“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Revelation 3:21)
I recently went to church at a truck stop chapel service in Eastern Nebraska. The people seemed nice; an older couple, who had been in the ministry for most of their lives, was ministering, and there was about seven of us in the “sanctuary.” It started off relatively well, with a few songs, and then we introduced ourselves. But what happened next was disturbing, to say the least. What was even more disturbing, however, was that the same scenario is repeating itself in many churches all over the world.
The minister began telling us that God has a “purpose” for everything, and that whatever happens in this world, He perpetrates, allows, and ordains for “His glory.” “God is in control of everything!” The preacher emphatically stated, and then continued in this vein even more passionately as the service progressed. Now I normally wouldn’t do this, but the Holy Spirit pressed me until I could take it no longer; I interrupted him and said, “Excuse me, but what you are saying is that our heavenly Father ordains and allows young children to be raped, molested and killed?” “Is this all for the glory of God?”
I then asked him if he understood what a “thief” was, and if he understood what Jesus meant when He stated that the thief comes to steal, and to kill and to destroy, but that He (Jesus) came to give life, and abundant life at that (John 10:10). I asked him if he knew who the thief actually was, if he knew who the “god of this world” was (II Corinthians 4:4), and if he knew who was actually “controlling” most of the activity in the earth.
Religion has rendered Christians ignorant and powerless, leaving them unarmed and defenseless in the face of a ruthless enemy that seeks to destroy our lives on this earth, and our eternal souls (Hosea 4:6, Mark 7:13). Religion has taught that “God has everything under control,” but this is a grievous lie. If it were true, then God is either wholly incompetent, or He is a brutal and sadistic thief, robber and murderer; it cannot be any other way, unless, of course, someone else is actually “in control.”
The truth is, because of the fall of Adam, Satan became the “god of this world” and is currently exercising authority, dominion and control throughout this world system which was given to him by Adam (Luke 4:6). He has a legal right to do so, as all of these things, and the people under his dominion all “belong to him.” Also, since he is an outlaw spirit, he will force his dominion even on those whom he has no legal right; those that have been bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ, if He can get away with it.
He will exercise this dominion unless he is stopped, by force. This force is the faith of the believer, standing on the authority of God’s Word, and using the weapons of the Kingdom (II Corinthians 10:3-4, Ephesians 6:12-18). Ultimately, it is the responsibility of every man to reign in life by Christ Jesus, and to overcome (Romans 5:17, Revelation 3:21); to keep the devil off of his territory, and to establish the will and purpose of God in his own sphere of influence and authority (Matthew 6:10, 16:19, Luke 10:19, 19:13).
Most people in the civilized countries have heard the message of the gospel, and know that Jesus went to the cross, died and rose again. Even if they don’t believe the message, they have still heard it. What most people don’t know, however, is what actually took place at the cross; in other words, what was accomplished. The totality of the knowledge of most believers is “Jesus died for our sins so that we could go to heaven and not hell when we die.” While this is true, it is so much more.
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8); He destroyed Satan’s legal claim to our lives in every facet. He gave us His armor, His weapons, and His name. He gave us power of attorney and made us ambassadors of His Kingdom so that we could bind Satan’s activities and establish the purposes of the Kingdom of God in the earth (Matthew 18:18). The purposes of the Kingdom are healing, restoration and wholeness in every area of our lives, and then we are to take this message to the whole world, proclaiming the power of the Kingdom through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15-18).
Many people will say of some tragic event, “Well, God has allowed this because He has brought good out of it!” “I never would have learned what I’ve learned if…” Yes, He may have taught you something out of it, but there is a better way to learn (Psalms 119:9, 11, Proverbs 4:1, 4-6). For example, if your child burned his hand on the stove, you would certainly take the opportunity to teach him something out of it too (Stoves are HOT; don’t touch them), but it doesn’t mean you caused it (If you did, you’re going to jail). How could your child have learned the lesson a better way? “Son, stoves are HOT!!” “DON’T TOUCH THEM!” “Ok, Mom, I won’t!” Lesson learned. This is reminiscent of another story long ago… “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree…” (Genesis 2:16-17)
God also speaks to His people on their level of knowledge. Speaking to a two-year old child who asks how an internal combustion engine (Automobile engine) operates, my answer would be, “It works; just trust me!” To a twenty-year old, I would explain fuel combustion, ignition, air mixture, etc. Just because you may not understand something, don’t reject it outright, and simply because you’ve heard God’s voice teaching you something out of your calamity, telling you “Trust me; I have a plan,” don’t resist going to a new level with Him. It could be the very person that walked into your church that day (and challenged your long-held theology), that God sent to give you the understanding that you need in order to fix the thing you’ve been praying about!
In the Old Testament, God mentioned very little about the devil because the people were not born-again, and therefore their ability to understand spiritual things was extremely limited (John 3:3). Because of this, God “took the blame” for many things that He was not ultimately responsible for; He still does this today. However, He expects us to mature in our understanding, and not remain infants (Hebrews 6:1-3).
An example of this principle in the Old Testament can be found in I Samuel 16:14. It is stated that an “evil spirit from the Lord” was sent to torment King Saul (I Samuel 16:14). But this is impossible, as Jesus stated that scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35), and that a house divided against a house would fall (Mark 3:22-26). God has no “evil” spirits, for one, and secondly, God sent David to play an instrument so that the evil spirit would flee (I Samuel 16:16, 23). Of course, scripturally speaking, God cannot “cast Himself out,” nor can David “cast out God.” The praises of God will still the enemy and the avenger (Psalms 8:2), not something that comes from God. This was an evil spirit that had gone forth from the presence of the Lord, after it had brought accusation against Saul (Similar to the lying spirit that went forth to deceive Ahab) (II Chronicles 18:18-22). Bible scripture becomes truth when rightly divided by the Spirit, not interpreted through natural reasoning and intellect (II Timothy 2:15, II Peter 1:20-21, 3:16). The Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and the devil took up residence, filling the void; this is a spiritual principle (Matthew 12:43-45).
When the disciples asked Jesus, “Who has sinned, this man or his parents?” Jesus replied, “Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest” (John 9:1-3). What we’ve heard is, “God created this man blind so He could heal Him and get glory!” But this would be no different than you breaking your child’s arm so that you can show him love and compassion by helping to fix it! “But He’s God; He has a right to do whatever He wants!” Alright, so God has a right to beat people up, kill, rape, maim, destroy families, cause calamities, tragedies and disasters, but at the same time inspire righteous governments to pass laws against these things, condemning them. So, in other words, God is a hypocrite (Romans 13:1-4).
No, God is just; He’s not a hypocrite. The people that do these things are criminals, and are arrested and placed in mental hospitals and prisons. Jesus wasn’t saying that neither the man nor his parents had ever sinned (for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God) (Romans 3:23). Instead, He was redirecting their focus, from the curse that came as a result of Adam’s fall, back to Him where it belonged. In essence He was saying, “Listen, the curse is here because Adam sinned and brought it into the earth, but I am here to do the works of God!” What are the works of God? Healing, wholeness, and restoration (Galatians 3:13).
Our growth in the things of God can be compared to a child that grows up and learns how to operate an automobile. As he matures, he gains power, authority, responsibility and freedom; he can do more and accomplish more with a car then he could with a bicycle. However, if he refuses to learn, Mom and Dad will still love him, but he stays on the bicycle! Why? Because he’ll hurt himself or others with the car; likewise, the person that grows in the understanding of spiritual things gains power, authority and responsibility. What is the power of the gospel? (Romans 1:16)What is the victory that overcomes the world? It is our faith! (I John 5:4)
When Jesus’ disciples could not cast the devil out of a boy, they went to Him about the matter; what did Jesus say? “Well, that’s not your fault, my precious child; I allowed that devil to have more power than you so I could teach you something; it’s all for my glory and your good, you know!” NO!!! He rebuked them for their unbelief (Matthew 17:19-21), and then He cast the devil out Himself. Religious people cringe when you tell them that God couldn’t do anything about a situation, or couldn’t prevent something bad from happening in someone’s life, but why should this be a surprise? Jesus could do no mighty work in His own home town, because of their unbelief, and the hardness of their hearts. It doesn’t say that He wouldn’t; it says that He couldn’t (Mark 6:5).
When Israel was defeated in battle at Ai (Joshua 7:1-5), Joshua didn’t say, “Well, maybe it isn’t God’s will that we win every battle!” No, he knew that Israel wasn’t supposed to be smitten before its enemies. He fell on his face before God, and God told him to stop complaining and to get up off the ground, “Israel has sinned!” There was a reason for the curse, and it was something that Israel had done that opened the door for it; once it was fixed, Israel was victorious again (Joshua 7:6-26).
In the days of King David, there was a famine in the land (II Samuel 21:1), but David didn’t accept it as “God’s will.” He knew the land should be blessed according to the promise of God (Deuteronomy 28:1-14), and so he sought the Lord. God told him that the curse was a result of an atrocity committed by his predecessor, King Saul, and He told David what needed to be done to fix it. David did what God said, and the famine abated. God never brought evil on any his people to “teach them something,” Evil and curses always came as a result of sin and disobedience. The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle James, admonished us in this matter, “Do not err…” (James 1:16)
Job got into fear; he operated and spoke this fear continually, and then added works to his fear by offering continual “sacrifices” to stave off something that “might” happen (Job 1:5). It opened a door for the devil to bring exactly what he had been believing and declaring (Job 3:25), and God was unable to do anything to stop it (Job 2:3). Throughout the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, God reveals His attitude towards fear and unbelief, and gives a final condemnation of these things in Revelation 21:8. He commands His people to be strong, fear not, and believe! Why? Because faith pleases God and enables Him to show Himself strong on our behalf, and to work in our lives (II Chronicles 16:9). Fear empowers the devil and allows him to steal, kill, and destroy.
