"We must realize that we are God's governing force on the earth, which has been given keys of authority from Him to legislate from the spiritual realm." (Charisma archives)
Fifteen years ago, God unequivocally and undeniably gave me Isaiah 22:22 as a life-verse. "The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder. Then he shall open, and no one shall shut. And he shall shut, and no one shall open." After 40-plus confirmations over a two-week period—yes, more than 40—I became thoroughly convinced this verse was both a promise and a weapon for me. I have since used the verse hundreds of times throughout America—in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C.—to open and close spiritual doors for the Lord.
After receiving the Isaiah 22:22 key for impacting the nation, much of my time was spent in the nation's capital, carrying out very specific and strategic prayer assignments. Heaven's endorsement on these missions was without question, with confirmation after confirmation being given to affirm the assignments. Oh, the stories I could tell from that season of my life—amazing! While this verse has never left my thinking or ministry, for several years after the 2008 change in our national leadership, the Lord redirected my attention toward other assignments in America. As a result, my time in Washington, D.C., decreased significantly.
Within the past year, however, I have sensed the Lord asking me to wield the Isaiah 22:22 key in our nation's capital once again. Through my recent re-commissioning (which you may read about here), and other prophetic revelation, the Lord has confirmed to me that the door to the governmental arena—and to Washington, D.C., specifically—is again wide open. And where Holy Spirit leads, I will certainly follow.
The Keys of The Ekklesia
This invitation to cross the threshold back into the sphere of governmental intercession has not only been extended to me, but to the entire body of Christ. As we mentioned, a key, symbolizing governmental authority is first mentioned in the book of Isaiah, within a prophetic passage concerning Jesus, the Messiah; but the second time keys, symbolizing spiritual authority, are spoken of in Scripture is at Jesus' first mention of the church.
"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 16:18-19).
In the disciples' day, the paradigm for an ekklesia (church) was very different from contemporary notions. In the disciples' culture, an ekklesia was an assembly of people assigned to govern the affairs of a city, state or nation—in essence, a parliament or congress. To the Romans, it was an assembly of people sent into a conquered region to govern, but also to alter the culture until it became like that of Rome. They infiltrated government, language, social structure, schools, etc. until the people talked, thought and acted like Romans. In other words, they brought the culture and ideals of the kingdom of Rome to their assigned region. When Jesus said He would build His "church,"—His ekklesia—He was speaking of a body of people that would legislate spiritually for Him, extending His Kingdom government and influence on the earth.
Christ's statement that "the gates of Hades will not overpower it" makes much more sense when we understand that these gates are not physical, but rather spiritual, and also symbolize government. In biblical times, city gates were often where judges sat to rule and where governing councils met to make decisions; therefore the word "gate/s" often symbolized government (for example, see 2 Sam. 19:8; Prov. 22:22-23; Ruth 4:4-10). In this first announcement regarding the church, Jesus is declaring that the kingdom government (rule, decree, councils) of hell won't prevail over His kingdom government on earth—the church.
Jesus Never Told Us to Pray for the Sick Jesus commanded us to heal the sick. (Flickr) "Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. And He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick ... So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere" (Luke 9:1-2, 6).
Jesus told us to heal the sick. He did not tell us to pray for the sick. Healing should not be an isolated, one-chance-in-a-100-or-1,000 type of occurrence. Healing should be everywhere. It is part of the gospel. It is what will open the masses to the gospel. It is God's dinner bell for sinners to come and be saved.
Jesus commanded us to heal the sick.
Certainly praying for the sick is scriptural (James 5: 14-15), especially for those in the church, but isn't it interesting that in the gospels and Acts no one did so?
What does this tell us? It reveals that the church has an authority she does not yet know she possesses.
These signs shall follow those who believe (Mark 16:15-20). We are authorized to cast out devils and heal sinners who are sick; those are two of the signs. Why don't more professing believers walk in this power? It must be because we do not believe. The only qualification Jesus put on healing the sick was to believe.
Let's not complicate the matter. Let's take Jesus at His word.
Notice Jesus' instructions to His 12.
"As you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:7-8).
Notice also Jesus' instructions to His 70.
"Heal the sick who are there and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you'" (Luke 10:9).
Once again, Jesus did not tell His disciples to pray for the sick. He authorized them to heal the sick.
The power is in the proclamation. Tell them what God will do. This takes boldness.
Boldness produces more results.
As an example, when you see a sinner who is sick and diseased, inquire about their condition. How did it happen? How long have they been sick? Casual conversation also serves to establish a level of comfortability with them.
Then say to them what Jesus told His disciples to say: "I've got good news for you today! The kingdom of God has come near you."
They may look at you funny, but continue to offer them this challenge.
"If you will give me your hand the power of God will go into you and heal you."
Once they consent the rest is easy. Command them to be healed. Release the power of God into them. Believe that as soon as you touch them Jesus touches them.
