Man is surrounded
by limitations. In fact, he is a creature of circumstances, limited by time, space,
human knowledge, physical strength and endurance. No matter how desperate he is
to perform a task, he can stay awake only a certain number of hours, then he becomes
weak and useless physically and mentally until he gives in to sleep and rest.
No matter how large an empire he has to rule over, he can only be at one place
at a time. No matter how rich he is, or how much money he has to bargain with,
he cannot buy more than his allotted time on this earth. Sometimes the greatest
of men have to leave this earth weeping in the zenith of their power and authority,
due to the limitations of the physical body.
These limitations are imposed
by divine authority. God has set the boundaries, and only by an act of God are
the boundaries crossed. Man can go only a few days without water, and only a few
weeks without food, yet Moses stayed on Mount Sinai in the Presence of God for
almost three months without food and water. He was sustained by divine Life. SCIENCE
STRETCHES THE LIMITATIONS
Men used to gaze heavenward and wonder what the
vast universe was like. Human knowledge of the sun, moon, and stars was very limited
and made up mostly of imagination, guesswork, and superstition. But this is rapidly
changing in our time. Men are sending up scientific instruments to probe the heavens,
making landings on the moon, and sending their cameras and radio transmitters
to other planets to send back information. For more than fifty centuries this
sort of thing was only a wild dream in the minds of a few "crack-pots," some of
whom were jailed and persecuted for their ideas. But now it is becoming a reality.
For almost 6,000 years man' s speed of transportation depended on how
fast a horse he had, or how hard the wind blew on his sailboat. Communication
was so limited that the number of people he could preach to depended on the loudness
of his voice. Even when the New Testament was written, it had to be laboriously
written and copied by hand, one at a time. But suddenly in the last days there
was a revolution in transportation and communication. A man's voice can circle
the earth, in less time than it takes to tell about it. The President of this
nation can sit in his office in Washington and, speaking quietly, be heard in
every part of the world. He can eat breakfast in New York, board a jet, and have
lunch in Los Angeles. The leader of a European nation can read his morning mail
and sign documents in his own country, and still be in
America to make a
speech that evening. A man can make a trip completely around the world today in
less time than it took Mary and Joseph to go from Nazareth to Bethlehem. If the
President makes an important speech this morning, millions of copies of that speech
are printed and on the news stands for you to read by the time you get off work
this evening.
"AS IN THE NATURAL......
Yes, man's physical world
is undergoing a tremendous revolution. The Apostle Paul said in I Cor 15:46...
"first... that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual." The natural
revolution is only a shadow of things to come in the spiritual. Why this sudden
change in the natural world? Because it is now time for a great change in the
spiritual world.
In the natural, man has begun to press against the
barriers that limit him. Recently great strides were made in speed of transportation
when men broke the sound barrier. As airplanes approached the speed of sound,
there were vibrations setup that nearly tore the plane apart by violent shaking.
But scientists discovered how to engineer planes that could withstand the vibrations
of the sound barrier, and once they had broken through and exceeded the speed
of sound, they discovered that there was almost no limit to the speed they could
attain. However, planes flying through the "heavens" faster than the speed of
sound cause sonic booms that shake those living on the earth, sometimes causing
fear and trembling.
So also in the Spirit. Saints of God began to cry
out against the "sound barrier" of men's voices telling them how fast and far
they could go with God, what they could and could not believe, and how much of
the Word of God they could appropriate for today. As they approached the barrier
set up by the sound of men' s voices and men's doctrines and traditional interpretations,
there was a shaking begun to take place that nearly tore some vessels apart. But
the precious Holy Spirit, the greatest engineer of them all, began to bring forth
some "sons" who could withstand the shaking and press through the barrier to a
glorious liberty and release in the Spirit where there was almost no limit to
the progress they could make in spiritual revelation. They were amazed at the
liberty on the other side of the "sound barrier" of the voices of doubt and fear.
But as the Sons progressed rapidly through the heavens in their new
found liberty, spiritual "sonic booms" were set off that terrified and upset those
living on a low earthly plane of spirituality. Carnal Christians shook their fists
at the heavenly travelers, called them false prophets, fanatics, heretics, and
made great attempts to slow their progress or pull them down to an earthly level.