Satan sifted Peter because Peter was filled with self-confidence and pride. He had something that belonged to the devil, and there was legal ground for him to challenge Peter’s pompous declaration, “Though all men forsake you, I will never…” (Matthew 26:33, Luke 22:31-34) Jesus didn’t “allow” it; in fact, He prayed for Peter, that his faith would not fail! Can you see that? Jesus prayed for Him! This also took place under Old Testament “rules,” as Jesus had not yet gone to the cross. Satan had a greater degree of authority before Jesus went to the cross (Colossians 2:15, I John 3:8). Don’t write these things off simply because your religious denomination doesn’t “believe this way;” have a humble heart before the Lord and search these things out to see if they are so (Acts 17:11). Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of your understanding (Ephesians 1:17-23).
Jesus told us that it is the truth that we know that will make us free, not the truth that we don’t know (John 8:32). Jesus spoke certain things that challenged the “theology” of many of His disciples, and many of them departed and walked no longer with Him (John 6:53-69). But those that truly hungered after the truth continued; let us be of those that press on to maturity, not of them who draw back into religious tradition and spiritual blindness (Hebrews 6:1-3, 10:39).
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Binding and Loosing
“Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18)
Many of us have not been under attack, but rather living under the attack of the devil, and for some it hasn’t been days, weeks or months, but years. In fact, in some instances it has been going on for so long that it is no longer recognized as an attack, but instead it has become a way of life that has been accepted as “normal.” It has become a stronghold. Some people have been trying everything they know to break the cycle of oppression and bondage in their lives only to get more frustrated as time goes on. The good news is that it may not be as difficult as you have thought.
A stronghold is something that has developed over a period of time, through some form of demonic, deceptive influence. They can exist in families and generational lines, cities, regions or nations; principalities and other ruling spirits can effectively stop a move of God and blind the minds of whole territories of people, if we don’t pray properly and exercise our God-given authority. That may not sound “religiously correct,” but it is true nonetheless (II Corinthians 4:4, Daniel 10:12-13). A stronghold is an area where the devil has gained a lasting influence, and he will guard it judiciously. However, Jesus has given us the keys of the Kingdom of heaven, and there is a key that will unlock whatever has been locked in our lives (Matthew 16:19). Binding and loosing is one of those keys.
Binding and loosing accomplishes exactly what Jesus said it would do; it binds things that are out of order with the will of God, and looses things that should be in operation. God has entrusted this authority and responsibility to all of His people, not leaving us defenseless in a spiritual battle. The devil is a spirit, and he employs spiritual pressure and influence over our lives; it is therefore important that we understand our spiritual authority through binding and loosing.
While it is true that not every problem in our lives is directly caused by the devil, it is also true that whatever the solution is, he will do his best to keep us in the dark about it through deception. Binding and loosing, many times, will break the deceptive influence in the situation, allowing us to see what is truly going on, and will release the grace of God into the situation (Romans 5:2). This enables us to walk in the freedom that Jesus paid for.
Many Christians have no idea that this type of authority even exists, and since many pastors and leaders don’t understand it themselves, they are unable or unwilling to teach it to their congregations. Others believe that this type of authority is for a select “few” preachers, ministers, “priests” or apostles, so of course that excludes them. Did you know that the devil will always tell you that you are part of the excluded majority that will not receive whatever it is that you desire from God? “Sure, God heals, but it’s not His will to heal YOU!” “Speaking in tongues are not for everyone!” (And of course you are the one that it’s “not for!”) But Jesus has freely given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
Some are afraid of spiritual things because they have encountered spiritual “flakes,” and have associated anything spiritual with people like that. It seems that many of our Spirit-filled churches are spawning grounds for such weirdos, but God doesn’t want us to be weird. He wants us to be firmly planted and rooted in the Word of God, which is the most practical and solid thing that exists in our universe (or any other for that matter). Binding and loosing is accomplished through faith, by issuing decrees (Job 22:28, Mark 11:23). There are times when we initiate this through simple faith in God’s written promises (His Word), and there are other times when we are moved by the Holy Spirit through the gift of faith, a supernatural impartation of the Spirit, and given the ability to believe what we would not normally be able to believe.
God has an established order for every system that He has created, whether it is a family, church, region or nation, and that order has been predetermined and set before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 2:10). It is our responsibility to hear from God and receive a “blueprint” of His plan, and begin to “call those things that be not as though they were” (Mark 11:24, Romans 4:17). In other words, what we see through the eyes of faith, we declare it as so until it is. This is what God did throughout all the Old Testament; through the mouth of all His prophets, He kept calling those things that were not as though they were (Speaking of the promised Messiah) (Luke 1:70, Acts 3:21). We declare by the words of our mouths, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9-10) We pray after this manner. We build the spiritual foundation this way (John 8:56, Matthew 16:28, Job 22:28, Romans 4:17), and we wield a weapon at the same time that we build, in order to keep the devil off the project (Genesis 15:11, Nehemiah 4:17).
I was at a truck stop last year near Seattle, Washington, and the parking lot was so full that I had to “create” a parking spot, blocking several trucks from getting out. I had arrived about five o’clock in the evening, and figured that if someone needed to leave sometime during the night, they would wake me up and I would move (a practice done periodically when truck stops are full). However, several hours later, a rather loud, demanding, and aggressive man got out of one of the trucks and knocked on my door. He told me that he was leaving at six o’clock in the morning, and that I needed to move my truck so he could get out. I informed him that since I was leaving at four o’clock, there would be no problem, and I would be out of his way before he had to leave. However, he adamantly insisted that I move immediately, but I calmly refused, and explained again to him that I would be gone first, and if for any reason he had to leave earlier, he could wake me up in the morning and I would move. The man became more agitated and stormed away from my truck.
This was only the beginning however, as he began to knock on the doors of other trucks, and one by one, the other drivers would get out of their trucks and comply with his demands. He was ordering them to move their trucks all over the lot (He was trying to rearrange the whole parking lot, I think), and it became mass confusion. I was amazed that so many were listening to him, however not all, and you could feel the atmosphere getting very tense among the drivers involved. It became apparent after about forty five minutes that a fight was becoming inevitable, and the situation was about to turn very ugly. Then suddenly, faith rose up in my heart, and I spoke to the spirit; “I bind you Satan!” “I bind the spirit of strife and contention in Jesus’ name!” Within five minutes, the atmosphere changed, and fifteen minutes later, everyone was back in their trucks. It was quiet and peaceful for the rest of the night, and what could have been a bad situation, was resolved in a moment of time (With no police, and no one going to jail).
These types of things touch every area of our lives; Satan uses deception in order to establish strongholds, and therefore when we bind his activities, not only are the evil spirits bound, but truth is released into the hearts of people to counter the deception that has been planted. God will open the eyes of our understanding in order for us to know what to do if there is further action required on our part. This is also true as we speak to mountains in our lives (Mark 11:22-24). As a result of our faith, the disorder in our lives will be revealed to us, and the grace of God will be released into the situation. Our faith will always go to the root of the issue (Mark 11:20).
Although these things are simple in concept, their application is not always easy, because many times it demands change on our part. With wisdom comes responsibility and accountability, and some things are so “rooted,” that the foundation must be completely destroyed and re-laid. This takes humility, effort, focus, diligence and patience on our part, and most importantly, faith. The mind must be renewed in order to think and believe the way that God thinks (Mark 4:14-20).
Binding and Loosing is one of the many weapons that we have at our disposal. Whatever it is that the God has told us to do, we can be sure that the devil will come down upon it and attempt to thwart the work, but God has given us all the tools that we need to be overcomers and more than conquerors in everything that we do for the Kingdom of God.
Many of us have not been under attack, but rather living under the attack of the devil, and for some it hasn’t been days, weeks or months, but years. In fact, in some instances it has been going on for so long that it is no longer recognized as an attack, but instead it has become a way of life that has been accepted as “normal.” It has become a stronghold. Some people have been trying everything they know to break the cycle of oppression and bondage in their lives only to get more frustrated as time goes on. The good news is that it may not be as difficult as you have thought.
A stronghold is something that has developed over a period of time, through some form of demonic, deceptive influence. They can exist in families and generational lines, cities, regions or nations; principalities and other ruling spirits can effectively stop a move of God and blind the minds of whole territories of people, if we don’t pray properly and exercise our God-given authority. That may not sound “religiously correct,” but it is true nonetheless (II Corinthians 4:4, Daniel 10:12-13). A stronghold is an area where the devil has gained a lasting influence, and he will guard it judiciously. However, Jesus has given us the keys of the Kingdom of heaven, and there is a key that will unlock whatever has been locked in our lives (Matthew 16:19). Binding and loosing is one of those keys.
