THE CROWN IDENTITY

One Friday fall evening as a couple was walking out of a packed out movie theater; the wife took notice that her husband was acting a bit different, well actually a lot different. Once they got in their car to go home after seeing an action packed film that consisted of gun shots, plenty of police and FBI agents and speeding cars, this woman began to witness her husband driving recklessly all the way home. He was driving as if police where chasing him as previously seen of the main character of the film they just watched, the husband began dodging traffic and talking in a more firm voice as if he thought he was this action hero portrayed on the movie screen!

Now there are two kinds of movie goers. There are those who simply go to the movies to enjoy the film and then there are those who go to emotionally involved in the film. There are those who are critics of the movie and there are those who get so involved that in their mind they live out the movie for a day or two. Apparently with this man, he was living out the movie, because he found himself identifying and trying to conform himself to the likeness and abilities that the main character displayed on the big screen!

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. –Acts 2:33

God is looking for people who are willing to not just be critics of His word, but a people who are willing to get their life into the picture, into the portrayal of His dear son that is written in His Word and lives until this day…at the right hand of God!

Why the right and not the left hand of God?

The right hand of God is prophetic insight that represents God’s FULL favor and authority!

It is like having a right hand man, some one who you rely and count on. The person who is right next to you and you work with and entrust your plans and even secrets with!

Let’s take a look into one of Egypt’s right hand men named Joseph, the son of Jacob.

Genesis 41:38-40 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

Many are familiar with the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors. Joseph was a man who had a unique touch of God upon His life. Such a touch of God that it sought to bring Joseph through much process before gaining entry into Genesis 40, where we find him before Pharaoh and taking place at Pharaoh’s right hand of reign over all Egypt!

Now Joseph is one of the most significant depictions and type of Jesus Christ, especially when we see him gain a place on the throne!

As we read Pharaoh gave Joseph full authority and favor over all Egypt, but the only way Pharaoh was above Joseph was because of the throne he sat in!

Now as we look unto Jesus Christ, we see Him exalted as God’s dear son and as God manifest in the flesh!

John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him (Jesus), My Lord and my God.

Though we look at Jesus as both Lord and God, Our heavenly Father views Jesus as not only His Son of deity and likeness, but also as redeemed humanity!

The difference between God and the person of Jesus is that God is only a spirit, but Jesus is both fully God and fully man! Jesus represents all humanity to the Father, in which all who believe upon Christ places their identity in Him!

Jesus represents the 2nd Adam, as one who restored mankind back to his rightful place of fellowship with the Father and so in Christ we see a judged humanity on the cross but on the throne we see a redeemed humanity, for whosoever would put their identity and faith in Him shall live for all eternity, ruling and reigning with Christ!

2 Timothy 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

To put your identity in Christ is to receive Christ into your life; to repent from your sins and turn from a life in darkness and sin (wrong ways) into God’s Righteousness (right ways) and light that could only be found in Christ Jesus.

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. –Acts 2:33

As we reexamine Acts 2:33 something significant happened that cause these disciples to verify Jesus’ place at the right hand of the Father!

After Jesus died and rose again and was ascended back into the heavens, his disciples were waiting and praying in the upper room and hoping to gain this “Holy Spirit” Jesus spoke of!

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Can you imagine, here these disciples waiting to experience this divine intervention that not one person has every experienced in the history of the world? “How was this Holy Spirit going to come?” they probably wondered. “How do I know if I have it? How do I know someone else has it? What does it look like? Will I look different once I have this Holy Spirit?” These are all possible inquiries these disciples could have been meditating on while they were in one accord in prayer and simply waiting for the response from heaven!!!

Can you imagine being in that upper Room and all the questions that would be going through your mind after receiving the commandment from Jesus to go and wait until you are endued with power from on high?

All that these disciples knew was that Jesus told them to go to Jerusalem and wait for this Holy Spirit, once Jesus takes His rightful place at the right hand of The Father!

Imagine if you, my fellow reader, like Florida oranges. One day I tell you that I will be going to Florida and once I arrive, I will be sure to mail you some Florida oranges. Well a couple of days after I leave, you begin to check your mail box to see if any Florida oranges came in the mail for you from me. You check and see nothing of the sort came in. The next day…nothing. After a few days of checking you begin to wonder if I ever arrived to Florida yet and what is taking so long for these delicious oranges to come in the mail.

Finally!!! After a week of waiting you see these oranges arrive with your name on it! You rejoice that they finally arrived in the mail! However, because they came in the mail, not only does it confirm to you that you can now indulge in the fine juices of Florida oranges, but that I have made it safely to Florida and kept my word to you of sending you Florida oranges! Well the same thing happened at Pentecost!

They waited and waited and wondered if Jesus made it to the throne yet, because they have not received this “Holy Spirit” that Jesus promised them!

This Holy Spirit was their source of understanding, their source of power, their keys to the Kingdom, their promise given to them once Jesus arrives on that specific throne at the right hand of The Father!!!

But Finally!!! Once Jesus took His seat on the throne of MERCY, the THRONE of FULL FAVOR and AUTHORITY! ONCE this King took His seat as King of all kings and Lord of all Lords, as soon as He sat down at the right hand of the Father, POWER was immediately transferred to Him and once it was immediately His, it was IMMEDIATELY transferred through the unseen realm of The Spirit and into the lives of the faithful disciples who were waiting to receive their Holy Ghost package! POWER from on high was now given and invest in them! Glory!!!