These are trying times for those who are fenced in by the limitations of the carnal
mind and the sectarian sounds of man's ways. Many on the earth level find themselves
in great frustrations and fearful of all heavenly activity, shaken by the "sonic
booms" of sound waves from those moving through the heavens. They hover together
in their little denominational shells, hoping for their traditional fairy tales
to come true. While in the heavenlies, eagle saints find little traffic but great
liberty, and no fences. No longer bound by earthly sounds, they soar through spiritual
heights led only by the Spirit, and hearing the Voice of Him that speaketh from
Heaven. The carnal activity of earth-bound creatures interest them not at all,
but they find a glorious fellowship in the mystery of God with those who soar
with them in divine revelation and spiritual attainment. They cannot hear the
sounds of earth, the noisy city, the busy factory, the screaming mobs, or the
warring dictators. They wear a look of divine peace, for a peace is given to them
that passes understanding, as they refuse to take part in the frantic earthly
activity of carnal men. Theirs is a heavenly calling, having broken the barrier
of earthly sounds!
THE POWER OF GRAVITY BROKEN
It was a great day
for scientists when they were able to lift a rocket above the earth, through the
heat and friction barrier, into a realm in space where earth gravity had no pull
upon it. There were many obstacles to overcome to do this. Tremendous heat had
to be dealt with, caused by the friction set up by an object passing through the
air at unbelievable speeds. As the object ascended into the higher heavens, it
passed through a radiation belt, coming into contact with forces that would melt
and destroy ordinary materials. Until finally it burst through to outer space
where there was no friction, no resistance to motion, and absolute weightlessness.
Earth no longer had any pull or attraction for it.
Let me tell you this,
dear ones, that there are people right now being brought by the Spirit into heavenly
realms where powers of darkness are setting up terrific forces to try to destroy
them. But, thank God, these are not made of "ordinary substance." They are called
and ordained of God, anointed by His Spirit, and lifted by divine energy into
realms never before attained by Adam's race. To say that there is great opposition
to their ascension is putting it mildly. Tremendous heat and friction is being
generated by powers of darkness in a desperate warfare against the sons of God
who are ascending into realms long held by Satan. Thrones are being cast down,
the powers of heaven are shaking, and great fear pervades throughout Satan's kingdom.
The hordes of hell have not known such a shaking since Jesus arose from the grave
and ascended into the heavenlies, defeating every power of the enemy, and putting
Satan to an open shame. Now is the time, the generation is here, for the consummation
of the battle of the ages. Overcomers and saintly warriors of all ages who defeated
the enemy by faith, in other realms, are now awaiting the final thrust... the
breakthrough into an unlimited realm in God!
WITHOUT LIMITATIONS
The
Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were bound and cast into a furnace
of fire. When they went into the fire they were bound and limited by their bonds.
But when they came forth from the furnace, they had no bonds. Their limitations
had burned away, while their persons and their clothing suffered nothing from
the fiery trial. When they came out of the fire, they were promoted to a place
of great authority in the kingdom. The indictment against rebellious Israel in
the wilderness is given in Psa 78:41, that "they turned back and tempted God,
and limited the Holy One of Israel." Folks, there is no limitation with God. He
has no boundaries. Furthermore, he is bringing forth a new creation, and setting
up a holy nation, a peculiar people in His own image and after His likeness. He
is not "trying" to do anything, He is simply doing it. There is no limitation
to His ability, and this glorious work will be completed right on time. Praise
God! Think of it... a people dwelling on the face of the earth in the image of
God, with no limitations. Sure, I realize its hard to believe, but the Word of
God declares it, and I hereby declare it to be so, and the sound of them has gone
throughout the earth. Too long carnal man has limited God. "He can do this, but
He can't do that. " He can let us die and take us to a beautiful heaven in the
sky, but He can't empower us to overcome death and have a perfect unlimited Church
right here in this life. So they say. But I declare to you that the day has arrived
for the fulfillment of the promises of God and the prophecies of the prophets
who saw this day coming.
The whole story is far too vast to be told
in this short message, but there are some areas that I want to touch on, to give
you an idea of what God is doing. The scriptures are full of examples of partial
fulfillment of God's glorious plan, showing us a pattern in the lives of the saints
of old who walked with God. This pattern was culminated in the life of the Pattern
Son, Jesus. His life was a perfect picture of a man walking among humanity, but
without limitations. Upon Him was poured out the Spirit without measure (John
3:34).
UNLIMITED VISION
it was said of the living creatures of Ezekiel
chapter I and chapter 10 that they were "full of eyes round about." The living
creatures of Revelation chapter 4 were "full of eyes within." God has always been
interested in His people having their eyes opened. Paul prayed for the Church
in Eph. 1.1 8 that the eyes of their understanding might be opened. Jesus counseled
the Laodicean church to "anoint thine eyes with eyesalve that thou mayest see."
