When I woke up this morning, I heard the Father say, “When you depend upon other people’s opinions, you get an authority leak!”
I, like many others, have had my authority taken from me more than once. But before that, I had people who were supposed to use their authority to protect me, but instead they used that authority to take advantage of me and take anything they wanted. Recently I heard Prophet Russ Walden from Father’s Heart Ministry share that what was taken in the Garden of Eden was restored to us in the Garden of Gethsemane.
I have been investigating what it was like before our authority was taken from us. Wait. Did you even know our authority was robbed from us on that day in the Garden of Eden? I didn’t!
Imagine, that day in the garden. Eve strolling through the vineyards and fruit trees trying to decide what to have for breakfast, only to run into a snake. It was Adam and Eve who had been given dominion “over all the creatures that move along the ground” (Gen 2:26), and in comes crawling on his belly, a rebellious snake. Adam even named that creature, because God told him to. Adam was the authority over that snake and it decides to submit to someone else’s authority- its own!
That is the first moment when man’s God given authority is challenged. By the sixth day of creation, the snake/serpent/Satan was already under the authority of Adam and Eve but Satan had different plans.
He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil."
The truth is, Adam and Eve were already like God! Eve added to God’s declaration when she said.. and you must not touch it…. I don’t know about you, but when I’m afraid or unsure (insecure) of my authority, I try to justify why I should or why I shouldn't do something. And don’t you know it, there’s always someone who can discern my weakness. Then there's Adam. He's on standby. Adam sees Eve, sees the snake and says nothing. They both lay down their God given authority. If you don't believe me, let's look a bit deeper, shall we?
Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.” So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28 (AMP)
So now what do they do? The two of them are kicked out of the garden, the woman is cursed with birthing pains (I'm pretty sure that curse impacted him as well, I mean what husband doesn't run when his wife is screaming mid-labor!?) and the men having to pull weeds for the rest of their existence, leaving us with the same curse, until... A second garden is discovered.
There, with his face to the ground, Jesus, made his plea, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39.
I can just hear the rumble in the heavens as the magnitude of authority was being prepared to be transferred back to God's children as a result of this moment of decision.
And no sooner does he agree with the Father, to go to the cross, that one of Jesus's companions try to lop off the soldier's ear who is trying to get him there. That is when we start to get a clearer picture of what God is doing; Jesus is trying to restore to us our authority- not a violent authority, but a Christ authenticated, rule and reign authority activated by our words.
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” Matthew 26:52-54 (NIV)
Jesus restrained himself, but tenderly put the ear back on (never mind the obvious miracle of putting an ear back on!) He could have stopped everything right then and there. Why did he do it this way? So THAT authority, the kind of authority that speaks face to face with the Father and gives us complete access to "more than twelve legions of angels," could be restored to us! That is the authority we had from the beginning in the garden of Eden and that is the authority Jesus is restoring to us NOW!
The Father spoke to me, and told me Eve wasn’t being talked into something; she was being talked out of it! Eve asked for a second opinion and that snake was ready and eager to cast his opinion. She had an authority leak right then and there.
Now let’s back up a bit and look at the moment of creation.
“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
Let me first point out that Adam was made “from the dust of the ground.” So was every living creature. The dust. Where does dust come from? The earth, the land. And what are you made from? The land.
The Father says, "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses."
Let me go so far as to say that you are like the land in your situation. Is your land under siege? Have marauders stolen from you? There is a reason why you haven’t received an immediate, let-me-lay-my-hands-on-you healing. That would be highway robbery! You, get to take back your land, take authority over that land with interest! You do. Oh, you’re a woman are you? Well, you’re not excluded in God’s assignment over your life. If you have the likeness of God, aren’t you supposed to act like Him too? Oops...there goes one of those sacred cows.
There are many women who have been subdued by a snake, and I’m here to tip over that apple cart folks...man isn’t our enemy, Satan is...but he knows better than most how to take dominion, or control over a person. Here’s how I know.
Today, I am a counselor working with individuals who have experienced significant trauma in their lives. Before that life, my earlier beginnings were riddled with my own survival from trauma: my parent’s divorce, my mother’s alcoholism, physical abuse, neglect, and satanic ritual abuse (yeah, that really exists). I started out with a somewhat functional family, until my mother divorced my dad so she could continue her affair with liquor, and marry another man who would support her alcoholism. Little did she know she was marrying into a family who was actively involved in Pagan and Satanic beliefs covered up by maintaining certain societal norms, such as extreme bar hopping, while attending church on Sundays.
At the age of 9, I was raped by my stepfather. That first encounter was a mere introduction to bizarre rituals and ceremonies and finally sacrifices that stripped away my humanity leaving me with the doctrine: Because you’re a kid, you have no authority. At the age of 19, when I left with the excuse of college, that doctrine became: Because you’re a woman, you definitely have no authority.
If I pull off those labels: Satanic and ritual and abuse, what is left? A perverted and skewed idea of authority that is no more authority than a piece of fruit from off the evil side of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Where’s the life God talks about? Where is our freedom?
