 Okay. Great. The recording has started. Would somebody like to volunteer to pray? Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, we give you thanks, we give you praise, we glorify your name. Father, as we go to listen to this word, may you give us wisdom and understanding. May you protect us, may your Holy Spirit move and let the words that we are going to learn bear fruits in our life. In Jesus' question, we are prayed. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Paul, for leading in prayer. I didn't notice. I think John also was going to pray and then I saw Asit Kenu's hand. But good to have so many takers to lead in prayer. We'll quickly look back at some of the things that we talked of in the last class and then we will move forward. So in the last class, we understood the meaning of authority. When we say somebody has authority, how do they get that authority? How can they exercise the authority? What does it mean? So we answered those questions and then we went ahead and talked about spiritual authority. We said that this authority makes us victorious in our spiritual lives. We are able to overcome and dominate demonic disturbances, disruptions through this authority. We are able to serve and assist others around us through this authority and also fulfill our responsibility here on earth. And then we quickly looked at the fact that God has created mankind to rule and reign here on the earth. He has given this earth to mankind, when I say mankind, man, woman, every human being. And we saw how there was the disobedience of Adam and Eve that led to their fall and the world was corrupted through sin. When this happened, this also made sure that the authority which was given to them was now transferred to Satan. So the world now is under the sway of Satan when we use terms like God is in control. It's actually true in a sense, but then the world is affected by the activities of the enemy as well. So everything that happens on the earth, everything that happens in our lives is not just God. God wants justice and peace and victory and healing and deliverance, all that for our lives. But why do we still experience suffering, challenges, sickness? Because there is an enemy who is affecting the world and it all started through the fall. And thereby there was a need for God to do something to claim back the authority that Satan had taken once again. And that is what he did through the life of the Lord Jesus and his sacrifice. So once the Lord Jesus, he died on the cross for us, we know that the work of redemption was completed. And the authority that Satan took from us that was brought back and thereby we as believers. And Jesus also said, all authority on heaven and earth is given to me and I give it to you. The Lord Jesus has redeemed us and he has given us back our authority. And that is why believers, even though this world is interrupted by the works of Satan, we can still exercise our God given authority and continue to live a victorious life. Then we saw that the spiritual realm, it's a very real realm. And there is a connection between the spiritual and the natural realm. People can engage in the spiritual realm through various ways. And because we are studying about believers' authority that can be used to overcome the demonic powers, we try to understand how the demonic realm works or the kingdom of darkness. We termed it as the kingdom of darkness works. We saw that the kingdom of darkness can influence individual circumstances, world situations, geographic regions, cultural forms, organizations, activities, buildings, spaces, homes and things like that. And how is it that people end up engaging with the kingdom of darkness through disciplines? Certain practices that people have that opens them up to the demonic realm. Prayers and worship and meditation, that's why these things are so dangerous. We shouldn't be engaging in them. Dedications, when people are committed or it's not just people. When you dedicate objects or art forms, some art forms are dedicated to certain gods. So they then become an influence or an expression of those gods or spirits. So anything that is dedicated to the spirit realm becomes an expression of that spirit. So the opposite of that, when we talk about God and us and when we dedicate ourselves to God, we become an expression of God's love, God's life, his power and all the good things that God wants to release through our lives. So this is the way in which engagement into the spirit realm happens. So dedication, disciplines, dedications, then we set sacrifices. So unfortunately, all kinds of sacrifices are done, material sacrifices, even animal sacrifices, human sacrifices. To truth this, people try to please the spirits in the kingdom of darkness. But the flip side again for us as believers is that the Lord Jesus, the first born, he has already been sacrificed for us. And when we put our trust in him, we are able to engage in the kingdom of light and have the release of the goodness of the kingdom of light through our lives. We saw how certain rituals, religious practices also invoke or they kind of activate the demonic realm. So these are things that we must recognize and be careful about, not to engage in certain things. Okay, I think this is where we stop and we will continue