It has never been a glory to God to have His people stumble through a world of
darkness, groping their way along like a blind man. Psa 119:105 says that His
Word is a Lamp to our feet and a Light to our path, that we stumble not. It is
God's will and purpose for His chosen ones to be able to have clear and unlimited
vision, so that the enemy should have no advantage over them.
An example
of this is found in the life of the prophet Elisha. In 2 Kings chapter 6 we find
the story of the king of Syria making war against Israel. But every move he made
was known to Elisha, who in turn warned the king of Israel. Elisha had unlimited
vision into the activities and plans of the enemy, as tho he was right there in
the bedchamber with him, invisible, yet listening to his plans. So the king of
Syria sent an army to capture Elisha at the city of Dothan. When they arose early
in the morning, Elisha's servant saw the army and was fearful. But Elisha was
undisturbed. Why? Because he had eyes that were opened to spiritual forces, and
he could see a great host of angelic beings camped all over the mountain in chariots
of fire, ready to fight for him, if necessary. So without fear, single-handedly,
he went down and smote them with blindness and took the entire army captive into
Samaria. Having unlimited vision into the unseen realm gives the man of God great
confidence in the battle, praise God!
Jesus is, of course, the perfect
example. And there are many instances of unlimited vision in His life and ministry.
One outstanding case is found in the life of Nathanael in John 1:48. Nathanael
came to Jesus with many doubts, skepticism, and what he considered as good scriptural
grounds for not receiving Jesus as the Messiah. But just one word from Jesus,
whom Nathanael had never met before, disintegrated all his doubts and made an
instant believer of him. What was that word? Jesus said to him: "When thou wast
under the fig tree, l saw thee." Whatever this meant to Nathanael it showed him
a vision in Jesus beyond the power of normal men.
Think of having thousands
of spiritual warriors living on the earth at the same time who had their eyes
opened to unlimited vision in the Spirit. Powers of darkness could not hide. That
which was done in secret shouted from the housetops. No satanic force, either
in a nation, a church, or an individual, could operate any longer in dark secrecy.
This is the spiritual force that God is unloosing upon the earth to crush the
powers of darkness and evil. The time has come to sound the trumpet! This gift
has operated in part in a few prophets in our day, but from this day forth you
can expect saints all over the world to begin to have a visitation from God to
impart an anointing for unlimited spiritual vision. Thus saith the Lord!
UNLIMITED
KNOWLEDGE
"For we know in part... " (I Cor 13:9). This has been the realm
allotted to the Church for the past 2, 000 years. Tho the Apostle Paul had come
to such an abundance of revelations that he was given a thorn in the flesh to
keep him from becoming exalted above measure, yet he still had to admit "we know
in part." Yet he knew there was a place in God above this, so that he prayed for
the Ephesian church that they "might be filled with all the fulness of God." As
for himself, he desired to "Know Him..." forgetting the attainments of the past,
and "pressing toward the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ
Jesus."
Again we find a foretaste of this unlimited realm in the life
of Elisha. In 2 Kings chapter 5 we find that after the healing of Naaman, Elisha
refused to take a gift from him. However, his servant Gehazi secretly ran after
Naaman and took the gifts. When he returned, he lied to Elisha, saying that he
had not gone anywhere. But Elisha had complete knowledge of the entire transaction,
nothing was hidden from him. He had a touch of the divine knowledge. In chapter
six of this same book we find Elisha sitting in his house with the elders. As
a messenger from the king approaches, he has complete knowledge of his coming,
and of his purpose. God also gives him accurate knowledge of the events of the
following day, including the breaking of the famine and the death of a scoffer.
We find again in Jesus, the perfection of this divine knowledge. In
John 2:24-25 we find that Jesus "knew all men, and needed not that any should
testify of man: for he knew what was in man. " He walked in such perfect union
with the Father, that If e had the mind of God operating in Him at all times,
so that when men criticized him in their hearts, Matt 9:4 says: It And Jesus knowing
their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" To Jesus, the thoughts
of men were as open and clear as spoken words, so that at the feast in Simon's
house, when Simon the Pharisee had evil thoughts about Jesus, it says (Luke 7:40)...
"And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. "
He simply 'answered' the thoughts of the other man. Jesus did not operate by the
gift of the Word of Knowledge that operates in a part realm. He had divine knowledge,
without measure, in an unlimited realm.
