Dear beloved: The anointing on a new testament believer does not guarantee freedom from tribulation or persecution; in fact, just the opposite is often the result. Note that all the Lord's disciples eventually were martyred for their faith except John, who was exiled to the island of Patmos until his death. As we move into service for the Lord and become more visible as a carrier of the oil of the anointing, more persecution will come. Jesus told the disciples in John 15:18 "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it has hated you. v19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
In recounting the story of Elijah, we see that the widow whom Elijah had kept alive by his blessing her flour and oil supply, immediately turned on him when her son became sick. 1 Kings 17:17 Now it came about after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, become sick; and his sickness was so severe, that there was no breath left in him. v18 So she said to him, "What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance, and to put my son to death!" So she was blaming Elijah for the death of her son. Praise God for Elijah, he did not get ruffled, but called out to the Lord to have him raise the boy up from the dead, and God did. v22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived. v24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth." The miracle of the replenished food supply was not enough to convince her, so it took a bigger miracle to convince her that Elijah was a man of God.
When Jesus sent out the disciples in Matthew 10:1, He gave them authority (anointed them) over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. v7 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand. v8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give." And so as anointed disciples of Christ, sent out to the lost of this world, we should be looking for opportunities each day to do exactly what the disciples were sent out to do. Before leaving for Costa Rica for the mission to the Cabecar indigenous people, I had some prayer warriors gather and pray for me and the mission. A word of prophecy was spoken over me that "signs, wonders, and miracles would follow me, even to see the dead raised." I wasn't thinking too much about that prophecy until I walked into the village pastor's hut after the last night of the revival. The pastor had been sick for several days and I had not seen him; but that night the assistant pastor said to me, "we must go pray for Ricardo, he is very sick." When we (there were four of us) walked into his hut, the light was dim, and Ricardo was in bed with the blanket pulled up over his head. I checked his pulse, could not find any, looked for breathing and saw none, and at that time the prophecy echoed in my head, "even to see the dead raised"; I got down on my knees and began to pray in the spirit, as doctors or any medical help was hours away. After about 20 minutes of prayer his chest raised up like a flat tire getting air, and we all knew that the spirit came into him and he had been given back his life. The next morning Ricardo was up at 5:30am helping to pack up the horses as we were preparing to leave; he looked a little pale but was otherwise good to go!
Beloved, the anointing of the power of the Holy Spirit is about us but more so about others. If you sit on your anointing it will slowly dissipate. Back to Matthew 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give!" It's not your power, so don't be afraid to give it away, there is plenty more where it came from. God bless you this day as you give your power away, in Christ, Jim
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Anointing Pt1
Dear beloved: Today we are going to talk about the anointing that may come to rest upon a believer, where it comes from, how to receive it, how to intensify it. The Hebrew word for anoint, masah, refers to the pouring or smearing of sacred oil on a person in a ceremony of dedication, symbolizing divine empowering to accomplish the task or office. The anointing of Aaron the high priest is described in Exodus 29:7 Thou shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head, and anoint him. And again in Psalm 133 where David describes the unity of the brethren as similar to the precious anointing on the high priest. Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! v2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; v3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forevermore. And so we see that the anointing is also compared to the dew upon the mountains of Hermon and of Zion; the dew was plentiful even in dry weather, in the morning everything was wet just as if it had been rained upon.
When Jesus came to Nazareth to preach his first sermon, he went to the synagogue and stood up to read out of the book of Isaiah. Luke 4:17 And there was delivered to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, v18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because he hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. v19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. v20 And He closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened upon him. v21 And He began to say unto them, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." And so Jesus declared to all those in attendance that He had the anointing, that it had been given to him. Notice that the anointing coincides with power, power to preach, to heal, to deliver, to give sight, to set free, to decree and declare.
The anointing on a person is increased by being obedient to the commands of the Lord. Paul describes it this way in Phillipians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus. v6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God thing to be grasped, v7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond servant, and being made in the likeness of men. v8 And being found in appearance of a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
The anointing on the new testament believer comes from the Holy Spirit. Acts10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him. Beloved, seek to be obedient to the Lord in every way, and you will see the anointing upon you increase. You will have the power to preach, to deliver, to heal, to set the captives free. Let the oil of the Holy Spirit flow upon you and through you and then onto someone else, just as it did through Jesus. The anointing increases as you give it away! Psalm 46:4 There is a river, whose streams make glad the city of our God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. This is a prophetic river of Revelation 22:1 flowing out of New Jerusalem, but it also speaks of the river of the Holy Spirit and how it flows through every believer, and as it breaks up into little streams to carry the gospel, it makes glad the city of our God.
Pray for obedience, pray for the anointing to increase, that you may be a river of God's power. May God bless you this day as you walk in His anointing. In Christ, Jim
When Jesus came to Nazareth to preach his first sermon, he went to the synagogue and stood up to read out of the book of Isaiah. Luke 4:17 And there was delivered to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, v18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because he hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. v19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. v20 And He closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened upon him. v21 And He began to say unto them, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." And so Jesus declared to all those in attendance that He had the anointing, that it had been given to him. Notice that the anointing coincides with power, power to preach, to heal, to deliver, to give sight, to set free, to decree and declare.
The anointing on a person is increased by being obedient to the commands of the Lord. Paul describes it this way in Phillipians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus. v6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God thing to be grasped, v7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond servant, and being made in the likeness of men. v8 And being found in appearance of a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
The anointing on the new testament believer comes from the Holy Spirit. Acts10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him. Beloved, seek to be obedient to the Lord in every way, and you will see the anointing upon you increase. You will have the power to preach, to deliver, to heal, to set the captives free. Let the oil of the Holy Spirit flow upon you and through you and then onto someone else, just as it did through Jesus. The anointing increases as you give it away! Psalm 46:4 There is a river, whose streams make glad the city of our God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. This is a prophetic river of Revelation 22:1 flowing out of New Jerusalem, but it also speaks of the river of the Holy Spirit and how it flows through every believer, and as it breaks up into little streams to carry the gospel, it makes glad the city of our God.
Pray for obedience, pray for the anointing to increase, that you may be a river of God's power. May God bless you this day as you walk in His anointing. In Christ, Jim
The Anointing pt2
Dear beloved: The anointing to do the Lord's will and work in your life comes from being obedient to the Lord. The prophet Elijah was a man appointed by God, and he was obedient to the commands of the Lord. 1Kings 17:2 And the word of the Lord came to him(Elijah) saying, v3 "Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. v4 And it shall be that you shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there." v5 And so he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. v6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook.
And so you see that Elijah was obedient; not many would go out to the wilderness and live off the food that ravens bring, and drink from the brook of the stream. It takes great faith to step out and obey the Lord when the provision cannot be seen, but that is where God wants us to go, to a place of great faith. And yet Elijah was willing to go and not question, this is the place of obedience that God wants us to be in. Three years ago when a fire wiped out two businesses on the block next to my store, Pure Prairie Natural Foods, I was sitting across the street the day after the fire and was looking at the whole scene of devastation, with the smoke still coming up out of the rubble. I asked the Lord why He left my store still standing, and He said to me, " Because you are My son and I want to bless you." It was difficult for me to see the blessing at that point, because even though we were still standing, we had significant smoke and water damage, which eventually came to a bill of about $70,000 to get everything fixed up and back in shape. So I decided, when the Lord said He wanted to bless me that we would start over, clean up and fix up, a monumental task that took several months and great faith that the building would look nice and not smell. Much to my surprise, when the insurance check came in for the work done, I had received so much volunteer help from friends and church brothers and sisters that I was able to pay off a $20,000 note from out of the insurance money. For the first time in 15 years the store was debt free!
Eventually the brook Cherith dried up as we read in verse 7, And it happened after awhile, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. v8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, v9 "Arise, go to Zeraphath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you," v10 So he arose and went to Zeraphath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks and he called to her and said, "Please get me little water in a jar, that I may drink." And so again we see Elijah in complete obedience, moving across Israel to Sidon at the request of the Lord. Often the Lord dries up our provision in one area only to bless it in another; when that time comes, be willing to listen and move with the Lord's commands. Another example in my own ministry, I had been a Sunday school teacher for many years and was taken out of that role in a way that was quite painful and I did not understand; but immediately after that the Lord opened up the door for prison ministry and for the first time I was able to really preach and minister in my own church under the direction and power of the Holy Spirit. And so what appeared to be a drying up of ministry turned into an explosion of ministry, and the anointing on me increased substantially as I stepped out in faith.
As we look back at Elijah again with the widow from Zeraphath, she was preparing to die when he shows up on the scene. v12 But she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in a bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die." We see then that Elijah ministered words of life to her, and her flour and her oil was not exhausted, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke through Elijah. The anointing is for ministry, to speak and bring life into those who are lost, sick, in bondage, and are hurting. The great irony of it is, just as the widow prepared a bread cake for Elijah first and gave it to him, when we give the anointing away, then it is replenished. In giving it is increased. Give yours away today, beloved, go and bless someone in the name of the Lord! in Christ, Jim
And so you see that Elijah was obedient; not many would go out to the wilderness and live off the food that ravens bring, and drink from the brook of the stream. It takes great faith to step out and obey the Lord when the provision cannot be seen, but that is where God wants us to go, to a place of great faith. And yet Elijah was willing to go and not question, this is the place of obedience that God wants us to be in. Three years ago when a fire wiped out two businesses on the block next to my store, Pure Prairie Natural Foods, I was sitting across the street the day after the fire and was looking at the whole scene of devastation, with the smoke still coming up out of the rubble. I asked the Lord why He left my store still standing, and He said to me, " Because you are My son and I want to bless you." It was difficult for me to see the blessing at that point, because even though we were still standing, we had significant smoke and water damage, which eventually came to a bill of about $70,000 to get everything fixed up and back in shape. So I decided, when the Lord said He wanted to bless me that we would start over, clean up and fix up, a monumental task that took several months and great faith that the building would look nice and not smell. Much to my surprise, when the insurance check came in for the work done, I had received so much volunteer help from friends and church brothers and sisters that I was able to pay off a $20,000 note from out of the insurance money. For the first time in 15 years the store was debt free!