How did they receive this power of the Holy Ghost? Because they believed in Jesus and His authority and as a result they waited upon His promise that they would receive it! All because they were daily identifying themselves in Christ, in not just what He has done but also in what He is presently doing!

Jesus was the same way as the Father and we can and should be as well, but only through Christ as our most holy example!

There are some claim believers today who do not indentify themselves in Christ! Oh sure they may identify themselves at the cross and believe in what He has done, but they seem to not go beyond that and therefore do not find their identity “PRESENTLY” in the crown of Christ! These are the same who even believe that once Christ returns then He will be made King, but my friend I have news for you! Once Jesus defeated death and rose again on that early morning, and ascended on high and took His place at the right hand of the Father, THEN was He made King forever more!

When we learn to identify our lives with Jesus’ Kingship, we begin to identify our selves in the ability of His power that only HIS NAME provides! The POWER to heal, the POWER to breakthrough, the POWER to set captives free, the POWER to die to self and into the arms of Christ!

It is when we begin to identify our lives in the crown of Christ, that is to say His Kingship, we begin to realize that surely we are seated together with Him in heavenly high places!

You may think, well no I am in earth. Yes, but our identity should be in the one who is high and lifted up as Isaiah saw and prophesied (Is. 6)

Ephesians 2:5-6 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

We need to live out every day, identifying with the present Kingship of Jesus! When we can, like Isaiah see The King daily sitting on the throne, that reassures to us that we can move out in His power and authority as The Holy Ghost within quickens!

As long as Jesus wears the crown, that is as often as we should identify ourselves in His Kingship!

Today, many Christians live most of their days…crownless and wonder why the world doesn’t believe in this Jesus!

John 10:37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.

It seems only on Sunday mornings we identify and put on royalty, however after Sunday service we take it off! We hear a good preached word about how we are ROYAL priests and then after service we take off our royal robes, not realizing that when we take off our crown we are taking off our identity in Christ and when we take away our identity in Christ, we will not see Him on the throne!

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: -1 Peter 2:9

Peter is saying you are a chosen generation! God chose you and whoever else identifies themselves in Christ! This chosen generation is picked to do one thing and that is to show forth the praises of The King!!!

To show forth praises doesn't mean we just dance and shout on Sunday morning, but it means that as long as Jesus wears His crown, we wear ours and as Lord as He is looking to display His power, we be His vessels for Him to display it through!

Don’t let you crown get tarnished!

A radiant crown is a shiny crown! So shiny that it has a reflection! Our crown ought to reflect Jesus and not us! In order for our crown to reflect ourselves, we must first take it off and that is exactly what Satan wants you to do! Satan wants you to take off your crown and get puffed up looking at yourself and not at Jesus! Don’t let self exaltation tarnish your crown, but where it and let it reflect the one who sits as a banner over you!

As I mentioned many believer’s take their crown off!

It is custom today to take your hat off when you go into someone else’s home. This shows a sign of respect and honor! However when we take our crown off, this shows disrespect to The One who sits on the throne!

I know at this point you may thinking of Revelation 4:10-11 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. But in all honesty this isn't until we are together with Christ, so until then let us keep on our crown and not loose it so when we come to the place of praise and admonition of Christ we can fulfill that word and cast our crowns at His feet!

There are appropriated times to take off the royal garb as David did when the Tabernacle came before him, but unless you are in God’s presence it is appropriate to wear your crown so that a lost people can come into God’s presence through your life and come to know The One who saves!

However as we speak of customs, in America it seems custom for many people after Church to go out to eat in a Chinese restaurant. Now I personally love Chinese food…Americanized Chinese food that is. For many, at least for me, you go in and you don’t think much about the Buddha that greats you at the door. Sure you know it is an idol, but you think of it as just part of the decor!

Nevertheless you go and sit and get your immediate meal form the buffet! But take a close look and you will see other believers there too! Sometimes by how they dress you can tell what kind of Church Fellowship they belong to, but nonetheless they are claimed believers who just came out of a similar church service where the Word of God was preached.

Now my question is this…how can there be the same 3 or 5 Chinese employees serving tables for so many years and still have their idols up and all around? Hear me, I am not here slamming the Chinese, but I am saying this…how can they still operate their business with pagan idols all over and meanwhile a gathering of saints are gathered there to eat there food and these servers are not ministered too and are not experiencing the power of the throne of Christ that could only transform their lives??!!

Because we take our crown off when we go out!

We got to stop indulging in immediate self satisfaction and allowing the decor of Satan to be around our lives, and we must begin to deny ourselves pick up our cross and our crown and show forth the power of God’s Word!!!

Can you imagine taking Guest Minister Apostle Paul out to a place to eat where believers are gathered and idols are still hung up? Seriously! Paul would pull his hair out of his head and rebuke every believer for not being the difference God CHOSEN them to be!!!

As Paul rebuked Peter from sitting at the table with the "self righteous" folks, the same spirit would rebuke the Church of America for taking off their crown and entering into this laid back leisure mentality!!! Shame on us!

Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Folks, if we call ourselves to be overcomers, then we are to identify ourselves with the crown identity of Christ and never take it off!

I simply encourage you that there is more to this Christian life that obviously meets the eye and general status quo, especially here in America! There is a life of power that awaits and desires to flow through your life, but you got to be willing to identify yourself with the crown of Christ and put yours on for the world to see the reflection of The One who gave it to you!

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Colossians 3:1-4 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

The Lord bless you.