Know Your Authority

In our last post I had you read from the book of Acts chapter 27: 10-44. In this Study we will continue with how to know your authority. We will start this blog post off with a question.

Why didn’t the Apostle Paul, rebuke the storm in this case a hurricane that would save the ship along with the cargo and all of their lives?

Acts chapter 10: Verses 9-44

 9 And when much time was spent, and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast was now already gone by, Paul admonished them,

10 and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the lading and the ship, but also of our lives. 

11 But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship, than to those things which were spoken by Paul. 

12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to put to sea from thence, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter [there; which is] a haven of Crete, looking northeast and south-east. 

13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close in shore. 

14 But after no long time there beat down from it a tempestuous wind, which is called Euraquilo: 

15 and when the ship was caught, and could not face the wind, we gave way [to it,] and were driven. 

16And running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat: 

17 and when they had hoisted it up, they used helps, under-girding the ship; and, fearing lest they should be cast upon the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and so were driven. 

18And as we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw the [the freight] overboard; 

19 and the third day they cast out with their own hands the tackling of the ship. 

20And when neither sun nor stars shone upon [us] for many days, and no small tempest lay on [us,] all hope that we should be saved was now taken away. 

21 And when they had been long without food, then Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss. 

22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer; for there shall be no loss of life among you, but [only] of the ship. 

23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am, whom also I serve,

 24 saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must stand before Caesar: and lo, God hath granted thee all them that sail with thee. 

25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even so as it hath been spoken unto me. 

26 But we must be cast upon a certain island. 

27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven to and fro in the [sea of] Adria, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some country: 

28 and they sounded, and found twenty fathoms; and after a little space, they sounded again, and found fifteen fathoms.

29 And fearing lest haply we should be cast ashore on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for the day. 

30 And as the sailors were seeking to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, under color as though they would lay out anchors from the foreship, 

31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 

32Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. 

33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take some food, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing. 

34 Wherefore I beseech you to take some food: for this is for your safety: for there shall not a hair perish from the head of any of you. 

35And when he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all; and he brake it, and began to eat. 

36 Then were they all of good cheer, and themselves also took food. 

37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. 

38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. 

39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they perceived a certain bay with a beach, and they took counsel whether they could drive the ship upon it. 

40 And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosing the bands of the rudders; and hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.

 

41 But lighting upon a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground; and the foreship struck and remained unmoveable, but the stern began to break up by the violence [of the waves]. 

42 And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any [of them] should swim out, and escape. 

43 But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stayed them from their purpose; and commanded that they who could swim should cast themselves overboard, and get first to the land; 

44 and the rest, some on planks, and some on [other] things from the ship. And so it came to pass, that they all escaped safe to the land.

Paul’s story here is quite interesting. He had already given his testimony before Festus and King Agrippa, Acts chapter 25 and chapter 26. King Agrippa, found no fault with Paul to be sentenced to death, but because Paul had appealed to Cesar, Agrippa had no choice to send him to Rome.

In verse 9, we find the ship with Paul and his guard on board beginning to set sail for Rome after many days or possibly a week at port in Lasea. Paul told his guard that he perceived that the ship, its cargo and even everyone’s life is in danger if they continue on their voyage. I have no doubt in my mind, that the guard had went and told the captain of the ship of Paul’s revelation of destruction, and they convinced the guard otherwise.

The scripture’s doesn’t say how Paul received this revelation except by the word “perceived”.   I also have no doubt that he received revelation knowledge from the Holy Spirit.

To answer the question that I ask moments ago, Paul had no authority over that ship, cargo, or the lives of all on board. Do you think Paul was in fear of his life when the ship sailed into that storm? I don’t think so, Paul had told the church that was worried for his life earlier in the book of Acts that he was ready even to lay down his life for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul had no more authority than I had when my wife and I were at Lowes parking lot, over the upheaval that spawn many tornado’s in the state of Missouri, the day of may 22, of 2011. That was the same day of the Joplin Missouri tornado that took well over 120 lives that evening.

We as believers have authority only over our own life and immediate family and our property, animals included. God did not give us authority over others unless they submit to your anointed God given authority. And that generally doesn’t happen except in church services or someone ask you to pray for them. The body of Christ needs to learn her authority and limitations.

Why Authority & Revelation is desperately needed in this hour

Friend, the body of Christ is at war with the flesh, the world and the devil. And it is time that each of us learn to live in our authority and walk in the spirit of God. This includes learning to use our authority against the rise of satanic attacks against all men, believers and non-believers, including the attacks of nature’s upheavals. During the writing of this series of blog post, the Lord has told me that natural calamities such as all of the nature’s upheavals that we have been talking about, will increase not only in numbers but also in intensity, because our adversary the devil roams around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

But that is not all the Bible says about our adversaries mission. If you will recall, Jesus, told Peter that the Devil wanted to sift him as wheat, and when you are on the Devils hit list, he isn’t going to care about the casualty rate.  No friend,  “the Devil only comes to kill, steal, and destroy”.

Is it God’s wrath?

I have heard many God fearing ministers and Christians alike say that they believe many of these upheavals of nature was “God pouring out his wrath” on the Earth.

Really?

When hurricane Katrina, hit the coast of New Orleans, in August of 2005, it crippled the city for years and took over 1,464 lives. After the flood waters began receding there was so much looting, violence, many other criminal activities. So much so, that public security degraded the city. This upheaval of nature, has the all ear mark of principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world, not God.

If it was the wrath of God, there would be nothing left. I also believe that God would have chosen a few other choice cities in the United States to destroy besides New Orleans. When you study the “wraths of God”, from Genesis to Revelation and then look at all of natures upheavals from 1990 to today, you will begin to see that they are attacks from our adversary.

A prophetic Warning: The reason you need to know your Authority

30 And as the sailors were seeking to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, under color as though they would lay out anchors from the foreship, 

31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 

32Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. 

I have held off publishing this post for several days because of what the Lord had told me. I wanted to pray this through making completely sure that I was hearing from the Lord, properly.

When I began studying Act’s chapter 27 for this blog post, the Lord made these three verses stand out and my spirit was heavy with burden for you the reader and for all of God’s children.

The Lord told me through the Holy Spirit, spirit to spirit, that we are not prepared, for what is soon to take place on this Earth. “Except you abide in the ship, you cannot be saved”

I had such a hard time with this simple warning. “Lord,” I pleaded. “What do you mean by this? Help me to understand”.

A few days later, the Holy Spirit, brought Psalms 91 to mind. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, shall Abide under the shadow of the Almighty”. Have you read Psalms 91? If you haven’t read it this month, I beg you to go read it now before you finish reading this post.

The Holy Spirit, told me that Jesus Christ, my Lord and my savior, is the ship. And unless you abide in him all in all, you will not survive physically what is coming.

We must begin to prepare.

Ok, I would appreciate your input on this posting. “Let us reason together”. Scroll down a little ways, and leave your comments, questions or rants for know your authority.

God Bless,

William

P.S. If you haven’t read the first and second part of this series you can use the links below and read them in sequence.

Authority over Natures Upheavals

Rebuking Storms

Know your Authority

 

P.P.S: Today my mother in law came home from the hospital and because of this I may only post once a week instead of twice a week. You see, my wife Helen and I, are her care takers and because  cancer has spread into her brain and lung, she is on a hospice care.

I ask that you keep Mary Jo Shelton up in prayer in this hour.

Helen and I are taking authority over this cancer in “Jesus” Holy name.

Thank you very much in advance,

I love you,

William

Know Your authority