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Many Christians today feel stuck. They go to church, but they feel no power. They hear the message, but they see no change. There is a deep hunger for something more, especially in places where the spiritual climate is vibrant and searching.
It makes us ask, “Jesus can we have your church fired up?”
The answer is found in a powerful truth–the truth of the mandate of heaven. This is a real power that emanates from God, quietly and abundantly, giving every believer the divine right to rule over darkness.
This mandate is a call to action to God’s people to do God’s work with God’s power.
In his book How? How? How?: Jesus Can We Have Your Church Fired Up?, Arthur J. Besler writes about the need for the church to move.
We cannot just sit and watch. We must act.
The mandate of heaven is our permission to step out in faith.
Acquiring the Mandate of Heaven
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, —Luke 4:18
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Jesus lived with a clear purpose, for He knew He had a mission from God. To accomplish this quest, He was given the divine right to rule over sickness, sin, and death. He walked in the full power of heaven’s decree.
But this power was not just for Himself.
He offered this same power to His followers, passing on this legitimacy of power to everyone who believes in Him. This means you, too, as a Christian, have a God-given right to make a difference. You have the authority to pray for the sick, speak hope to the broken, and stand against evil.
To explain what this authority means in practical terms: believers are empowered to act boldly in faith, bringing change to their communities and churches by living out the mandate of heaven.
This is not about you being great, but about God being great through you.
Besler points out that many miss this, with many people thinking power is for a few special people. But we should remember, the Bible says it is for all believers. The mandate of heaven is for you and your fellow.
It is your inheritance as a child of God.
“For the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, must begin to awake; from their slumbering, as the Father in heaven is about to shake: the whole universe, for the triune God is saying as the earth quacks.”
Understanding the Legitimacy of Your Power
Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth in Me, the works that I do he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto My Father. —John 14:12
Jesus says that believers will do as He did. His promise gives us the legitimacy of power. Although sometimes we feel we are not good enough, thinking we are too weak or having made too many mistakes, the mandate of heaven does not depend on how good we are.
It depends on how good God is.
His power makes us legitimate, just as the Old Testament shows in passages like Jeremiah 1:5, where God calls and appoints prophets for His purpose.
The enemy, Satan, wants you to doubt this.
Besler makes this clear: “[for] Jesus knew, that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, will never reach the masses: unless the ‘five-fold’ ministries are in its proper functional order… the Holy Spirit will be able to fulfill the Fathers required accomplishments.”
Your legitimacy of power comes from your alignment with God, from your faith in His promise.
You are legitimate because He says you are.
Walking in Your Authority with Grace
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. —Luke 10:19
Your authority as a believer is not small. It is a cosmic authority, affecting the spiritual world. When you pray, angels move. When you command in Jesus’ name, demons must flee.
This is the scale of the mandate of heaven, an authority that changes things on earth and in heaven.
Walking in this cosmic authority means you see your life as a battle. But it is a battle Jesus has already won. Your job is to enforce His victory.
Besler describes this as a shift in thinking, where we must move from being a passive audience to being active soldiers, writing, “[for] the time has come oh you bones, that once were dried up; lacking the Spirit of God, lacking life, be alert… I (Jesus,) the Lord Jesus is speaking life and vigor into the depth of their being… they all will begin to step forward with great authority, because they are no longer alone: but with vitality, being vibrant and full of energy, God given energy.”
The mandate of heaven is a call to use your spiritual weapons and walk in the cosmic authority Jesus paid for with His blood.
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Answering the Command of Destiny
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath beforehand ordained, that we should walk in them. —Ephesians 2:10
You were created for a purpose. God has a specific plan for your life, and this is your destiny’s command. It is the personal part of the mandate of heaven and your specific mission.
What has God put on your heart to do? Maybe it is time to start a ministry. Or help your neighbors. Perhaps you should create art that honors God? Your unique calling is your destiny’s command.
Many people wait for a loud voice from the sky.
But God often speaks through the quiet desires He places in our hearts. The mandate of heaven gives you the courage to follow those desires. It tells you that your life matters. Your actions have eternal meaning.
The book encourages us to stop waiting and start doing. “[for] as of the dry bones, having now becoming ‘alive;’ as an Army of being in multitudes, the warriors that are being anointed by the Holy Spirit and are now proclaiming the Gospel: the good news, of the Lord Jesus Christ in its fullness, “so be it,” Amen!”
Do not wait any longer to live a life of power and purpose. Get your copy of How? How? How?: Jesus Can We Have Your Church Fired Up? by Arthur J. Besler, and learn how to fully step into the mandate of heaven.
