If you are a believer, why aren’t you “all in” for Jesus?” That was the question raised from our pulpit yesterday. In other words, why do so many of us hold some or most of our lives in reserve, not giving it all or submitting it all to Jesus? After all, Jesus is pretty clear about our priorities as believers:

Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Mt.10:37-39).

At our small group Sunday evening, we discussed that question. Just about everyone admitted that they were not all in for Jesus all the time. We talked about various reasons for our frequent hesitancy to be fully obedient … even when we know the Spirit is prompting us to some action or attitude. For some, it was the aggravating fear of man that seems to constantly plague us. For others, it was a lack of spiritual toughness because life in America has been comfortable and easy for the most part. Some had experienced great disappointment with God when life had been filled with losses and seemingly unanswered prayers and there was a reticence to trust him with everything again. It was pretty honest evening.

The other honest response echoed the words of the apostle Peter when Jesus asked if they would leave him as well as the crowds who had just departed. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (Jn.6:68-69). As much as we struggle with fully trusting and being willing to put Jesus first in every circumstance, everyone wants to desperately hold on to Jesus and the Father through him.

As the discussion progressed, it seemed that the ultimate solution to our problem was to know the Father better. Paul prayed that God would give the Ephesian church a spirit of wisdom and revelation that they might know the Father better (Eph.1:17). In our fears and disappointments, we lack trust or take offense because we are not convinced of God’s love for us and his constant goodness that hovers over every difficult path on which we may find ourselves.

Jesus made an interesting response to men who had come from John the Baptist asking Jesus if he were the Messiah or if there was another to come. John had seen the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus at his baptism. John had declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. But John was in Herod’s prison and things were not working out as John had anticipated. He was beginning to wonder if Jesus was the One after all. Jesus pointed John to the miracles he had been performing and his preaching of the gospel but ended with the phrase, “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Mt. 11:6, ESV).

Offended how? I think Jesus was saying that we might take offense when he didn’t act as we thought he should. He anticipated that he would often act in ways that we don’t understand or even approve of. We might feel betrayed or abandoned or simply disappointed by his choices. Why is one healed but not the other? Why is one married and the other still single after a thousand prayers for a loving mate? Why did God not intervene when missionaries to Syria were being tortured and crucified? Why did God not protect a young child from molestation or a young woman from rape?

Those questions raise doubts about God’s character, his sovereignty, and his ability to deliver on his promises. It is easy to take offense when we consider the evil in the world. To avoid the trap, I must maintain a view of the eternal – that what we experience will seem “light and momentary” (2 Cor.4:17) compared to what God has for us in eternity. Injustices on this side will be fully dealt with on the other side. Losses here will be compensated for there, in exponential terms. This isn’t the life God has for us – that life is in his eternal presence when Satan and his angels have been cast into the lake of fire. Our present suffering is storing up eternal blessings and joy that will eclipse anything we can experience now. We must keep an eye on the eternal to avoid judging God in the temporary realm we now know.

We must also believe in his character when we cannot see in the dark night of tragedy. There are times that I get up in the middle of the night and navigate my way through my house without lights or, at least, with very little light. I can do that because I have often walked that way when the sun is up and the lights are on. Memory shows me the way in the dark times. I need to trust the character of God that I have experienced in the good times to navigate through the dark times believing that no one has rearranged the furniture. He is the same God who has walked with me before, protected me before, and blessed me over and over before. His heart toward me has not changed because he has not changed.

When I get eternity in my heart and am convinced of the goodness of God toward me, then I can be “all in” for Jesus. Ask God, persistently and passionately, for a continuing revelation of those two realities. Ask him to speak those realities to our hearts in every possible way. I believe that is the path to where we want to be. Be blessed in Him today.

I don’t know about you, but when I became a Christian, I had a subtle belief (whether taught or assumed I don’t know) that Jesus would deliver me from all my troubles…before the troubles began.   I assumed that he would bless me with abundance and make the road of my life smooth – no detours, no potholes, no icy pavement, no carjackers. Now I know that my assumption was wrong and it really only takes a little biblical reflection to know that.