Binding and loosing accomplishes exactly what Jesus said it would do; it binds things that are out of order with the will of God, and looses things that should be in operation. God has entrusted this authority and responsibility to all of His people, not leaving us defenseless in a spiritual battle. The devil is a spirit, and he employs spiritual pressure and influence over our lives; it is therefore important that we understand our spiritual authority through binding and loosing.
While it is true that not every problem in our lives is directly caused by the devil, it is also true that whatever the solution is, he will do his best to keep us in the dark about it through deception. Binding and loosing, many times, will break the deceptive influence in the situation, allowing us to see what is truly going on, and will release the grace of God into the situation (Romans 5:2). This enables us to walk in the freedom that Jesus paid for.
Many Christians have no idea that this type of authority even exists, and since many pastors and leaders don’t understand it themselves, they are unable or unwilling to teach it to their congregations. Others believe that this type of authority is for a select “few” preachers, ministers, “priests” or apostles, so of course that excludes them. Did you know that the devil will always tell you that you are part of the excluded majority that will not receive whatever it is that you desire from God? “Sure, God heals, but it’s not His will to heal YOU!” “Speaking in tongues are not for everyone!” (And of course you are the one that it’s “not for!”) But Jesus has freely given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
Some are afraid of spiritual things because they have encountered spiritual “flakes,” and have associated anything spiritual with people like that. It seems that many of our Spirit-filled churches are spawning grounds for such weirdos, but God doesn’t want us to be weird. He wants us to be firmly planted and rooted in the Word of God, which is the most practical and solid thing that exists in our universe (or any other for that matter). Binding and loosing is accomplished through faith, by issuing decrees (Job 22:28, Mark 11:23). There are times when we initiate this through simple faith in God’s written promises (His Word), and there are other times when we are moved by the Holy Spirit through the gift of faith, a supernatural impartation of the Spirit, and given the ability to believe what we would not normally be able to believe.
God has an established order for every system that He has created, whether it is a family, church, region or nation, and that order has been predetermined and set before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 2:10). It is our responsibility to hear from God and receive a “blueprint” of His plan, and begin to “call those things that be not as though they were” (Mark 11:24, Romans 4:17). In other words, what we see through the eyes of faith, we declare it as so until it is. This is what God did throughout all the Old Testament; through the mouth of all His prophets, He kept calling those things that were not as though they were (Speaking of the promised Messiah) (Luke 1:70, Acts 3:21). We declare by the words of our mouths, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9-10) We pray after this manner. We build the spiritual foundation this way (John 8:56, Matthew 16:28, Job 22:28, Romans 4:17), and we wield a weapon at the same time that we build, in order to keep the devil off the project (Genesis 15:11, Nehemiah 4:17).
I was at a truck stop last year near Seattle, Washington, and the parking lot was so full that I had to “create” a parking spot, blocking several trucks from getting out. I had arrived about five o’clock in the evening, and figured that if someone needed to leave sometime during the night, they would wake me up and I would move (a practice done periodically when truck stops are full). However, several hours later, a rather loud, demanding, and aggressive man got out of one of the trucks and knocked on my door. He told me that he was leaving at six o’clock in the morning, and that I needed to move my truck so he could get out. I informed him that since I was leaving at four o’clock, there would be no problem, and I would be out of his way before he had to leave. However, he adamantly insisted that I move immediately, but I calmly refused, and explained again to him that I would be gone first, and if for any reason he had to leave earlier, he could wake me up in the morning and I would move. The man became more agitated and stormed away from my truck.
This was only the beginning however, as he began to knock on the doors of other trucks, and one by one, the other drivers would get out of their trucks and comply with his demands. He was ordering them to move their trucks all over the lot (He was trying to rearrange the whole parking lot, I think), and it became mass confusion. I was amazed that so many were listening to him, however not all, and you could feel the atmosphere getting very tense among the drivers involved. It became apparent after about forty five minutes that a fight was becoming inevitable, and the situation was about to turn very ugly. Then suddenly, faith rose up in my heart, and I spoke to the spirit; “I bind you Satan!” “I bind the spirit of strife and contention in Jesus’ name!” Within five minutes, the atmosphere changed, and fifteen minutes later, everyone was back in their trucks. It was quiet and peaceful for the rest of the night, and what could have been a bad situation, was resolved in a moment of time (With no police, and no one going to jail).
These types of things touch every area of our lives; Satan uses deception in order to establish strongholds, and therefore when we bind his activities, not only are the evil spirits bound, but truth is released into the hearts of people to counter the deception that has been planted. God will open the eyes of our understanding in order for us to know what to do if there is further action required on our part. This is also true as we speak to mountains in our lives (Mark 11:22-24). As a result of our faith, the disorder in our lives will be revealed to us, and the grace of God will be released into the situation. Our faith will always go to the root of the issue (Mark 11:20).
Although these things are simple in concept, their application is not always easy, because many times it demands change on our part. With wisdom comes responsibility and accountability, and some things are so “rooted,” that the foundation must be completely destroyed and re-laid. This takes humility, effort, focus, diligence and patience on our part, and most importantly, faith. The mind must be renewed in order to think and believe the way that God thinks (Mark 4:14-20).
Binding and Loosing is one of the many weapons that we have at our disposal. Whatever it is that the God has told us to do, we can be sure that the devil will come down upon it and attempt to thwart the work, but God has given us all the tools that we need to be overcomers and more than conquerors in everything that we do for the Kingdom of God.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
God's Government
“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.” (Ephesians 2:20)
When Jesus came to the earth the first time, He was sent to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24); in other words, He was sent to His own people, the Jews. But His own “received Him not” (John 1:10-11). They rejected Him, not because they weren’t looking for and desiring the promised Messiah, but because they didn’t have an understanding of God’s government, and its method of operation.
Natural governments have established systems of authority that are recognized readily by men. For example, our military leaders and personnel wear uniforms which designate their rank and status, and men recognize them and give them honor. But the things of the Kingdom of God are spiritually discerned (I Corinthians 2:14).
In these last days, it is more important than ever to be able to discern and recognize God’s servants and authority structure, so that we can all come together in the unity of the faith through the operation of the Spirit (Ephesians 2:20-22, 4:13). Satan is working diligently to bring forth a counterfeit church with a counterfeit gospel, to prepare the world for the appearance of the antichrist and the culmination of the ages. The move to accept all “faiths,” is already under way, so that we can “all get along and be at peace,” and where “everyone cooperates, works together, and accepts one another.” It sounds wonderful, but it is vehemently opposed to scriptural truth. The sad thing is that many will be deceived into embracing this philosophy because they don’t recognize God’s government in operation. The masses will eventually flock to it (Daniel 11:21).
God is not all that interested in the world becoming a better place; in fact, Jesus Himself stated that He didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword (Mathew 10:34, Luke 12:51-53). A division between those that recognize and understand God’s government and those that don’t. God warned us that this world and its ways are perishing (I John 2:17), and will continue to get worse and worse; it is the false church that puts emphasis on this present, evil world.
Paul was an apostle, but He was not one of the original twelve that walked with Jesus when he was upon the earth. He was “born out of due time” (I Corinthians 15:8) on the road to Damascus, as he fervently persecuted and fought against the church. Jesus revealed Himself to him in a moment of time, and Paul immediately recognized His authority, “Who art thou Lord?” “What would you have me to do?” (Acts 9:5-6) Jesus didn’t send him to the Jerusalem Bible College after his conversion; in fact, the disciples had no idea what had happened to Saul of Tarsus. Instead, he was sent into the Arabian Desert to be taught by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 1:15-19).
When He returned to Jerusalem years later, the ruling authorities of the church didn’t ask for his credentials, but instead recognized the grace that was upon him (Galatians 2:9), and even though they were apostles first, they willingly received the grace and authority that was upon his life. In fact, at one point, Paul rebuked Peter to His face (Galatians 2:11-15), and Peter didn’t respond, “Listen Mister; I’m an apostle, and I walked with Jesus Himself! I’m the pastor in charge here; don’t come around here telling me what to do!” No, Peter didn’t do this because he recognized God’s authority upon Paul.
Many of our leaders today have their titles posted on their doors and walls, more so than even the Word of God (Deuteronomy 6:8-9, Matthew 23:5-8); they demand to be called of men, “Pastor, Pastor, Prophet, Prophet, teacher, teacher…” Because of either insecurity in their calling, or the fact that they’re not called at all. They persuade men through the use of such titles and compel them to acknowledge them as prominent authorities, not understanding that God’s government is recognized by its members; even the most simple among us. God is confronting this type of thing in these last days (Luke 3:5).
“Well, are titles wrong, Brother Tom?" Not necessarily; it all depends on motive and intent. If the purpose is flattery or pride, then yes, they’re wrong (Job 32:21-22, Matthew 23:8-10). If it’s to honor the office and the man in the office, with the intent of giving honor to God, then there’s nothing wrong with it (I Samuel 26:17, Acts 24:3). And there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging what God has made you. Paul stated on more than one occasion that he was an apostle, “Not of men but of God…” (Ephesians 1:1, Galatians 1:1, Colossians 1:1, I Timothy 1:1, II Timothy 1:1, Titus 1:1, I Peter 1:1, II Peter 1:1). But he never demanded that men call him “Apostle Paul,” for the purpose of exalting himself to a place of preeminence among God’s people (Ephesians 3:8, III John 1:9). Someone once said, “Some of us are more Catholic than the Catholics are!” This saying is true.
