The
Lord is positioning His church to become people of action who will
advance the kingdom of God. We are Christ’s ambassadors; we are called
to represent His rule. Wherever we are, the kingdom of God is also.
First Peter 2:9
says: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who
called you out of darkness into His wonderful light” (NIV).
Investigating this Scripture, we will discover that the Greek word for
“belonging,” peripoiesin, when used here, carries the following
meaning:
- A set apart nation
- A people consecrated for God’s own possession
- A purchased people
- An acquired people
- A people for purpose
- A people for action.
God has chosen, purchased, acquired, consecrated and set us apart
in order for us to move forward in purpose and action, completely
trusting in the Lord, and knowing that we cannot do anything in and of
ourselves. God not only wants us to walk in an intimate, personal
relationship with Him, but from this place, we are to also move forward
with the mentality of standing in the earth for Him and advancing the
kingdom of God. He is calling us to hear His plans and purposes, to get
in there with Him and to effect change.
As Christ’s kingdom
representatives, we are also representational. We are to establish a
righteous paradigm in our areas of influence.
We serve an awesome
God, who has made available to us favor, creativity, power, wisdom,
strategies and all we need to cause the lost world to be drawn to Him
and cultures to be transformed. No matter where we are placed—in our
homes, neighborhoods, businesses and churches, God has equipped and
anointed us for our assignments. What a powerful inheritance we possess!
THE MEASURE OF RULE
The
Lord allots to His children special territories or assignments, wherein
we have a physical presence and spiritual authority. For some of us the
territory might be an area such as the inner city, our neighborhoods or
the marketplace. Some may be placed in professional leadership roles in
businesses, schools, churches and governments. Others find their
territories are people groups and the nations of the world.
There
are some who carry a passion for youth and others, a strong desire to
set captives free. Some may carry burdens in prayer. It is possible to
have certain assignments for specific seasons and, as we grow with God,
we’ll discover that our areas of influence and spiritual authority are
increased.
Paul describes this principle in 2 Corinthians 10:13:
“We will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the
measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach
even unto you” (KJV).
The Greek word for “measure” is metron,
meaning to “cut out an area or distance with a measurer’s reed or rule.”
It refers to the size of one’s area of authority. Kanon, the Greek word
for “rule,” refers to “a field of activity.” Here it means the power
one has within a particular territory.
The Greek word merizo,
translated “distribute,” carries the meaning of “a portion or share.” In
putting these concepts together, Paul explains that the Lord assigns
specific areas for each of His children in which we can move with power
to make known the kingdom of God.
Paul’s measure of rule was to
the gentile nations. As kingdom ambassadors, we, too, are to establish a
physical presence. To be influential, we cannot remain hidden. We must
build trusting relationships with others. We are to become praying
people of our word, who reflect the love of Jesus and walk in integrity,
character, obedience and humility.
RESPONSIBILITY OF RELATIONSHIP
As
a young mother, I taught piano lessons in our home. Understanding this
was a territory entrusted to me by God, I prayed that He would bring me
students who needed a revelation of the love of Jesus.
I received
a phone call from Susie, a 16-year-old girl, originally from Thailand.
The Lord told me that she had a powerful call on her life. I was to give
her lessons and intercede for her salvation.
Before each lesson,
I spent time in focused intercession for Susie’s salvation. She was
placed in my measure of rule, and it was my responsibility to see her
brought into the kingdom of God.
I did not preach or force my
beliefs on her. I reached out in love and built a relationship based on
trust. One afternoon in the middle of a piece of music, Susie suddenly
stopped. “Miss Becca, can I ask you a question?” she said.
“Of course,” I replied.
“You are a Christian, right?”
“Yes, I am. Why do you ask?”
She
said: “I have Christian friends in my high school who talk to me about
Jesus. I am curious to know Him, but my family worships Buddha. I know
he is a false and powerless god. I do not want a religion focused on the
worship of a false god. I must know that Jesus is real before I commit
to follow Him.”
“Susie,” I said, “Jesus is the Savior of the
world. He wants to reveal Himself to you. Do you have a need in your
life? We can pray and ask Jesus to help you. He will answer our prayer,
and you will know He is the one true God.”
She replied: “I do
have a need. I lost my glasses two weeks ago. My parents were mad at me
because of the expense to replace them. Yesterday, I lost my new pair of
glasses! I am afraid to tell my parents. Can we pray that I find my new
pair before my parents realize I lost them?”
“Absolutely,” I responded. We prayed asking the Lord to help Susie find her glasses.
The
following week, Susie arrived for her lesson beaming with excitement.
She quickly exclaimed: “The day after we prayed I went to school. After
English class, my teacher called me to her desk and opened a drawer. She
pulled out the first pair of glasses I had lost!
“That
afternoon, the bus driver handed me the new pair of glasses my parents
just bought for me! Not only did Jesus help me find my new pair of
glasses, He also found my first pair. I know He is the one true God.
Please lead me to Him.” We both wept tears of joy as Susie received
Jesus as her Savior.
Susie began to experience a hunger for the
Word of God. A Bible was purchased for her, and we would spend the first
portion of her class working on piano lessons, and the last portion
learning about God.
