will "decree
a thing, and it will be established" Job 22:28
KJV.
Such is the
nature of spiritual authority.
Our True Source
of Authority
Speaking of
the TRUE remnant and not the fake that is operating amongst us, it is obvious
that as pastors, leaders, and intercessors, we need to operate in greater
authority than what we have been operating in till present day.
While we bask
in various graces that add to the edification of our offices, The God grants
us dominion and authority for one specific purpose: and that is to fulfill
His purposes on the Earth that he may establish His perfect will through
the Kingdom of his son Yeshua.
What Is God's
Perfect Will? For starters the Lord commanded His disciples the following.
"Jesus came
and spake unto them, saying, "All power is given unto me in heaven and
in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
Matthew
28:18-19 KJV
We see here
that the one main Divine purpose is seen in the Great Commission.
But how do
we carry out this Great Commission?
Well the Lord
Jesus Christ gave the Church authority to make disciples which means to
discipline them into the ways of the LORD. One thing is to be a believer
another is to be a disciple of our Master.
We have been
much more successful in making converts to a Jesus that most do not know
and understand because "they" are not only taught to read the WORD, they
just don't read the WORD in order to make disciples.
One of the
many reasons for this phenomenon is that those who are sharing the Gospel
with others are NOT disciples themselves. They simply aren't. One cannot
give something to others that one does not have. you cannot make a disciple
of someone if you yourself are not one.
So although
good intentions are there and the heart of those sharing the Good News
of the Gospel of Salvation and their hearts might be right with God does
not mean in any way, shape or form whatsoever that they are disciples of
the Most High God.
This is the
most logical explanation why they themselves are making disciples.
In our present
day, in our present year of 2012 many are believers in Jesus, many are
receiving the LORD Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Oh yes, many within
the Church are taking titles for themselves as so-called Apostles, Prophets,
Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers but few are truly followers of Jesus
Christ.
They simply
are not disciples of Christ and therefore cannot turn their flock into
disciples of the One they claim has decorated them with Authority from
Heaven.
As a matter
of fact, years later those same people that have claimed to received Jesus
Christ as LORD and Saviour cannot even give you a concrete or solid answer
and tell you what our Master has done for them on the Cross.
They cannot
give you an explanation of what Salvation means, they cannot even share
with anyone the offices they are entitled to, what the high calling of
God in their lives is, what is the Great Inheritance that awaits them as
they are chiseled into the New Man that now lives inside of them.
These same
ones that claim to carry the Five Offices of the Blessed Bride are making
a mockery of the Gifts by grieving the Holy Spirit in their lives and the
lives of those who they place under them.
If our goal
is discipleship, how do we, those who are operating under these offices
accomplish this without hurting the BODY more than what it has been hurt
already?
I feel that
"WE" are to take our converts, those who are placing their faith on our
Master for salvation and teach and disciple them "to observe all things
whatsoever I (THE LORD) have commanded you: (for) and, lo, (says HE) I
am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Amen.
Matthew
28: 20 KJV
When the Church
returns to its real roots and begin to teaching all that Jesus taught,
all the truths of our jewish inheritance, all the treasures of the faith,
our disciples, your disciples, you, will have authority to do all that
Jesus did.
What did Jesus
do?
In what type
of Authority, Anointing, Power, Level did our Master operate?
Have you ever
wonder why you may not operate in that authority?
Have you ever
wonder why your Pastor, Teacher, The So-Called Apostles, Prophets or Prophetess
for that matter, first ladies that go to your church and are given prominent
places within your church DO NOT operate in this level?
It is a simple
answer. This authority is not found in them.
Yet, spiritual
authority is not something we possess merely because we strive for it.
We cannot buy it as Simon the magician attempted to do.
And
when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost
was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that
on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
Acts
8:18 KJV
The power of authority
will not function simply because we copy the methods of another, as the
sons of Sceva realized.
And
there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which
did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I
know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on
them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled
out of that house naked and wounded.
Acts
19:14-16 KJV
This is basically
what is taking place in the modern church today. Those who are walking
in POWER are being imitated by those who are not walking in Power and in
turn are making a mockery of the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit.
Those who are
truly walking in the Authority of the Holy Spirit are teaching, discipling
and demonstrating the Power of God through their teachings and worship
services, however because of the tremendous lack of knowledge within the
Church these same church members who are being taught and discipled attacked
those who are sent by God to disciple them and bring them to a higher level
in the Holy spirit of God.
This Authority,
this Power cannot be attained automatically because we read books about
building the Church. We cannot pretend to have spiritual authority if it
truly is not there. It simply does not work.
As we concentrate
upon following and obeying the words of our Master, we find that there
are ways that are Divinely mandated and ordained in order for God's authority
to manifest and unfold through our Priestly and Kingly offices.