Eventually the brook Cherith dried up as we read in verse 7, And it happened after awhile, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. v8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, v9 "Arise, go to Zeraphath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you," v10 So he arose and went to Zeraphath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks and he called to her and said, "Please get me little water in a jar, that I may drink." And so again we see Elijah in complete obedience, moving across Israel to Sidon at the request of the Lord. Often the Lord dries up our provision in one area only to bless it in another; when that time comes, be willing to listen and move with the Lord's commands. Another example in my own ministry, I had been a Sunday school teacher for many years and was taken out of that role in a way that was quite painful and I did not understand; but immediately after that the Lord opened up the door for prison ministry and for the first time I was able to really preach and minister in my own church under the direction and power of the Holy Spirit. And so what appeared to be a drying up of ministry turned into an explosion of ministry, and the anointing on me increased substantially as I stepped out in faith.
As we look back at Elijah again with the widow from Zeraphath, she was preparing to die when he shows up on the scene. v12 But she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in a bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die." We see then that Elijah ministered words of life to her, and her flour and her oil was not exhausted, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke through Elijah. The anointing is for ministry, to speak and bring life into those who are lost, sick, in bondage, and are hurting. The great irony of it is, just as the widow prepared a bread cake for Elijah first and gave it to him, when we give the anointing away, then it is replenished. In giving it is increased. Give yours away today, beloved, go and bless someone in the name of the Lord! in Christ, Jim
Monday, March 29, 2010
Warfare Portals 24
Dear beloved: Another example of a person who was walking with the Lord but was harassed by the devil was Peter, the disciple of Jesus. In Luke 22:31, Jesus said to Peter, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat; v32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." So we see that Jesus told Simon that Satan had come to Jesus and asked permission to attack him. That is the same situation as we found Job in yesterday's teaching, where Satan had come before the Lord and God gave him permission to attack Job. To be sifted like wheat means that the chaff was going to be separated from the heavy grain, it meant to Peter that he was going to undergo a trial and a testing. In Matthew 3:11 John the Baptist describes the coming ministry of Jesus, "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. v12 And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Jesus then prophesied to Peter when He said to Him in verse 32, "when once you have turned again, strengthen you brothers." Jesus knew that Peter was going to fall, that when the cock crowed that Peter would in fact deny Him, and so He prayed for his faith to not fail.
Another situation where Peter was harassed was in Matthew 16:22 And Peter took Jesus aside and he began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid it Lord, that this should ever happen to You." v23 But He turned and said to Peter,"Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests but on man's." So Jesus called out Satan who was harassing Peter and told him to get behind him. Peter wasn't demon possessed or anything close to that, his thinking was just being influenced by the devil and Jesus corrected him on it. Jesus was quite able to see into the spirit realm and identify demons and many times people who are walking closely with the Lord can also see into the spirit realm and identify demons. I once had a friend who was an evangelist and he could at times easily see demons on people or around certain business or entertainment places such as bars or casinos.
The writer of Hebrews tells us in Heb. 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. v16 Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. This is a comforting word when we are harassed by the devil, that we know that Jesus was tempted in the same way as we are, but He did not give in. So we know that if we are a new creation in Christ Jesus, that the old has passed away, that we need not give in either, that we have victory over temptation by the power, the blood, and by the grace of Jesus. When demonic oppression and onslaught comes your way, call on Jesus. Come boldly before the throne of grace, tell the devil to get behind thee, and keep repeating it until the temptation passes. Whether breaking chains of addictions, bad habits, depression, or anything else in your life that does not bring glory to God, call on Jesus, the One who shed His blood to set you free. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed! Walk in freedom today, in Christ, Jim
Another situation where Peter was harassed was in Matthew 16:22 And Peter took Jesus aside and he began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid it Lord, that this should ever happen to You." v23 But He turned and said to Peter,"Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests but on man's." So Jesus called out Satan who was harassing Peter and told him to get behind him. Peter wasn't demon possessed or anything close to that, his thinking was just being influenced by the devil and Jesus corrected him on it. Jesus was quite able to see into the spirit realm and identify demons and many times people who are walking closely with the Lord can also see into the spirit realm and identify demons. I once had a friend who was an evangelist and he could at times easily see demons on people or around certain business or entertainment places such as bars or casinos.
The writer of Hebrews tells us in Heb. 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. v16 Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. This is a comforting word when we are harassed by the devil, that we know that Jesus was tempted in the same way as we are, but He did not give in. So we know that if we are a new creation in Christ Jesus, that the old has passed away, that we need not give in either, that we have victory over temptation by the power, the blood, and by the grace of Jesus. When demonic oppression and onslaught comes your way, call on Jesus. Come boldly before the throne of grace, tell the devil to get behind thee, and keep repeating it until the temptation passes. Whether breaking chains of addictions, bad habits, depression, or anything else in your life that does not bring glory to God, call on Jesus, the One who shed His blood to set you free. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed! Walk in freedom today, in Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 23
Dear beloved: An interesting question arises regarding spiritual warfare concerning the ability of Satan to come before God and ask for permission to attack the brethren. Of coarse, in the old testament we know that Satan did come before God in the book of Job. Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. v7 And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the Lord and said, " from roaming about on the earth and walking on it." v8 And the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil." So we know from this scripture that Satan had access to God along with the other angels, the sons of God, a term used in the old testament to describe the angels. We also see that God is the one who brings up the idea of allowing Satan to attack Job, and in verse 12 God finishes the initial proposition when He says, v12 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord. And again in 2:3 And the Lord said to Satan, " Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to ruin him without cause." So we see that God is incited against Job, but only so far as God has declared that He will go, not to the point of total destruction of Job, but only to severely afflict him.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear, so rest assured that if you find yourself in the same situation as Job, that you will not be taken beyond your ability to bear it. v13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it. And so as we go through our trials just as Job did, we meditate, we pray, we contemplate, our friends come to console or counsel or criticize us, and eventually we work our way through it and hopefully come to a point of praising the Lord. In Job 42:6 Job repents of his questioning and doubting attitude by saying, "Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes." Then in verse 9 it states that the Lord accepted (forgave) Job, and in verse 10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold.
The whole story of Job brings out a cry from us, Alas Lord God, must we go through such trial and tribulation on this earth just to come to know you better? In some cases, the answer is yes, and not only that, but we are to take joy in our tribulations, as James tells us in James 1:2, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, v3 knowing that testing of your faith produces endurance, v4 and let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. And so we are to not only endure trials, but actually take joy in them, knowing that they will make you perfect and complete! That's probably not the first thing on our prayer list, to ask the Lord for trials so we can be completed, and yet we know that trials are for our own good, to bring us into conformity with the image of Christ.
Paul sums it up in Phillipians 3:10, when he says "that I may know Him (Jesus), and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; v11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Paul wrote this book of Phillipians from Rome while in prison or house arrest, and he was prepared to suffer and die for the sake of the gospel. He states in Phillipians 1:21 For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. v22 but if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. v23 but I am hard pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is much better.
Beloved, as you go into battle this day, do not resent the trials, tribulations, and temptations that God allows into your life, but look at them from God's point of view, that He is strengthening you for greater glory. When you can defeat your enemies and give God the praise no matter what you are going through, you know that you have then arrived at the fellowship of His sufferings. Praise the Lord for that! May God bless you this day as you take joy in your trials, in Christ, Jim
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear, so rest assured that if you find yourself in the same situation as Job, that you will not be taken beyond your ability to bear it. v13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it. And so as we go through our trials just as Job did, we meditate, we pray, we contemplate, our friends come to console or counsel or criticize us, and eventually we work our way through it and hopefully come to a point of praising the Lord. In Job 42:6 Job repents of his questioning and doubting attitude by saying, "Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes." Then in verse 9 it states that the Lord accepted (forgave) Job, and in verse 10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold.
The whole story of Job brings out a cry from us, Alas Lord God, must we go through such trial and tribulation on this earth just to come to know you better? In some cases, the answer is yes, and not only that, but we are to take joy in our tribulations, as James tells us in James 1:2, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, v3 knowing that testing of your faith produces endurance, v4 and let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. And so we are to not only endure trials, but actually take joy in them, knowing that they will make you perfect and complete! That's probably not the first thing on our prayer list, to ask the Lord for trials so we can be completed, and yet we know that trials are for our own good, to bring us into conformity with the image of Christ.
Paul sums it up in Phillipians 3:10, when he says "that I may know Him (Jesus), and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; v11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Paul wrote this book of Phillipians from Rome while in prison or house arrest, and he was prepared to suffer and die for the sake of the gospel. He states in Phillipians 1:21 For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. v22 but if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. v23 but I am hard pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is much better.
Beloved, as you go into battle this day, do not resent the trials, tribulations, and temptations that God allows into your life, but look at them from God's point of view, that He is strengthening you for greater glory. When you can defeat your enemies and give God the praise no matter what you are going through, you know that you have then arrived at the fellowship of His sufferings. Praise the Lord for that! May God bless you this day as you take joy in your trials, in Christ, Jim
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Warfare Portals 22
Dear beloved: The classic example of a person being demon possessed is in Mark chapter 5, where Jesus encounters the man who was living in the tombs, in the country of the Gerasenes. verse 5 And constantly night and day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out and gashing himself with stones. v6 And seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; v7 and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me! v8 for He had been saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" It is interesting to note here that the demon in the man Legion who was speaking to Jesus was begging Jesus not to torment him; the spirit knew without any introduction who Jesus was and that He had the power to cast him out and send him out of the man. The demon also swore by God in verse 7, as if he knew that that highest power he could call upon was the Most High God. We know that this is true because the demons all once resided in heaven with Jesus and God, and they were thrown down when Satan led the rebellion to take over the throne of God.
Then in verse 9, And He was asking him, "what is your name?" and he said to Him, "My name is Legion, for we are many." v10 And he began to entreat Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. v11 Now there was a big herd of swine feeding there on the mountain. v12 And the demons entreated Him saying, "Send us into the swine so that we may enter them." We know from the rest of the story that Jesus did send the spirits into the swine, and 2000 of them went rushing into the sea. Then verse 15 is the climax of the scene, as we see the man delivered and set free of his shackles and chains. v15 And they came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had the legion; and they became frightened. V17 And they began to entreat Him to depart from their region. We can learn several points from these scriptures. First, demons do not like to be sent from their own region, or country, they are territorial (principalities); second, they will inhabit animals (swine are unclean to the Jews) if they have no other abode; and third, that the villagers of the city and country would rather maintain the status quo and have the man demon-possessed, than to see him set free and face the prospect of having their own demons dealt with, because they asked Jesus to leave the country. I have been asked in relation to this story, Did the demons drown with the swine? The answer is no, they did not drown, they just hang around that region until they can find some more people who are willing to take them in, which judging by the attitude of the villagers, it would not have been too hard to find some willing hosts.