Her Buddhist parents would have forbidden her
to read the Bible, so she stayed up late at night, reading the
Scriptures in bed under her sheets with a flashlight. During this time,
the Lord began to give her an intercessory burden for her parents and
family members in Thailand, who were trapped in the worship of Buddha.
One
day Susie explained a difficult situation to me. Her parents were
requiring her to go to the Buddhist temple to pray to Buddha and receive
a blessing from the monk. She didn’t want to go but was given no
choice. We asked the Lord to work mightily on her behalf.
The day
arrived for her blessing from the monk. After her parents prayed to
Buddha, a monk approached the family for the blessing, but as he reached
out to touch Susie’s shoulder, he hesitated.
When he attempted
to put his hand on her shoulder again, it was as if something hindered
him from touching her. He bowed, as if to acknowledge the power within
Susie, and then he left.
God performed that miracle. And in doing so, He showed Susie the authority she carried in her measure of rule.
During
her last music lesson, Susie said: “Miss Becca, thank you for leading
me to Jesus. When I graduate from college, I am going to Thailand as a
missionary to lead my people to Him and to reach those gripped in
darkness to the worship of Buddha.” We both thanked the Lord for saving
Susie, for His faithfulness in her life and for her calling to reach the
Buddhist people of Thailand.
You never know where your prayers
will take you. No matter what your assignment or measure of rule, when
you recognize it, agree with the Lord about it, change and
transformation will occur.
WATCHMEN ON THE WALL
We
are not living in our neighborhoods and cities by mistake. God has
placed us there as His kingdom representatives to partner with Him.
In Acts 17:26,
Paul said: “From one man He made every nation of men, that they should
inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and
the exact places they should live. God did this so that men would seek
Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far
from each one of us” (NIV).
As we build a physical presence, we
also carry a role and spiritual authority as watchman on the wall. In
ancient times, a watchman was one who stood guard on the city wall.
Anything he saw approaching from a distance whether good or bad, he
would announce its approach. He had to be alert, especially against
hostility or danger.
As watchmen in our territories, we must be
on alert through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Lord has given
each of us the responsibility to watch—to stand on the wall, see what is
approaching, announce it and blow the trumpet. As we stand in this
place of prayer, watching on the wall and hearing the voice of the Lord,
we can announce and release His directions and commands. The key to
effectively legislating authority in our jurisdiction is walking with
the Lord in obedience and doing what we see the Father doing.
PRAY, HEAR AND OBEY
At
some point we have all had this experience of godly authority, when we
discovered an inborn ability to lead or encountered a situation that
caused righteous indignation to rise up in our spirits. It may not be a
frequent occurrence, but there are those times when unrighteous
circumstances present themselves, and something within us takes charge
of the situation.
This was the case for me several years ago. The
Lord blessed our family with a home in a new neighborhood. It was a
peaceful location with many Christian families, several growing church
plants and a new field ripe for harvest.
We were driving through
the neighborhood one day when my husband, Greg, and I noticed a sign on a
corner lot that read: “Future Home for the Mormon Church.” Concerned
that this was not the spiritual influence we desired in our
neighborhood, I said someone needed to do something before they began to
build on the land.
Greg replied, smiling, “You’re right! So when
are you going to deal with it?” His challenge surprised me. Even though
I did not want a false religion established in our territory, I had not
thought about dealing with it myself.
The Lord was calling us to
stand on the land and refuse access to this false religion. The
following Sunday, we made a trip to the corner lot and stood in front of
the sign. I asked Greg if he wanted to pray. He said: “You do it. I am
here to agree with you as the Lord leads.”
I began to pray. It
was not a lengthy prayer, as I knew our purpose. “Father,” I began, “we
thank you for this neighborhood and the families who live here. Father,
we thank You ahead of time for the work You are going to do in their
lives. Right now we stand as legal landowners and homeowners and ones
who have spiritual authority in this region. In the name of Jesus, we
say that no Mormon church will be built. We say no to the spirit[s] of
lying, error, [and] all Antichrist and witchcraft spirits attached to
Mormonism. You are not welcome and will not gain entrance into this
territory.
“We say no in Jesus’ name. We say the paperwork for
this building will not go through, and that the bank will not approve
the loan. The door is shut to you right now.
“Father, we pray for
all those involved in this church. We agree that deception will be
broken off of minds and hearts, and that salvation will spring forth
into their lives. We thank You ahead of time for their salvation. In
Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!”
We poured anointing oil around the
sign and claimed the land for the kingdom of God. We made this
declaration five years ago. That Mormon church has not been built, and
the sign has been removed. This is a demonstration of legislative
kingdom authority, in the form of a united cry, arising from followers
of Jesus Christ and refusing illegal possession or seizure of land in
our measure of rule.
The world around us is waiting to be
restored. There are lost souls searching for answers, land that needs to
be cleansed and laws that need to be changed. It is time to get in
there with God and become women of action.
Allow Him to use you
to affect change in your territory. When confronted with
unrighteousness, let your declaration resound into the spirit realm:
“Not in my city, not in my family, not in my territory, not on my
watch!”
Rebecca Greenwood is a published author and the founder and president of Christian Harvest International.
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