From
the very moment that we receive the seed of Salvation we begin to enjoyed
the Father’s unconditional love which brings forgiveness and redemption.
As we mature into who we are meant to be, into our offices, however, there
comes a time when the Father’s love toward us seems conditional. As it
was for our Master, so it is for those who follow Him.
He said: For
this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life.
John
10:17 KJV
Are those who
are coming to Him that lives for ever and ever being taught to lay down
their lives for HIM? I think not. We who carry this responsibility to teach
must be bold when speaking truth. what ever it takes.
Not only do
we have the responsibility to disciple and teach others through the written
WORD, we have the responsibility to teach others by example. That example,
I feel very strongly my dear reader, is not being displayed by those who
presently claim to be Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers.
It is simply not.
Jesus lived
in the deepest intimacies of the Father’s love because He laid down His
life for the sheep. If we are to grow in true authority, we will only do
so by laying down our lives for His sheep. and most pastors are not willing
to do just that.
Have you felt
the drawing, the divine working of the Father bringing you into Christ
like surrender? Be encouraged: do not be discouraged by what I am saying
here in these pages. He is equipping you even now for this next outpouring
of His Spirit. But also be advised: your authority will be an outgrowth
of your life laid down in love.
As leaders,
we do indeed have administrative authority due to our positions in church
government; however, spiritual authority transcends administrative authority.
So do not be deceived by your own ego thinking that you are someone big
that needs to be respected above everyone else.
Here
is the path to true spiritual authority: in full possession of our souls,
without fear or intimidation by any outside source, we choose to lay down
our lives for Christ's sheep.
Yes, in full
freedom, with avenues of escape plainly within view, we fearlessly surrender
our souls to God.
No one controls
us but God, yet our lives are laid down, like Christ's, in intercession
for others.
When we could
easily fight and win, yet turn the other cheek; when we are unjustly opposed,
yet quietly endure, at those moments spiritual authority is entering our
lives.
"No
man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay
it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my Father."
John
10:18 KJV
Jesus was not
forced to accept crucifixion; He chose crucifixion.
Christ's Gethsemane
prayer was not an entreaty to escape the cross, for while Jesus was still
in the garden, He told Peter. . .
"Do
you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at
My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?"
Matthew
26:53 KJV
Yeshua, Salvation,
The Prince of Peace, manifested in the flesh, had a choice, He had His
God given Free will to choose. He could have chosen legions of warring
angels and immediate personal deliverance, like so many within the church
of Jesus Christ do, or a brutal death on The Cross and deliverance from
the original sin for the entire human race.
He chose to
redeem us and died for us. The willful decision to lay down our lives as
Jesus did is the very path upon which true authority develops. and I will
tell you right now that no signs and Wonders will ever follow your life
until this truth becomes a reality in your life.
Jesus said,
"I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." This
commandment have I received of my Father."
John
10:18 KJV
His authority
came in the laying down of His life. Our authority comes from the same
source: picking up our cross, what ever that mean for you at that moment,
and laying it down for the lives of others is where your authority lies
hidden. you thought it was going to be easy? Well, it is when you rely
on the LORD and the LORD alone. So if you feel that you are in ministry
for the wrong reasons, there is still time to serve HIM that lives for
ever and ever in different capacities.
Authority,
Not Control
Spiritual authority
is the provision of God to transform the temporal, the external with the
Power Of our Master through us. We are to affect the external and
not allow the external to affect us.
It
is not something our flesh can imitate, nor is it found in the tone of
our words or the gaze of our eyes. It is not found in the way some within
the church speak when sharing the WORD and jerk back and forth to show
others and make believe that they are anointed of God. I am going to tell
you here and now that that is nothing but THEIR OWN FLESH.
I have seen
some great dancing and jerking back and forth on the platform. I have heard
some great screaming from the platform.
Oh yes! I have
seen some great sweating by these so-called Apostles of God pretending
to be under Divine Power of God, yet right through all that screaming and
jerking, I have seen the deception, the lies, the manipulation, the witchcraft,
the whoreing that goes on with younger women within the church. The desire
to be noticed by others and esteemed as a person in authority.
I have seen
the hidden abortions of innocent children and WORDs that God at the same
time has given them. These are not Apostles nor Prophets of God, these
are wolves amongst us disguised as sheep.
Yet
those who they were ministering to came up to the platform in bondage by
faith believing that they would be set free but left the platform in bondage.
Their church
came in on Sunday morning sick hoping for a healing, a WORD from GOD and
went home sick and with a recycled word.
That is not Authority
from God, that is a side show exploiting the Body of Christ of all their
resources. Quite frankly I am embarrassed and humiliated to know that these
are the people that claim to represent the Body Of Christ.
