50 Days of Wisdom

Authoritative preaching doesn't really fly well in the world that we live in today, which is so resistant to all authority. And it also can be very confusing, because there are people who misunderstand this issue of preaching with authority. So let me help you a little bit to understand the narrowness of this. First, let's talk about personal authority. There are people today, and you have heard them, who think they have power in themselves equal to that of Jesus and the apostles. In fact, there are people today who think they can heal or would like you to think they can heal. There are people who would like you to think they have power over demons. There are people who would like you to think they can raise the dead and have done it. There are people who think they have the power to transcend this world and to be elevated personally and privately into the mind of God to hear secrets from God that He's never said to anybody else. There are people who are commanding Satan and demons and taking authority over diseases as if they had the authority. These are people who live in an illusion. Some of them may even believe the illusion because they've lived it so long. Others know they're phonies—but as long as you believe the illusion, that's enough for them. They are commanding where they have no authority. They have no authority over Satan, demons, disease, or death. And they have no authority from God or the Holy Spirit. Now, some of them even think they have authority over sins. You can go into a little box with a priest on the other side who thinks he has authority to forgive your sins. You tell your sin through a little screen, and he will tell you that if you just say so many Hail Marys or Our Fathers, or do whatever the prescription is for that particular sin that you have confessed, that he has the power in himself to give you the formula by which your sins can be forgiven. They entirely ignore the fact that it says in Mark 2:10, "Only the Son of Man has authority to forgive sin." This kind of stuff comes from pride and self-confidence. It comes from deceivers, spiritual frauds, charlatans, fakes, and phonies. It's a false and foolish and proud illusion. And it's a non-existent authority. There is no such thing as personal authority. I don't have authority at all personally over Satan, God, sin, disease, or death. I don't have the authority to tell you something is true just because I think it's true. I don't have authority to tell you that even though something's not in the Bible, I speak it with authority because God told me that. When you hear somebody say that, you're listening to a false teacher. There is no such thing as personal authority. None of us have any legitimate personal authority whatsoever. I have none. I have no greater spiritual connection to God than you do. Sometimes people say to me, "Would you pray for me, because I know God probably answers your prayers more than somebody else's." That's ridiculous. You and I have equal access to God. I don't hear voices from heaven. I have no spiritual intuition to receive messages from heaven. Angels don't serve me lunch. I read the Bible just like you read the Bible. And God works in my life just like He works in your life. I have no personal authority whatsoever, and nor does anyone else. So, don't be fooled. There is no such thing as personal authority. It is a non-existent authority. Repent and believe! GTY.org (90-350) – A Call for Authoritative Preaching

Today's Wisdom

Day: 1022

September 7, 2026

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Grace and peace,

My name is Mark Paul from Wauchula, Florida, and like the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:14, "I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent." Consequently, my goal is to leave a legacy that will continue to advance the kingdom of God long after I have departed. In other words, bear fruit for eternity. And by simply reading and sharing my free eBooks, you too become contributors to the advancement of His kingdom. Thank you for partaking in this endeavor, and I look forward to greeting you on heaven's shore.

The Truth in Love,

Mark Paul - Servant of God

Now grant, O Lord, that when the souls who read these books cast their eyes upon these lines, their minds may be illuminated and their consciences convinced and awakened, that they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and be converted so that You may heal them. Amen!