further. I remember telling us that if you have questions, then you know, you could ask your questions and then we will move forward. Anything based on what you have learned so far? Pastor, we also read in Psalms 24 that everything is under God's dominion. So what is the balance among the authorities? Yes, yes John. So yeah, everything is under God's dominion. When it comes to interpretation of scripture, I know that you're all also learning hermeneutics. So we have to interpret scripture based on scripture. It says everything is under God's dominion, but it also says, you know, the God of this world, which is Satan. So, you know, the way we see it is, yes, God put everything in its order, but now there is an interference because of the enemy. And which is why we as believers, we have to take authority. We have to oust the enemy only then we can continue to let life be the way God intended. Okay, so in our exercise of authority, what we are also doing is we are releasing that dominion of God on the earth. Okay, so that's how we would see it, John. We can't just go by that one verse. We have to look at all the other verses that are explained to us that there is an interference and we have to overcome that interference. Does it make sense to you? Yes, yeah. Yeah, sure. Thank you. All right, so that's how it works. Okay, so yeah, so that's why, you know, when people say God is in control, it's partly true. Not that God is not in control. He is very much in control. Everything belongs to Him, but He is not responsible for the wrong that is going on. Because when we say God is in control, God is the one who should be causing the sickness and, you know, causing people to die and creating trouble in people's lives. But God is not doing that. There is an active enemy in this world, Satan. And there is a lot of interference from Satan. And so, God is sovereign, or everything comes under God, but the other dynamics should also be understood. There is an interfering enemy and yet Christ has redeemed us, vested us with authority. So as a believer, my responsibility is I will not sit down and take what Satan is doing. I will use my authority and say, no, you know, Satan, you cannot do this. This is not God's will. I will fight for what has been given to me through the cross, the blessings of the cross, you know, the power of the cross. I need to go against the enemy. I cannot accept what the enemy is doing in people's lives. So that's how we would see this. Anything else? I thought, you know, people from different countries here, you would have questions. I think about distance or objects that are dedicated. Would you have any clarification about these things? So you see, all this will be helpful, especially when we are ministering deliverance to people. Study the steps of deliverance. There can be some objects that people have on their bodies, or they possess something. They have it in their homes, or the space where they are. There can be a demonic influence. And by constant it, we can have the understanding that, hey, so and so is coming under this influence. So at that point, what we can do is we can actually break it. We can also let them know that, hey, brother, what you're wearing here on your hand, it's like a commitment. So why don't you just break that off or remove it off? So some of the things, you know, you deal with it, have them remove it, or let's say dedication. You know, sometimes what happens, grandparents, well-meaning grandparents, they want their little babies born in their family to be blessed. So they'll take and they will dedicate, you know, I dedicate to this God of beauty or I dedicate to this God of strength. I dedicate to this God of money. And that kind of stays with people. Because of such dedication, they could be presenting with problems later on. And so when we are ministering deliverance to them by the Holy Spirit, we might have that knowing, in a knowing that so and so. You have to deal with that dedication. So we might have to lead them in a prayer that says, okay, you know, I revoke that dedication. I break that commitment in the name of Jesus. You know, I'm no longer dedicated because when there is a dedication, there is an open door that the enemy can come in through that door and begin to influence the person. So our understanding of the kingdom of darkness in a sense is helpful for us to move in our authority. Okay, especially when we are ministering deliverance over people's lives. So there's a park at anyway. So I was saying that that's the reason, you know, we need to understand all these things. So now let's move on. We will study a little bit about the way authorities understood in the spirit world. So in the spirit world, we already know that there are two kingdoms. There is the kingdom of light and there is a kingdom of darkness. And we also know that God is a spirit and he is the king of glory from the New Testament scriptures. We understand that the Lord Jesus is he is the son and the leader of the kingdom of light. So, you know, the kingdom of light is headed by God. And of course, the kingdom of darkness is headed by Satan and he has his hierarchy of demonic powers. And we will go and study about it a little later on. So there are two kingdoms and both the kingdoms have their own structure. But