This is the realm God is calling
His sons to occupy. Philippians 2:5 says "Let this mind be in you, which was also
in Christ Jesus. In I Cor 2:16 Paul states boldly that "we have the mind of Christ."
Yes, this mind has been given to us, His Church. Tho we have seen it operating
in the Church only in a part realm, yet it is true and established in heaven that
the Sons of God shall enter into that realm of fulness where they are led completely
by the Spirit of God, motivated altogether by the mind of Christ. "Now I know
in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. II (I Cor 13:12) Talk
about divine revelation! Folks, this Bible is going to be understood, there IS
going to be a unity of the faith. For Sons are going to follow Jesus beyond the
Vail and come forth in an unlimited realm of knowledge. No longer will His ministers
be stumped by hard questions, and have to fall back on the age old escape of "I
don't know." The best of the lawyers tried continually to trap this young Nazarene,
but He always had the right answers. He walked in the unlimited knowledge of God.
And so shall His Body.
THE UNLIMITED ANOINTING
In Psalms 133 we
find a picture of the High Priest receiving the anointing. It is called "the precious
ointment," and is typical of that which came upon Jesus, the Head of the Church
His Body, and the King of the nation of Priests. Notice in verse two that it comes
first upon the Head, speaking of the beard (which signifies full maturity), and
then covers the entire Body "down to the skirts of his garments." This shows us
how that same anointing of the fulness of God which came upon Jesus at Jordan
and remained (John 1:33) shall in like manner come upon every member of His Body.
Speaking of "him whom God hath sent..." in John 3:34, we find that God
gave the Spirit to him without measure. This speaks, of course, of our Lord Jesus.
But not of Him alone, for he said "As My Father sent me, so send I you (John 20:21)."
Thus we see that there must of necessity be a people with the same divine anointing
of unlimited measure that Jesus had, that they might fulfill His words in John
14:12 when He said "the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than
these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
We see a picture of
this on the Day of Atonement when the body of the High Priest was anointed and
passed through the Veil into the Holiest Place in the very Presence of God. Heb
6:20 says that Jesus has already entered into that place as a forerunner for us,
signifying that we are to follow. It was the same ointment put upon the head that
ran down to the skirts of the garment. Not one precious ointment for the Head,
and a lesser or cheaper anointing for the Body. The same unlimited anointing that
Jesus ministered under is our inheritance.
We have received the "earnest"
of our inheritance in the infilling, or Baptism of the Holy Spirit. In Eph 1:14(Amplified)
it is called the "guarantee. - - first fruit. . pledge... foretaste... and down
payment on our heritage." Anyone who has received a genuine infilling of the Spirit
can testify to the glory and the power and authority made possible through this
anointing which is only a foretaste of the fulness to come. For Romans chapter
12 tells us that what we now have is a "measure of faith," and that we should
"prophesy according to the Proportion of faith." I Cor 13 teaches us that the
glorious gifts of the Spirit are in part, and will be done away when that which
is perfect is come. But not until. So be sure when you say that you have no more
use for the gifts of the Spirit, that you can produce the unlimited realm of the
Spirit that Jesus walked in. There is such a realm, and there is a people who
shall fully manifest it. That's the word of the Lord!
FINANCES WITHOUT
LIMIT
This is a phase of the Kingdom that carnally minded and greedy ministers
have tried to operate for years, with some limited success. It has proved the
undoing and the downfall of many. For I can tell you of a surety, that there is
such a phase of the Kingdom, and this is part of the unlimited realm of ministry
that God is bringing His Body into.
This does not mean that God is interested
in us all living in million dollar homes, with fancy automobiles, exotic foods,
and expensive clothes. These are all things that relate to the natural physical
realm that means less and less to the Sons of God as they progress higher and
higher in the Spirit. But it does mean that there is a place in the Spirit where
the pull of gravity from earthly things have no effect on those dwelling in the
heavens. And those who dwell in such a place have dominion over the earth realm
in such a manner that there shall be no limit on the finances available to them.
Let us go again to Elisha, that "double-portion" prophet for an example...
