Courts of Heaven Sermon

Operating in the Courts of Heaven - Robert Henderson

I always have tried to keep my spiritual ears open for important, new things that the Holy Spirit is saying to the Churches, and through the years I have been permitted to focus in on several of them. As soon as I began hearing Robert Henderson speak on the courts of Heaven I thought that this might be another one of those divine words. Now that he has put his thoughts in writing with Operating in the Courts of Heaven, I am convinced that this revelation is truly a game-changer for those of us intent on advancing God’s kingdom. This is one of the most important books you can read for moving ahead in this present season!

C. Peter Wagner, Vice-President Global Spheres, Inc.

Robert Henderson has a passion and love for the Body of Christ that is awakening God’s people everywhere he ministers. Now Robert has a revelation that we need to seriously consider for unlocking God’s will for the world. Here is a key that could change your life and set you free.

Harold R. Eberle Worldcast Ministries

From the first time I heard Robert teach on the Courtroom of Heaven, the paradigms of my ministry have been shaking and shifting. I was fully aware, with our apostolic intercessory work in Texas, of the authority that we carry as kings and priests of the Most High God, but this material ushered me into a whole new realm of understanding and impartation. Whether we are grandpas, pastors, CEOs, mothers, students or a prayer leader over Texas, it is a powerful revelation to know that your destiny (and the destiny of states and nations) has been inscribed on the books that are set before the Judge and King of all of creation. And He has invited us into that courtroom in order to release and decree that destiny into the earth. This book, Operating in the Courts of Heaven, is not just a “must” read, it is a “must” mindset!

Dr. Thomas Schlueter, Coordinator Texas Apostolic Prayer Network

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Contending for the Books

On a trip to Germany, I found myself operating in a Heavenly courtroom setting. The folks that I was ministering with are very skilled at going into the courts of Heaven and getting things legally in place so God’s will can be done on the Earth. As we were functioning in this sphere and contending with the powers of darkness over Germany, one of the seer prophets became aware that there was a ‘book’ that had come into the courtroom. It was tattered, worn and had been through a destructive process. Something had tried to destroy this book. We recognized that this was the book that contained the kingdom purpose of God for Germany. We navigated through the courtroom procedures until we were able to secure the book of Germany that had been taken captive by the demonic principalities. This was good news for the nation of Germany.

Germany, just like any other nation, has a book in Heaven that chronicles what its kingdom purpose is in God’s economy. Germany cannot be redeemed to its kingdom purpose until its book is secured, then opened and read into being. When we were able to secure the book legally out of the hands of principalities and powers, we began the journey of accomplishing things in the Heavens. By the way, there was no yelling and screaming at the devil. There was only legal wrangling in the court that allowed us to possess the book of Germany and take it back from satanic powers. This was necessary for Germany to come to a place of redemption and begin the process of becoming a sheep nation.

This is the heart of God for every nation - that they fulfill their destiny as it is written in their book. But in order to fulfill it, they must first lay hold of their book. This is why John was told to eat the scroll or book in Revelation 10:9-11. When he ate the book that had the destinies of nations written in it, he was empowered to prophesy those destinies and reveal them to the nations. And more than that, he could petition for them in the courts of Heaven.

The books in Heaven are absolutely central to the operation of the courts of Heaven. Again, Daniel 7:10 shows us that the court cannot operate until the books are open.

A fiery stream issued

And came forth from before Him.

A thousand thousands ministered to Him;

Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.

The court was seated,

And the books were opened (Daniel 7:10).

Once the court is in session and the books are open, cases can be presented, legal precedents set and the dominion rights of principalities removed from nations. This occurs when we begin to present cases from the revelation we are seeing and understanding out of the books of Heaven. This is why it was so important to get the book of Germany back from the powers of darkness that had taken it captive. Now that we have received the book back, we are able to read prophetically the blueprint of God for the nation. What is written in the book concerning Germany is now closer to being realized than before.

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Voices in the Courts

There are many different voices in a court. There is the voice of the judge, the voice of the attorneys, the voice of witnesses, the voice of bailiffs, the voice of recorders, the voice of the jury and others as well. There are also many different voices in the courts of Heaven. Our job is to understand these voices and come into agreement with them. As we join with these voices and release our faith and agreement with them, God’s Kingdom will on Earth is then free to be accomplished.

