THE STRENGTH OF KINGS
THE STRENGTH OF KINGS
BY: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Thursday night of this week, I had a dream about this sermon and the one I taught Tuesday morning, “The Mountain of the House of the Lord”. It is not my custom to teach on Sunday what I taught on Tuesday. However, in the dream, the instructions were written and were explicit that I was to preach both of these sermons today. It was also made clear that our streaming capabilities were malfunctioning. Tuesday we crashed one of our church laptops. Last week the sermon notes did not reach all of their intended destinations. I pray that this morning’s message and the one I will deliver tonight will fulfill the purpose for which it is sent.
This series on The Ministry of Kings is from a book written by Pastor David Swan, West Malaysia.
THE STRENGTH OF KINGS (Chapter 14)
“But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil.” (Ps. 92:10)
“God brings them out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox.” (Num. 23:22)
Some kings carry a strong anointing. Their spirit is strong. Their prayer is strong and they provide strong leadership. It takes the spirit, stature and strength of kings to overcome the corresponding high-level principalities and rulers of darkness. The stronge man prevails and the stronger man takes the spoils.
Luke 11: 21-22: “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his good are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor which he trusted, and divides his spoils.”
Matt. 12:29: “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first bind the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.”
One secret behind the strength of kings is found in the type of “food” they eat. Kings do not live on junk food. They feast on kingly fare. They feast on the best and the finest. Kings feed on the strong meat of the word and revelations; kings feast in the presence of God, at the table of the Lord. Thus they have strength and stamina to endure and persevere when others are quick to quit in the heat of the battle.
Strength is vital for winning many of the spiritual battles of life, especially the drawn-out battles. We need the spirit of might and power in order to prevail. Therefore, pray that your inner man may be strengthened with might and power. Eph. 3:16: That he would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.”
Heb. 5:14: “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
Another secret to the strength of kings can be found in the key words of this scripture---“by reason of use” and “exercised”. Just as the body builders develop their strong and bulging muscles through constant weightlifting, the strength of kings is developed by the constant application of their gift, and their anointing through constant spiritual exercise in ministry.
Ps. 18:39: “For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.”
Most kings have been given the grace and strength to shoulder a heavy load of responsibilities. The preparation they went through---the testing and trials---also help to make them tough!
Another strength of some kings is their capability in revelatory perception (ability to receive revelations).
Churches under the ministry of the Kingly anointing of the King of Kings will be strong in the anointing. They will also be strong in the word, prayer, praise, worship and intercession. They will be powerful in spiritual warfare. They will have the strong presence of the Lord in their services and often, they will be strong in finances too.
THE STATURE OF KINGS (Chapter 15)
Luke 2:52: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
Eph. 4:13: “Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
Just as high priests of the Old Covenant reflected the image and ministry of the Great High Priest in heaven, prophets mirrored the ability of the Supreme Prophet, Jesus Christ. Kings are to reflect and reveal the image of the Chief Apostle, the High King of Heaven, the King of kings.
Certain aspects and revelations of the majesty and sovereignty of God can be perceived and understood better through the study of the lives and ministry of kings. Kings thus bring forth some measure of revelation of the King of kings. Those who are anointed with the kingly anointing help us to know more about the King of kings.
It takes a king to understand the honor and majesty associated with kings. When King David wrote about God’s honor and majesty, he wrote with personal understanding and knowledge.
Mature and established ministry will have the spirit and stature of leadership of the Kingdom of God. People with the true anointing of kings do not speak sheepishly or apologetically; their voices ring with authority. Jesus spoke as one having authority. He taught with authority. If you are anointed as a king, then speak as a king! The person who speaks with authority will speak with boldness and courage. There is a vast difference between a bossy person speaking without authority and one who has God given authority. The demons will laugh and mock a bossy person. Those with anointed authority will speak and angels will be discharged at their words.
Matt. 7:29: “For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
THE WISDOM OF KINGS (Chapter 12):
Prov. 8: 15-16: “By me (wisdom) kings reign and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles’, and all the judges of the earth.
2 Chr. 9: 22-23: “So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.”
God gives to kings the spirit of wisdom. This may be the most essential gift for their office and function. The word of wisdom is the first gift to be mentioned in the list of spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Cor. 12. Perhaps, it is to stress the importance and priority of this gift.
Kings need wisdom and discernment more than anyone else as the decisions and decrees they make will always invariably affect multitudes and the entire nation. Wisdom is part of the apostolic gifting. It takes apostolic wisdom to lay strong foundations and it takes wisdom to build the house of God.
Prov. 16:10: “Divination is on the lips of the king; his mouth must not transgress in judgment.”
Kings need to know the Word of God by heart. A king’s discernment will be sharpened by the knowledge of God’s word. God by wisdom made the earth and all that is in it. “O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all”. (Ps. 104:24)
Ps. 119:97: “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts.”