the most important thing that we have to recognize is that the kingdom of light prevails over the kingdom of darkness. The kingdom of light has greater authority and I think I tried explaining to you in the last class that, you know, if you try to understand Satan and God, there is no comparison because Satan is finite. But God is immortal, infinite God, great God. Okay, so there is really no comparison. So that's why when people, they become afraid of Satan and they make this whole thing about the demonic so big and scary to a believer. Actually, it's, you know, it shouldn't, it should not cause fear to us because we are already overcomers. But that's not to say that we minimize what Satan is doing because he is a real enemy. He does pose real threats and, you know, brings real challenges into our lives. So we acknowledge that, but at the same time, we should not be completely consumed by it. Okay, so that's the point that I'm making. So there are these two kingdoms. One is, you know, run by the Lord. The other one is of Satan. Now, we will understand a little bit more about the facets of these two kingdoms in relation to authority. So every human being in the world, you know, as far as what the Bible says, you know, belongs to one or the other kingdom. There is no gray area. When we are born again, we are told that we belong to the kingdom of light. We belong to the kingdom of the Son of God. We belong to the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. So when I am born again, be very clear about it. Which kingdom do I belong to? Which influence do I come under? I am part of the kingdom of light and I come under the influence of the Lord Jesus Christ. But when I'm not born again, okay, the kingdom of this world, okay, the God of this world. And we read that in scripture that people are under the sway of Satan. So when somebody is not born again, what is the influence that they carry over their lives? The influence of the kingdom of darkness. Okay, so you either belong there or you belong here. The Bible very clearly says when one is born again, we are translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. So every human being belongs to one kingdom or the other. So if we belong to the kingdom of light, then we have the authority vested upon us to overcome the kingdom of darkness. Now the second insight for us to learn is that we have what is known as delegated authority. Because now we are citizens of the kingdom of light. If you look at certain countries in the world today, okay, they have privileges as far as their passports are concerned. Some nations I remember like when I was studying in this class, we had a lot of international students from so many different countries. And many of my colleagues, they had passports where you don't need visa. You can just, you know, like travel around to different countries, you don't have to apply for a visa. But then we were some others of us, we had to apply because from our country, we don't have that privilege. I need to get a valid visa, apply for it, you know, do the whole process, get it only then I can go. So when you are a citizen of a country, there are certain rights, privileges that are given to us. Now in the kingdom of light in the same way, there are privileges, rights that are given to us. And the way I told you, certain countries, they have this authority which is given to them. Yeah, okay, you can go if you carry the passport of, you know, a particular nation. Yeah, you go, you go just land, book your ticket, go land in another country, they'll accept you, they'll just accept you stamp. So that's a privilege, that's a right that they have received. So in the same way, when you look at the kingdom of light, we have been vested with authority and we are also, you can use the term ambassadors of the kingdom of light. Ambassador means somebody who is a representative of a certain place, but who also carries enough influence to kind of come and give out the goodness of that place or the culture of that place. So when we today, I mean today, if you look at the meaning of ambassador, it's just you have a representative from a nation in another nation that much only. But in the earlier times, an ambassador would be a person who would go to a new place and he would also be responsible to change the culture of that new place. So in other words, you are an influencer. Ambassador is influencer with authority because you come with governmental authority to change the culture, change the setup, you know, change the patterns of thinking and subdue that place or, you know, make that place like the place that you came from. So that is the real meaning of the word ambassador. So you and I just tell us that we are citizens of the kingdom of heaven and thereby we carry the authority of the kingdom of light and also we are ambassadors. We are authorized by God, by the kingdom of light to go and release everything that the kingdom of light is on any place that we are called to. So that is another understanding or insight about authority. Now let's move on. Citizenship is recognized. We're talking about two kingdoms, right? So in the spiritual realm, citizenship is recognized. Meaning, which kingdom are you from? We know that in the physical, it's hard to make out. If you see two