I once had a deliverance session with a lady who had spirits of alcohol and drug addiction that she had been carrying for many years. After an hour or so of intense prayer, she came at me with cat like shrieks and claws outstretched to scratch my face and eyes out. She got right up in my face and was ready to claw me, but I just kept praying the blood of Jesus over her and kept my eyes fixed on hers, casting out all those demonic entities in the name of Jesus. Finally, she shrunk back and collapsed onto the floor without having laid a hand on me. I was relieved but not nearly as much as she; I have seen her often since that night and she is still free and doing well.
We know that the man from the Gerasenes went on to become an evangelist, walking into his divine destiny. Mark 5:20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone marveled. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness, sets the captives free, and declares release to the prisoners. Start praying for your family, friends, and anyone else that God sends your way, and declare the demons to go in the name of Jesus, and bless them with a mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting, a planting of the Lord that He may be glorified.(Isaiah 61:3) May God bless you this day as you go forward in victory! in Christ, Jim
Then in verse 9, And He was asking him, "what is your name?" and he said to Him, "My name is Legion, for we are many." v10 And he began to entreat Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. v11 Now there was a big herd of swine feeding there on the mountain. v12 And the demons entreated Him saying, "Send us into the swine so that we may enter them." We know from the rest of the story that Jesus did send the spirits into the swine, and 2000 of them went rushing into the sea. Then verse 15 is the climax of the scene, as we see the man delivered and set free of his shackles and chains. v15 And they came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had the legion; and they became frightened. V17 And they began to entreat Him to depart from their region. We can learn several points from these scriptures. First, demons do not like to be sent from their own region, or country, they are territorial (principalities); second, they will inhabit animals (swine are unclean to the Jews) if they have no other abode; and third, that the villagers of the city and country would rather maintain the status quo and have the man demon-possessed, than to see him set free and face the prospect of having their own demons dealt with, because they asked Jesus to leave the country. I have been asked in relation to this story, Did the demons drown with the swine? The answer is no, they did not drown, they just hang around that region until they can find some more people who are willing to take them in, which judging by the attitude of the villagers, it would not have been too hard to find some willing hosts.
I once had a deliverance session with a lady who had spirits of alcohol and drug addiction that she had been carrying for many years. After an hour or so of intense prayer, she came at me with cat like shrieks and claws outstretched to scratch my face and eyes out. She got right up in my face and was ready to claw me, but I just kept praying the blood of Jesus over her and kept my eyes fixed on hers, casting out all those demonic entities in the name of Jesus. Finally, she shrunk back and collapsed onto the floor without having laid a hand on me. I was relieved but not nearly as much as she; I have seen her often since that night and she is still free and doing well.
We know that the man from the Gerasenes went on to become an evangelist, walking into his divine destiny. Mark 5:20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone marveled. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness, sets the captives free, and declares release to the prisoners. Start praying for your family, friends, and anyone else that God sends your way, and declare the demons to go in the name of Jesus, and bless them with a mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting, a planting of the Lord that He may be glorified.(Isaiah 61:3) May God bless you this day as you go forward in victory! in Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 21
Dear beloved: Another example of demonic oppression and possession in the scriptures is that of Jesus disciple, Judas Iscariot. He was chosen by Jesus and walked with him as Jesus ministered here on the earth, so it wasn't for lack of a good teacher that Judas fell into sin and eventually betrayed Him. It just points out that when Satan begins to make small inroads into a person's life, that it can turn into full blown demonic possession with a very undesirable outcome.
Judas started out with the good intentions of all the disciples, but he had a problem with greed and that led him to his demise. John 12:3 Mary therefore took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. v4 but Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, v5" Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii, and given to poor people?" v6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. ... And so we see that Judas was the treasurer for the group, and so Satan attacked him where he was the most vulnerable, through his greed and desire for more money. This then led to Judas making a deal with the chief priests, Matthew 26:14 Then one of the twelve went to the chief priests; v15 and said, "What are you willing to give me to deliver Him up to you? And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver. v16 And from then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Him. Luke 22:3 tells us the point in time when Judas actually became demon possessed. v3 And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. v5 And they were glad, and agreed to give money to him. v6 And he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the multitude. And in verse 47 we find the deal completed and sealed with a kiss. v47 While He was still speaking, behold, a multitude came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was proceeding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. v48 But Jesus said to him, "Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"
Of coarse, Jesus knew beforehand all of this was going to happen, because he knew the old testament scriptures, where the betrayal of the Messiah was prophesied in Zechariah 11:12 And I said the them, "If it is good in your sight, give me my wages, but if not, never mind. So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. v13 Then the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them." So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. The end result of Judas betrayal was that his guilt overcame him and he took the money back to the chief priests and threw it to them, but they would not take it because it was blood money and they knew the curses associated with it. And then Judas finished it all by hanging himself, Matthew 27:5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. v7 And they counseled together and with the money bought the Potter's field, as a burial place for strangers. v8 For this reason the field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
And so we see the escalating nature of sin in Judas' life ended in the betrayal of Jesus and his own suicide. Many times we see this scenario acted out in America; a person trapped in sin ( anger, jealousy, greed, porn,) picks up a gun and shoots his loved ones and then shoots himself. The ultimate goal of Satan is our earthly and eternal destruction, but it all starts with agreement with him in small ways of sin. Beloved, do not agree with Satan in any way in your life, repent of any sin and renounce it and get free from that bondage, you will be glad you did! Tomorrow we will look some more at the life of Judas and others. May God bless you this day, in Christ, Jim
Judas started out with the good intentions of all the disciples, but he had a problem with greed and that led him to his demise. John 12:3 Mary therefore took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. v4 but Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, v5" Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii, and given to poor people?" v6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. ... And so we see that Judas was the treasurer for the group, and so Satan attacked him where he was the most vulnerable, through his greed and desire for more money. This then led to Judas making a deal with the chief priests, Matthew 26:14 Then one of the twelve went to the chief priests; v15 and said, "What are you willing to give me to deliver Him up to you? And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver. v16 And from then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Him. Luke 22:3 tells us the point in time when Judas actually became demon possessed. v3 And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. v5 And they were glad, and agreed to give money to him. v6 And he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the multitude. And in verse 47 we find the deal completed and sealed with a kiss. v47 While He was still speaking, behold, a multitude came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was proceeding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. v48 But Jesus said to him, "Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"
Of coarse, Jesus knew beforehand all of this was going to happen, because he knew the old testament scriptures, where the betrayal of the Messiah was prophesied in Zechariah 11:12 And I said the them, "If it is good in your sight, give me my wages, but if not, never mind. So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. v13 Then the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them." So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. The end result of Judas betrayal was that his guilt overcame him and he took the money back to the chief priests and threw it to them, but they would not take it because it was blood money and they knew the curses associated with it. And then Judas finished it all by hanging himself, Matthew 27:5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. v7 And they counseled together and with the money bought the Potter's field, as a burial place for strangers. v8 For this reason the field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
And so we see the escalating nature of sin in Judas' life ended in the betrayal of Jesus and his own suicide. Many times we see this scenario acted out in America; a person trapped in sin ( anger, jealousy, greed, porn,) picks up a gun and shoots his loved ones and then shoots himself. The ultimate goal of Satan is our earthly and eternal destruction, but it all starts with agreement with him in small ways of sin. Beloved, do not agree with Satan in any way in your life, repent of any sin and renounce it and get free from that bondage, you will be glad you did! Tomorrow we will look some more at the life of Judas and others. May God bless you this day, in Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 20
Dear beloved: Today we are going to look at some scriptural examples of demonic oppression and see how the Lord deals with the situations, and to give us a better feel of the way that Satan operates in harassing Christians. In 1 Corinthians 5:1 we see an example of one who is in the body of Christ, the local fellowship of the Corinth, and he is trapped in the sin of fornication. v1 It is commonly reported that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not named among the gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. v2 And you are puffed up, and have not mourned, that he that has done this deed might be taken away from you. So Paul names the sin, points out the sinner, and then declare the solution in verse 4 and 5. v4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, v5 I have decide to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Paul doesn't explicitly state if the man is already saved, but it is likely that he is since he is part of the fellowship and verse 5 states that the purpose of the destruction is to preserve his spirit. The greek word for destruction is olethros, to ruin, destroy, plague, pest. This destruction did not kill the man, but brought him to his knees and to a state of repentance. We know from reading 2 Corinthians 2:5-8, that the man was brought to his knees and did come back into the fold and right standing with God. v5 But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me but in some degree-in order not to say to much-to all of you. v6 Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, v7 So that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest somehow such a one be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow, v8,wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.
So we can see from this that a Christian can carry great sin and demonic oppression and their spirit still be set aside for the Lord. The key is repentance, that is to turn away and renounce their agreement with the cords that attach them to the kingdom of darkness. God's will for all believers who are trapped in sin is restoration, and He will chastise those that need correction. Hebrews 12:5 and you have forgotten the exhortation that was addressed to you as sons, "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; v6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives. v7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? v8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. v9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? v10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness....So we see that God deals with our sin nature and demonic oppression, and for non believers, sometimes demonic possession, by disciplining our flesh until we repent and come into agreement with His will for our life. We then renounce and cut the cords to the demons that have been controlling our behavior, and move forward towards His holiness.
Do not be too harsh or quick to judge those around you according to what you see in their behavior, for repentance and restoration can come in a heartbeat, even on the deathbed. I had a young man stay with me for a couple of days this summer who had made a confession of faith in Jesus Christ as a teenager, then fell away into drug use and the party life when he went to college. At a drug party one night, God took him through the veil of death and took him down to the gates of hell to show him what was in store for him. The demons of hell were laughing diabolically and relishing his entry into hell; they were ripping and tearing at his flesh as he tried to pull away from them. He finally started to cry out to Jesus and Jesus came and pulled him out of the clutches of the evil ones; he was then taken back through the veil and dropped into his lifeless body at the drug party. Needless to say, he was quite shaken, and he got up and went home and started to read his bible. Prior to that night he did not believe that the Bible was the infallible word of God, in fact he mocked it at times; that all changed after his encounter with death and hell. And so you see God has many ways to deal with those trapped in sin and in bondage to the evil one. If you or your loved ones find yourself in that situation, just be faithful in praying for them and know that God will hear every word of your prayer and send ministering angels in response.