If we understand God’s government, then we will understand the boundary of our authority. Every believer has been called to a place of dominion, even if you are five years old and your domain only involves the family dog; God has given you authority over something. An apostle is not necessarily an apostle over every church or work of God. He is an apostle over the things that God has assigned to him, and these boundaries must be spiritually discerned.
King Uzziah became king of Judah when he was very young, and he did great things during his reign; he was righteous and pleasing to the Lord, and he reigned for fifty two years. God blessed him and made him to prosper. But in his strength, his heart was lifted up; he forgot his place of dominion and stepped into a place that belonged to another man. God struck him with leprosy for his infraction, and he remained a leper until the day of his death (II Chronicles 26:16-21).
King Josiah was also a righteous king before the Lord; in fact, he walked in the ways of David, earnestly pursuing after the heart of God (II Chronicles 34:2). But when he became strong, he forgot the boundary of his authority. He was warned by another man, who was also following God’s plan, to mind his own business, but he didn’t heed the warning and it cost him his life (II Chronicles 35:20-24). There have been great ministers that have died because they have veered from their path and have used their prominence and influence to publically criticize or attacked other ministries. God had tried to warn them, but their hearts were lifted up and they inadvertently came against a genuine move of God.
God commands us to reprove, rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine (II 4:1-2), and commands that we warn the unruly (I Thessalonians 5:14) (Ezekiel 33:7-9, Jeremiah23:28). Failure to do this will also bring God’s judgment. Saul lost his kingdom because he didn’t execute God’s righteous judgment upon a people that were appointed to death. “Well, how are we to know the difference?” We know by the Spirit.
The church of Jesus Christ is a living organism in the earth, and its structure and government highly organized and precise (Colossians 2:19). In these last days, the fullness of this will be realized before Jesus returns for His church (Ephesians 5:27). The world will not recognize us, but we will know one another by the Spirit (Daniel 12:10, II Corinthians 5:16).
When Jesus came to the earth the first time, He was sent to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24); in other words, He was sent to His own people, the Jews. But His own “received Him not” (John 1:10-11). They rejected Him, not because they weren’t looking for and desiring the promised Messiah, but because they didn’t have an understanding of God’s government, and its method of operation.
Natural governments have established systems of authority that are recognized readily by men. For example, our military leaders and personnel wear uniforms which designate their rank and status, and men recognize them and give them honor. But the things of the Kingdom of God are spiritually discerned (I Corinthians 2:14).
In these last days, it is more important than ever to be able to discern and recognize God’s servants and authority structure, so that we can all come together in the unity of the faith through the operation of the Spirit (Ephesians 2:20-22, 4:13). Satan is working diligently to bring forth a counterfeit church with a counterfeit gospel, to prepare the world for the appearance of the antichrist and the culmination of the ages. The move to accept all “faiths,” is already under way, so that we can “all get along and be at peace,” and where “everyone cooperates, works together, and accepts one another.” It sounds wonderful, but it is vehemently opposed to scriptural truth. The sad thing is that many will be deceived into embracing this philosophy because they don’t recognize God’s government in operation. The masses will eventually flock to it (Daniel 11:21).
God is not all that interested in the world becoming a better place; in fact, Jesus Himself stated that He didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword (Mathew 10:34, Luke 12:51-53). A division between those that recognize and understand God’s government and those that don’t. God warned us that this world and its ways are perishing (I John 2:17), and will continue to get worse and worse; it is the false church that puts emphasis on this present, evil world.
Paul was an apostle, but He was not one of the original twelve that walked with Jesus when he was upon the earth. He was “born out of due time” (I Corinthians 15:8) on the road to Damascus, as he fervently persecuted and fought against the church. Jesus revealed Himself to him in a moment of time, and Paul immediately recognized His authority, “Who art thou Lord?” “What would you have me to do?” (Acts 9:5-6) Jesus didn’t send him to the Jerusalem Bible College after his conversion; in fact, the disciples had no idea what had happened to Saul of Tarsus. Instead, he was sent into the Arabian Desert to be taught by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 1:15-19).
When He returned to Jerusalem years later, the ruling authorities of the church didn’t ask for his credentials, but instead recognized the grace that was upon him (Galatians 2:9), and even though they were apostles first, they willingly received the grace and authority that was upon his life. In fact, at one point, Paul rebuked Peter to His face (Galatians 2:11-15), and Peter didn’t respond, “Listen Mister; I’m an apostle, and I walked with Jesus Himself! I’m the pastor in charge here; don’t come around here telling me what to do!” No, Peter didn’t do this because he recognized God’s authority upon Paul.
Many of our leaders today have their titles posted on their doors and walls, more so than even the Word of God (Deuteronomy 6:8-9, Matthew 23:5-8); they demand to be called of men, “Pastor, Pastor, Prophet, Prophet, teacher, teacher…” Because of either insecurity in their calling, or the fact that they’re not called at all. They persuade men through the use of such titles and compel them to acknowledge them as prominent authorities, not understanding that God’s government is recognized by its members; even the most simple among us. God is confronting this type of thing in these last days (Luke 3:5).
“Well, are titles wrong, Brother Tom?" Not necessarily; it all depends on motive and intent. If the purpose is flattery or pride, then yes, they’re wrong (Job 32:21-22, Matthew 23:8-10). If it’s to honor the office and the man in the office, with the intent of giving honor to God, then there’s nothing wrong with it (I Samuel 26:17, Acts 24:3). And there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging what God has made you. Paul stated on more than one occasion that he was an apostle, “Not of men but of God…” (Ephesians 1:1, Galatians 1:1, Colossians 1:1, I Timothy 1:1, II Timothy 1:1, Titus 1:1, I Peter 1:1, II Peter 1:1). But he never demanded that men call him “Apostle Paul,” for the purpose of exalting himself to a place of preeminence among God’s people (Ephesians 3:8, III John 1:9). Someone once said, “Some of us are more Catholic than the Catholics are!” This saying is true.
If we understand God’s government, then we will understand the boundary of our authority. Every believer has been called to a place of dominion, even if you are five years old and your domain only involves the family dog; God has given you authority over something. An apostle is not necessarily an apostle over every church or work of God. He is an apostle over the things that God has assigned to him, and these boundaries must be spiritually discerned.
King Uzziah became king of Judah when he was very young, and he did great things during his reign; he was righteous and pleasing to the Lord, and he reigned for fifty two years. God blessed him and made him to prosper. But in his strength, his heart was lifted up; he forgot his place of dominion and stepped into a place that belonged to another man. God struck him with leprosy for his infraction, and he remained a leper until the day of his death (II Chronicles 26:16-21).
King Josiah was also a righteous king before the Lord; in fact, he walked in the ways of David, earnestly pursuing after the heart of God (II Chronicles 34:2). But when he became strong, he forgot the boundary of his authority. He was warned by another man, who was also following God’s plan, to mind his own business, but he didn’t heed the warning and it cost him his life (II Chronicles 35:20-24). There have been great ministers that have died because they have veered from their path and have used their prominence and influence to publically criticize or attacked other ministries. God had tried to warn them, but their hearts were lifted up and they inadvertently came against a genuine move of God.
God commands us to reprove, rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine (II 4:1-2), and commands that we warn the unruly (I Thessalonians 5:14) (Ezekiel 33:7-9, Jeremiah23:28). Failure to do this will also bring God’s judgment. Saul lost his kingdom because he didn’t execute God’s righteous judgment upon a people that were appointed to death. “Well, how are we to know the difference?” We know by the Spirit.
The church of Jesus Christ is a living organism in the earth, and its structure and government highly organized and precise (Colossians 2:19). In these last days, the fullness of this will be realized before Jesus returns for His church (Ephesians 5:27). The world will not recognize us, but we will know one another by the Spirit (Daniel 12:10, II Corinthians 5:16).
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Line in the Sand
“Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I give to them, even to the children of Israel.” (Joshua 1:2)
Have you ever noticed that there seems to be an invisible “line in the sand?” “Well, what are you saying, Brother Tom?” I’m talking about the area that God has been speaking to you about that you want to avoid, because when you go there everything around you seems to come “unglued,” yet you know that God has told you to cross it. You can go around it, over it, under it, or anywhere in between, but just don’t go there!
You may have good praise and worship at your church, and as long as you stay with your program; sing a few songs, get excited and praise the Lord, everything stays pretty much in order. But as soon as your worship team begins to step into new levels of worship, being led by the Spirit and operating in areas of the prophetic anointing, your musicians begin bickering and the finances of the church are attacked. You may have good prayer time, but then there is a place that you touch in the spirit where hidden things are revealed, mountains move and giants fall, but as soon as you go there, the people that love you the most suddenly can’t stand the sight of you! Your spouse and your staff will get angry with you and won’t even know why they’re angry. There is a line which the devil has drawn and said, “This far and no more!”
This line can be drawn in families, churches, communities and nations where the demonic principality assigned to the region has put a limit on what type of spiritual activity will be “allowed.” In areas that are dominated by a religious spirit, the devil may only allow you to have a certain number of people in your church, and the gifts of the Spirit may only operate to a certain degree. When you cross these lines, you find yourself in the fight of your life! You may have to step into new levels of prayer that cause some people to be uncomfortable; it may even challenge some of your own preconceived ideas. If you don’t believe in spiritual warfare, then you will by the time that you’re done.
