'THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER'
“THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER”
(Isa. 9:4-7)
Preached by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Isaiah 9: 6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name call be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace…Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever; The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.”
Today we will honor all of the fallen soldiers who have fought and died for our freedoms and as liberators of the oppressed in other nations. This week I read the poem, In
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
In
If ye break faith with us who die
In
Today our message is about another warrior, The Lord Jesus Christ on whom the government is upon his shoulders. In Isaiah 9, the Messiah is foretold to be the Great Liberator. He would deliver the nation from all its oppressors and foes, and do so supernaturally (“The zeal of the Lord will perform this.”) There is an interesting verse in 9:4-5 of the battle before true government comes. “For you have broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; for this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder.”
The following is paraphrased excerpts from The Political Spirit by: Faisal Malick: Comments are my own.
The Kingdom was being established within the Body of Christ ready to be released to change the world around them. This is why the political spirit was so active through Herod and his descendants.
The government of God was being established on the heels of Herod’s death. The political spirit will always surface just before true government comes. When deceptive power is removed, it must be replaced with divine power---and that is what we see happening as the apostles move in to establish God’s authority.
We have all heard the prophecies in this house that the governmental mantle of the Lord will again be released. I believe this will be corporately and people are being positioned at this time to be in place for authority and blessing. We will see the divine power of the Lord as the true apostles move in to establish God’s authority.
We cannot take a kingdom city, or house, unless we first bind the strong man---only then can one claim that territory and replace it with Jesus Christ’s Lordship and authority. This is how an apostle thinks. When an apostle is sent into an area, he/she is thinking about how to seize territory and put it under the Lordship and dominion of the government of Jesus Christ---God’s Chief Apostle.
"When we talk about apostolic government and authority, there are no options, no arguments, and no discussions with the enemy. The apostle puts a stake in the ground and hangs a flag on it. You may not see it, but this flag represents the
This further explains the vision I had of the mountain top circled with glorious flags. Each of these flags represented those who had taken dominion for the
From that point forward, powers and principalities know that the government of Jesus Christ is in operation. This is what Paul and Barnabas were commissioned by God to do as apostles. This is why Herod Agrippa’s son, King Agrippa II, opposed them. However, by the time Agrippa II sent Paul to
Daniel 4:17: This decision is by the decree of the watchers and the sentence by the word of the holy ones. In order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.”
We are surely moving into an era when God’s Kingdom is going to be manifested on a larger scale than the world has ever seen. The battle is strong as the warriors of God are being positioned against the
It is time for the Church to provide solutions to the world we live in. The world is looking for answers. God’s people have an opportunity to disseminate the wisdom of God in order to resolve conflict by bringing divine justice to bear. God will have his rule established throughout the earth for the good of humanity. It will come through His wisdom---for where the manifold wisdom of God prevails, His glory will be manifested. It is wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began (1 Cor. 2:7)
Daniel 12:3: “And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”
We are surely moving into an age when all the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men. God’s holy nation will be established upon the earth in principle and in practice. God’s sovereign rule will bring hope and healing to humankind. God’s government is a place where His will is unimpeded and His goodness flow to all without corruption. However, the church must be prepared and in position, or we will miss out on our role in this rule.
Daniel 12:2: And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
You have all heard the prophecies come forth from prophet after prophet that a governmental mantle is over my life. I am certainly hiding all of that in my heart and watching God. The Lord has used me in times past to preach, teach, prophesy and declare His Seasons. Perhaps it will be as I teach that our part in this mystery will come to pass.
God calls people into certain areas of leadership; so they can represent the government of God’s Kingdom by bringing solutions that reveal God’s love equally for all people in every given situation. God’s plan is that this will reach beyond the church into a world looking for answers. It is God’s ways and God’s government being institutionalized into the governments of men. It is a government that brings God’s love to bear on all people corporately. Simply put, it is God’s will being done on the earth, and it is His original intent concerning the church and the
In Acts 12, we gain more insight into the operation of the Herodian spirit against the early Church. The political spirit worked through Herod the Great to try to kill Jesus while He was still in the manger. The political spirit later worked through his son, Herod Antipas, to prevent Jesus from fulfilling His divine mandate by first beheading His prophet, John the Baptist, and then by sending Christ to be crucified via an alliance with Pontius Pilate. So, in Acts 12, we see the political spirit attempting to dismantle the early church through Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great.