Divine authority
requires divine sanction. This sanction comes from passing the tests of
love. And I do not see any love within the Church, especially within denominations
like The Assemblies of God, Presbyterians, The Methodists and even in some
of the Independent Churches called non-denominational churches.
When authority
is administered without love, it degenerates into control. God does not
call us to control His people but to inspire and guard them. And this is
what I really see. Control at its best. Control is another form of witchcraft.
Here
is the result of operating without love. The outcome of this control is
oppression, witchcraft, and strife, sickness and finally the destruction
of that church.
Many churches
are still in full operation even after all these attributes of the flesh
are manifested. The only thing that is keeping them running is the money
machine of their denomination behind them, but there is not Power from
God there. It is all a big JOKE and very sad quite frankly.
THE RESULT OF
LOVE
But the result
of love is liberty and the power to build up and protect God’s people.
Do you truly want to serve God in Spiritual Authority? Well true spiritual
authority exists only above the realm of fleshly control where the devil
has no power over your life.
Our lives,
and the lives of those who follow us, are laid down on our own initiative.
It is a choice we make because of love, that love we come to understand
by spending time with HIM that gave His only begotten Son first that we
may have life. Since true authority itself is born in freedom, freedom
is what it breeds. Do you find that freedom where you are right now?
We will walk
in either the true authority of love, or we will walk in the true false
authority of control, or no authority at all. Both false authority and
no authority are rooted in fear, and we react to fear in either of two
ways.
#1 - The first
reaction, which produces false authority, is to seek to control those around
us, thus making the circumstances around us more predictable and less threatening.
T
#2 - The second
response to fear is to refuse to accept and exercise any authority at all.
Many relationships are simply the pairing of these symbiotic needs: the
desire to control and the willingness to be controlled. Both are fueled
by overreactions to fear.
It
is not in vain that the WORD tells us that, " There is no fear in love;
but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth
is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us."
1
John 4:18-19 KJV
Since true authority
is built upon love, its goal is to liberate, not dominate. Therefore, before
one can truly move in spiritual authority, he must be delivered from fear
and its desire to control; he must be rooted and grounded in love. We as
teachers of the Gospel must be teaching those who are being discipled to
walk and live by LOVE. For God is Love.
God's Authority
Is Meant To Inspire To be Like Our Master
And
it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished
at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as
the scribes.
Matthew
7: 28-29 KJV
Our teaching,
discipling and our obedience to Him must be all one. Then and only then
spiritual authority will accompany our lives. What our Master taught was
consistent with how He lived His life. Therefore, we also must live and
we must display the virtues we seek to teach. We cannot be teaching one
thing and living another. We simply cannot. There will be no authority.
So on this
note and on these revelations from the Holy Spirit I would like to address
all the dear pastors that are part of this ministry.
We are living
in times of great deception within and without the Body of Christ. If you
seek to train your congregations to pray, you yourselves must first be
intercessors. You may say, "You don't understand, out of a congregation
of several hundred, only five people join me for prayer."
Then with those
five develop your intercessor base. Do not be discouraged, for you will
win others. But the measure of your success is not the numbers in attendance
on Sunday mornings/nights or when ever you conduct worship services. or
pray by yourself. God did not call you to wait to pray with others. The
Lord God has called to pray and you must pray alone or with others.
I personally
cannot teach others how to pray if I myself do not pray alone first. Also
God has given us people so we may train them, not merely count them. That
is not the goal. Of that group, those whom we inspire to live like our
Master Jesus are actually the measure of our success in our assignment,
the test of our effectiveness in the ministry that the Lord God has so
lovingly bestowed upon us.
Another Pastor
may say, "But I've never been a leader." I will say this to you. When anyone
lays down his or her life in Christ's love, others will see and follow.
Whether you
are a business owner, a housewife, or a teen, such a one can speak with
confidence and authority as Christ's disciple. In truth, if you are following
Christ, others are following you. You are, indeed, a leader.
I know the
assignment that has been placed in my life and that is not only to teach
this next generation and disciple them but to inspire the body of Christ
to live like Jesus. One thing is to teach doctrine, another to demonstrate
His love, affect the loves of those around us and display His Power and
authority that others may aspire to do the same.
This example
in all of us, it is my prayer, will awaken godliness in those around us.
Some may take a little longer to display the attributes of the LORD, others
will display them right away, but all in all the time in between the waiting
and the actual manifestation is building character in all of us.
I believe that
from our endurance and our true virtue shall the new leaders in the making
for a greater tomorrow draw their true authority. For when the nature of
our Master in us is finally revealed, the Authority that Christ has given
His Bride soon follows and manifests.
In My Own Words,
EDMUND DESOTO