When we cross these lines, Satan pulls out all the stops and attempts to intimidate us; “Remember what happened last time you did this; you almost lost your church!” he whispers in our ears. It’s alright to pray a little bit, but don’t pray in tongues, and if you do pray in tongues, don’t pray in strong, authoritative, and diverse tongues (I Corinthians 12:10, 28). It’s alright to read the Bible, just don’t actually believe it and act on it! Don’t declare it with unwavering faith and authority. You can even preach the Word, but just don’t preach it with authority!
Satan will also attack your home. You can talk with your spouse, and have a “nice” family discussion; you can go to movies, have fun with the kids, but just don’t have open communication about certain pivotal issues that will enable you to come together in agreement in faith and obedient action to what God has told you to do. Have you ever heard of Babel? Satan assigns demonic spirits to insure that communication about key issues never takes place in Christian homes.
These areas are called strongholds. They are areas in our lives, churches and ministries which the devil has garrisoned up and heavily guarded. He has commanded his demons, “If they get even close to these areas, attack and buffet them so viciously that they will retreat wounded, disillusioned and broken.” These are most often key areas that must be addressed in order to move forward in the things of God. The children of Israel had to face giants in order to enter into the promised land. But because they were unwilling to face these giants, that generation never entered (Numbers 13:31-33). Some of these lines have been drawn generations ago, and passed down to successive generations, where a family may never seem to be able to get past a particular problem (Exodus 20:5-6).
The Israelites were in bondage in Egypt, and although it wasn’t the most pleasant situation, their lives were relatively bearable. But when God sent Moses to deliverer them, Pharaoh laid upon them hard bondage (Exodus 5:1-23, Acts 7:17-19). He made their lives so miserable that the people came to a place where they didn’t care whether they were delivered or not. They even got angry with Moses and blamed it all on him. If it was up to the people, they would have retreated and stayed right where they were, content to remain slaves in the land of Egypt.
The Lord spoke unto Jeremiah the prophet and commanded him to warn a rebellious and stiff necked people to stop burning incense to foreign gods and worshipping idols (Jeremiah 44:15-19). But the people refused, and for a very interesting reason. They said, “Before we quit burning incense to the Queen of heaven, we had everything, and had no problems; but when we tried to obey God, everything went wrong!”
Why? Because the devil aggravated an already bad situation. The people brought the curse on themselves by violating God’s laws in the first place (Deuteronomy 27:26), and when they “repented,” they thought that things should turn around overnight, and without any opposition (Jeremiah 44:20-23). Satan attacked them with pressure and circumstances in order to deceive them into drawing back into their old ways instead of pressing on until their situation turned around. Many times things will seem to get worse before they will get better.
God told Adam, “Be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:28) His instructions were to move forward and build, and then the attack of the enemy came. The devil couldn’t get to Adam directly, and so he targeted his wife (Genesis 3:1-6). He wasn’t interested in the woman, but rather the authority that God had invested in the man. The devil used the influence of the woman in order to get to the man, and Adam said, “Sure honey, whatever you want!”
Men are forfeiting their God-given destinies and laying down their authority every day by putting their wives in charge. “Well, you know how it is; when Mama’s happy everyone’s happy!” “She’s the boss, you know!” No, she’s not the boss, and if Satan can get to you through your wife, he will attack her continually. You must drive him out of your garden. Ahab was the King of Israel at one point, but he was not a strong man, and his wife was domineering and controlling; she was also very wicked (I Kings 16:31). The situation was ripe for demonic influence and attack, and they wrought much evil in Israel, mostly under the influence of Jezebel. What you compromise to keep, you will lose in the end, and surrendering your authority will lead your family, church or ministry down a wrong and destructive path (Isaiah 3:12).
Satan will apply pressure to leaders through the very people that they lead in order to coerce them into compromise and disobedience. They’ll come at you like they did to Moses, “We’re unhappy!” “We’re tired of Manna; we want Quail!” “We don’t want to wait for a new Sunday school room, we want it now!” (Numbers 11:4-6). As they did with King Saul, many times the people will want to keep what God said to kill, and to kill what God said to save alive (I Samuel 15:24). But as a leader, you must know how to say, NO!
One of Satan’s greatest deceptions is to cause us to believe that we can compromise in certain areas for the sake of “peace,” be negligent in applying the principles of God’s Word, and that somehow it will all work out in the end. “God understands what you are going through!” The devil will whisper in your ear. But Jesus warned us that failure to diligently believe and act on His Word would bring crop failure and unfruitfulness (Mark 4:19, Matthew 13:22).
When we are under heavy fire and Satan is unleashing his attacks against us, his strategy is to cause us to lose sight of the focal point of our faith, whatever it is that precipitated the attack in the first place. He wants us to be so overwhelmed by the intensity of what he is throwing at us, that we lose sight of our focus and switch to a defensive mode rather than an offensive. Many times the oppression will break when we stop fighting where the devil wants us to fight and continue on the offensive. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil…” (Psalm 23:4) We are not to camp in the valley, but continue to walk through it! Satan wants us to camp with him.
God spoke to Joshua and commanded him to “Be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do…” (Joshua 1:7) Today God commands us to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10), so that we can possess territories, experience His blessings, and pass them on to the next generation. When we step across the unspoken lines and prevail, curses are broken and blessings are passed down to a thousand generations (Deuteronomy 7:9).
Have you ever noticed that there seems to be an invisible “line in the sand?” “Well, what are you saying, Brother Tom?” I’m talking about the area that God has been speaking to you about that you want to avoid, because when you go there everything around you seems to come “unglued,” yet you know that God has told you to cross it. You can go around it, over it, under it, or anywhere in between, but just don’t go there!
You may have good praise and worship at your church, and as long as you stay with your program; sing a few songs, get excited and praise the Lord, everything stays pretty much in order. But as soon as your worship team begins to step into new levels of worship, being led by the Spirit and operating in areas of the prophetic anointing, your musicians begin bickering and the finances of the church are attacked. You may have good prayer time, but then there is a place that you touch in the spirit where hidden things are revealed, mountains move and giants fall, but as soon as you go there, the people that love you the most suddenly can’t stand the sight of you! Your spouse and your staff will get angry with you and won’t even know why they’re angry. There is a line which the devil has drawn and said, “This far and no more!”
This line can be drawn in families, churches, communities and nations where the demonic principality assigned to the region has put a limit on what type of spiritual activity will be “allowed.” In areas that are dominated by a religious spirit, the devil may only allow you to have a certain number of people in your church, and the gifts of the Spirit may only operate to a certain degree. When you cross these lines, you find yourself in the fight of your life! You may have to step into new levels of prayer that cause some people to be uncomfortable; it may even challenge some of your own preconceived ideas. If you don’t believe in spiritual warfare, then you will by the time that you’re done.
When we cross these lines, Satan pulls out all the stops and attempts to intimidate us; “Remember what happened last time you did this; you almost lost your church!” he whispers in our ears. It’s alright to pray a little bit, but don’t pray in tongues, and if you do pray in tongues, don’t pray in strong, authoritative, and diverse tongues (I Corinthians 12:10, 28). It’s alright to read the Bible, just don’t actually believe it and act on it! Don’t declare it with unwavering faith and authority. You can even preach the Word, but just don’t preach it with authority!
Satan will also attack your home. You can talk with your spouse, and have a “nice” family discussion; you can go to movies, have fun with the kids, but just don’t have open communication about certain pivotal issues that will enable you to come together in agreement in faith and obedient action to what God has told you to do. Have you ever heard of Babel? Satan assigns demonic spirits to insure that communication about key issues never takes place in Christian homes.
These areas are called strongholds. They are areas in our lives, churches and ministries which the devil has garrisoned up and heavily guarded. He has commanded his demons, “If they get even close to these areas, attack and buffet them so viciously that they will retreat wounded, disillusioned and broken.” These are most often key areas that must be addressed in order to move forward in the things of God. The children of Israel had to face giants in order to enter into the promised land. But because they were unwilling to face these giants, that generation never entered (Numbers 13:31-33). Some of these lines have been drawn generations ago, and passed down to successive generations, where a family may never seem to be able to get past a particular problem (Exodus 20:5-6).
The Israelites were in bondage in Egypt, and although it wasn’t the most pleasant situation, their lives were relatively bearable. But when God sent Moses to deliverer them, Pharaoh laid upon them hard bondage (Exodus 5:1-23, Acts 7:17-19). He made their lives so miserable that the people came to a place where they didn’t care whether they were delivered or not. They even got angry with Moses and blamed it all on him. If it was up to the people, they would have retreated and stayed right where they were, content to remain slaves in the land of Egypt.
The Lord spoke unto Jeremiah the prophet and commanded him to warn a rebellious and stiff necked people to stop burning incense to foreign gods and worshipping idols (Jeremiah 44:15-19). But the people refused, and for a very interesting reason. They said, “Before we quit burning incense to the Queen of heaven, we had everything, and had no problems; but when we tried to obey God, everything went wrong!”
Why? Because the devil aggravated an already bad situation. The people brought the curse on themselves by violating God’s laws in the first place (Deuteronomy 27:26), and when they “repented,” they thought that things should turn around overnight, and without any opposition (Jeremiah 44:20-23). Satan attacked them with pressure and circumstances in order to deceive them into drawing back into their old ways instead of pressing on until their situation turned around. Many times things will seem to get worse before they will get better.