Any lack of the Kingdom being manifest is because of a legal issue. The Father’s heart is very clear. God is not withholding from us. If there is a lack of manifestation of Kingdom purpose, it is because we have yet to grant the Father the legal right to fulfill His passion toward us. If we are praying according to the will of God and have prayed for an extended time without results, something legal is standing in the way of the answer. Somewhere in the spirit realm the demonic powers have found a legal right to resist the answer from coming to us. The accuser of the brethren is speaking against us. The answer to this is to learn and agree with the voices in the court of Heaven. When we do, the accuser is silenced and we set in motion Heaven to be manifest in the Earth.

You Have Come to Mount Zion

In order to understand the different voices operating in the courts of Heaven we have to understand ‘Zion’. Hebrews 12:22-24 tells us where we have been positioned as New Testament believers.

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in Heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel (Hebrews 12:22-24).

In the preceding verses we are told that we haven’t come to Mount Sinai, which was the place where the Law was given. We have not come to the place of legalism and of death. In that place the children of Israel were afraid to approach God and did not even want to hear His voice. This place was necessary in that it was where the Law was given. The Law served to bring us to Christ, but it was not to be the place where we stayed. It was to be a part of the journey, but not the destination. The destination was to be Mount Zion. The earthly manifestation of Mount Zion was established by King David as a place where perpetual worship was offered. It is where David set up the ark of the covenant and had 24-hour worship every day. This was one of the first orders of business that David performed once he became king of all of Israel.

People think that Zion is therefore about worship. But Zion is not about worship. It is about the purpose of worship. King David commissioned worship to cultivate and host the presence of the Lord so that from that presence, he could govern ...

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The Testimony of Just Men Made Perfect

A young man who is a close friend of our family found himself in legal trouble. He became involved in a fight (started by the other person) and during the fight, he broke the man’s jaw. The long and short of it was that this young man was found guilty of a misdemeanor assault charge and placed on probation. Instead of being diligent to take care of the things required concerning his probation, he left the State.

About two years later, his wife took a teaching job that required them to live in this State again. The problem was that he had violated the terms of his parole in this State and there was now a warrant out for his arrest. The young man wanted to set things in order. He did not want this hanging over his head as he knew it would be only a matter of time until he was stopped for a traffic violation or some other incident and he would be off to jail.

His lawyer therefore arranged a meeting with the District Attorney and they agreed to recommend to the judge that this young man should pay all the fines and penalties and spend 10 days in county jail. The judge could accept the recommendation or he could disregard it and set his own penalty.

On hearing of his situation, I began to tell him about the court of Heaven. I explained that he could appeal to the Lord who sits on the throne of grace to find mercy in his time of need. We had a ‘court session’ on behalf of his situation. I remember leading this young man through the process of answering accusations in the court of Heaven that were standing against him. The Spirit of the Lord came upon that time of prayer and the young man began to weep in repentance at the choices he had made and even the violence and anger that had been a part of his life. I sensed very clearly that a verdict came from the court that justified this young man and forgiveness and redemption flowed out of the courts of Heaven.

On the day of the actual court proceedings, the young man and his lawyer stood before a judge who had a reputation for being business-like and not given to extending mercy. As the lawyer presented the facts before the judge and the judge read the DA’s recommendation, his countenance changed. The judge said that this seemed like a ‘slap on the wrist’ for two years of parole violation. It wasn’t looking good for the young man.

The judge could sentence him to two years of jail time if he chose. Then suddenly with no input from anyone in the court, the judge looked at the young man and said, “Here’s what I am going to do. I am going to suspend ALL jail time. I am going to let you continue your education. I am going to re-institute your driver’s license, (it had been suspended) and I am going to allow you another chance to get this behind you.” The judge granted more than was requested!

The court of Heaven had answered the plea of the young man and the verdict of Heaven manifested in a natural court. This happened because we went into the court of Heaven, silenced ...