THE REVELATION OF KINGS (Chapter 13):
Prov. 25: 2-3: “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter. As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable.”
It take someone with the stature and status of a king to have a fuller understanding of another king. David, being a king, had a deeper insight and awareness of the King of kings while having a greater appreciation for Him. Kings will have a greater comprehension of the majestic and magnificent aspects of the High King of Heaven. Kings are better able to perceive certain aspects of God’s kingly nature and royals ways.
In the Old Testament, God often communicates directly with prophets and kings through dreams and visions. At times it is to warn them, and at times it is to show them things concerning the future. Kings, therefore, must pay heed to dreams and visions that are of the Lord. In the Old Testament, prophets work closely with the kings. King David had the wisdom to always include prophets and priests in his team of counselors. These are some kings to whom God gave dreams and visions: Abimelech (Gen. 20:3), Pharaoh (Gen. 41: 1-36), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:1), King David (1 Chr. 21: 15-18, Ps. 89:19) and King Solomon (1 Kings 3:5).
God will release revelations to and through kings in this Third Millennium. These revelations will be deciphered and understood by kings. “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”
The kingly anointing is an anointing for ruling and reigning. It is an anointing for dominion and for government. It is also an anointing for prevailing. It has strength and might to push back the forces of darkness and take new ground.
The Kingdom anointing is very powerful and poses a great threat to the realm of darkness. The enemy will go all out to prevent one from breaking into and getting established in this higher level of anointing. Those who consistently develop and carry this strong anointing will become high achievers, accomplish mighty deeds, slay giants and rise up to become spiritual champions.
1 Tim. 2: 11-12: “It is a trustworthy statement, for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him; If we endure, we shall also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself.”
THE JUDGMENT OF KINGS (Chapter 16):
1 Kings 3:9: “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
Prov. 20:8: “A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters all evil with his eyes.”
Prov. 20:2: “The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.”
King Solomon prayed for the ability to discern between good and evil. One of the greatest needs of kings is to have accurate discernment. This gift has an important role in the office and function of a king. Without it, one will not be able to make good and sound judgments. Therefore, one of the most appropriate gifts that the Lord will give to Kingdom authority is the gift of discernment.
Ps. 103:6: “The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.”
Rev. 15:3: “just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!”
Rev. 19:2: “For true and righteous are His judgments…”
The King of kings is righteous in all His ways. A king’s rule must reflect the righteous rule of God. They should rule with righteousness and administer justice with impartiality. It is part of Kingdom duty to deliver the oppressed and alleviate the sufferings of the poor and needy whenever we are in the position and have the power to do so.
Prov. 3: 27-28: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it, when you have it with you.”
Prov. 28:8 “A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters all evil with his eyes.”
Certain things, such as malignant cancerous cells, must be excised as soon as possible to prevent them from spreading to the rest of the body. At times, for the sake and health of the Body of Christ, or even the nation, tough decisions have to made swiftly. Executing sound judgment is a function of leadership. When it is done rightly, it has a positive and cleansing effect on the people.
Acts 5: 5 “the Ananias hearing these words fell down and breathed his last." So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.”
Making difficult and unpleasant decisions may not be something people enjoy doing but it is necessary and crucial. However, this does not give them the license to rule with an iron fist. Kings who administer harshly will lose the support of the people. Their actions and decisions must be tempered with love, wisdom, counsel, grace, and mercy.
Prov. 20:28: “Mercy and truth preserve the king, and by loving kindness he upholds his throne.”
Prov. 19:11: “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.”
Ps. 97:2 “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.”
The foundation of a king’s throne is justice and righteousness. Without those two graces, there is no foundation. Without these basic and foundational elements, the throne will not be secure and the kingship will not endure.
Prov. 29:14: “The king who judges the poor with truth, his throne will be established forever.”
Since active kings are usually loaded with heavy responsibilities and have many matters to attend to, they must be watchful not to come under unnecessary pressures and haste that may cause them to err in judgment.
I am not a King, but as a Pastor, I have certain criteria that I follow when making a serious judgment.
(1) If anyone pushes, it is not the Lord.
(2) If anyone puts pressure on of any kind, it is not the Lord.
(3) If anyone tries to manipulate the situation, it is not the Lord.
(4) It goes without saying that if there is any deception, it is not the Lord.
(5) If I have to give a hasty decision, or miss the opportunity, it is not the Lord.
Prov. 29:20: “Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
To Be continued. This evening I will preach again the message, “The Mountain of the House of the Lord.” Some of you have already heard it. I will be interested to see what the Lord does with the message this second time around.
Preached by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V.; Text from The Ministry of Kings by Pastor David Swan. I have changed and paraphrased different sections for the purpose of presenting this as a sermon. The comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those from whom I glean. We video our Sunday a.m. services and audio all other services.