God told Adam, “Be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:28) His instructions were to move forward and build, and then the attack of the enemy came. The devil couldn’t get to Adam directly, and so he targeted his wife (Genesis 3:1-6). He wasn’t interested in the woman, but rather the authority that God had invested in the man. The devil used the influence of the woman in order to get to the man, and Adam said, “Sure honey, whatever you want!”
Men are forfeiting their God-given destinies and laying down their authority every day by putting their wives in charge. “Well, you know how it is; when Mama’s happy everyone’s happy!” “She’s the boss, you know!” No, she’s not the boss, and if Satan can get to you through your wife, he will attack her continually. You must drive him out of your garden. Ahab was the King of Israel at one point, but he was not a strong man, and his wife was domineering and controlling; she was also very wicked (I Kings 16:31). The situation was ripe for demonic influence and attack, and they wrought much evil in Israel, mostly under the influence of Jezebel. What you compromise to keep, you will lose in the end, and surrendering your authority will lead your family, church or ministry down a wrong and destructive path (Isaiah 3:12).
Satan will apply pressure to leaders through the very people that they lead in order to coerce them into compromise and disobedience. They’ll come at you like they did to Moses, “We’re unhappy!” “We’re tired of Manna; we want Quail!” “We don’t want to wait for a new Sunday school room, we want it now!” (Numbers 11:4-6). As they did with King Saul, many times the people will want to keep what God said to kill, and to kill what God said to save alive (I Samuel 15:24). But as a leader, you must know how to say, NO!
One of Satan’s greatest deceptions is to cause us to believe that we can compromise in certain areas for the sake of “peace,” be negligent in applying the principles of God’s Word, and that somehow it will all work out in the end. “God understands what you are going through!” The devil will whisper in your ear. But Jesus warned us that failure to diligently believe and act on His Word would bring crop failure and unfruitfulness (Mark 4:19, Matthew 13:22).
When we are under heavy fire and Satan is unleashing his attacks against us, his strategy is to cause us to lose sight of the focal point of our faith, whatever it is that precipitated the attack in the first place. He wants us to be so overwhelmed by the intensity of what he is throwing at us, that we lose sight of our focus and switch to a defensive mode rather than an offensive. Many times the oppression will break when we stop fighting where the devil wants us to fight and continue on the offensive. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil…” (Psalm 23:4) We are not to camp in the valley, but continue to walk through it! Satan wants us to camp with him.
God spoke to Joshua and commanded him to “Be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do…” (Joshua 1:7) Today God commands us to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10), so that we can possess territories, experience His blessings, and pass them on to the next generation. When we step across the unspoken lines and prevail, curses are broken and blessings are passed down to a thousand generations (Deuteronomy 7:9).
Monday, October 24, 2011
Traditions of Men
“Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” (Mark 7:13)
I have discovered that some of the greatest enemies to preaching the gospel are right in many of our churches. These enemies are cleverly disguised, but yet quite effective in preventing the move of the Holy Spirit and the operation of His gifts. Satan isn’t really all that concerned if we get together and have church, hear some preaching, sing a few songs and then go home, as long as we don’t operate in the power and revelation of the Spirit.
Religious tradition is one of Satan’s greatest weapons against strong, local churches. He perpetrates religious ideologies and doctrine so that he can work unhindered in the lives of believers, and to repel those that have any common sense. Even a sinner wants to be free, but if you tell a religious person that they can be free, they’ll want to kill you!
Satan has believers resigning themselves to things that he has brought into their lives, thinking those things are “the will of God,” when they are not the will of God at all. He destroys marriages, and divides families and churches; he inflicts believers with sicknesses and diseases, and keeps a yoke of poverty and shame upon many of our lives because of a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).
There’s an old argument that God is sovereign and all powerful, but yet at the same time highly incompetent, negligent, cruel and malicious, or He is not sovereign at all. The reasoning is that there can be no other logical explanation for the cruelty and injustice in the world and in the church. There is, however, another explanation, of course, and Jesus has revealed it to us in His Word. The Word of God reveals that God is indeed sovereign, however, in His sovereignty He has chosen to delegate authority and responsibility to men (John 20:21, Mark 13:34, Luke 10:19).
Adam was created in the image of God, and he was created perfect. God gave him dominion over all the earth and everything in it, and he became the ruler, or “god” of this world (Genesis 1:26). Satan lied to Eve and told her that she could become like God, but she already was, for they were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27, 3:5). She believed the lie, and Adam went along with it. God had given Adam authority, but he gave what God gave him over it to the devil through disobedience, and because of this, Satan became the “god of this world” (II Corinthians 4:4).
Jesus destroyed Satan’s power and stripped him of his authority when He went to the cross and rose again, and gave authority to every believer (Hebrews 2:14). He gave us authority over sin, and over the devil and all of his works. We have been redeemed from sickness and disease, destruction and calamity, premature death and poverty, if we only believe and act on what God has said in His Word.
Religion has taught that we have “no guarantee of tomorrow,” but this is part of the curse, not the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14), and is only true for the unbeliever, not the believer. We have surety of long life (Deuteronomy 28:66, Psalm 91:16). We must know our rights, or Satan will take advantage of our ignorance.
Satan is not a law-abiding spirit, and he will continue to cause trouble unless he is apprehended by a born-again believer through faith, standing steadfast on the Word of God. It is upon the rock of the revelation of Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, that the gates of hell will not prevail against, not religious tradition (Matthew 16:13-18).
Religious traditions come in many different forms. For example, the devil would rather have us kissing a Bible rather than reading it. He would rather have us saying nice, dinner and bedtime prayers that make everyone feel good, rather than speaking the Word of God in faith. He would rather have us believing that something is “just the will of God,” and therefore doing nothing about it, rather than believing the truth and standing firm on the promises of God.
“Well Brother Tom, are you preaching that we should never have any problems and float through life on a bed of ease?” The truth is, if you live by faith, you’ll have more attacks and problems then you have ever had in your life because Satan will attempt to discourage you and cause you to quit. He will seek to steal the Word of God out of your heart in order to cause you to become unfruitful (Mark 4:14-20). But in all of these things we are more than conquerors! (Romans 8:37) A person who lives by faith will overcome and be victorious over every attack, problem and opposition (Psalms 34:19, Revelation 3:5, 12, 21).
Religious tradition has been around for a long time; in fact, it was alive and well back in Jesus’ time, and He had much to say about it. It was so prevalent in His hometown that He, Jesus the Son of God, could do no mighty work! (Mark 6:4-16) It doesn’t say He wouldn’t, it says He couldn’t! Jesus had compassion on the sinner but had no mercy for those who were religious. Religious spirits are the worst kind of evil, for they appear righteous before men but their hearts are far from God. For this reason they are dangerous, because men do not discern their treachery (Matthew 23:27).
God desires to reveal the fullness of His glory to His people, and He wants us to live victoriously and whole. Religious traditions can deeply frustrate this desire (Galatians 2:21). He desires us to know Him and be free from every satanic bondage and oppression; to serve Him without fear all the days of our lives (Luke 1:74-75). But we must know, believe, speak and act on what God has actually said in order for His promises to manifest in our lives (Romans 5:2).
I have discovered that some of the greatest enemies to preaching the gospel are right in many of our churches. These enemies are cleverly disguised, but yet quite effective in preventing the move of the Holy Spirit and the operation of His gifts. Satan isn’t really all that concerned if we get together and have church, hear some preaching, sing a few songs and then go home, as long as we don’t operate in the power and revelation of the Spirit.
Religious tradition is one of Satan’s greatest weapons against strong, local churches. He perpetrates religious ideologies and doctrine so that he can work unhindered in the lives of believers, and to repel those that have any common sense. Even a sinner wants to be free, but if you tell a religious person that they can be free, they’ll want to kill you!
Satan has believers resigning themselves to things that he has brought into their lives, thinking those things are “the will of God,” when they are not the will of God at all. He destroys marriages, and divides families and churches; he inflicts believers with sicknesses and diseases, and keeps a yoke of poverty and shame upon many of our lives because of a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).
There’s an old argument that God is sovereign and all powerful, but yet at the same time highly incompetent, negligent, cruel and malicious, or He is not sovereign at all. The reasoning is that there can be no other logical explanation for the cruelty and injustice in the world and in the church. There is, however, another explanation, of course, and Jesus has revealed it to us in His Word. The Word of God reveals that God is indeed sovereign, however, in His sovereignty He has chosen to delegate authority and responsibility to men (John 20:21, Mark 13:34, Luke 10:19).
Adam was created in the image of God, and he was created perfect. God gave him dominion over all the earth and everything in it, and he became the ruler, or “god” of this world (Genesis 1:26). Satan lied to Eve and told her that she could become like God, but she already was, for they were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27, 3:5). She believed the lie, and Adam went along with it. God had given Adam authority, but he gave what God gave him over it to the devil through disobedience, and because of this, Satan became the “god of this world” (II Corinthians 4:4).
Jesus destroyed Satan’s power and stripped him of his authority when He went to the cross and rose again, and gave authority to every believer (Hebrews 2:14). He gave us authority over sin, and over the devil and all of his works. We have been redeemed from sickness and disease, destruction and calamity, premature death and poverty, if we only believe and act on what God has said in His Word.