First of all, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (Jn.16:33). In the context, Jesus was telling his little band of followers (and us) that we will have trouble in this world – so that when it comes we should not be confused. But he also promises victory in that conflict. Think about it. Can you recall any major character in scripture whose life was not marked by battles and crises? It is the nature of living in a fallen world and of living in enemy territory.

I remember reading a book back in my college days entitled, “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl. Frankl was a World War II Nazi death camp survivor. In his book he talked about the brutal environment of the camp – bitter cold, torture, starvation, and the constant threat of random execution. He also talked about the difference in those who eventually survived and those who didn’t. Frankl’s conclusion was that those prisoners who could find no meaning in their suffering did not survive. The idea of senseless suffering could only engender hopelessness and a sense of futility in lasting another day. Those who found some meaning in their suffering, could face another day and another, because they believed that something significant would come from their endurance.

Christians need to have some sense of meaning for the struggles they endure on earth as well. I have seen far too many Christians marked by hopelessness and despair when one of life’s ahrd seasons was prolonged. Of all people, we should be filled with hope and optimism eved in dark hours. I like how Graham Cooke gives meaning to all struggles at every level in the life of believers. Depending on what you are facing at the moment, his perspective might be helpful for you.

“Champions have a view of God that sets them apart in their day. They understand that all crises are part of a process that God has set in motion. They are not overwhelmed by the event because they are aware of the process that God is developing around them to train, equip, and empower them in his name. The process is always about our development into the place the Father has set aside for us in Christ. Through all the ups and downs of our life’s journey, when we commit ourselves to the process of God, we grow up in all things in Christ. Immature people only focus on the crisis itself, not the bigger picture of their own development….Process is where we discover God at work in our lives. It is where we submit to the work of his hands. Process is everything. There is no growth or maturity without it. If we do not submit to the process, the enemy will not submit to us. The process is the foundation for our obedience which results in our authority. There is no authority outside of our submission” (Graham Cooke, Qualities of a Spiritual Warrior, p.126).

Cooke’s point is not that God sends trouble our way, but that he uses the tribulations of the world to do two things: (1) Shape us into an accurate representation of Christ on the earth, and (2) help us discover who God is for us. When we submit to the work that God is doing on our faith and character and discover God’s provision and his character in every obstacle of life, we become more than conquerors. When crisis comes, our response should be to find God’s meaning in our struggle which then gives perfect meaning to the hardship. God never wastes an experience. The only question is whether or not we will waste it.

Believe me, I know this is not what you want to hear if you are in the midst of a painful season. In those seasons we just want out…now! And I am not saying we should gleefully bounce through every hardship as if suffering isn’t real. It is. But finding God’s purposes enables us to grow through the crisis rather than just enduring it. Remember the promise, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom.8:28-29).

Again, God doesn’t send the troubles but when they come he uses them to perfect his people and to make them more like Christ. As we become more like him, our love increases, our peace increases, and our joy increases which is what all of us want anyway. Most of us want that in pill form rather than having to work for it, but is doesn’t come that way. So whatever your struggle is today, ask God to show you his hand and his purposes for you in this season. Finding meaning in your suffering redeems it and gives it value and that makes all the difference. Blessings today in whatever season you are walking through.

In my last blog I discussed the need for all Christians to be equipped for spiritual warfare. I then encouraged readers to find books, churches, or ministries that can equip them in the exercise of “divine weapons,” if their church does not provide such training. I want to suggest some resources, but before I do, let me also offer some wisdom.

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (I Tim.4:1-3)

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (I John 4:1)

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11)

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. (Jn.16:13-14)

First of all, not everything written or taught about spiritual warfare is on target. Some are way off target. There are those who would use spiritual gifts for their own promotion and profit and you need to stay away from those individuals (See Acts 8 regarding Simon the sorcerer). There is always truth mixed in with deception, so be cautious. Jesus said that you will know false prophets by their fruit so look at the ministry, it’s emphasis, whether it points to a man or to Jesus, and whether it seems to care more about money and power or people.