In chapter 4 of 2 Kings we find the story of a widow who was about to lose her
two sons to pay a debt. Now Elisha was not riding in a gold-plated chariot pulled
by fine Arabian horses. Neither did he have a large bag of gold to give her, nor
a valuable ring to sell. He was a plain and humble man of God, and cared little
for earthly things. But one thing he did have, and that was dominion over the
financial realm. So he spoke a creative word that brought into existence enough
finances to pay off her debt, as well as an abundance for her and her sons to
live from. Nowhere do we find Elisha using this financial power to create wealth
for himself, or to make himself a luxurious living. He lived simply and humbly,
but he had a foretaste of that power reserved for the Body of Christ,
Jesus said: "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son
of man hath nowhere to lay his head." Yet He possessed this unlimited power of
finances, and we see examples of His creative power in this respect. In John chapter
6 we find logical businesslike Philip sizing up the crowd of 5,000 men, and declaring
that 200 pennyworth of bread would not be sufficient just to give each one a little
bit. But Jesus took a little boy Is lunch and began to break it with the creative
power of divine authority, until everyone was fed and there was twelve baskets
filled with the fragments! Another time we see Peter getting into a predicament
with the tax collectors. To solve this, Jesus simply instructs Peter to cast a
hook into the water. He guarantees Peter a catch, and tells how that it will have
a gold coin in its mouth for sufficient
finances to pay the taxes.
How many times I have laid on my face on the living room rug in the wee hours
of the morning, travailing before the Lord for enough finances to continue this
faith ministry! And God has been so faithful to supply the needs, sometimes miraculously,
even in this limited realm we have walked in. So that we need not, yea, dare not
tell anyone but God alone of the needs of this ministry. For we would not misuse
this power of faith for finances able to do the speaking for us, then we know
that what is. God is done and What is given is of the Lord!
But there
is a higher realm, an unlimited realm of finances soon to be entered into. This
is not to make millionaires of us all. In fact, if your heart lusts for material
things, You will never see this realm at all. But it will release you into a place
where you will never have to do without finances for the work of the Kingdom.
And, like Jesus, You will never have to "pull" for an offering, take pledges,
beg or connive. There will be finances made available for everything the Spirit
leads you to do. If the Spirit tells you to send a large offering to a minister
or missionary, you will do so, and there will be no lack. Much of the preaching
on finances today, along the lines of having plenty, is simply to gratify the
whims of the flesh. Shun such, and have no part of it. Some preach that "gain
is godliness," and that driving a new car and having abundance of cash is a sign
of spirituality. "From such withdraw thyself (I Tim 6.5)." If this is what you
see in this message, then you are not hearing what I am saying. This unlimited
financial power cannot be given to greedy materialistic men, for it would destroy
them.
TRANSPORTATION UNLIMITED
One of the great hindrances at present
to my being able to be with the saints around the nation, and sharing the blessings
of God with them, is transportation. Even with a good car it takes weeks to make
a trip to Oregon, or Maine, or Florida, minister and return home. I have greatly
desired to visit the saints who have written me from North Ireland, Wales, France,
Switzerland, South Africa, Nigeria, Australia, New Zealand, as well as many other
countries and islands of the sea. But limitations have bound me so that it was
impossible. But I keep hearing a voice from the Spirit telling me that the clay
of limitations is soon to end. My mind can only comprehend the speed of thought,
that is, as fast as you can think of it you are there. But however it works, I
am sure that the Word gives examples to show us that it is there for us when we
break through the Veil into the unlimited realm of His Presence. Oh, I realize
that such preaching as this will make many scoffers give me the "horse-laugh,"
but I am sick and tired of the limitations of man's ways,
and I'm ready to
be a fool for Christ's sake, that He might bring me into His highest and best.
Are there examples in the Word? You can rest assured that there are.
Elijah was an Old Testament example. Obadiah' s statement in I Kings 18:12 that
"the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not," and the statement
of the prophets in 2 Kings 2:16 that "peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath
taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain," show that it was common knowledge
in Israel that Elijah was accustomed to spiritual transportation.
This
is not a form of "spiritualism" or voodoo magic. This is simply the Holy Spirit
transporting a vessel of His choosing to a destination without the use of mechanical
means. We have a well known case in the New Testament in the life of Philip. In
Acts 8:39-40 we find Philip and the Eunuch coming up out of the water, and immediately
the Spirit of the Lord catches Philip away so that the eunuch saw him no more.
Philip landed in Azotus, miles from the desert scene of baptism, and continued
preaching in all the cities in that area.
