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Psalms 100 

1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

2 Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

3 Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

5 For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations. 

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Understanding Authority 

A. What is Authority? 

Authority is defined as “the power or right to enforce obedience; delegated power; or personal influence.” Authority can be divine, human or satanic; wise or foolish; helpful or destructive; or imposed by force. It is not something we take, it is given. 

Whenever one person relates to another positively, they are exercising or receiving authority at a personal level. Human society would cease to operate in any meaningful way if this was not true at almost every level of experience. In fact, without the recognition of personal authority, we could not exist together as a community of people. 

B What is Biblical Authority? 

The most common Greek word translated in the New Testament as au- thority is “exousia”. This word means “liberty to do as one pleases; the ability or strength with which one is endued; the power of authority; the power of rule or government.” 

It can also be thought of as power based on position, though this form of authority may not have the blessing of God 

C. The authority of Jesus 

Jesus authority came because He was acting on behalf of the heavenly Father (John 10:18; John 5:19, 30). He forgave people their sins, healed people, cast out demons, controlled nature, taught the word and more – all in the authority given to Him by God the Father (John 10:34-38; Matt. 4:1-10). 

Jesus spoke and ministered with authority (Mark 1:22, 27; Luke 4:31- 37). 

Because of Jesus’ authority many people willingly and positively responded to HIm, others rejected Him – but He was not ignored. 

D. What the Roman Centurion understood (Matt. 8:5-13) 

1. He recognized and understood the authority of Jesus. As a military of- fer, the centurion derived his authority from the ruling Roman empire itself. 

2. Being an officer allowed the man to rule and control the troops as if it were Caesar himself commanding the troops. 

3. The centurion’s request of Jesus was a confession of faith, because he recognized that Jesus derived His authority from God and so He had the power to heal simply by speaking a word. He knew that Jesus spoke and acted with full divine authority so when He spoke, it was as if God the Father were speaking. 

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Peace at the Center

Message by Patricia A. Hudson, First Lady of New Covenant Church

John 14:27, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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A Verse By Verse Study of Romans Chapter 4

1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father[a] has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was ]accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered;

8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be [d]sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

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