Now here's the most important part. Ask them to examine themselves. Tell them to do something they couldn't do before. Get them to act on the word. Bend over. Twist. Walk. Move the part of their body that was in pain or immobile. Keep getting them to act. Don't stop. Keep working with them. If you have to lay hands on them again, do so.
A young student came to my house to explain to me why she hadn't been to Bible school for a couple of weeks. A log had fallen on her leg and fractured it. The leg was stiff and she couldn't bend it. She had no money or insurance to put a cast on it.
I laid hands on her leg and commanded her to move it and bend it. At first she grimaced in pain, but I kept telling her to move it because the power of God was in her leg and was working. After about the third or fourth time she began to weep.
The pain was gone and she was able to bend her leg perfectly.
She wept some more. As I bid farewell to her I saw her from out of the window of my house walking down the dusty road we lived on with her hands up in the air praising God. Lovely Jesus. What more could He do if we only believed?
I could tell you many stories with these types of testimonies.
I learned that the power is in the proclamation. Tell the person with the infirmity or afflicted condition what God will do.
Don't pray for them. Heal them! The power is in the name of Jesus.
Prayer can be encased in unbelief. Often it is a feeble attempt at hoping something will happen.
Jesus told us to heal the sick. There is no trying to see if it will work.
You've been authorized by heaven. All you lack is boldness to act. Go do it now, and send me the good report.
"Then they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen" (Mark 16:20). Bert M. Farias,revivalist and founder of Holy Fire Ministries, is the author of several books including the newly released My Son, My Son – a beautiful father-son book co-written with his son Daniel for the purpose of training up a holy generation. He is also the co-host of the New England Holy Ghost Forum, a school of the Spirit. Follow him at Bert Farias and Holy Fire Ministries on Facebook or @Bertfarias1 on Twitter.
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The antitrust has been here for a long time. He comes to change my fathers feast days . He has accomplished this already. Most of you celebrate the pagan Babylonian Sun god worship feasts like Christmas and Easter. My king was born on the feast of tabernacle. Crucified on Passover burried on unleaven bread and raised on first fruits. Almost all christains dont care to know his name it's meaning or its power. My father now has sent signs in the heavens to call his elect back to his calendar by means of solar and luner eclipses on a 2 year showing. Thats right on his birthday and the day of his death. Can you not hear me have you not understood from the beginning? No you haven't and most of you dont care. Shalom
Amen! We are at the door for the Lord's coming. The Vatican and popes of rome are antichrist...but the final "man of sin" is on the scene now. I am compelled to alert others about this continually. So little (if any) prophecy from Daniel and Revelation is being preached in churches today. So, then, those who know their God will instruct many. I feel such a compulsion.
Introduction: Num. 12:6 "And he said, Hear now my words: If
there be a prophet among you, [I] the LORD will make myself known unto him in a
vision, [and] will speak unto him in a dream."
Often God uses dreams and visions to reveal His will to
mankind.
Test # 1) Isa. 8:20. "To the law and to the testimony: if they
speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them."
The "law" here is a reference to the "Law of Moses," the first five books of
the Old Testament, which also contain the Ten Commandments law, and "testimony"
is a reference to the rest of the Old Testament, and by extension including the
New Testament, which also contains the "testimony of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 12:17),
that both together explain what the "Law of Moses" means in mankind's practical
experience.
True prophet's sayings are totally consistent with all that the Holy
Spirit has already revealed in Scripture.
Test #2) Jer. 23:14. "I have seen also in the prophets of
Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they
strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his
wickedness. v.16, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of
the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of
their own heart, [and] not out of the mouth of the LORD."
True prophets will reprove other prophet's sins, rather than conspire
to support one-another's claims.
Test #3) Jer. 28:9. "The prophet which prophesieth of peace,
when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, [then] shall the prophet be
known, that the LORD hath truly sent him."
True prophet's predictions must come to pass, ALL of them.
Test #4) Mt. 7:15. "Beware of false prophets, which come to you
in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them
by their fruits. ... Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a
corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil
fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. ...Wherefore by
their fruits ye shall know them."
True prophets lead people to repentance and humility before God, and
to love their fellow humans. They never lead people to become competitive,
prideful or self-exalting.
Test #5) 1 Jn. 4:2. "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every
spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:" (See
also Hebrews 4:15. Jesus "was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet]
without sin.")
True prophets confess that Jesus came in our "fallen" human flesh, yet
He got the victory over every sin and all sin, just as we can, through
connection with His Father and our Father.
Test #6) Dan. 10:17. "For how can the servant of this my lord
talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in
me, neither is there breath left in me."
True prophets have no strength or breath of their own while in vision,
but supernatural strength from God.
Test #7) Jn. 1:15. "John bare witness of him, and cried,
saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before
me: for he was before me."
True prophets exalt Christ alone,
but never their own abilities.
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