Acts 12: 1-3: Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also…”
As the glory of God moves out, the Herodian spirit moves in. The apostles are going forth and expanding God’s Kingdom. The Word of God is being multiplied so that already thousands have come to the knowledge of Christ. People are giving their finances, property, whatever they have to support the work of the ministry. (Acts. 4:37)
A great move of God is taking place through the supernatural Hand of God, and the prayers and zeal of new believers. Throughout this season, God’s Word is being preached with power---signs and wonders following---and the church is growing in knowledge and faith. God’s Kingdom is on the move. Something is about to happen that the world has never witnessed. In the wake of God Himself coming to dwell among and minister to people, God now dwells within and is working through them. Herod retaliates with a vengeance. He seeks to regain control of the people’s hearts and minds. So he kills James, and when he observes that it pleases the Jews to kill James, he seeks to kill Peter also and to make the greatest impact; he intends to bring Peter before the people immediately following Passover.
This is the way this spirit works. However, in this instance, the church springs into action and with fervent unity begins praying for Peter to be delivered. Their voices are heard on high, and just as Herod is about to have Peter brought out, an angel appears to liberate him. When Peter is safely away, he says aloud, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has…delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all expectations of the Jewish people (Acts 12:11). Herod may not have succeeded in killing Peter, but he manages to manipulate public opinion in his favor. His media blitz has them both intimidated and impressed. Acts. 12: 21-22: “On a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” Herod basks in the adoration of the people. But the hand of God is in operation, and this is what happens next: “Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.” (Acts 12:23)
We again see the Hand of the Lord in dealing with Sapphira and Ananias. They find themselves in the midst of this holy move of the Spirit. They take lightly something that is very holy; they give into the temptation to do things their own way rather than God’s way. When they sell their land and bring the proceeds to Peter, they secretly withhold some of the profit to spend on themselves, but they tell the church that they have given it all in order to be honored among them. Peter discerns their impure motives and calls Ananias to task: “Ananias, why has satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God”. The Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last…”
And what was the result? Great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things?” Whenever God’s divine government operates, there will be an equal evidence of His love for all people, which is the fruit of the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord brings His authority to bear. The fear of the Lord is the gateway to His wisdom.
In the very next verses we read, “And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people…And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (Acts 5: 12-14).
Something so holy is taking place that it cannot be violated. The anointing and power that God gave to Peter was according to the governmental call. A judgment takes place right away. It is however, a judgment that is for the benefit of all the people, because the fear of the Lord had to come and believers had to be added. He couldn’t allow this thing to enter in and destroy the move of God. In essence, it was a safeguard for everyone, but it was also the sovereignty and glory of God in action.
When this type of governmental authority came upon the apostle’s signs and wonders followed them. Mighty deeds were done. With great power they were bearing witness to the resurrection of Jesus. Heaven backed them up. The hand of the Lord was upon them, backing them up on behalf of God’s government. When we act on behalf of God’s government, God will back us up too.
When I was 43, the prophets began to prophesy to me that I would pastor a church. When I got into position at 50, the Lord moved sovereignly to start a church. It had absolutely nothing to do with me. He breathed his breathe into our gathering at the home of Ann Wright and a church was supernaturally formed.
The minute we are correctly positioned, the hand of the Lord will come upon us with this end time governmental anointing. Now we are operating in conjunction with what God is doing in the present season. That is why it is important to be aware of what the prophets are saying. If a true prophet comes, he or she will tell you where the hand of the Lord is at work in this season. It used to be over there, but now it is over here---it used to be working on that floor of the building, but now it is working on the next floor in this next season. God is continually building His temple and advancing His Kingdom.
As His Kingdom advances, there will be clashing of the systems of man and the government of God. In this new era of government, we will witness massive conflicts. There will be a crumbling of man’s systems and the Herod’s and Jeroboams of our day are going to face an encounter with the sovereign hand of God. According to the prophets, this is the season that we are moving into. The divine government of God is coming. This is good news!
We must do away with the mentality of “my ministry” and “my success.” What is coming is an age of governmental authority---and that authority belongs to the King. It is His government; we are merely representatives. When this supernatural power falls on those whom He has positioned, we will merely be conduits of the power.
The season we are moving into is one of divine assignments and missions. The false will soon be obvious as the glory of God is again released in His body in a greater measure. Man made false governments---even in the Church, in
There will be a battle before the breaking forth of the breakthrough of this divine government. Abraham had the governmental mantle and the Lord birthed a nation through him. Moses had it and delivered a nation. David had it and ruled a nation. Jesus had it and birthed His Kingdom. The Apostles had it and advanced the Kingdom into the entire known world. George Washington had it and birthed the
“For you have broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder…Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.
We will continue this evening with “The Government shall be upon His Shoulders”.
Preached by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Scripture from K.J.V. Text taken from Chapter 4, The Age of Government as indicated from The Political Spirit by: Faisal Malick. Comments and conclusions are my own. Visioon of flags circling the Mountain of the Lord was given to Carolyn Sissom
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