...11 The Testimony of the Ecclesia/Church Anyone who speaks and gives testimony in a court must first be recognized. Everyone from the judge to the attorneys to the jurors to the witnesses must have been commissioned, assigned, authorized and sworn in. Judges are appointed to their bench by governmental leaders. Attorneys must be recognized by the court for the function they perform. Jurors are chosen and sworn in, as are witnesses who give testimony in the courts. If we are going to have impact in a court setting we must have jurisdiction to operate there. It is the same in the courts of Heaven. We are told that the Church of the firstborn is registered in Heaven for operation in the courts of the Lord. In other words we, as the Church/Ecclesia, have been granted a voice in the court system of Heaven. Hebrews 12:23 shows us this. To the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in Heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect (Hebrews 12:23). We, as the Church of the firstborn, have been registered in the courts of Heaven and therefore have been granted a jurisdiction in the courts. We have a legal right to operate in this court and are a part of the process of Heaven. This is so important and cannot be underestimated. Knowing Your Jurisdiction The Apostle Paul spoke of measurement of rule or the sphere he had been granted. 2 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that Paul stayed within his measurement, spheres, limits and jurisdiction. We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you (2 Corinthians 10:13). If we are to be effective and protected, we must stay within the sphere that has been granted to us by God. The word in the Greek for sphere is metron. It means a measure or a limited portion. We each have been granted a metron to function in. When we function in that metron or limited portion appointed to us, we have success and protection. As I mentioned in another chapter, there are varying levels of court operations in Heaven. Just as there are criminal courts, small claim courts, civil courts and other expressions in Earth, so in Heaven there are different dimensions of courts. We have to be recognized and registered to operate within a sphere of Heaven. To get outside our God ordained sphere is unproductive and very dangerous. We open ourselves to satanic onslaught, attack and even destruction. The good news is that we can all operate in the court that the Bible calls the throne of grace. Every one of us as believers has rights, privileges and authorities in this sphere. Hebrews 4:16 tell us we are to come boldly to this court of Heaven. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). We can come and present our petitions that relate to family and personal issues in this court. It is very easy to get verdicts rendered on our behalf ... Content not shown in limited preview… 15 Presenting Cases in the Courts of Heaven Now that we a have better understanding of the courts of Heaven, let’s learn to present our petitions and cases before the Lord. I want to seek to bring everything together so that at the conclusion, you can step into this dimension and see God’s passion toward you fulfilled. The entire purpose for these final thoughts is to empower us to move with boldness and confidence before the Lord. Get Off the Battlefield The first thing we must do to step into the courts of Heaven is to get off the battlefield. We have to recognize the need for legal precedents to be set before we run to the battle. We are in a conflict, but it is a legal one. Remember that Jesus never pictures prayer in a battlefield context. He did put prayer however in a courtroom or judicial setting in Luke 18:1-8. In this parable a widow is seeking a verdict of justice from an unrighteous judge. Among other things, one glaring aspect of this story stands out. This woman, in her efforts to deal with her adversary, never spoke to her adversary, but only to the judge. She understood that when a rendering could be obtained from the judge, then her adversary became of no consequence. The adversary’s legal footing for hurting, harming, stealing or otherwise tormenting her would be removed. The adversary would have to bend the knee to the verdict of the court. Once the court rendered a verdict then it could be executed into place. The verdict from the court is the legal wrestling, the executing it into place is the battlefield part. We have tried to run to the battlefield without verdicts from the court. We have found ourselves ineffective or even soundly defeated. Those days are over as we get off the battlefield and into the courtroom. This is what the Apostle Paul was referring to in Ephesians 6:12. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the Heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). The term wrestle is a very apt term for what goes on in the courts of the Lord. Through our maneuvering in the courts we actually put into place the legalities necessary for God’s Kingdom will to be done. If you have ever been in a natural court setting you will attest to this. Attorneys maneuver, operate and wrestle with each other to get the legal upper hand. The same is true in the court of Heaven, especially when dealing with principalities over regions. It is our job to enforce the legal judgment that Jesus won at the cross, on the powers of darkness, stripping them of all illegitimate authority that they hold over us individually and corporately. It takes some legal wrangling to set this in place. Once it is done, we can then march onto the battlefield and win every time. The battle in the courtroom always precedes the victory on the battlefield. This whole book is about learning to win in the courtroom so we can win on the battlefield. ... Content not shown in limited preview…