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"To turn them...from the authority of Satan to God":
ａ
The highest point in our spiritual experience is to have a clear sky with the throne above it (Ezek. 1:22, 26):
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To have the throne above a clear sky is to give the Lord the preeminence in our being and the highest and most prominent position in our life (Col. 1:18; cf. Ezek. 14:3).
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The clearer our sky is, the more we are under the throne, under God's authority (Acts 24:16).
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For God to have the throne in us means that He has the position to reign in us (cf. Rom. 5:17).
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If we are under a clear sky with the throne above it, genuine authority will be with us to bring others under God's authority (2 Cor. 10:4-5, 8; 13:3, 10).
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Our uttermost love for the Lord qualifies, perfects, and equips us to speak for the Lord with His authority (cf. John 21:15, 17).
Morning Nourishment
Acts 24:16 Because of this I also exercise myself to always have a conscience without offense toward God and men.Ezek. 1:22 And over the heads of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like the sight of awesome crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
We Christians need to maintain a clear sky with the Lord. This means that we need always to have a clear fellowship with Him. We should have nothing between us and the Lord. When there is nothing between us and the Lord, our sky will be crystal clear, and our conscience will be pure, void of any offense (Acts 24:16).
Sometimes a small matter, such as a poor attitude toward our spouse, can cause us to have clouds in our sky. Perhaps the other party is wrong, but our attitude is also wrong, and we lose our joy and our peace. Also, we may have no anointing to pray for a period of time. Our conscience begins to condemn us and bother us. This is the loss of a clear Christian sky, the loss of a clear heaven....Because we have lost the Lord's presence, eventually we confess, apologize, and ask for forgiveness. As soon as we do this, the "weather" changes; the clouds disappear, and the clear sky returns.
The Lord's presence is always with the throne. Where the Lord is, there His throne is. His presence can never be separated from His throne. The Lord's throne is in the third heaven, but His throne is also in our spirit. Hence, the Lord's throne is with us all the time....Because we are under the throne, we do not need policemen and law courts to rule over us. (Life-study of Ezekiel, pp. 111-113)
Today's Reading
In our Christian life and in our church life, if the sky is clear, the throne will be there.The highest step in the spiritual experience of a Christian is to have the throne in our firmament, in our clear sky. To have the throne, or to arrive at the throne, is to allow God to have the highest and most prominent position in our Christian life. For God to have the throne in us means that He has the position to reign in us. Therefore, to reach the throne in our spiritual experience means that in everything we are completely submissive to God's authority and administration.
The clearer our firmament is, the more we are under the throne. The more we have clear fellowship with the Lord, the more we will be under His authority. We need to ask ourselves if there is a throne in our Christian life. If we have the throne above the clear sky, we are greatly blessed, and we should worship God for this blessing.
If we are under a clear sky with the throne above it, the genuine authority will be with us. No opposition or persecution will be able to defeat us or shake us because heaven and the throne are with us. If the sky above us is clear and the throne is with us, we will have the authority and the weight.
One day a boat on which [a female missionary in China] was traveling was seized by pirates, who retained control of the vessel for several days....She told the leader of the pirates that it was too hot to confine the passengers to their rooms. She also told him that he should be responsible for cleaning the boat. The leader of the pirates obeyed her and told his men to clean the boat. A ferocious pirate leader came under the authority of this missionary because she herself was under the throne.
God desires to bring us to the throne because of the rebellion of Satan against God's throne (Isa. 14)....The greatest difficulty God faces in the universe is that His throne has been opposed and attacked by rebel forces. God's throne is absolute, but one of His creatures has rebelled and seeks to exalt his throne to be equal with that of God [vv. 12-14]....From the time of Satan's rebellion until now, there has been a dispute in the universe regarding authority. Much of what is happening on earth is an expression of Satan's resistance to God's throne. The crucial question is this: Who is actually reigning on earth—God or Satan? (Life-study of Ezekiel, pp. 113-114, 117-118, 127-128)
Further Reading: Life-study of Ezekiel, msgs. 10-12