Hope lies in our relationship with the Lord Jesus. Tomorrow we'll look at another example of how Jesus came to set the captives free. May God bless you this day as you move forward in His power. in Christ, Jim
So we can see from this that a Christian can carry great sin and demonic oppression and their spirit still be set aside for the Lord. The key is repentance, that is to turn away and renounce their agreement with the cords that attach them to the kingdom of darkness. God's will for all believers who are trapped in sin is restoration, and He will chastise those that need correction. Hebrews 12:5 and you have forgotten the exhortation that was addressed to you as sons, "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; v6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives. v7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? v8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. v9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? v10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness....So we see that God deals with our sin nature and demonic oppression, and for non believers, sometimes demonic possession, by disciplining our flesh until we repent and come into agreement with His will for our life. We then renounce and cut the cords to the demons that have been controlling our behavior, and move forward towards His holiness.
Do not be too harsh or quick to judge those around you according to what you see in their behavior, for repentance and restoration can come in a heartbeat, even on the deathbed. I had a young man stay with me for a couple of days this summer who had made a confession of faith in Jesus Christ as a teenager, then fell away into drug use and the party life when he went to college. At a drug party one night, God took him through the veil of death and took him down to the gates of hell to show him what was in store for him. The demons of hell were laughing diabolically and relishing his entry into hell; they were ripping and tearing at his flesh as he tried to pull away from them. He finally started to cry out to Jesus and Jesus came and pulled him out of the clutches of the evil ones; he was then taken back through the veil and dropped into his lifeless body at the drug party. Needless to say, he was quite shaken, and he got up and went home and started to read his bible. Prior to that night he did not believe that the Bible was the infallible word of God, in fact he mocked it at times; that all changed after his encounter with death and hell. And so you see God has many ways to deal with those trapped in sin and in bondage to the evil one. If you or your loved ones find yourself in that situation, just be faithful in praying for them and know that God will hear every word of your prayer and send ministering angels in response.
Hope lies in our relationship with the Lord Jesus. Tomorrow we'll look at another example of how Jesus came to set the captives free. May God bless you this day as you move forward in His power. in Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 19
Dear beloved: We have spent the last couple of weeks talking about portals of entry that the demonic realm uses to gain access into the life of a person. This brings up an interesting question: Can a born again believer have demons, or even be demon possessed? It should be obvious from the recent discussions that a believer can be demon oppressed, or harassed by one or even a horde of demons. This is possible by the fact that our nature is of a three part being; we are spirit, soul, and body. Paul describes it in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Now may the God of peace sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so he shows us that we are three parts, and that it is possible for the parts to be incomplete, that is, our spirit given over to Christ but our bodies and soul still having a mixture and living for the devil. Many of us can attest to this from experience as we were still smoking cigarettes, or drinking alcohol, or struggling with lust even after we had made a decision to give our lives to Jesus.
In Rick Joyner's book "The Final Quest", God gave Rick a vision of the demonic horde, Satan's army as it proceeded into battle. In it he states that the most shocking part of the vision was that the demonic horde was not riding on horses or walking, they were riding primarily on the backs of Christians! Many of the believers were host to more than one demon, but one of the demons would clearly be in charge. The nature of the one in charge dictated which division it was marching in. Even though the divisions were all marching together, it also seemed that the entire army was on the verge of chaos. For example, the demons of Hate hated the other demons as much as they did the Christians. The demons of Jealousy were all jealous of one another. The only way the leaders of the demonic horde kept the demons from fighting each other was to keep their hatred focused on the people they were riding.
Joyner goes on to write, I noted that the demons were riding on these Christians, but were not in them as was the case with non-Christians. It was obvious that these believers had only to stop agreeing with their demons in order to get free of them. For example, if the Christian on whom the demon of Jealousy was riding just started to question the jealousy, that demon would weaken very fast. Joyner continues, the power of the demons was clearly rooted almost entirely in the power of deception, they had deceived these Christians to the point where they could use them and the Christians would think they were being used by God. This was because the banners of Self-Righteousness were being carried along by everyone, so that those marching along could not even see the banners of their true nature of these divisions( Bitterness, Lust, Rejection, Pride, etc.)
And so we see that Satan has a diabolical plan to use Christians to attack each other and accomplish his purposes, to weaken individuals, then families, then churches, and eventually whole nations. Non Christians and unbelievers are easily kept in line by possession and by demons of fear, so it doesn't take too many of the horde to tie up and bind great masses of people, even whole cultures. Satan has a very simple strategy, divide and conquer. Jesus talked about it in Mark 3:23-27. v23 "and He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, 'How can Satan cast out Satan?' v24 And if a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand. v25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.v26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! v27 But no one can enter the strong man's house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.
Tomorrow we'll take a look at individuals in scripture that were harassed by the horde. Strap on your gospel armor this day as you prepare to go into battle! May God bless you this day, in Christ, Jim
In Rick Joyner's book "The Final Quest", God gave Rick a vision of the demonic horde, Satan's army as it proceeded into battle. In it he states that the most shocking part of the vision was that the demonic horde was not riding on horses or walking, they were riding primarily on the backs of Christians! Many of the believers were host to more than one demon, but one of the demons would clearly be in charge. The nature of the one in charge dictated which division it was marching in. Even though the divisions were all marching together, it also seemed that the entire army was on the verge of chaos. For example, the demons of Hate hated the other demons as much as they did the Christians. The demons of Jealousy were all jealous of one another. The only way the leaders of the demonic horde kept the demons from fighting each other was to keep their hatred focused on the people they were riding.
Joyner goes on to write, I noted that the demons were riding on these Christians, but were not in them as was the case with non-Christians. It was obvious that these believers had only to stop agreeing with their demons in order to get free of them. For example, if the Christian on whom the demon of Jealousy was riding just started to question the jealousy, that demon would weaken very fast. Joyner continues, the power of the demons was clearly rooted almost entirely in the power of deception, they had deceived these Christians to the point where they could use them and the Christians would think they were being used by God. This was because the banners of Self-Righteousness were being carried along by everyone, so that those marching along could not even see the banners of their true nature of these divisions( Bitterness, Lust, Rejection, Pride, etc.)
And so we see that Satan has a diabolical plan to use Christians to attack each other and accomplish his purposes, to weaken individuals, then families, then churches, and eventually whole nations. Non Christians and unbelievers are easily kept in line by possession and by demons of fear, so it doesn't take too many of the horde to tie up and bind great masses of people, even whole cultures. Satan has a very simple strategy, divide and conquer. Jesus talked about it in Mark 3:23-27. v23 "and He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, 'How can Satan cast out Satan?' v24 And if a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand. v25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.v26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! v27 But no one can enter the strong man's house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.
Tomorrow we'll take a look at individuals in scripture that were harassed by the horde. Strap on your gospel armor this day as you prepare to go into battle! May God bless you this day, in Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 18
Dear beloved: Another avenue of entry for the demonic in our life comes through unkept vows to the Lord. Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for he takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than to vow and not pay. Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands? Many times we make vows to the Lord that we are going to tithe a certain amount, or give to a missionary, or promise to work in a certain place or a certain amount of time for the kingdom, and then the business of the world and the pursuit of riches of self indulgence takes our time and resources, and we ending up backing away from our vow. The Lord says it is better not to make the vow!
The classic example in scripture of someone giving a vow to the Lord and then not keeping it is in Acts 5:1-11, the story of Ananias and Sapphira. v1 But a certain man named Ananias , with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, v2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostle's feet. v3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land? v4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold , was it not under your control? Why it is you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." v5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came upon all who heard of it. v6 And the young men arose and covered him up, and after carrying him out they buried him. And then we go on to read that the very same fate came to his wife Sapphira, because she had full knowledge of the situation and was complicit. This scripture can only be fully understood when you go back to Acts 4:34, where it says of the new believers, For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, v35 and lay them at the apostle's feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need. And so we see because of the vows and intents for good that was in the hearts of the new believers, they were able to sell their pieces of property and bring the money in fullness to the apostles for distribution. Ananias and Sapphira started out with those intentions, but after the sale of the property they decided to keep back some for themselves. They forgot that God was the one who had orchestrated the sale and was watching to see if they had followed through with their vow! Their sin was not in not giving, for they did give; it was in not giving what they had vowed.
When you make a vow to the Lord for ministry, ask the Lord to give you the strength to keep it. Paul declares to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. When God calls you to ministry, even in the smallest way, He will give you the resources and tools and strength to do the job; He would not call you to do something if He did not know that you could do it, and that He could be the provision for it. Phillipians 4:19 says, And my God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. So we know that God will supply not only material needs such as food and shelter, and money for the utility bills, but also the resources and gifts needed to fulfill the callings to ministry. The money that Ananias and Sapphira held back they thought they needed for some purpose, but it became a matter of life and death for them. God used them as an example to bring great fear to those in that community who were in the same situation, so that others would not error in the same way. Lord have mercy on us that we would not error and that you would never need to make an example of us for any reason!
When an opening came for me to start a radio ministry a few years ago, after three months I was 450 dollars in the hole and had not received one single donation from my appeals for contributions over the air. So I prayed and did business with the Lord, and said " Lord, this opening on the radio you made, you gave me the voice and the intellect, it is by your design and sovereign will that I do this, do you want me to continue or throw in the towel? I leave you with this burden, I can't carry it any more." The next week I received a check in the mail for 400 dollars and I have never lacked to pay the bill each month now in over 5 years! To God be the glory, I promised I would keep going on the radio as long as He supplied, and He has faithfully. Beloved, as you walk with the Lord this day, be careful what you promise to God, His expectations for us are quite high, but so is His provision. May God bless you this day, in Christ, Jim
The classic example in scripture of someone giving a vow to the Lord and then not keeping it is in Acts 5:1-11, the story of Ananias and Sapphira. v1 But a certain man named Ananias , with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, v2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostle's feet. v3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land? v4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold , was it not under your control? Why it is you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." v5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came upon all who heard of it. v6 And the young men arose and covered him up, and after carrying him out they buried him. And then we go on to read that the very same fate came to his wife Sapphira, because she had full knowledge of the situation and was complicit. This scripture can only be fully understood when you go back to Acts 4:34, where it says of the new believers, For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, v35 and lay them at the apostle's feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need. And so we see because of the vows and intents for good that was in the hearts of the new believers, they were able to sell their pieces of property and bring the money in fullness to the apostles for distribution. Ananias and Sapphira started out with those intentions, but after the sale of the property they decided to keep back some for themselves. They forgot that God was the one who had orchestrated the sale and was watching to see if they had followed through with their vow! Their sin was not in not giving, for they did give; it was in not giving what they had vowed.