Jesus had some outstanding
cases of this unlimited transportation. Of course I know that it was possible
and happened after his resurrection, in his glorified body, but I want to show
you that this is for those who still dwell in a temple of clay, in this mortal
body. We find in John chapter 6 that men would have made Jesus a king and take
him by force, so he escaped and departed into a mountain alone. His disciples
entered into a ship and rowed out into the sea of Galilee. After rowing about
3 miles, which would have put them in about the middle of the sea, suddenly Jesus
comes walking on the water. How had He gotten there? He had been up in a mountain
by himself. But verse 21 tells us that they received him into the ship, "and immediately
the ship was at the land whither they went." Not only was He transported by the
Spirit, but when He entered
into the ship, the ship and all its occupants
immediately arrived at their destination miles away! Glory to God!
You
can doubt it, you can wait and see, you can scoff at it. But I declare that there
is an unlimited realm in God where strange things are going to start happening,
and soon. And God is right now preparing the hearts of His chosen, His elect,
for an entry into that which is beyond the Veil. The day is at hand! The time
is here! Rise up, sons of God, and take the Land!
UNLIMITED AUTHORITY
God
made man to have dominion (Psa 8:6). This truth is first given in Genesis chapter
1, and quoted again in Hebrews 2. Man fell short of this realm of dominion, by
sin. Only through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus are we able to regain
this place of rulership. To those who receive Jesus as Redeemer and Savior is
given the privilege of becoming Sons of God, brothers and joint-heirs with God's
first-born in the New Creation. Not all saved people who receive the grace of
God for redemption will attain to this High Calling. But some are ordained to
it by the foreknowledge of God, and they are known as the hundred-fold, the Overcomer
company, the Manchild, and the Lord's Christ (anointed).
With the coming
of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost came the authority of Faith. It was faith in His
name that enabled the disciples to work wonders in the early church. It was a
power that shook the World. But it was not the unlimited authority and dominion
designed for the Overcomer who was to rule the world with a rod of iron.
Speaking of this complete dominion in Hebrews 2, Moffatt's translation says:
"Now by putting all things under him, the writer meant to leave nothing outside
his control. But as it is, we do not yet see all things controlled by man. What
we do see is Jesus... " Yes, in Jesus we see that complete dominion over every
phase of life manifested in detail. And there are some flashes or examples of
dominion in the lives of Old Testament saints who got a taste of this authority
by living faith. This authority covers every phase of life, but we shall only
have time here to mention a few.
Let us look into the Word of God to
see what He has in store for us....
ALL NATURE OBEYS
"Thou madest
him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands... (Psa 8:6)." Everything made
by God is to be in subjection to the will of God's Man. The storms at sea, hurricanes,
tornadoes, and other forces over which man has absolutely no control at present,
are all to be subdued and harnessed by the Overcomer.
Look at old Elijah
the Tishbite in I Kings 17:1... He dared to stand before the king of Israel, and
before the whole nation and declare: "There shall not be dew nor rain these years,
but according to MY word." How could he guarantee such a thing? Authority had
been granted to him to judge Israel for her sins. And he could speak the word
and know that it would be fulfilled. And there is the well known case of Joshua
speaking to the sun: "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the
valley of Ajalon (Josh 10:12)." And the sun and moon had to obey this man of God,
for he was a ruler and an overcomer, and a type of that which was to come. And
remember, the very first miracle by Elisha after he received Elijah's mantle was
to smite the waters of Jordan and cause the river to divide so he could cross
over.
Jesus walked in this realm of dominion continually. Listen to
him speak "Peace, be still," and watch the winds die to a whisper, the raging
waves of the sea become smooth as glass, and the storm obeys and is as calm as
a contented kitten. His authority supersedes the laws of nature, and he defies
gravity as he walks upon the water. The fig tree withers at His command, and all
nature stands ready to hear the word from this One who is the perfection of God'
s new creation man. His life of authority is a pattern, and an example for those
who will be in His Body, under His divine Headship, ruling and reigning with Him
in glory!
"THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD"
All animal creation knew that
Adam was their King, and the fear of him was upon every creature. Until the fall.
This dominion is restored in Christ, but it goes far beyond Adam's rule, or throneship.
We are to ascend to the very Throne (or authority) of God. Jesus has made the
way. This Throne or authority has been given to Him (Matt 28:18), and to be shared
with all those who are heirs according to the promise (Rom 8:17).
The
fishermen had fished all night. They knew their job well and were experienced.
If there were fish to be caught, they knew how to catch them. Let this carpenter'
s son tell them how to run their business? Ridiculous! But wait... there is one
difference. No matter how much experience they have at fishing, they do not have
dominion over the fish. And He does! "Cast your nets on the other side..." Suddenly
the nets were full, and nigh to breaking. They have to call for help to get the
fish in. Peter realizes divine authority and power, and falls upon his knees before
this Man. Praise God! What is Jesus doing? Is this just recorded in the Bible
to show us that He was kind enough to help some fishermen catch some fish? No,
the Word is showing forth His divine authority as an example of the dominion that
belongs to the sons of God in the unlimited realm of God's Throne, or divine authority.
