Working on prayer requests takes up a good deal of my days. Although we’re now a world-wide ministry, we’re not letting our sudden popularity go to our heads. Jenny and I are still “approachable”. For eleven years now we have faithfully ministered to the lost, unsaved, sick, hurting, confused, angry, or whatever, with no support from anyone, and using our own money to do crusades, TV, and extensive travel. As most of you know, you can call me any hour of the day or night, and if I’m awake, I’ll talk to you, or will call you back after I wake up enough to know which end of the phone to talk into. Try that with Benny Hinn or your favorite “big name” minister. To be able to do this ministry, we have had to shut down our business, so we can serve all of you full time. So that means our only support now comes from YOU! But we do it for you, so that we can personally minister to as many of you as possible. And we’re never in a rush to get to the next one, we will take as much time as you need.
Having said all that, this week I’d like to talk to you about something that is near and dear to my heart; and that is the tremendous authority the Lord has given each of us believers. So much of my time is spent ministering to Pastors, and “weary warriors” that I feel it is necessary to address this subject.

 The devil knows you have authority over him. What he’s hedging his bet on is that you’ll never find out, or if you do find out, that you won’t dare confront him with it. I see so many believers that KNOW they have authority over the devil’s junk, yet they won’t use it for fear of attack from him! Is that how a man or woman of God should act? We are to be overcomers, not “undercomers”. Remember, the rewards of heaven are reserved for those who “overcome”, not for those who would have, “but”….
My Bible says in 1 John 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Did you see that? Read that verse over and over again until it sinks in! It says we are overcomers because greater is He, the Holy Spirit, that dwells in us, than he (the devil) that is in the world. That means we’re going over, not under. But so many people who write to me are in the “going under” mode. Hey, wake up!! God doesn’t want you to fail, He wants you to succeed. So you may say, “Brother Jerry, I believe God wants me to succeed, BUT….”
Please don’t be offended if I tell you that your problem just may be your BUT….

 Why are you making the Word of God void by your word “But”? It doesn’t say “Ye are healed by the stripes of Jesus, but…” Nor does it say, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me, BUT…..”
You see, there isn’t a BUT written there, so why are you putting one there???? I’ll tell you why, it’s because you don’t know who you are in Christ Jesus!
If someone were to ask your name, you would tell them, for example, “My name is Bob.” You have no problem knowing who you are, and if someone walks by and calls out “Barbara”, you wouldn’t pay any attention, because your name is Bob. But yet, as a Christian, that is, one who has put on Christ Jesus, you answer to a name far below that which God has named you. God has called you Overcomer, and when the devil walks by and calls out “Loser”, you answer like that’s your name instead of Overcomer.
Let’s look at John 10:1-5 , “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”

By this we see that apparently many people are not only allowing the devil to change their name, but he also leads them out of the sheepfold as well. The devil renames you “Loser”, and you follow him like a lamb to the slaughter. This ought not be so. That is how the devil robs you of your authority.

First, he tries to convince you that you have no authority. If he fails to do that, he will then try to convince you that you have no right to exercise any authority against him, by bringing up your faults. If he fails in that, then he will threaten to destroy you, should you decide to rise up against him. Most people are stopped cold in their tracks at his first bluff, and he never has to use the second or the third. Once you have progressed to threat number three, if you’re still in the game, you will find out it was all lies, and like the famous saying, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” Fear and deception are the devil’s only weapons. Tell me something, if the devil is so mighty as to be able to destroy you any time he wants, then why must he deceive you first?? And why is it he must get you to use your words to agree with him? It’s because he has to use the power of your words to manifest his junk.
In Luke 10:19, Jesus said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Notice, it does not say “but” at the end. I don’t know how many times the devil has told me, “God came through for you all those other times, BUT this time you’re on your own. This time, you’re done for.”  I just tell him God will be there this time too, and the next time, as many times as I need Him, for God changes not. Actually, the devil doesn’t change either.  He has always been a liar ever since sin was found in him, and he always will be. He’s kind of like a diaper; always on your butt, and always full of doo-doo. And he’s always counting on you being afraid of angering him, because he has projected this image of himself as being unstoppable, even by God. However, that isn’t the way he is at all.

It is written in Isaiah 14:16, “They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that open not the house of his prisoners?” People will see Satan for who he really is in that day, and will be astonished that he was not nearly as powerful as we were led to think he was. I picture it like this; us seeing him as harmless as a fly, and we’re standing there with a flyswatter, absolutely amazed that we spent our whole life terrified of him.
Stop letting the devil lie to you and keep you from having the promises of God. Stop living under his authority, allowing him to put sickness and poverty on you, and trashing your life. Take your rightful place of authority that God has given you! Stand up and be counted for God’s Army! You’re the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath, if you will diligently hearken unto the voice of the LORD. And to diligently hearken unto the voice of the LORD means you have to diligently ignore the voice of the devil! Yes, I know he tells a pretty convincing lie. You may have sickness in your body, and your body is pretty convinced it’s sick. I went through that in 1993, nearly unto death. I know what you’re going through. Been there, done that. But I learned the difference between the Truth and a lie, and ignored what the doctors and my body were telling me.   Instead, I diligently hearkened unto Psalm 103:2-6, which says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.”
You see, my friend, the devil will steal you blind if you let him get away with it. He will make his lies seem so very real to you that you may become willing to give up what God says about you in favor of the circumstances. If he can get you to do that, he wins, and you lose. Instead, call him a liar to his face. After all, that’s what he is, and that’s all he knows how to do. There is no truth in him at all. On the other hand, there is only truth coming from God, and no lie in Him at all.
So does that mean you can just jump in there and take God literally at His word, in spite of what your doctor, or your family and friends say?

 YES! I’m trying to make it simple for you, and this is as simple as it gets! Let me help you. God is a good God, and the devil is a bad devil. All God says for you to do will result in a blessing for you if you obey. And if you believe the devil instead of God, then, well, you lose. Plain and simple. If you’re on the losing team today, then you’re in the wrong place. Change teams. Come on over to where God is, and get on the winning team!
However, don’t just expect all God’s blessings to fall on you, call them forth! God gave you a mouth, use it for something besides stuffing groceries into it. Call yourself healed. Call yourself redeemed from the curse. Call yourself favored of God and man. Call yourself a disciple of Jesus. And you will start believing it in your heart. And when you believe it in your heart, and doubt not, then you will have whatsoever you say, according to the words of Jesus in Mark 11:23-26. Oh yes, and one thing more…forgive.
Hear the very words of Jesus himself: “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
Now, stop shooting yourself in the foot with your words. The next time the devil tries to convince you that he is in control of your situation, firmly remind him that GOD is in control of your situation, no “but” about it.
I like living on top, not underneath. And I think you’ll enjoy it too! And if you don’t like living in victory, don’t worry, the devil will always take you back! But once you’ve had a taste of being an overcomer, I don’t think you’ll be giving it up any time soon.
Remember, as you sow your gifts to us, you are planting it into good ground with a proven track record of salvations, deliverance, and healing for over 10 years!
Maybe we will see YOU out there on the next road trip. If you see our motor home on the road, honk ,and we’ll pull over and talk to you. It’s hard to miss the huge “Life Healing Ministries” logos on the side.
Until next time, God bless!