When you make a vow to the Lord for ministry, ask the Lord to give you the strength to keep it. Paul declares to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. When God calls you to ministry, even in the smallest way, He will give you the resources and tools and strength to do the job; He would not call you to do something if He did not know that you could do it, and that He could be the provision for it. Phillipians 4:19 says, And my God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. So we know that God will supply not only material needs such as food and shelter, and money for the utility bills, but also the resources and gifts needed to fulfill the callings to ministry. The money that Ananias and Sapphira held back they thought they needed for some purpose, but it became a matter of life and death for them. God used them as an example to bring great fear to those in that community who were in the same situation, so that others would not error in the same way. Lord have mercy on us that we would not error and that you would never need to make an example of us for any reason!
When an opening came for me to start a radio ministry a few years ago, after three months I was 450 dollars in the hole and had not received one single donation from my appeals for contributions over the air. So I prayed and did business with the Lord, and said " Lord, this opening on the radio you made, you gave me the voice and the intellect, it is by your design and sovereign will that I do this, do you want me to continue or throw in the towel? I leave you with this burden, I can't carry it any more." The next week I received a check in the mail for 400 dollars and I have never lacked to pay the bill each month now in over 5 years! To God be the glory, I promised I would keep going on the radio as long as He supplied, and He has faithfully. Beloved, as you walk with the Lord this day, be careful what you promise to God, His expectations for us are quite high, but so is His provision. May God bless you this day, in Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 16
Dear beloved: Another area of demonic entry in our life is through the avenue of soul ties. This is especially important to those who have had premarital sex or multiple sexual partners before or after marriage, or are in a marriage where one partner is trapped in unrepentant sin. The ties and agreements made with those partners, even if not made consciously, can come back to torment us and cause us to have nightmares or disturb our peace. God spoke to the Israelites about going into the land and the inhabitants of the land in Numbers 33:55 "But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land in which you live. v56 And it shall come about that as I plan to do to them, so will I do to you." So God tells us that the same trouble and judgment that He has in store for our enemies, he will also mete out to us if we make agreement with the enemies. Soul ties can also be established in other ways besides sexual union, such as oaths or agreements through satanic ritual or blood covenants that many cults and gangs, and even indigenous groups practice, by cutting and mixing of blood of the participants.
Regarding the union of a man and a woman, Jesus declared in Matthew 19:4 And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female, v5 and said, 'For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?' v6 consequently the two are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." And so when two people become one in sexual union, they take on the soul nature, for good and for bad of the other persons. That is the reason that we need to teach our young people not to marry or even date unbelievers, because at some point those emotional ties or initial attractions can mature into a serious relationship that will yoke them to the unbelieving and demonic realm. That is a good reason to look over the family of your children's future partner, as the families reveal the demonic tendencies in the children through generational curses. Paul says it this way in 1Corinthians 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? May it never be! v16 Or do you not know that one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? For he says, "The two shall become one flesh." v17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one Spirit with Him. v18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. v19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
I believe that soul ties can even be established with people whom we have had emotional affairs with, as Jesus said that in Matthew 5:27"You have heard that it was said,"You shall not commit adultery," v28 but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart."
God's standards are very high. If you have established soul ties in any of the above mentioned avenues, write down the names of the partners you have had and go down the list one by one. Confess it before the Lord, repent of it, and renounce premarital sexual relationships, cohabitation, adultery, or lust, or whatever applies to you and ask the Lord to break off any soul ties that were created because of your actions. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless you this day as you
Regarding the union of a man and a woman, Jesus declared in Matthew 19:4 And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female, v5 and said, 'For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?' v6 consequently the two are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." And so when two people become one in sexual union, they take on the soul nature, for good and for bad of the other persons. That is the reason that we need to teach our young people not to marry or even date unbelievers, because at some point those emotional ties or initial attractions can mature into a serious relationship that will yoke them to the unbelieving and demonic realm. That is a good reason to look over the family of your children's future partner, as the families reveal the demonic tendencies in the children through generational curses. Paul says it this way in 1Corinthians 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? May it never be! v16 Or do you not know that one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? For he says, "The two shall become one flesh." v17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one Spirit with Him. v18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. v19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
I believe that soul ties can even be established with people whom we have had emotional affairs with, as Jesus said that in Matthew 5:27"You have heard that it was said,"You shall not commit adultery," v28 but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart."
God's standards are very high. If you have established soul ties in any of the above mentioned avenues, write down the names of the partners you have had and go down the list one by one. Confess it before the Lord, repent of it, and renounce premarital sexual relationships, cohabitation, adultery, or lust, or whatever applies to you and ask the Lord to break off any soul ties that were created because of your actions. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless you this day as you
Warfare Portals 17
Dear beloved: Another avenue of demonic entry in our lives that is very common to just about all people of all Christian denominations is that of a religious spirit, or a spirit that wants to bind us to a form or religion with not power. Paul talks about it in 2 Timothy 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. v2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, v3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self control, brutal, haters of good, v4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; v5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these. A religious spirit is commonly found among people who are very "spiritual", or "religious", they enjoy and practice religion and ritual, may be faithful in church attendance and even tithing; however, their faith and practice of it is built around works, routines, rituals, and all the controls that go with maintaining their status or position in the established patterns of worship.
In Acts 1:8 Jesus told the disciples, "but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." The power that Jesus was talking about came upon the apostles and those with them to such a great extent that the people watching them thought they were drunk! Acts 2:13 But others were mocking and saying, "they are full of sweet wine." And so the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit was so strong it made them act like they were drunk. The Holy Spirit, the manifestations of the Holy Spirit including tongues, prophecy, miracles and all the other gifts of the Holy Spirit that are poured out at each believers individual Pentecost, are the source of power for the New Testament believer in Christ. That is the only source of power, and it is not in rituals, routines, nice church buildings, or anything else that we can so easily attribute the source of power. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit; v20 Do not despise prophetic utterances, v21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good. v22 abstain from every form of evil. If you find yourself quenching the Holy Spirit by speaking against tongues, prophecy, miracles, or any other of the moves of the Spirit, you have a religious spirit.
A religious spirit is also a critical spirit, always finding fault with something in the church service, such as the service was too long, or the music not to my liking, or the prayer wasn't the right prayer for today; it is also critical of the individuals, especially those who have the freedom of the Holy Spirit and don't want to be controlled by that religious spirit. Beloved, do you want to hold up your hands in church sometimes but are afraid what others around you will think? Or how about you would like to dance before the Lord but your feet are bound by the spirit of bondage over the congregation or you personally? 2 Samuel 6:16 Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. ...Michal had the religious spirit, she called David a fool in verse 20. Then in verse 22 David declares his freedom," For I will become more lightly esteemed than this (more undignified) and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished." ..And as a result, God cursed Michal with no children to the day of her death.
Confess and repent of your religious spirit if you have one, let your hair down before the Lord, humble yourself and say to Him," Lord, let your Spirit move me in any way you wish, and give me your power!" God will give you that which you ask for in faith. May God bless you this day as you more forward in power, in Christ, Jim
In Acts 1:8 Jesus told the disciples, "but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." The power that Jesus was talking about came upon the apostles and those with them to such a great extent that the people watching them thought they were drunk! Acts 2:13 But others were mocking and saying, "they are full of sweet wine." And so the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit was so strong it made them act like they were drunk. The Holy Spirit, the manifestations of the Holy Spirit including tongues, prophecy, miracles and all the other gifts of the Holy Spirit that are poured out at each believers individual Pentecost, are the source of power for the New Testament believer in Christ. That is the only source of power, and it is not in rituals, routines, nice church buildings, or anything else that we can so easily attribute the source of power. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit; v20 Do not despise prophetic utterances, v21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good. v22 abstain from every form of evil. If you find yourself quenching the Holy Spirit by speaking against tongues, prophecy, miracles, or any other of the moves of the Spirit, you have a religious spirit.
A religious spirit is also a critical spirit, always finding fault with something in the church service, such as the service was too long, or the music not to my liking, or the prayer wasn't the right prayer for today; it is also critical of the individuals, especially those who have the freedom of the Holy Spirit and don't want to be controlled by that religious spirit. Beloved, do you want to hold up your hands in church sometimes but are afraid what others around you will think? Or how about you would like to dance before the Lord but your feet are bound by the spirit of bondage over the congregation or you personally? 2 Samuel 6:16 Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. ...Michal had the religious spirit, she called David a fool in verse 20. Then in verse 22 David declares his freedom," For I will become more lightly esteemed than this (more undignified) and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished." ..And as a result, God cursed Michal with no children to the day of her death.
Confess and repent of your religious spirit if you have one, let your hair down before the Lord, humble yourself and say to Him," Lord, let your Spirit move me in any way you wish, and give me your power!" God will give you that which you ask for in faith. May God bless you this day as you more forward in power, in Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 14
Dear beloved: Another common point of entry for the demonic to come into our lives is in idols in the home. It is very important that we keep our homes. cars, and work places cleansed. Deuteronomy 7:26 Neither shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be a cursed thing like it; but you shall utterly detest it, and you shall utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing. Many times demonic spirits are associated with objects brought into the home, especially if the objects are from other countries and are associated with false religions, witchcraft, or shamanic practices. If you are a world traveler or have even been to Mexico or to native American tribal areas, many of the handicrafts are made by people that are in false religions, and their handicrafts are laced with images and symbols from their shamanic religions. Before you buy things in things in foreign countries and bring them into your home, ask the Holy Spirit if this is something you should possess. You will have an uneasiness and a check in your spirit if you are not supposed to have it.
Several years ago I made a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, and while there toured an ancient ruin of the Mayan people called Monte Alba. It was an ancient city that covered the top of an 8,000 foot high mountain, and many of the structures had been uncovered revealed a complex culture that included child sacrifice and adult sacrifice to the demon gods. I purchased some post cards of the place, because in the physical realm it was an extremely beautiful place; huge edifices similar to the pyramids, amazing architecture, all set in a beautiful place that overlooked Oaxaca valley and the city below. But when I got back to Kansas I didn't have a peace about those post cards, they just kept eating away at me. I finally got up one night and threw them all away, and I slept better from that point on. Spirits can attach themselves to objects and wait for the opportunity to enter into a human being. Matthew 12:43 "Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it." The attachment to objects could be described as the waterless places, it is not the final or desirable abode of demons, but they will use objects as a way to gain entry if they have no other means. Dream catchers and other articles from native American culture also represent spiritism as they speak against the work of the Holy Spirit and its ability to cleanse or to bring us dreams of the Lord, so get rid of those things also. Acts 19:18 Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices ( witchcraft and pagan religions).v19 And many of those who practices magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of all; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. Don't let the real or sentimental value of the object sway you into hanging onto it, get rid of it in the name of Jesus and get your house clean. Even pictures of your party life can sometimes be a hindrance and a cord to the demonic as we hold onto the party life or alcohol and drugs through the pictures taken at parties. Revelation 16:13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; v14 for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. Get rid of the frog toys and all the clothing with dragon images on it also, they are signs of the demonic.
