Jurisdiction: Advancing the Kingdom

Jurisdiction: To declare the law and administer justice. To “declare the law” is to declare the Word of God as the final
authority. We “administer justice” by walking with righteousness.
Currently in Michigan: Our legislators are trying to pass laws that will abolish our Constitutional God-given unalienable
Rights. Basically, it will turn people against Christians and remove protection from our churches physically and legally.
Can God use a non-believer to advance His Kingdom? Absolutely! There are several examples in the Old Testament and
the New about God using non-Jews (OT) and non-Christians (NT) to advance His Kingdom. This is an important concept
to understand. As Christians, we can work with non-believers to advance the Kingdom of God. Can a non-believer walk
“with” righteousness? They can walk “under” but not “in” righteousness. So yes, a non-believer can walk “with”
righteousness. They are still under law (moral conduct), and have not yet moved into God’s saving grace.
The Queen Esther Decree
In the book of Esther, a man named Haman hated the Jews and manipulated the Persian King Ahasuerus into putting his
seal of authority on a document that, on a given day, people would have the right to plunder the Jews. Queen Esther
pleaded with the King to withdraw the decree to slaughter the Jews, but the King said he could not, for whatever it is
written in the King’s name and sealed with the King’s signet ring, no one can revoke. But Queen Esther and Mordecai
could write a decree and the King would seal it with his signet ring and it would be sent out permitting the Jews in every
city to gather together and stand up as One Voice, to destroy anyone who comes against them.
The day came for the battle and all those in the government and positions of authority (all Persians) rose to fight with
the Jews not against them! God used the non-Jews to protect His people! Did the Jews cry out “Fowl! You cannot fight
on our side, you are not Jewish!” No. They welcomed them and fought side-by-side and God gave them the victory.
Est 9:1-3 On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews
themselves overpowered those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the
provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because
fear of them fell upon all people. 3 And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps (rulers over provinces), the
governors, and all those doing the king's work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
The Queen Esther Decree is very similar to our Declaration of Independence. A document that gave Americans the
authority to stand up and fight back against King George III of Great Britain to secure their freedom. The people who
fought for American were not all Christians, but they were used of God to secure freedom thus advancing His Kingdom.
Did our Founding Fathers say, “Only Christians can enter this battle and fight with us!?” No. They trusted God knowing
He would rise up an army (whatever that might look like) to defeat Great Britain.
King Cyrus Prophecy
God called King Cyrus by name over 100 years before he was born. He would be King of the Persians and Medes. God
called him “His anointed” as he was anointed (empowered) to take down Babylon and free God’s people. He was not
Jewish, he was Persian but God still used him to advance (or in this case free) His people.
God also said; “I have raised him up in righteous and I will direct his ways.” God raised a non-Jew in His righteousness
and He directed his ways, indicating King Cyrus was guided by God. The King Cyrus Prophecy is primarily found in Isa
45:1-13 and it stipulates not only will God use King Cyrus to defeat Babylon, He will use him to bring forth righteousness
and salvation. Yes, God is using a non-Jew to bring forth salvation and righteousness.
Isa 45:1-3 "Thus says the Lord to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held — To subdue nations before him
And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut: 2 'I will go before
you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. 3 I will give
you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by
your name, Am the God of Israel.”

Isa 45:8 "Rain down, you heavens, from above, And let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open, let them
bring forth salvation, And let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord, have created it.”
The King Cyrus Prophecy was partially fulfilled when Babylon was defeated by King Cyrus and the Jews were released to
go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The greater fulfillment happens in Rev 11:15, 14:8, and 18:1-24 as Babylon
falls and there is a great harvest of souls Rev 14:14-16.
If God put His anointing, His righteousness, on a non-Jew to bring forth salvation and deliver His people, can He not
do the same for the final fulfillment of the prophecy by putting His anointing and righteousness on a non-believer
who hungers after righteousness?
*Righteousness: Strong’s #1343, dikaiosune (dik-ah-yos-oo-nay), just, the quality of being right. Broadly, the word
suggests conformity to the revealed will of God in all respects. It is both judicial and gracious. *W/W SFLB
**Righteousness: purity of heart and rectitude of life; the being and doing right; conformity in character and conduct to
a right standard; justifiable **(etymonline.com). ***Rectitude: synonym; righteousness ***(Merriam-Webster).
Matt 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
Gal 3:24-25 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith
has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Righteousness is judicial (law) and gracious (mercy). The “law” is a teacher to bring us to the grace and mercy of Jesus
Christ. Those who “hunger” for righteousness, who are not yet “filled” have a desire for God’s moral conduct-law in
their heart, but their spirit is not born again with God’s righteousness. This “hunger” for God’s moral conduct-law will
lead them to Christ and through His grace and mercy, they will be filled, thus no longer be under law, but God’s grace.
God’s Ministers in the New Testament
Rom 13:1-7 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the
authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and
those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want
to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God's minister to
you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to
execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for
conscience' sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very
thing. God’s ministers have His delegated authority; law enforcement, soldiers, politicians, judges and lawyers.
Minister: #3011 leitourgos (lie-toorg-oss) from laos, “people” and ergon, “work” hence working for the people.
There are people who are not necessarily Christians but are used of God for His ordinances. These people might not
behave with “Christian conduct” but are “working for the people” to fulfill God’s ordinances, His Kingdom work.
The group of people in Rom 13:1-7 deals with the Civil Government, be it law enforcement, soldiers, politicians, lawyers
and judges. But, in essence these are the ones who have God’s law and order in their hearts. These ministers carry out
God’s ordinances. A person can hunger after righteousness not realizing righteousness only comes from God through
Jesus Christ. Ordinance: a rule of conduct or action laid down by a governing authority and especially a legislature
(Merriam-Webster). In America today, a good term that relates to “God’s ministers” are “Patriots.”
God’s authority is always righteous and just and it is His authority that we are subject to even in the midst of a corrupt
government. “When a civil government refuses people the liberty to worship and obey God freely, it has lost its
mandate of authority from God. Then the Christian should feel justified in disobeying. Thomas Jefferson believed that
when a government began to be tyrannical, it was the right and even the duty of the citizens to rebel against that
government.” -Spirit Filled Life Bible. We never advocate violence.
Declaration of Independence: “Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude
(righteousness) of our intentions…” Basically our Founding Fathers were saying “Let our intentions be righteous and
God-honoring.”
Has your spirit been made righteous by faith in Christ, or do you believe you are ok because you are a good person?