Religion has taught that we have “no guarantee of tomorrow,” but this is part of the curse, not the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14), and is only true for the unbeliever, not the believer. We have surety of long life (Deuteronomy 28:66, Psalm 91:16). We must know our rights, or Satan will take advantage of our ignorance.
Satan is not a law-abiding spirit, and he will continue to cause trouble unless he is apprehended by a born-again believer through faith, standing steadfast on the Word of God. It is upon the rock of the revelation of Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, that the gates of hell will not prevail against, not religious tradition (Matthew 16:13-18).
Religious traditions come in many different forms. For example, the devil would rather have us kissing a Bible rather than reading it. He would rather have us saying nice, dinner and bedtime prayers that make everyone feel good, rather than speaking the Word of God in faith. He would rather have us believing that something is “just the will of God,” and therefore doing nothing about it, rather than believing the truth and standing firm on the promises of God.
“Well Brother Tom, are you preaching that we should never have any problems and float through life on a bed of ease?” The truth is, if you live by faith, you’ll have more attacks and problems then you have ever had in your life because Satan will attempt to discourage you and cause you to quit. He will seek to steal the Word of God out of your heart in order to cause you to become unfruitful (Mark 4:14-20). But in all of these things we are more than conquerors! (Romans 8:37) A person who lives by faith will overcome and be victorious over every attack, problem and opposition (Psalms 34:19, Revelation 3:5, 12, 21).
Religious tradition has been around for a long time; in fact, it was alive and well back in Jesus’ time, and He had much to say about it. It was so prevalent in His hometown that He, Jesus the Son of God, could do no mighty work! (Mark 6:4-16) It doesn’t say He wouldn’t, it says He couldn’t! Jesus had compassion on the sinner but had no mercy for those who were religious. Religious spirits are the worst kind of evil, for they appear righteous before men but their hearts are far from God. For this reason they are dangerous, because men do not discern their treachery (Matthew 23:27).
God desires to reveal the fullness of His glory to His people, and He wants us to live victoriously and whole. Religious traditions can deeply frustrate this desire (Galatians 2:21). He desires us to know Him and be free from every satanic bondage and oppression; to serve Him without fear all the days of our lives (Luke 1:74-75). But we must know, believe, speak and act on what God has actually said in order for His promises to manifest in our lives (Romans 5:2).
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Honoring the King
“A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear…?” (Malachi 1:6)
There is something that has been on my heart as I travel to different places and have the opportunity to visit various churches and places of worship. It appears that, in our zealousness to free ourselves from religious bondage, we have become so “free” that we have forgotten who we are and why God gave us the freedom that He has given us.
Eli was God’s leader in Israel at the time of the Prophet Samuel’s birth, and God judged him severely for his casualness toward the things of God. In fact, the judgment was so severe that there would be no forgiveness for Eli or his descendants forever (I Samuel 3:14). What was it that provoked God to such a degree? It was because there was no respect for the holy things that God had entrusted to him. Eli was more concerned with what other people thought, specifically his sons, then what God thought (I Samuel 2:29). He was gluttonous and lazy, and had no backbone to stand up and confront disorder in his camp.
Today, as you walk into churches, you will find church leaders dressed in blue jeans on Sunday morning with their feet propped up on chairs, men with earrings and jewelry sticking out of their faces, and carnal and unclean spirits all over everything. Coffee and food is served, and then brought into the sanctuary while the service is going on (I Corinthians 11:22, 34). If a pastor dare confront these things, he is immediately accused of being “religious,” or “legalistic.”
My friend, listen to me carefully, honoring the things of God and the office of God is not being religious. It is demonstrating a heart condition, just as we would present ourselves honorable before a head of state (Malachi 1:8).
The believers at Corinth were one of the “freest” groups of Christians in the New Testament, but was God well pleased with their freedom? “After all, it’s really just bread and wine; if you’re hungry just fill up on the communion bread, and if you’re thirsty, fill up on the wine!” “David ate the showbread when he was hungry so don’t be legalistic!” (Mark 2:25-26) Well, they did eat all right, and they drank till they were drunken, but did God commend them?” No, many of them died and others were sick; they brought a curse upon themselves for disrespecting the things of God (I Corinthians 11:30).
There’s nothing wrong with wearing blue jeans to church if that’s the best you have, but when it’s in the power of our hand to offer God our best, and we’re just too lazy or cheap, then we are giving Him a corrupt offering which He will reject (Genesis 4:4-5, Malachi 1:7, 14).
Honor is not something that we simply carry around in our hearts, but rather it is demonstrated by the things that we say and do. There’s more honor and respect for God in some of the churches that we condemn than there is in many of our own “Spirit-filled” churches. There’s an old saying that “If you get a Catholic born again, he’ll be the most faithful one in the church!” There is an element of truth to this statement, because as much as mainline denominations are ridiculed for being “religious” and “legalistic,” they are also taught to honor the things of God. They may not understand why, but they know you’re supposed to respect it. There’s a holy fear when many of them walk into their churches.
God will judge us much harsher because we have been given much, and to him whom much is given, much shall be required (Luke 12:48). We have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come, and yet at times we handle these things carelessly (Hebrews 6:5, Jeremiah 48:10). Am I suggesting that we condemn the man that comes into the church with long hair, blue jeans and earrings? No, absolutely not, for God has received him. However, after a year or so, and he has matured and been accepted on the usher team, then it may be time for him to put away certain worldly things, and time for church leadership to help lead him in this direction.
Many of the things we now deem “legalistic” are still very important to God when done with the right heart. Setting aside a day of worship unto the Lord, tithing and giving offerings, the way we dress and carry ourselves and the length of our hair for men; these things speak volumes to others, and they also reveal the condition of our hearts. God says, “Them that honor me, I will honor…” (I Samuel 2:30)
It is important to remember that God has given us liberty as a blessing to us, and to serve others, not as an occasion to the flesh (Galatians 5:13). This is also true of our nation, the United States of America. God gave us liberty and made us strong so that we could bless Israel and preach the gospel throughout all the nations of the world, and be an example to other nations. He didn’t give us freedom so that we could consume it upon the lusts of our flesh and neglect the very purpose that he gave it to us for.
God has called us to holiness, to be set apart for Him. He is a jealous God and wants our very best (Deuteronomy 4:24, Malachi 1:14). I feel compelled to mention that God is not looking for the best, but He is looking for our best; if we give Him our best, He will make up whatever may be lacking through grace and mercy.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Power from Heaven
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
One of the subjects that have brought much contention to the body of Christ is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. This is intriguing because scripture is rather clear on the issue. However, I have discovered over the years that deception in this area is rampant in the body of Christ.
The early church had no such issues as to whether the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues was a valid thing for every born-again believer. Much of the Apostle Paul’s admonitions to the churches were in regard to the use and operation of spiritual gifts, not the validity of their existence or availability.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit or “infilling” has been thought of as an optional, “additional” experience subsequent to salvation that God desires His people to have. However, being filled with the Spirit and speaking in other tongues is not a suggestion, but rather a commandment (Acts 1:4, Luke 24:49, Ephesians 5:18-19, Jude 1:20, Ephesians 6:18). God has not given us a choice in the matter, but rather this thinking is a position that many of us have assumed as a result of religious teaching and ideas that have no true scriptural foundation. In fact, God strongly condemns those that would oppose the working of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:24-32, I Thessalonians 5:19).
“Well, Brother Tom, I am filled with the Spirit!” “I feel the Holy Spirit working in my life all the time; I don’t need tongues!” If this is your position, then I would have to ask you, when did you become an authority on what you need? God spoke to Job out of the whirlwind… “Who is this that darkeneth counsel with words without knowledge?” “Gird up your loins like a man, and I will demand of you!” “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” “Declare if you have understanding!” “Do you know the ordinances of heaven?” “Can you set the dominion thereof in the earth?” (Job 38:1-41). Do you know all these things? If your answer is no to these questions, then you need to speak in tongues so the Holy Spirit can pray through you the things that He knows and you don’t! (Romans 8:26-27)
The Apostle Paul had multiple visions from the Lord (II Corinthians 12:1-6); he was caught up to heaven, and yet he declared, “I speak in tongues more than you all!” (I Corinthians 14:18) Even with the degree of revelation that He had received from God, Paul still didn’t know how to pray as he ought (Romans 8:26). A person who rejects speaking in tongues frustrates the Holy Spirit because God cannot do what He wants to do in their life, nor can He accomplish what he wants to do through that person in regard to other believers, the church, and those around them.
God commands every believer to put on the whole armor of God, which includes praying in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18). We are also admonished to pray in the Spirit for other believers, and if we are not doing this, we are not operating in the perfect will of God, it’s really that simple. Do we always know what is going on in the lives and hearts of others? How can we pray effectively and obey this command without speaking in tongues?
“Well, my pastor doesn’t believe in that!” But God is not asking you what your pastor believes; He wants to know what you believe! (Matthew 16:15) “But what would my family say?” Jesus said, “He that loves father or mother, son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37). Brother Tom, are you saying that if I don’t pray in tongues that I’m going to hell?
Well, I suppose it would depend on why you don’t speak in tongues. If we reject the Holy Spirit in order to please men rather than obey God, and only obey the parts of the Bible that are convenient to us and those around us, then we will have to give an account for this. Teachers and leaders will be judged by an even stricter standard (James 3:1), and if a person continues to teach and preach false doctrine after he knows better, then he stands condemned (Titus 3:10-11, Galatians 1:6-9).
