We are to have the breastplate of righteousness that protects our heart from being condemned, so to operate in authority, the first foundation of that is that I am clearly established in my standing with God. If I'm not, how will I know whether He's going to back me up?
If I'm not sure He's with me, and that we're working together, if I've got doubts about my standing because of being accused or condemned, how will I move competently and boldly? Very difficult, very difficult. So the first thing, foundational thing is, faith righteousness: I am connected to God, and I am favoured by Him. I am blessed by Him. I am blessed today. I am blessed by His love and presence. See, you build these things into your life, and your authority grows as this becomes established, so all things in the spirit, you have to know exactly where you stand with God. Now I'm not saying have it as a head knowledge. It needs to be more than just a head knowledge. In your heart, you need to know I'm completely innocent in His sight, see? Now that is what gives you boldness then to speak on His behalf, but if you are not convinced in your heart, if there are doubts in your heart about your standing with God, there will be doubts that will undermine your authority to minister.
So this is the most important thing to establish is faith righteousness, I am right with God by faith in the work of another, not in my works, not whether I prayed, not whether I did well or didn't do well. I am right by faith in the work of Christ, so you become conscious of a fault quickly repent of it: I am right now with God by faith in what Jesus Christ did. This is the foundation for all faith ministry, is the righteousness that Jesus gave to me, by my believing in Him. Getting the idea? So if your heart condemns you, God is bigger than your heart, so there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, except their heart on the spirit. This is foundational to all operation in the things of the spirit. You must know I'm established, and I can boldly, quickly come into the presence of God without being condemned. Have I done something wrong? That's okay, because He's made provision. Lord, I'm so sorry, I put it right really quickly, it's over, it's out of His mind, and it needs to be out of mine. This is so foundational to all faith operation, is that I'm right by trusting what Jesus did, and that needs to be established in your life. If you've lived under condemnation all your life, and blame, there maybe a stronghold to break, so that the truth gets established in your heart. Okay, getting the idea? Rightio, alright, so that's number one.
Thank you very much. How did you do? What did you feel happen? Immediately felt the presence of God. About the time when I actually just set my heart to meditate and be in the presence of God, the moment I set my heart on that, and started to connect with Him, immediately she felt the presence of God. I'll do it one more time, you'll just see it happen. It'll just be like that. I'll describe what's happening in me, and then you watch what happens to her, alright? So just again look up to the Lord, so you direct your attention to Him. I'm holding her hands, so whatever's going on in me will be an impartation. So if I was to just begin to meditate, and to see myself standing right before the throne of God, begin to meditate and fix my heart on Jesus, and as I set my heart - there He is, and I can feel His presence right now, see? And so does she.
See, so faith righteousness. It's not just a heady word. It's a spiritual reality, and when it's established in your life, the flow of God is never ending, and you know what? Every attack of the devil on you, will be to get that off you. It'll be to get you out of that place of confidence, and to get you into a place of doubt, about where God is in relationship to you. This is foundational to all moving in the spirit. To get it, you need to establish this in your life [laughs] okay? Alright then.
So the second one is humility. If I'm going to move in authority, I must develop humility. God gives grace to the humble, and in James 4:7, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. The word submit means to place yourself under, or align yourself with someone who is over you, so together you can get a great result. So it has the idea of a military victory, of being properly positioned, so humility is a crucial part, and submission is an attitude of humility that recognises the authority of God, and those that God has delegated authority to, so that's - we're on now Page 10 in our notes. So submit is a crucial issue. I have found many people, because of pride, have a trouble of submitting to anyone. I have learned as soon as I meet anyone with authority, I immediately adopt an attitude of recognising and aligning properly with an attitude of honour to that person, because this is how I can walk in the spirit, and stay in the spirit. Getting the idea?