You can see that this cleansing of our homes can take time and prayer and should be done on an ongoing basis. Don't forget the tv programs, too! Ask the Lord what is in your home that needs to go. Hang some crosses and some scripture on the walls and anoint the doors and windows with oil and tell the demons to leave in the name of Jesus. They will go if you are acting under the authority of Jesus Christ, and you will sleep better because of it. God bless you this day as you take back your home for the kingdom of our Lord. In Christ, Jim
Several years ago I made a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, and while there toured an ancient ruin of the Mayan people called Monte Alba. It was an ancient city that covered the top of an 8,000 foot high mountain, and many of the structures had been uncovered revealed a complex culture that included child sacrifice and adult sacrifice to the demon gods. I purchased some post cards of the place, because in the physical realm it was an extremely beautiful place; huge edifices similar to the pyramids, amazing architecture, all set in a beautiful place that overlooked Oaxaca valley and the city below. But when I got back to Kansas I didn't have a peace about those post cards, they just kept eating away at me. I finally got up one night and threw them all away, and I slept better from that point on. Spirits can attach themselves to objects and wait for the opportunity to enter into a human being. Matthew 12:43 "Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it." The attachment to objects could be described as the waterless places, it is not the final or desirable abode of demons, but they will use objects as a way to gain entry if they have no other means. Dream catchers and other articles from native American culture also represent spiritism as they speak against the work of the Holy Spirit and its ability to cleanse or to bring us dreams of the Lord, so get rid of those things also. Acts 19:18 Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices ( witchcraft and pagan religions).v19 And many of those who practices magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of all; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. Don't let the real or sentimental value of the object sway you into hanging onto it, get rid of it in the name of Jesus and get your house clean. Even pictures of your party life can sometimes be a hindrance and a cord to the demonic as we hold onto the party life or alcohol and drugs through the pictures taken at parties. Revelation 16:13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; v14 for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. Get rid of the frog toys and all the clothing with dragon images on it also, they are signs of the demonic.
You can see that this cleansing of our homes can take time and prayer and should be done on an ongoing basis. Don't forget the tv programs, too! Ask the Lord what is in your home that needs to go. Hang some crosses and some scripture on the walls and anoint the doors and windows with oil and tell the demons to leave in the name of Jesus. They will go if you are acting under the authority of Jesus Christ, and you will sleep better because of it. God bless you this day as you take back your home for the kingdom of our Lord. In Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 15
Dear beloved: One of the entry ways of demonic influence that is being revealed to more and more people is the area of Freemasonry and other secret society participation and membership. There are many ways that these societies violate scripture, I will cite a few of the principles employed by them. All the societies are built upon secret oaths and curses, which in itself is against God's law as He has laid it out in His holy word. Jesus told the multitudes in Matthew 5:34, "But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, v35 or by earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. v36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. v37 But let your statement be yes, yes, or no, no; and anything beyond these is evil." Masonic and freemason oaths are subtle and innocent appearing in the lower degrees, designed to lure in the unsuspecting and undiscerning. In the more advanced degrees the open confusion between Jesus, the bright and Morning Star, and Satan, the son of the morning, become more overt and pronounced. The church of Jesus Christ is open for all to see and nothing is hidden from His or our sight!
Revelation 22:16 "I Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, the bright Morning Star. Revelation 2:26 And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, v17 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father v28 and I will give him the morning star. Contrast those verses to Isaiah 14, which is a taunt against the king of Babylon and is a picture of an earthly king but describes Satan himself. Isa. 14:11 Your pomp and the music of your harps have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you, and worms are your covering. v12 How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning (Lucifer, or shining one), son of the dawn! You have been cut down to earth, You who have weakened the nations! We know from these passages and ensuing verses that this is not a description of an earthly king but of Lucifer himself, as he was an angelic being who was cast down out of heaven. Luke 10:18 And Jesus said to them,"I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning."
Many false religions prey upon this confusion of who Jesus is and who Satan really is also, and as the confusion becomes more pronounced, the bondage and curses become greater, resulting in much sickness and death. I once lived for a few years in San Francisco, and a man that lived not too far down the street was Antoine LeVay, a Satanist and occult leader who called himself Jesus Christ Satan, an interesting name for someone who was a practitioner of darkness. In 2 Corinthians 11:14, Paul tells the Corinthians, "And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. v15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds." Do not be misled by all the deeds of righteousness done by Masons and Shriners and other secret societies. While good deeds are commendable, it is not by good deeds that we enter into the narrow gate; any society or organization, or religion that denies the blood sacrifice and atonement of Jesus is a false religion and is therefore of the kingdom of the antichrist. Many of the presidents of the United States have been Masons, and even our dollar bill has a Luciferian all seeing eye sitting atop the pyramid underscored by the words, introduction to the new world order. It's placement on the dollar bill was authorized in 1933 by Franklin Roosevelt, a top degree mason.
If you or your family have been involved in Masonic Lodge or other secret societies that deny the atonement of Jesus blood, confess and repent of it, going through the steps of the cleansing that I wrote about last week. Get yourself and your family protected by the blood of Jesus, and get those curses off yourself! Jesus took the curse upon Himself, He died to set you free! God bless you this day as you walk in freedom, walk in liberty. In Christ, Jim
Revelation 22:16 "I Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, the bright Morning Star. Revelation 2:26 And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, v17 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father v28 and I will give him the morning star. Contrast those verses to Isaiah 14, which is a taunt against the king of Babylon and is a picture of an earthly king but describes Satan himself. Isa. 14:11 Your pomp and the music of your harps have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you, and worms are your covering. v12 How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning (Lucifer, or shining one), son of the dawn! You have been cut down to earth, You who have weakened the nations! We know from these passages and ensuing verses that this is not a description of an earthly king but of Lucifer himself, as he was an angelic being who was cast down out of heaven. Luke 10:18 And Jesus said to them,"I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning."
Many false religions prey upon this confusion of who Jesus is and who Satan really is also, and as the confusion becomes more pronounced, the bondage and curses become greater, resulting in much sickness and death. I once lived for a few years in San Francisco, and a man that lived not too far down the street was Antoine LeVay, a Satanist and occult leader who called himself Jesus Christ Satan, an interesting name for someone who was a practitioner of darkness. In 2 Corinthians 11:14, Paul tells the Corinthians, "And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. v15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds." Do not be misled by all the deeds of righteousness done by Masons and Shriners and other secret societies. While good deeds are commendable, it is not by good deeds that we enter into the narrow gate; any society or organization, or religion that denies the blood sacrifice and atonement of Jesus is a false religion and is therefore of the kingdom of the antichrist. Many of the presidents of the United States have been Masons, and even our dollar bill has a Luciferian all seeing eye sitting atop the pyramid underscored by the words, introduction to the new world order. It's placement on the dollar bill was authorized in 1933 by Franklin Roosevelt, a top degree mason.