Satan has gone to extremes in order to keep people in ignorance, fear, and unbelief in this area. The reason is simple; Jesus said, “You shall be endued with power from on high!” (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8) Does Satan want us to have power? NO! This miracle-working power will destroy the devil’s operations and interfere with his ability to dominate and control our lives and the lives of others around us. Of course he doesn’t like this, and he also knows that praying in tongues is a portal into other spiritual things that come out of heaven, such as the gifts of the Spirit.
When we pray in the Spirit, it’s like charging a battery, and likewise, being “filled” with the spirit is not a one-time event (Jude 1:20), any more than filling the gas tank in our car is a one-time event. We not only charge ourselves so that we are filled with power, but we pray mysteries and secrets (I Corinthians 14:2), the perfect will of God into the earth. Satan cannot understand what we are saying, and therefore his ability to hinder and launch counterattacks is limited. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit has never prayed a prayer of unbelief, nor has He ever prayed selfishly. In other words, everything He prays comes to pass.
I was recently reading a book written by another believer in which he shared the testimony of a man that God had miraculously healed in a church service. The man had been crippled for many years, but he had heard about the power of God that had operated at a certain Pentecostal church. He had also been warned about these “tongue-talkers” by his pastor. Well, he decided to go anyway, and during the service came forward for prayer. The power of God came upon him and he was miraculously healed.
He was so happy, of course, that he went around telling everyone about it; he even went to his pastor, and said, “Pastor, I thought you told me that this couldn’t happen!” “I thought you told me that these tongue-talkers were a fraud!” “But look at me, I’m healed!” But the pastor replied, “That’s right, it can’t happen; the devil healed you!” Then his pastor sat him down, and within a couple of hours had him convinced that he had been deceived, and that he needed to repent of allowing the devil to “heal” him. Sadly, the man “repented,” and within a couple days the man was crippled again, but he was worse than he had ever been. The minister who had written the book said that he had seen him years later, living on the street, a crippled mess. Did God punish him? NO! The man opened the door to the devil through unbelief, and left God “standing outside;” this man believed the lie of the devil. In fact, Jesus said that when an evil spirit leaves a man, he will seek re-entrance, and if it is granted, he will take seven more spirits more wicked than himself and the last state of that man will be worse than it was in the beginning (Luke 11:24-26).
Satan will whisper to believers, “Tongues have passed away,” or, “It’s not for every born-again believer,” or that tongues come from him. He employs the same tactic with healing, “Sure, God heals, but it’s not His will to heal you!” I’ve never met a person that prayed in tongues that believed that it was not for every believer. All those that believe this are the ones that don’t speak with tongues.
If you are reading this today, and you are not filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, pleased do not let this message offend you. Instead, allow it to ignite new hope on the inside of you, an excitement and anticipation of what lies ahead, that there is something more that God wants to give you!
It is certain that God will withhold no good thing from them who walk uprightly (Psalms 84:11). The ability to pray and speak in tongues opens up a whole new dimension of intimacy with God that would never be possible without it. We must be wise and understanding regarding the will of the Lord, and not to be fooled by the devil (Ephesians 5:17).
One of the subjects that have brought much contention to the body of Christ is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. This is intriguing because scripture is rather clear on the issue. However, I have discovered over the years that deception in this area is rampant in the body of Christ.
The early church had no such issues as to whether the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues was a valid thing for every born-again believer. Much of the Apostle Paul’s admonitions to the churches were in regard to the use and operation of spiritual gifts, not the validity of their existence or availability.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit or “infilling” has been thought of as an optional, “additional” experience subsequent to salvation that God desires His people to have. However, being filled with the Spirit and speaking in other tongues is not a suggestion, but rather a commandment (Acts 1:4, Luke 24:49, Ephesians 5:18-19, Jude 1:20, Ephesians 6:18). God has not given us a choice in the matter, but rather this thinking is a position that many of us have assumed as a result of religious teaching and ideas that have no true scriptural foundation. In fact, God strongly condemns those that would oppose the working of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:24-32, I Thessalonians 5:19).
“Well, Brother Tom, I am filled with the Spirit!” “I feel the Holy Spirit working in my life all the time; I don’t need tongues!” If this is your position, then I would have to ask you, when did you become an authority on what you need? God spoke to Job out of the whirlwind… “Who is this that darkeneth counsel with words without knowledge?” “Gird up your loins like a man, and I will demand of you!” “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” “Declare if you have understanding!” “Do you know the ordinances of heaven?” “Can you set the dominion thereof in the earth?” (Job 38:1-41). Do you know all these things? If your answer is no to these questions, then you need to speak in tongues so the Holy Spirit can pray through you the things that He knows and you don’t! (Romans 8:26-27)
The Apostle Paul had multiple visions from the Lord (II Corinthians 12:1-6); he was caught up to heaven, and yet he declared, “I speak in tongues more than you all!” (I Corinthians 14:18) Even with the degree of revelation that He had received from God, Paul still didn’t know how to pray as he ought (Romans 8:26). A person who rejects speaking in tongues frustrates the Holy Spirit because God cannot do what He wants to do in their life, nor can He accomplish what he wants to do through that person in regard to other believers, the church, and those around them.
God commands every believer to put on the whole armor of God, which includes praying in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18). We are also admonished to pray in the Spirit for other believers, and if we are not doing this, we are not operating in the perfect will of God, it’s really that simple. Do we always know what is going on in the lives and hearts of others? How can we pray effectively and obey this command without speaking in tongues?
“Well, my pastor doesn’t believe in that!” But God is not asking you what your pastor believes; He wants to know what you believe! (Matthew 16:15) “But what would my family say?” Jesus said, “He that loves father or mother, son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37). Brother Tom, are you saying that if I don’t pray in tongues that I’m going to hell?
Well, I suppose it would depend on why you don’t speak in tongues. If we reject the Holy Spirit in order to please men rather than obey God, and only obey the parts of the Bible that are convenient to us and those around us, then we will have to give an account for this. Teachers and leaders will be judged by an even stricter standard (James 3:1), and if a person continues to teach and preach false doctrine after he knows better, then he stands condemned (Titus 3:10-11, Galatians 1:6-9).
Satan has gone to extremes in order to keep people in ignorance, fear, and unbelief in this area. The reason is simple; Jesus said, “You shall be endued with power from on high!” (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8) Does Satan want us to have power? NO! This miracle-working power will destroy the devil’s operations and interfere with his ability to dominate and control our lives and the lives of others around us. Of course he doesn’t like this, and he also knows that praying in tongues is a portal into other spiritual things that come out of heaven, such as the gifts of the Spirit.
When we pray in the Spirit, it’s like charging a battery, and likewise, being “filled” with the spirit is not a one-time event (Jude 1:20), any more than filling the gas tank in our car is a one-time event. We not only charge ourselves so that we are filled with power, but we pray mysteries and secrets (I Corinthians 14:2), the perfect will of God into the earth. Satan cannot understand what we are saying, and therefore his ability to hinder and launch counterattacks is limited. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit has never prayed a prayer of unbelief, nor has He ever prayed selfishly. In other words, everything He prays comes to pass.
I was recently reading a book written by another believer in which he shared the testimony of a man that God had miraculously healed in a church service. The man had been crippled for many years, but he had heard about the power of God that had operated at a certain Pentecostal church. He had also been warned about these “tongue-talkers” by his pastor. Well, he decided to go anyway, and during the service came forward for prayer. The power of God came upon him and he was miraculously healed.
He was so happy, of course, that he went around telling everyone about it; he even went to his pastor, and said, “Pastor, I thought you told me that this couldn’t happen!” “I thought you told me that these tongue-talkers were a fraud!” “But look at me, I’m healed!” But the pastor replied, “That’s right, it can’t happen; the devil healed you!” Then his pastor sat him down, and within a couple of hours had him convinced that he had been deceived, and that he needed to repent of allowing the devil to “heal” him. Sadly, the man “repented,” and within a couple days the man was crippled again, but he was worse than he had ever been. The minister who had written the book said that he had seen him years later, living on the street, a crippled mess. Did God punish him? NO! The man opened the door to the devil through unbelief, and left God “standing outside;” this man believed the lie of the devil. In fact, Jesus said that when an evil spirit leaves a man, he will seek re-entrance, and if it is granted, he will take seven more spirits more wicked than himself and the last state of that man will be worse than it was in the beginning (Luke 11:24-26).
Satan will whisper to believers, “Tongues have passed away,” or, “It’s not for every born-again believer,” or that tongues come from him. He employs the same tactic with healing, “Sure, God heals, but it’s not His will to heal you!” I’ve never met a person that prayed in tongues that believed that it was not for every believer. All those that believe this are the ones that don’t speak with tongues.
If you are reading this today, and you are not filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, pleased do not let this message offend you. Instead, allow it to ignite new hope on the inside of you, an excitement and anticipation of what lies ahead, that there is something more that God wants to give you!
It is certain that God will withhold no good thing from them who walk uprightly (Psalms 84:11). The ability to pray and speak in tongues opens up a whole new dimension of intimacy with God that would never be possible without it. We must be wise and understanding regarding the will of the Lord, and not to be fooled by the devil (Ephesians 5:17).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