See the birds of the air in subjection to God's prophet as he sits by
the brook. Day by day they bring him food. See Jesus in Luke 19 sitting calmly
upon a colt "whereon yet never man sat." The natural thing for this colt is to
buck and toss until he has been broken to ride. But not with this man. For here
is one who has dominion over the wild untamed nature of all the beasts of the
field. Notice in Mark 1:13 that during his 40 days fasting and temptation in the
wilderness, He was with the wild beasts. But none attacked Him, none tore Him...
for He was demonstrating divine authority over the wild beasts.
ANGELS
AND DEMONS
Yes, the Sons of God are destined to rule in the realm of principalities
and powers, to judge and govern angels. Want some scripture? Let's look again
at Elisha... see him at Dothan, as the armies of the enemy are encamped round
about him. No fear in his heart. Why? Because he knows that the mountain is full
of angels waiting for his word, waiting for a command from him to take up the
battle and fight for him. At the word of Isaiah (2 Kings 19) the angel smote 185,000
of the Assyrians and won a war for Israel.
Jesus knew that the angels
were always ready to come and defend Him, as soon as he spoke the word. But they
could not come on their own. They had to wait for His command. I Cor 6:3 tells
us that we are to judge angels. Heb 1:14 says that angels are "ministering spirits,
sent forth to minister FOR them who shall be heirs of salvation." They are like
the mighty servants of a great King, who stand ready to serve and obey the King's
son, just as soon as the son matures enough to be able to take his place of authority
in the Kingdom.
Demons know their place. They know they are conquered
and in subjection to the Sons of God who have come into divine authority. They
cried out against Jesus, they fought Him, they resisted Him, but they always obeyed
Him when He spoke- They could not do otherwise. Col 2:15 says that He spoiled
principalities and powers (the princes and authorities of devils) and made a show
of them openly. They are forever defeated! They will obey completely the voice
of that people who rise up in divine dominion to the Throne of God!
"WITH
A ROD OF IRON"
To the Overcomer is promised dominion over the nations of
the world. This is not maybe so, or perhaps, it is Thus saith the Lord! The prophet
Isaiah saw a glorious picture of the Kingdom realm, and he saw the kings and the
nations coming to Zion for the law, and for light. In Daniel chapter 7 the prophet
saw the saints of the most high possessing the Kingdom, and ruling over the nations
of the world. These saints are not just preachers with college degrees, but they
are housewives, farmers, plumbers, book-keepers, and from every phase of life,
yes, even some preachers with college degrees. How are they going to know how
to rule governments? How will they attain this great knowledge? They will have
the mind of Christ, and will be led by the Spirit, and will have unlimited knowledge
and dominion and authority!
See Daniel, just a little slave boy taken
captive by the Babylonians in one of their military campaigns. Just one of thousands
of slaves brought back to Babylon. But he was a son of God. Chosen and elected,
and anointed for rulership. Don't worry, the fire won't burn him, the lions won't
eat him, his enemies won't overcome him. He is going to rule, finally the chief
of three presidents who govern the land for the King. And he set the stage for
the return of Israel to the promised land. He WILL reign, for this is his inheritance.
He is a type of those who rise in that Manchild company to the Throne of God to
rule the nations.
DOMINION OVER DEATH
There are so many facets of
this message, so many areas of life where the Sons of God are given dominion,
unlimited authority. But let me close this message with this last thought. God
is pleased to have a people who conquer sickness and death and have unlimited
deliverance and dominion over them. For sickness is a form of death working in
the human body. It is not a normal condition, nor God's perfect plan for this
tabernacle in which we dwell. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death
(I Cor 15:26)." Death is an enemy. God says so. It is to be destroyed. How? and
by Whom? By Jesus in His Body! His death and resurrection paid for this, and made
it possible. The manifestation of it shall be in a people that are brought forth
in His image into the realm of the unlimited! After every other enemy has been
destroyed and put away, then shall death be dealt with. No more death! Praise
God!
The faith of Enoch manifested a dominion over the power of death.