If you or your family have been involved in Masonic Lodge or other secret societies that deny the atonement of Jesus blood, confess and repent of it, going through the steps of the cleansing that I wrote about last week. Get yourself and your family protected by the blood of Jesus, and get those curses off yourself! Jesus took the curse upon Himself, He died to set you free! God bless you this day as you walk in freedom, walk in liberty. In Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 13
Dear beloved: We are going to take a look at some of the individual portals of entry that Satan will attempt to exploit in an effort to penetrate our armor with his flaming arrows. One of the primary points of entry is through the eyes, or eye gates. Jesus declared in Matthew 7:22 "The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore the eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. v23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great the darkness!" And again in Matthew 5:28 "but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. v29 And if your right eye causes you to stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." And so we see that it is very important what we let our eyes see, and of coarse we know in the present era how much damage pornography and other types of media are doing to the body of Christ. The pornography business in America is one of the largest segments of the economy dollar wise, and it is taking its toll on family and church leaders in a devastating way. Numbers 33:55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those that you let remain of them shall become pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land where you dwell. Proverbs 27:20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. And so we see that the eyes are the entry gate and that once Satan establishes a foothold through the eyes, the desires to satisfy are never satisfied, that is why porn and lust become an insatiable appetite. Eye gates can also let in violence and bloodletting and nightmare type movies that do great damage to the soul; so beloved, be careful little eyes what you see! Of the deeds of the flesh listed by Paul in Galatians 5:19, the first four all have to do with eye gates: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, and many of the others listed are also partially instigated through the eyes. In my own life I find I do much better without any television, so as to not fill my mind through the eyes of not just lustful images of women, but also of mindless programs and commercials that have no lasting value and break the anointing off of me that the Holy Spirit has placed upon me. Reading romance or other novels or other mindless books will produce the same results; if you want to increase the anointing in your life, do as Paul suggests in Phillipians 4:8 Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. John tells us of the three sources of sin entry in 1 John 2:16, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father but is from the world (Satan). The story of the fall of King David revolves around eye gates as told in 2 Samuel 11:2 Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. David saw her, and he wanted her, and in spite of everything he knew to the contrary, he could not resist what his eyes had shown him. The simple letdown of the eye gates started a cascade of events in David's life that not only tormented his life(pricks in his eyes) but also trickled down to the lives of his children(pricks and thorns), and became a generation curse and iniquity for his family. If you need to clean up the eye gates in your life, confess, repent, and renounce those things as we discussed in earlier teachings, get your eyes right before the Lord! The next teaching we'll talk about another portal common to all of us. May God bless you as your eyes gaze on the beauty of His creation this day. In Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 12
Dear beloved: We are going to take a look at some of the individual portals of entry that Satan will attempt to exploit in an effort to penetrate our armor with his flaming arrows. One of the primary points of entry is through the eyes, or eye gates. Jesus declared in Matthew 7:22 "The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore the eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. v23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great the darkness!" And again in Matthew 5:28 "but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. v29 And if your right eye causes you to stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." And so we see that it is very important what we let our eyes see, and of coarse we know in the present era how much damage pornography and other types of media are doing to the body of Christ. The pornography business in America is one of the largest segments of the economy dollar wise, and it is taking its toll on family and church leaders in a devastating way. Numbers 33:55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those that you let remain of them shall become pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land where you dwell. Proverbs 27:20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. And so we see that the eyes are the entry gate and that once Satan establishes a foothold through the eyes, the desires to satisfy are never satisfied, that is why porn and lust become an insatiable appetite. Eye gates can also let in violence and bloodletting and nightmare type movies that do great damage to the soul; so beloved, be careful little eyes what you see! Of the deeds of the flesh listed by Paul in Galatians 5:19, the first four all have to do with eye gates: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, and many of the others listed are also partially instigated through the eyes. In my own life I find I do much better without any television, so as to not fill my mind through the eyes of not just lustful images of women, but also of mindless programs and commercials that have no lasting value and break the anointing off of me that the Holy Spirit has placed upon me. Reading romance or other novels or other mindless books will produce the same results; if you want to increase the anointing in your life, do as Paul suggests in Phillipians 4:8 Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. John tells us of the three sources of sin entry in 1 John 2:16, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father but is from the world (Satan). The story of the fall of King David revolves around eye gates as told in 2 Samuel 11:2 Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. David saw her, and he wanted her, and in spite of everything he knew to the contrary, he could not resist what his eyes had shown him. The simple letdown of the eye gates started a cascade of events in David's life that not only tormented his life(pricks in his eyes) but also trickled down to the lives of his children(pricks and thorns), and became a generation curse and iniquity for his family. If you need to clean up the eye gates in your life, confess, repent, and renounce those things as we discussed in earlier teachings, get your eyes right before the Lord! The next teaching we'll talk about another portal common to all of us. May God bless you as your eyes gaze on the beauty of His creation this day. In Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 11
Dear beloved: As we learned in yesterday's teaching, walking in the Spirit is the secret to success in the Christian walk, but as we have seen through past teachings, it is not a stroll or a walk in the park. It is a climb up a high mountain, for God's standards are very high, and His ways much higher than our ways. Isaiah 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. v9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts higher than your thoughts." If you have ever done any mountain climbing, you know how difficult that can be at times, the thin air, poor footing, burning in the lungs and legs, and the temptation to quit and go back down. Years ago I climbled Long's Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a tough climb and many times I wanted to quit, but when I got up over 14,000 feet, I sat down and looked out over the prairie hundreds of miles to the east, and I knew it was worth the effort! Then an eagle flew over the top of me as if to say, "You can go higher yet!" In his book "Final Quest" by Rick Joyner, he reached the level of Unity of the Brethren high up on the mountain and found that he could easily pick up arrows of Tuth and shoot them at the demons and hit them with accuracy. But he also found himself thinking he didn't need his sword (the word) and almost slipped off the ledge and fell. So he drove his sword into the ground on the ledge and anchored himself to it. Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. v 106 I have sworn, and I will confirm it, that I will keep Thy righteous ordinances. Never let go of the word, the word of God is what anchors us to the mountain. Psalm 20:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.v8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. v9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether.v10 They are more desireable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. v11 Moreover, by them the servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. As Rick climbed even higher he came to a level called Galatians 2:20, which reads " I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered himself up for me." It was at this level that the brightness and the beauty of the sky almost blinded him; he was getting close to the glory of God! It was at this level that he began to truly understand Faith, Hope, and Love; in fact, when he got up close to them they began to shine up and repair his armor, preparing him for even greater kingdom exploits! Those at that level were entrusted with the powers of the age to come. Beloved, how high do you want to go? How close to the glory of God do you want to walk? We should all set our sights on the things above, for as Paul says in Phillipians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; v21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things unto Himself....Tomorrow we will look at some individual portals that try to knock us off that Galatians 2:20 ledge. May God bless you this day as you drive your sword deeper into the rock, in Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 10
Dear beloved: In today's and the following sessions we will look at how to keep the victory that we have gained through confession, repentance, and renunciation. It is important that we keep the high ground that we have taken back from the enemy, otherwise we will be like the house in Matthew 12:43 where the demon brings back with him seven other spirits and the last state of the man is worse than the first. Paul declared to the Galatians in Gal.5:16 But I say walk in the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. v17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not be able to do the things that you please. v18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. The Galatians were trying to go back to the bondage of the law after being set free from it, and Paul told them to walk in the Spirit of the Holy Spirit and grace. What precisely does it mean to walk in the Spirit? Each and every day on this earth we have choices to make that either allow us to serve Jesus or serve Satan and his kingdom. Every decision we make reflects our desire to either walk in darkness or walk in light. Walking in the Spirit involves three legs, it is like a three legged stool: if any of the legs gets knocked out, the stool falls over. As long as the three are in place, the stool is very sturdy and nothing can knock it over. The three are 1. Commune with God through prayer and worship, 2. Let God speak to us through His written word, dreams, and visions, and 3. Fellowship with the saints of like mind. The first, speaking to God, is accomplished through prayer and worship of Him. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing; v18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. And again in Phillipians 4:6 be anxious for nothing, but in all things through prayer and supplication (plea for mercy) with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Again in 1 Corinthians 14:15 What is the outcome then? I shall pray with the spirit and I shall pray with the mind also; I shall sing with the spirit, I shall sing with the mind also. And in Psalm 34, David says it like this, v1 I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. v2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear it and rejoice. v3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. The second part is that God speaks to us, through His written word, audible word, dreams and visions. 2 Timothy 2:15 Study (be diligent) to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord and He answered Me, and delivered me from all my fears. v17 the righteous cry and the Lord hears them, and delivers them out of all their troubles. And in Isaiah 58:9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am'. In John 10:27 Jesus says of Himself, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." And in Joel 2:28, And it will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. And in Job 33:14 Indeed God speaks once, or twice, yet no one notices it. v15 In a dream, a vision of the night, when sound sleep falls on men, while they slumber in their beds, v16 Then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction. And so for those who want to hear from God, they shall, for He will give you the desires of your heart. And the third part of walking in the Spirit is the fellowship of the saints. Paul says in Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, v25 not forsaking our own assembling togther, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day (end day) drawing near. And again in Titus 3:14 And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful. And at the close of each of his letters, Paul encourages and exhorts as he does in 1Corinthians16:19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. v20 All the brethren greet you. Greet each other with a holy kiss. Ephesians 5:29 No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes it and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church. v30 because we are members of his body. ...Tomorrow and the following days we'll look at other ways we can seal the victory as we walk in the Spirit. God bless you this day, in Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 9
Dear beloved: The next step in the cleansing process after confession and repentance is to renounce (to speak against the sin) and declare yourself free in the name of Jesus. Renunciation is important because with your words you activate your will to declare to the demonic realm in your life that you are not longer in agreement with them, that you recognize your freedom. Amos 3:3 Do two men walk together unless they have made an agreement?...Get out of any ties or chords you have with the demonic realm by renouncing any agreements you have with them. Do you give tacit approval to homosexuality or fornication, cohabitation, gambling, or any other sin because you have close family members or friends that are practicing it and you don't want to speak against it? To speak against the sin does not mean you don't love the individual trapped in that sin, it just means you are breaking ties in your own life by speaking against it. Matthew 10:34 Jesus said "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. v35 For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; v36 and a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. v37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. v38 And he who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. ...And so we must not just clean our house out and sweep it and put it in order, but we must also take the entry key away from Satan and his horde so that when they come back they can never get in again. When David the shepherd boy came against Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, he made his intentions known to Goliath and then he followed through and completed the task. 1 Samuel 17:45 Then David said to the Phillistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. v46 This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the armies of the Phillistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel v47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands." Then in verse 51 David finishes the task, Then David ran and stood over the Phillistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Phillistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. v53 And the sons of Israel returned from chasing the Phillistines and plundered their camps. What a different scenario that represents than the scene in Matthew 12:44, where the demon comes back after being kicked out and what does he find? v44 Then it says, "I will return to my house from which I came; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. v45 Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. This is the way it will also be with this evil generation. ....Total victory comes over the demonic realm and sin in our life when we take no prisoners, and give the enemy no place to stand, even to cut his head off! 1 John 3:8 The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Jesus wants us to be free, beloved, he went to the cross to set us free, and shed his precious blood for it. John 8:34-36 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." ...Break all ties with the enemy and step out in your freedom today. May God bless you this day as you move forward in victory! In Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 8