Secondly, consider whether what you are being told or taught is based on sound biblical interpretation. Our experience and methodology should line up with scripture. I’m not saying everything you need to know about spiritual warfare is in the Bible. Methodology is often a matter of culture and experience. For instance, we are not told in detail how to lead others to Christ, only that we are to present the good news. Methodology is left up to us.

But we know whether what we are being taught seems to contradict scripture or line up with scripture or the character of scripture. We know in whose name we are to pray and cast out demons. We know that incantations and magic amulets are not consistent with scripture. We know that channeling, angel worship, and speaking to the dead is forbidden in God’s word. We know that all ministry should point people to Jesus and a holy lifestyle. You get the drift. If a teaching is presented with arrogance or the promise of special knowledge or blessings that no one else possesses or embraces new age approaches to healing and revelation, turn off the channel. So, if you are not familiar with an author, church, or ministry… proceed with caution and consider the fruit and the spirit with which the training is presented.

Thirdly, ask the Spirit to lead you into all truth. If something des not resonate with your spirit or if it troubles you, then proceed with caution. I would suggest that you not dismiss something immediately but pray about it more, study more, ask people you trust about it more. Our discomfort may come from our cessationist teaching or our lack of personal experience more than from an unbiblical or untrue teaching.

Also, be willing to receive some teaching without receiving all teaching. An “unbiblical teaching” may not come from a bad or deceptive heart. None of us can teach beyond our best, current understanding or experience and that changes over time. My first response to the “Toronto blessing” of uncontrollable laughter released by the Holy Spirit was one of skepticism and criticism. Then someone pointed out that “joy” is a fruit of the Spirit. Do I accept all things coming out of Toronto? No, but I don’t dismiss all things from that event either.

Jesus told a parable in which a man planted wheat and, while he slept, an enemy planted weeds in the same field. When the wheat grew, so did the weeds. The servants asked it they should dig up the weeds but the master said to wait so that the wheat would not also be pulled up with the weeds. Sometimes, there are weeds mixed in with the wheat, but the wheat us still good. As you read or receive training, be open to receive some things and reserve judgment on others. Spiritual gifts find different expressions in different people. How some express their gifts may just not fit you, but it may not be a false teaching. In summary, test the spirits, check the fruit, and pray for God’s Spirit to lead you into all truth.

Having said that, let me list some books and ministries that have helped me grow in the area of spiritual warfare. Remember, I don’t necessarily accept everything from these teachers nor do I incorporate everything they do into my ministry to others. I consider the scriptures, ask the Spirit to lead, and wait for confirmation in my Spirit before moving ahead with things that just don’t resonate with my spirit. Paul said. “We know in part and we prophecy in part,” (1 Cor.13:9) so don’t hold people to perfection, but rather gauge the heart and spirit of the teacher, as well, in testing the spirits.

Recommended Books Related to Spiritual Warfare:

• Intercessory Prayer (Dutch Sheets) – This is a must read about the power and purpose of prayer and will motivate you to pray more with greater intensity and endurance.

• Approaching the Heart of Prophecy (Graham Cooke) – This is a great book on prophetic gifts and how God speaks to us. You must be able to hear God in moments of spiritual warfare.

• When Heaven Invades Earth (Bill Johnson) – This is a great book to open you up to the supernatural move of God in our lives today.

• Born to Be Free (Tom Vermillion) – This book is designed to help people find freedom and maintain freedom from the lies and oppression of the enemy and, I think, maintains a healthy balance in doing so. This book includes chapters on hearing God, our identity in Christ, the authority of believers, and deliverance.

• Deliverance from Evil Spirits – A Practical Manual (Francis MacNutt) – This is an entire book on deliverance and delves into the theology and methodology of deliverance. Good book.