human beings, we can't say whether they are from light or darkness. But in the spiritual realm, there is recognition. And the good example is, you know, when Paul, he was ministering in Ephesus, they were casting out demons. Paul and his team, they were casting out demons. Now somebody else saw the way in which Paul was doing it and they tried to follow it. They also tried to cast out demons. But when they tried doing it, these are the seven sons of Skiwa in Acts chapter 19. They are beaten up by the demons and this is what the demons tell them. They say, Jesus, I know. And Paul, I know. But who are you? So what is the spirit in the demonic realm telling the seven sons of Skiwa? Basically, the spirit is telling them, you have no presence. I don't think you're from the kingdom of light because in the spirit realm, even the demonic spirits know which kingdom each person belongs to. These sons of Skiwa were not born again. So they were also part of the demonic, you know, the kingdom of darkness. And thereby, the demonic spirit is asking them, Jesus, I know. Paul, I know. But who are you? So there is a recognition of which kingdom you and I belong to in the spiritual realm. So that is something that we must understand. A person belonging to the kingdom of light has authority over the works of darkness and we can thwart it or we can overcome it. So that is a given and that's what we've been talking about so far. But also remember that we cannot try to do this or apply our authority in our own way. We have to follow the principles in the spirit realm. Yes, there is a kingdom of darkness and there is a kingdom of light. But what if I go and I say something like, oh, demonic spirit, I cast you out in the name of Nancy. You leave right now. It will not work because my name does not carry the authority that the name of Jesus carries. So I can't do things the way I want. It will not work. So while we understand authority, we also have to understand the principles that we must apply for our authority to be effective. So there is a method of operation that also comes into play and we must respect that. So spiritual authority must be exercised in a certain way. And we've talked when we spoke about prayer, so much of discussion happened about human will, isn't it? We said that we can't try to manipulate people. We can't try to control people. That is not how God's spirit works. And in the same way, when it comes to our spiritual authority, you and I can't do that. As a pastor, maybe I want things to be done a certain way and all that. So I can't use my spiritual authority to do it the way I want to get it done. That would be manipulation. So there is a method of operation of the authority of a believer. And we have to respect it. We have to respect the boundaries of that. And that's when our exercise of spiritual authority also becomes very, very effective. So this is a little bit about the two kingdoms and the fact that everyone belongs to one kingdom based on which kingdom you belong to. You have some rights, privileges and for us from the kingdom of light, we also have an opportunity to influence for the kingdom of light. And in the kingdom, in the spiritual realm, there is a recognition of which realm, which kingdom we belong to, even the demonic spirits can recognize. And finally, there is a method of operation and we cannot try to override it. So with regard to this, if at all you have any queries, you just jump in. You can unmute yourself, you can ask, post on the chat. And I am happy to stop for a few minutes to explain and then proceed further. But if you don't have questions yet, then that's also fine. I can try and cover the next section here and then come back. Okay. So I'm noticing Joy is on the call. Joy, good to have you. It's been a long time. Hi Nancy. Hi. I miss you a lot. How are you doing? I'm good. I'm good. Just getting back to what you are calling me. Wonderful. Wonderful. Great to have you back Joy. Thank you so much. I miss you so much. Yes. Yeah. Thank you. God bless. All right. So, all right. We're on page 12 here and we'll talk a little bit about the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. Okay. The question that John asked earlier. God has dominion over all the worlds that he has created. The heavens, the earth. But when you consider the heavens, you know, we saw that scripture which said that the heavens are the Lord's but the earth belongs to man. God has given the responsibility of earth to man. God owns everything but he has handed over the earth to be managed by man. And we've also now recognized that there is an interference of Satan. Okay. So, I gave you that example of a house which is rented out and it's occupied by tenants. The owner doesn't live in that place. So, you can look at it this way. The house belongs to God and he has given it to man to live as a tenant to live for some time but that house also has let's say, you know, an interfering neighbor or it has a thief who is plotting on trespassing, coming in, stealing things, breaking into the house and causing all kinds of damage for the house. So, that is the situation now. So, does it mean that the owner doesn't own the house or God does not own the world? He does not have dominion over the world? No, he definitely has dominion over the