And again we turn to Elisha, type of the Sons, and in 2 Kings chapter 4 we find
him going in where a young boy had been dead for hours. He would not recognize
death's authority. He stood against it and commanded life to return. And life
did return! Death had no power against the dominion of this man of God. And even
when it came time for Elisha to leave this world and lay down his prophetic mantle
in this life, death was still not the victor. For there was so much life in that
prophet's bones (2 Kings 13) that when a dead body was thrown into his sepulchre
and touched his bones, life entered into the body, and the man that was being
buried revived and came alive! Praise God!
Of course, I need not remind
you of the glorious victory of Jesus over Death, Hell, and the grave. He put them
to an open shame! He forever established the realm of unlimited authority over
the realm of sickness and death. He only had need to speak the word to a sickness,
and it would flee from the body in which it dwelled. Deafness disappeared immediately,
blind eyes were opened, leprosy was completely healed, maimed limbs grew straight
and strong again! When he came across a funeral procession, he would speak to
the corpse, and the dead would climb out of the Coffin praising God! when they
had been dead so long that they were supposed to be decomposed and stinking, He
would speak a word, and they would come forth from the tomb smelling like a rose!
Covered with the fragrance of His glory!
There was no guesswork about
His authority. His dominion was complete, and He is the pattern Son. Would you
be like Jesus ? He was born to be a King. But not on this low earth plane. His
Kingdom is in another realm, an unlimited realm of the Spirit. All earth, and
all the universe, along with all angelic beings and principalities, are in subjection
to this Kingdom. It is an everlasting Kingdom, and it is unlimited in its authority,
its dominion, and its scope.
"WHO IS THIS, COMING OUT OF THE WILDERNESS?"
Beloved, I want you to see a people today who are coming forth in the image
of the Son of God. The Spirit is catching them up from this earth realm, into
heavenly places where they meet and overcome great forces and powers of darkness.
On and on they go, through the barriers of friction, of heat designed seven times
hotter to purify and refine His sons. Finally into a place where they are no longer
drawn by the pull of gravity to an earth filled with confusion and war and materialistic
conceptions.
I want you to take a close look at this child of God...
He walks continually under an anointing of the fulness of the Spirit. When he
speaks, it is "thus saith the Lord," and settled in heaven. He has an unlimited
vision into the unseen world, the thoughts of men's hearts are made manifest and
nothing can be hidden from him. He does not preach for money, is not impressed
by men of wealth, never pulls for an offering, yet has no lack and his efforts
for the Kingdom are never slowed down for want of finances. He is not hindered
by space or lack of transportation from one place to another, for he is caught
away in the Spirit and transported to the place of need and ministry without time
consuming and physically weary travel. He is never hindered from ministry by being
laid up with sickness or physical ailments. At all times, yea twelve months out
of the year, he bears an abundance of the Fruit of the Spirit. Joy flows from
him like a river, Peace abides in his heart, and Love is as a great ocean. There
is a continuous song of praise and victory on his lips, and never a complaint
is heard. Nothing can cause him to become discouraged or lose heart. His faith
never wavers. He has authority and dominion over everything made by the hand of
God, and nothing can resist his word of power. Now if you have enough faith, lift
your eyes to the heavens and behold such a one.... multiply this son of God 144,000
times, and I will show you the great Army that God is raising up to bring about
the Restoration of God's creation!
The breakthrough is near. The day
is at hand. An unlimited realm is soon to be manifested in such a way that the
knowledge of the glory of the Lord will break upon the world in such a blazing
light and power as to subdue every enemy! Even now we are not standing still.
Those who are being caught up by the Spirit are not just sitting around waiting
for a certain day, or a sudden rapture. They are moving now, in the Spirit, into
realms never before known in this generation. Every campmeeting, every convention,
almost every meeting in the local churches where God is moving, there are divine
breakthroughs being experienced. When the final breakthrough into that unlimited
realm comes, they will find waiting for them there the pattern Son, Jesus, and
a great host of those who died in Christ.
The nations are frantically
racing for another breakthrough in science, into the unlimited realms of outer
space. But their efforts are only a shadow of that great army who are even now
ascending to the heights of unlimited vision, knowledge, anointing, and authority.
They are being brought up by the Spirit of God, caught up in the purposes and
plan of God, because they were willing to humble themselves and die to self.
Glorify His great Name! He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He is Alpha and
omega, the
Author and the Finisher, the First and the Last, the All and in
All! He is our breath, our Life, our meat and our drink. He is the divine Energy
that enables us to overcome and sit with Him on His Throne! Praise ye the Lord!
Bill Britton
Bill
Britton "Sons of God Awake " 