This is a small but huge important issue in the way that the authority of Jesus is shared with (passed on to) his followers/ambassadors.
The best way to explain this is through the story of Jesus calming the storm.
When the disciples felt their lives were in danger and they found Jesus asleep in the back of the boat, they woke him saying, "Are you going to let us die!?" They were right to call upon Jesus because he knew how to 'fix' the situation.
YET HE REBUKED THEM!
He DID NOT SAY, "Sorry guys. Don't worry; I'm awake now. I'm here. I'll take care of it. I GOT this! ;)"
He said, "Where is your faith?!"
Wait. Um........what did it matter that they had faith of their own if Jesus was with them?
And wasn't he their teacher to teach them? Couldn't he have been more gentle and said something like, "Hey, guys, remember? Let's Review."
Here's why he was harsh with them:
Jesus knew that he would not always be with them. He would soon be "seated at the right hand of the Father."
If his point for rebuking them was simply, "Why did you doubt, you should have woken me up as a first resort, not a last resort," then he would not have had to rebuke them; he could have just simply said, "Always remember I can do anything."
He rebuked them because this was going to be very important for their future; it was foundational.
HE WAS NOT GOING TO BE THERE FOR THEIR NEXT "STORMS." THEY WOULD HAVE TO LEARN TO CALM STORMS in His name.
Now, stop right there:
Most Christians pray with the notion of, "Jesus, come down here and SHOW UP and rescue me! If Jesus would just do something, everything could change."
He won't; he can't.Because He already did.
His voice cannot speak to the storm for you, tell the mountain to move. He is in heaven.
He said, "All authority has been given to me," and "everything that I do, you will do."
He was trying to teach his disciples that they would HAVE to learn to STAND UP, IN JESUS' NAME, AND SPEAK TO THE STORM THEMSELVES.
Don't get weirded out: Jesus spoke to the olive tree to be cursed, to the wind and waves to be still, told us we could tell the mountain to move and it would obey.
Authority is authority. It commands, tells, declares. A boss tells his employees what to do.... he 'commands' them.
THE POINT:
There is a difference in praying, "Lord, please heal my body." He can't! He already has, on calvary! (Isaiah 53, 1 Peter 2) And he cannot come down and speak to your body for you.
Out of your mouth, declare, "Body, God's Word says that Jesus paid for this healing and suffered this in his own body as a gift to me, so thank you Jesus that I do not have to bear in my body what you bore for me! Praise God! I have been set free from this sickness! Body, BE HEALED!"
That inch of difference is YOUR VICTORY! The shift from asking God to believing He has already given you the answer.
Now, your mind has probably been putting up with many lies for years in this area, so to renew your mind does not happen in a day. And your lying adversary will work to convince you that God's Word is weak, not true, or not real. He will challenge your declaration of faith. "Resist the devil and he will flee." In other words, even when you see no change, move toward your healing by doing what you could not do before, putting "pressure" on the liar, declaring with your actions, I BELIEVE GOD'S WORD MORE THAN WHAT I FEEL OR SEE!"
God's Word will be tested, but it cannot be overcome!
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