world. But we also know that our God is a God. When he has delegated and given responsibility, he goes by the set laws. Okay. Can God, excuse me, just jump in and get rid of that trespassing thief? Yeah, he can but he will not do it because right now the responsibility has been handed over to the tenant or man. So, the keys are in man's hands and what God wants us to do is he wants us to take up this responsibility or authority that he has given us and protect this house or the world that we are supposed to manage. Okay. So, that is how you will understand the sovereignty of God, the responsibility of man. Both, the dynamics of both of these things exist. We cannot, you know, just replace one with the other. It doesn't work like that. There is a responsibility if we sit down and say, yeah, it's okay, you know, like if I, one good example I can give you is, imagine, okay, my house. I don't want to clean it every day. So, I say, oh, God gave me this house. God has blessed me. I'm happy. I'm not going to clean the house. God, you send your angels and please have my house clean. Wouldn't it be amazing if we can all have angels who come and clean our houses? Unfortunately, it doesn't happen like that. You have to wake up. You know, you have to, some part of the day decide, okay, you know, I am going to clear this table. I am going to organize my cupboard. If we don't do it, it never gets done. Can we blame God? God is responsible for my messed up room. God will say, no, no, I'm not responsible for your messed up room. I gave you the room. I gave you the resources. I gave you the energy and the wisdom. You do it. So, God is sovereign, but man has a responsibility. And we have to understand that. That's when, when we understand the dynamics of this, we know where to step in, how to step in. And, you know, it becomes very effective the way we exercise our authority. So, talking about the same thing, you know, sovereignty of God and responsibility of man, let's know that we have delegated responsibility. So, God has, remember, we said in the book of Genesis that we are the representatives, representatives to display God, His character. And at the same time, manage, you know, whatever He has entrusted to us really well. That is our delegated responsibility. Delegated means someone who has the authority entrusts it to another person. For example, now here in our country, what happens is if I want to operate my bank account, okay, I have to go in person to the bank or I have to use nowadays you have your online banking and stuff, but I have to use only I carry the passwords and all of that. So, I need to use it. Then I can operate. Let's take, for example, that I'm ill and I'm not able to operate my bank account. And I want someone to go in person to the bank to get some work done. I will need to delegate that responsibility. Maybe it's a sibling of mine and I say, hey, can you go? I'm giving you the responsibility. But to authorize this person, I would need to give them, you know, a certain letter with my signature and all to say so and so on my behalf will operate my bank account. I delegate them. I authorize them. Okay, delegated responsibility. So on the earth, remember the Lord God created us to have dominion, rule and reign subdued. We have delegated authority from who God because we are created in the image of God. God authorized us human beings to take charge of the world and run it the way he runs it. And that is our delegated responsibility. So while God is overarching dominion over the world, we have the delegated authority. Now the operation of this authority works in all these ways. The power of our tongue, the words that we speak. We see in scripture that God also used his authority through his words. So he said, let there be light, there was light. So there is, there is power in the word of God, the power of his tongue. So when Jesus, he looked at the storm and he commanded and said, be still, be still, the tongue, the word worked. So even for us today, we can operate in all of these things. For me to be that manager or representative that God wants me to be, I can use my authority through my words. So I speak, I declare and that happens according to God's purposes. Then exercise of faith. Remember Jesus said, if you believe anyone, you look at this mountain and you speak to the mountain, if you believe in your heart, then you speak to it, it will be removed and cast into the sea. So what is operational there? Faith. Have faith in God. Mark 11, 23, 24. Have faith in God and then when believing you speak with your faith, it actually happens. So the operation of faith, again, that is our responsibility. Both of these things now, the speaking, the power of the tongue and faith. Let's say as a human being, I'm not using it, I just leave it. I'm like, yeah, okay, I'm not going to use it. I know I have authority, but I will not speak blessings over my life or I will not be careful about speaking the right things over my life. Then that operation of those things will be missing in my life. But if I take charge and I say, no, the God's word says, I'm blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. What happens? That gets activated over my life and it is released. So I need to speak. I need to speak when I'm going through sickness. I