Lesson 271: "The Rod of Authority"
Once upon a time long ago in the desert of Midian, Moses was tending the sheep in the foothills of Mount Sinai; the Mountain of God. Eighty years before, this Moses was born to a woman from the family of Levi; sent down the river in a basket to save his life; rescued by the Egyptian princess and raised like a prince in the palace. Taking sides with his Hebrew “brother” who was being flogged by an Egyptian, Moses’ life once again was saved by his fleeing into the desert. Now God had appeared in a burning bush to the Egyptian raised Hebrew fugitive to send him back into Egypt to bring out His people. God had heard the cries of the Israelites and just like Moses He had seen the Egyptian slave masters inflict pain on them. So He said to Moses; “Go! Bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt” (Ex. 3:10). God laid out His plan in detail for the doubtful, hesitant Moses but still he stammered and stalled, asking god; “what if the people of Israel do not believe you have sent me and what if the king will not let them go” (Ex. 3:11, 4:1)? “Then the Lord said to him; ‘what’s that in your hand’? And he said; ‘a rod”’ (Ex. 4:2). Revisit all the miracles of God through the Rod of Moses in the book of Exodus. Through the power of God this became more than a walking stick or a shepherd’s staff, it became an anointed rod of authority.
With God’s anointing, Moses’ humble rod became a miracle performing power, bringing down plagues, bringing out people, parting waters and bringing forth waters. Moses’ rod was to him what the anointing of God’s Holy Spirit is to the Christian; the source of power to do the work of God. Jesus put it this way; “he that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than this these shall he do” (John 14:12). Our power is the same power Jesus used to perform miracles, heal the sick, give sight to the blind and cast out demons. Jesus exercised no power of or by Himself but did only what His Father showed Him (John 5:19). No wonder Paul asked the followers; “did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed” (Acts 19:2)? Paul wanted to be sure these Ephesians had the same anointing that he had received so they could do the same kind of works he was doing for God. “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul. Handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them” (Acts 19:11).
It is a contradiction for a Christian to complain that the devil is tormenting their mind and body and holding them in any sort of bondage. Some believers will search out other Christians or church counseling groups to have “demons cast out”. I am not saying that the devil cannot or will not torment you or that you should not seek counsel or prayer for problems that arise in your life. What I am saying is that if you should ask God what to do, He in turn might ask; “What’s that in your hand”? Paul might ask; “have your received the Holy Spirit? While demons and evil spirits cannot possess a Christian they can oppress, depress and torment. Resist them! Rise up against them! Use the Rod of Authority within you (Acts 2:8)!
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14).