How many times do we have to go through the rigmarole of ongoing counseling? Don’t get me wrong, I believe in counseling! That was my first moment of freedom! I am an advocate for telling the story- it IS the words of your testimony that overcomes the enemy. It IS the words of your testimony that sets you free! And most of us with severe trauma need to start there. But when do you finish counseling? When I say to people, "When we're finished with counseling..." they look shocked! The norm for today's recipients of therapy believe it is a life time sentence. There are many men and women who feel stuck and bewildered because they don’t know what to do next.
The Question? How DO you do something different? Ready for the answer?
Discover your authority!
...And then USE IT!
For years now, I’ve been working with battered and abused men and women, who keep returning to their Garden of Eden, repeating the same story over and over again arguing with their devils, only to get so far because Satan is trying to talk them out of their healing. Did God really say... Did God really say leave behind your abuser? Did God really say stop cutting yourself? Did God really say you can move? Did God really say you have rights because you're a woman? Did God really say you can take medicine? Did God really say you can say no? Get behind me, Satan!
Healing is an emotional, multifaceted ashes to beauty process. If you’ve told your story, made sense of things, now it’s time to reclaim your birthright! The day you received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you became a son. You became a first born son! You became an heir to the throne.
For you [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified and] are all children of God [set apart for His purpose with full rights and privileges] through faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26 (AMP)
Even though there is no formula for healing, I have a personal strategy the Father wants me to share with you.
First, I had to recognize that Jesus was innocent. Jesus did not abuse me. He did not bruise me. A bruised reed, he will not break (Isaiah 42:3). He did not rape me. He did not abandon me. Some of the men and women in my life mishandled their authority over me. God has given all men and women authority (Luke 10:19). During my process of healing, this truth gave me so much freedom!
Let’s look at that word abuse:
a corrupt practice or custom
improper or excessive use or treatment : MISUSE
language that condemns or vilifies usually unjustly, intemperately, and angrily verbal abuse
physical maltreatment child abuse sexual abuse
obsolete : a deceitful act : DECEPTION (https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/abuse)
That sounds like a description of Satan. I would even go so far as to say that that is his "how to" when it comes to John 10:10!
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…!"
Now let’s look at authority!
a : power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior b : freedom granted by one in authority : RIGHT
a : persons in command, specifically : GOVERNMENT b : a governmental agency or corporation to administer a revenue-producing public enterprise
a : GROUNDS, WARRANT b : convincing force
a(1) : a citation (as from a book or file) used in defense or support (2) : the source from which the citation is drawn b(1) : a conclusive statement or set of statements (such as an official decision of a court) (2) : a decision taken as a precedent (3) : TESTIMONY (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authority)
So first let’s look at what God says about authority!
I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. Luke 10:19
Today you are going to put your foot on the neck of that snake/serpent/Satan and not let up! You are growing into your authority in Christ. Where once we started with the words of our testimony, we are now ending in finality with the Blood of the lamb and His final words on the matter.
They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Revelation 12:11
The word authority also means TESTIMONY! Then why aren’t we seeing miracles? Why are people still stuck after telling their story? Jesus said we would do greater works than He did- where are they?
They are clogged up behind a Greater Truth...a truth upon a truth.
Our testimony alone, is a good thing, but that good thing on its own is juicy fruit dripping off of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Stay with me now. When The Passion Translation came out with its version of Revelation 12:11, I wanted to argue with God. So proud am I of my testimony. I have overcome the enemy. I have chosen Jesus. I am an overcomer baby!
I say this gently, because God does not overlook the bravery it took for me to tell my story for the first time.... But God, our Father, wants us so completely convinced that we have conquered the enemy who abuses! He wants us so completely convinced and understanding that we can declare a thing and it happens because of Who He is in our lives. I can just see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, with every single one of my sins readying themselves to draw near to him like iron to a magnet- He looking me in the eyes from across that garden, as though we are in a high stakes business meeting. I blurt out, "I can only do so much in my own authority! Why isn't it working!?"
And Jesus calmly says to me, "This is the garden where testimony and authority meet.
Come and see."
They conquered him completely
through the blood of the Lamb
and the powerful word of his
testimony.... Revelation 12:11 (TPT)
The note in TPT reads: As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “the word of their testimony.” It is the faithful testimony of Jesusthat has the power to destroy the works of the devil.”
Wait. You mean it isn’t the words of my testimony that destroys the works of the devil? Then I notice the word completely--they conquered the devil completely. As I sat with the Father, He took me by the hand and led me through the scripture even further...
...They triumphed because they did not love and cling
to their own lives, even when faced with death.
...and then God asked me, “To whose life are you clinging?”
Oh God! I’m going to have to die again, aren’t I!
Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
...I have come to give you everything in abundance,more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow! John 10:10 (TPT)
Up next: Gethsemane: The Oil Press that keeps on giving! Are you ready to live forever!?