can't just say, okay, I resign. God, you are sovereign over my life. But I can rise up and I can use all these elements that God has provided for me. And I can say, no, by the stripes of Jesus, I'm healed. He sends His word. He heals my diseases. He forgives all my sins. He heals all my diseases. So when I'm saying all these things, what's happening? I am using my authority in the recommended way. What is one of the principles? The power of the tongue. So I'm saying these things. I'm saying, no, I know my God will deliver me. I know my God will bring me out. He will heal my body. He will heal my mind. So when I'm saying these things, I'm using my authority. And wherever there is interference of the enemy, you know, I'm overcoming that. Exercise of faith. You know, I move by faith. Yes, God said, like Abraham, you're going to have descendants Abraham, like the stars of the sky and the sand of the sea. And here is Abraham, not even one son, not even one. That's where faith comes in. You know, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the things, the evidence of things not seen. So by the spoken word of God, there is a seed in Abraham's heart. And he knows God is going to do it. So that is the promise. He's holding on to the promise. How? By faith. So we talk about the faith of Abraham. How he trusted in God when there was nothing to see and tell that it is going to happen, but operating through faith. So all this becomes a responsibility of man. What if Abraham said, no God, you know, please, I don't think so. It can't happen. We would never have Abraham as an example. He overcame through his faith. So this becomes a responsibility of man. I need to operate by my faith. Only then I will see the results that God wants for me. Then again, you know, there is a law of sowing and reaping. We are responsible. So by this, what we mean is, you know, in scripture it says, if you sow to righteousness, you will reap of righteousness. If you sow to sin, then you will reap corruption. So if I am moving in the direction of righteousness, I can expect, you know, love, joy, peace, but if I am pursuing a sinful lifestyle in any way and I'm wondering, why is this happening to me? You know, let's say just small example. Suppose I just love to fight and get offended and, you know, be angry all the time and misunderstand people and I'm just not willing to change. And then I reap sadness, depression, problem in my relationships and there's no peace. I'm thinking, why is this happening to me? God, you said that, you know, my peace I give to you, but what am I sowing? I'm sowing strife. I'm sowing offence. I'm sowing anger. What obviously I will reap, you know, the results of that. But if I'm sowing peace in my relationships, I will reap peace and joy. So there is a consequence. Now even talking about the world, you know, now we have the whole COVID thing going on and many a time people talk about the earthquakes and the floods and, you know, the polluted air and they blame God. You know, sometimes there are places that term floods and earthquakes and all of that has acts of God. Acts of God, have you heard? You know, they say acts of God. But are they really acts of God? No. God created a beautiful world. Genesis 1, you read again and again, he says, it was good. It was good. He did this, it was good. He created a perfect, beautiful world. We are the managers of this world. You know, we are not careful about, you know, waste management and we are the ones who emit all kinds of, you know, gases. We are not careful about the sea. We are the ones who are manufacturing plastic and dumping it into the oceans and, you know, we are the ones, we are the ones who are felling trees in the forests. Who's responsible when you look at the world and you see all these calamities and, you know, the balance is off. Who's responsible? These are not acts of God. The law of sowing and reaping. The way we manage, you know, you see the results of that. So man is responsible for a lot of what is going on in the world, right? And of course, we know, scriptures say that the Lord Jesus, he came to redeem us. Even the earth, you know, he has come to redeem and his work of redemption is at work. Even in the things in the earth, and we are going to see that. So the point is to just say that God is sovereign and he is responsible for, you know, all the good and bad. It's not correct because man has a responsibility also. And as believers, we know about these aspects, right? That I said, delegated responsibility, power of the tongue, exercise of faith, law of sowing and reaping. I have to engage effectively in these areas and understand these principles. Then I can see the God kind of results in my life and, you know, I am responsible for that, all right? So we will next talk about power and authority before we go any further. I would like to pause. Any additional thoughts? Do you want to add to what I'm saying? Or have any questions? All right. So, all right, what we will do is we could go in for a break now, okay? It is 10.47. And if you all can come back at 10.57, let's start the next session then because I want to continue. I'm going to start another section so there will be continuity. We can continue from there, okay? So meet you all in 10 minutes then, 10.57. Thank you.