Dear beloved: As we look at the issues of confession and repentance, it is important to keep in mind what our end goal is, that is to prepare ourselves to stand before a Holy God. David says it best in Psalm 24:3, Who may ascend unto the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully. v5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation... So in order to ascend higher on the mountain of God, we have to get cleansed, to purify ourselves, to be ready to meet the Lord without any spot or wrinkle. Please read all of Psalm 51, the Psalm of confession and repentance of David. I will just quote a few of the passages here, but get a feel for David's heart as he cries out to the Lord, and asks God to relieve the burden of sin from him. Psalm 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity; And cleanse me from my sin. v3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. v4 Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done what is evil in Thy sight, So that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, And blameless when Thou dost judge. ...So David acknowledges God's position and authority over his life, and grants to Him the right to judge Him as He sees fit. Then the cleansing process starts in earnest. v10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. v11 Do not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. v12 Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit. v14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, 0 God, Thy God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Thy rightousness. v15 O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Thy praise....The final stage of confession and repentance is to be broken and humble before the Lord, to stand before Him and say to Him "Lord, there is nothing I can give You or do for You that will increase my standing with You, other than this one thing: my broken and contrite heart. Lord take it and do with it as You will, as You mold me into the image of Your Son, Jesus Christ." Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, 0 God, Thou will not despise. In his book "Final Quest", by pastor and teacher Rick Joyner, the Lord revealed to Rick the levels of the holy mountain of God, and how the levels are attained in spiritual warfare. Quote: "On the mountain, there were ledges at different levels for as high as we could see. At each higher level the ledges became narrower and more diffucult to stand on. Each level was named for a biblical truth. The lower levels were named after foundational truths such as "Salvation, Sanctification, Prayer, and Faith", and the higher levels were named after deeper biblical truths. The higher we climbed, the larger both our shields and our swords grew, and fewer of the enemy arrows could reach our positions. When we reached the level called "The Unity of the Brethren", none of the enemies arrows could reach us. At each level there were arrows of Truth scattered about, which I knew were left from those who had fallen from that position (many had fallen from each position)." And so we see that the Christian walk is really a climb, a climb up the mountain to reach the peak and commune with God. And just as mountain climbing on this earth is treacherous, and strenuous, and there is great peril along the way, so too is the climb up the mountain of God. The apostle Paul describes it this way, Phillipians 3:13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet (to have already become perfect); but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, v14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ...The upward call, the higher ground, that is our goal. Press on beloved, reach for that higher ground, don't be satisfied to stay down in the valleys and the foothills fighting with the enemy, move up to that higher ground where you can look down on him! May God bless you this day as you move upward in battle. In Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 7
Correction: Saturday's teaching was incorrectly labeled pt5 and should have been pt6. I apologize for the confusion. Dear beloved: We are talking about cleansing ourselves of sin not associated with generation curses. If you listed all of the sins you have committed over the years, you probably have a fairly long list, as I do also. The next step is to confess and repent of each of the sins, go down the list one by one. Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whosoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy. ...We receive compassion and mercy from the Lord when we get down before Him and confess our sins to Him; of coarse, He already knows about them as He watched us commit them, but it is all about us getting back in right standing, in righteousness, with him. The greatest chapter in the Bible dealing with confession and repentance is Psalm 51, in which King David's sin with Bathsheba had been exposed and David knew he had to get his heart right with God. Psalm 51:1 Be gracious to me, oh God, according to Thy lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Thy compassion blot out my transgression. Notice that David acknowledges the compassion, mercy, and lovingkindness of God before he starts his confession. God is merciful and kind, slow to anger, but we cannot take his grace and compassion for granted, that it will always automatically be there for us every time we sin. In some cases God's anger is kindled and people leave this earth in a hurry. In Acts 4:3, Peter said to Ananias " Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land?" v4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God" v5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came upon all who heard of it. ..And so as we confess and repent, acknowledge to God that you are dependent upon His mercy, and thankful that He allows you to live another day. As I think back upon my life of sin, of the times I was really trapped in it and sowing seeds of great corruption to the flesh every day, I am so grateful to God and to my family who, unknown to me, was interceeding for me day and night before the throne of God. God heard their prayers and did not allow this prodigal son to die in the hog pen, but rather He wooed me back into His fold by the gentle calling of the Holy Spirit. The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 is exactly my story, and you will notice when the prodigal realized his state of affairs, first he confesses his sin against his heavenly Father, then against his earthly father. Luke 15:21 "And the son said to him, ' Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But of coarse we know that the father was merciful, for he says in verse 23 " bring the fatted calf and, kill it, and let us eat and be merry; v24 for this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found." And they began to be merry. The key to victory in the spiritual battle is to sever all ties and agreements with the enemy, once and for all. It is sin and sin alone that separates us from God. Isaiah 59:1 Behold the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save, nor His ear so dull that it cannot hear. v2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear. v3 For your hands are filled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken falsehood, your tongue mutters wickedness. v9 Therefore, justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, but behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom. v10 We grope along the wall like blind men, we grope along like those who have no eyes; we stumble at midday as in the twilight, among those who are vigorous we are like dead men. v12 For our transgressions are multiplied before Thee, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities. v13 Transgressing and denying the Lord, and turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words. Do not rush through this step of confession and repentance. Ask the Lord to reveal to you all the ways in which you have transgressed and denied Him, and get to the core of it. Break all ties and agreement with the enemy. Praise the Lord that we have Jesus blood to pay the price for our sin, in Him there is cleansing and victory. Isaiah 59:16 And He (God) saw that there was no man, and He was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him; and His righteousness upheld Him. Tomorrow we will look closer at David's confession as we cleanse our way to victory. May God bless you this day as you walk in victory, in Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 6
Dear beloved: In our study of spiritual warfare we will next consider cleansing of sin that is not related to generational sin and curses. In order to understand the nature of sin and our part in choosing it, we have to go back and look at the oringinal sin and the fall of mankind. God had created man (Adam) and had put him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. Genesis 2:15. Then the Lord gave Adam his instructions concerning the trees of the garden. Gen.2:16 And the Lord commanded the man saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; v17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die." Of all the instructions given to mankind, only this last aroused curiosity in him; there was something about the friut of that tree that crossed his will and made him curious. Satan (the serpent) knew that also, and so in Genesis chapter 3:4 comes the first recorded lie in the Bible, when Satan directly lies to Eve and counters God's word. v4 And the serpent said to the woman,"you surely shall not die! v5 For God knows that in the day that you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." v6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desireable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her and he ate. Satan always comes to us and tries to get us to believe that God is a liar, and that we don't need God because we can be just like him. What an effective stategy. In Isaiah 14, we see the character of Satan come forth as he declared his will for himself to take over the throne of God. Isa. 14:13 'But you said in your heart (shining one, Lucifer), I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. v14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' And so as Satan attempted to ascend to the throne of God, the great rebellion began that led to his being thrown down out of heaven. Luke 10:17 And the seventy disciples returned with joy saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." v18, and He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. v19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you."...And so the battle lines were drawn, God's desire for fellowship and rule in our life, verses the desire of Satan to tear us away from the kingdom through lies and deceit. Our sin involves our will and choice. John tells us in 1 John 2:15, Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. v16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. v17 And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever. And so Satan attacks us in those three ways: lust of eyes, lust of flesh, and the pride of life. Start your cleansing process by listing all your sin, past and present, focusing on the sins that are not necessarily associated with family iniquity, the ones where you just succumbed to the lies and deceit of the deceiver. Go ahead and list them, and also include the sins of omission, the sins where you have backed away from the callings and commands of the Lord. Also include sins like quenching of the Holy Spirit, and religious spirits that are built around a form of religion with no power. List all of them and get it all out before the Lord. The next teaching we will then go on to the second step in the cleansing after we have acknowledged all our sin. God bless you this day as you are sanctified before the Lord, in Christ, Jim.
Warfare Portals 5
Dear beloved: Today's teaching will be the final step in cleansing us of generational sin and curses, then tomorrow we will go back and begin to discuss sins that we freely choose ourself that are not related to family iniquities. The final step in sealing your victory over the demonic entry in your life is to pray the blood of Jesus over every portal of entry into your life; His blood seals the victory for today and forever. His blood is the cornerstone, the rock, the foundation, and because of His shed blood we walk in victory and need not fear the devil. Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree". This scripture quoted by the apostle Paul comes from Deuteronomy 21:22 which states, " And if a man commits a sin which is worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, v23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance." Jesus took the curse for us, past, present, and future, and so with the blood he shed on the cross we are free of our own curses. Interestingly, in fulfillment of the prophetic nature of the Deuteronomy scripture, Jesus was removed from the cross before nightfall so as not to hang all night on the tree. Isaiah 53:5 is the prophetic scripture that explains Jesus sacrifice the best. He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed (bruised) for our iniquities, the chastening (punishment) for our well being fell on Him, and by His scourging (stripes at the whipping post) we are healed. All total at the crucifiction Jesus shed his blood seven ways for us: He sweat drops of blood in the garden, He was beaten in the face at the inquisition, the crown of thorns pierced His skull and forehead, He was scourged at the whipping post to near death, He was nailed through His hands, nailed through His feet, and His side was pierced through by the spear. Seven is the number in the Bible that speaks of completion and perfection; 7 days in a week, 7 spirits of God, 7 churches, 7 judgments and so forth. Jesus was the perfect and complete sacrifice, in Him nothing was left undone. John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "it is finished!" And he bowed His head, and He gave up His spirit. Paul sums it up in Hebrews 10:19, Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, v20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, v21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, v22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water....And so we are washed clean, we have a clean conscience, and we can stand before God unashamed and without fear of judgment. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tell us, Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old has passed away; behold new things have come. And again in 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the fighteousness of God in Him. You have been raised up with Christ, and in Colossians 3:1, Paul reminds us to keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Beloved, have a seat with the King of Kings today, enjoy the scenery from above, and praise Jesus for everything that He has done for you! The battle belongs to the Lord! May God bless you this day as you celebrate your victory, in Christ, Jim
Warfare Portals 4
Dear beloved: We are ready to look at step four in the cleansing process of ridding ourselves of generational sin. Step four in the process is to renounce the particular sin you have been in agreement with. This differs somewhat from confession, which involves acknowledging your participation, and repentance, which is a declaration by you with the intent to turn from your wicked ways. According to Webster's dictionary, to renounce is to refuse further to follow, obey, or recognize; to repudiate. This is an important step to take for any sin, not just generational sin, but it is particularly important in this regard because it removes you from the place of passive consent or acquiescence to actively speaking against (repudiating) the sin, to intentionally making a declaration of freedom from the sin and iniquity from this day forth and forevermore. In Isaiah 58:5, God speaks through the prophet Isaiah concerning fasting. Is this not the fast that I have chosen? To loosen the bands of wickedness, to undue the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? And then again in Isaiah 60:1, the prophet declares His ministry (He declared it in Luke 4:18), by saying "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners; v2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, v3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified....So we can see from this that Jesus died on the cross to allow us to break the yoke of every agreement with the demonic realm. So when we renounce every sin and agreement with that demonic realm, we are coming into agreement with the will of God; God has declared His will for us in heaven, and He wants us to come into alignment with that will by our declarations and then actions of fruits of righteousness. Matthew 6:10, in the Lord's prayer, Jesus prayed "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." And in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. v12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. v13 And you will seek Me, and you will find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." While you are renouncing the sins you have participated in passively or actively, at the same time renounce word curses spoken knowingly or unknowingly over you. In many families people regularly speak word curses over each other; parents over children, grandparents over grandchildren, and siblings over each other. These curses have the effect of putting water on our fire, and are little arrows and barbs that constantly stick to our armor and spread satanic slime on us. Start agreeing with what God says about you, and not what your family tree has spoken about you! Again in Isaiah 61:6 But you will be called the priests of the Lord; You will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, in their riches you will boast. v7 Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs. If you will go through these steps with each of the sins you have acknowledged, you will find freedom. Jesus blood breaks every yoke! I took about 100 men at the prison through these steps two years ago in two marathon sessions, and as we got into confession, repentance, and renunciation I could just feel and see in the Spirit the demons were fleeing. I've never seen the guys drink so much water, the old bands of wickedness were being broken. Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set you free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Tomorrow we will look at how to hold onto our new found freedom and seal it up for all time. God bless each of you as you walk out the steps to freedom in your life, in Christ, Jim
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