• The Essential Guide to Healing (Bill Johnson and Randy Clark) – This is a sound book on healing theology and methodology. It will encourage you to go out and pray for supernatural healing.

• Authority to Heal (Ken Blue) – This is another excellent book on healing and how to pray for healing. It is an older book but has some things to offer more recent books seem to miss.

• Drawing Near (John Bevere) – This is a great book about intimacy with God and has one of the best chapters on speaking in tongues that I have run across.

• Freedom in Christ (Neil Anderson) – This book is almost a classic in the deliverance arena and has been around a number of years – but is a good place to start if you are just learning about deliverance.

• The Handbook for Spiritual Warfare (Ed Murphy) – This is another extensive book on spiritual warfare and deliverance. Good resource book.

• Shadow Boxing (Henry Malone) – Very readable book on deliverance. Henry Malone Ministries / Vision Life Ministries also trains and ministers in deliverance.

• Can You Hear Me? Tuning into the God Who Speaks (Brad Jursak) – This is an excellent book on learning to hear God, which is critical in our growth and in spiritual warfare.

Churches with Freedom Ministries:

These are a few churches that I am aware of that offer healing/deliverance ministries that are balanced and healthy. I’m sure there are many more, but these are a few I am aware of. If you know of others, please reply and I will get those posted. It would be great to develop a directory of churches and ministries who bring a balanced and healthy approach to this arena.

Mid-Cities Community Church – Midland, Tx

Bethel Church – Redding, Ca.

Beltway Park Baptist Church – Abilene, Tx

Gateway Church – North Richland Hills, Tx

Trinity Fellowship – Amarillo, Tx

I hope these resources and cautions will be helpful. Blessings.

We fight two battles over the same issue or problem. The initial battle, to get free; and the second battle, to stay free. (Graham Cooke, Qualities of a Spiritual Warrior, p.83, Brilliant Book House)

It’s amazing how many Christians get free from some bondage, only to loose it again in a week or two. When they do, they decide that nothing really happened initially. In their mind, God’s “divine weapons” did not work for them, so they default back to a pre-spiritual warfare mindset and a passive approach to faith and overcoming issues.

A number of believers receive freedom through the ministry of other believers but then loose it shortly. The reason is that very few believers have been taught how to fight. Very few are aware of the authority that they have been given. Very few confront and defeat the enemy when their world is crumbling under his attack. Very few even think in terms of spiritual attack. Instead they think that God is punishing them or ignoring their pain that comes from bad luck or victimization by bad people. Many “defeated” Christians simply take on a victim’s mentality and resent God for not protecting them or blessing them when they have been commanded to fight against the enemy.

Notice the language of the following scriptures:

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Cor. 10:3-4)

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God… (Eph.6:10-13, ESV)

I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. (Col.2:1)

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith ….. (1 Pet.5:8-9)

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. (Heb.10:32)

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:19-20)

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (Ja.4:7)

These verses contain the language of warfare – war, weapons, struggle, resistance, trample, overcome, suffer, contest, wrestle, demolish, strongholds, stand your ground, etc. Although the ultimate victory has been won and Satan’s legal right to own and dominate believers has been taken away, the enemy still wages an illegal war against God’s people.

He cannot snatch away our salvation but he can harass and afflict us so that we are distracted and ineffective in our assigned mission. We don’t fight to win the victory but to enforce it and most often we have to enforce it in our own lives with the truth of who we are and what Jesus has done. The first volley of any battle must be the declaration of truth over the enemy’s lies followed byn the exercise of faith and authority.

The number of believers that are afflicted by demons without recognizing that they are under spiritual attack or without having any idea what to do about it is significant. The freedom that these believers often experience through the declaration of truth and the exercise of our authority in Christ typically astounds them. But they must learn how to wield their own authority in order to maintain their freedom. The enemy will not give up territory without a few attempts to reclaim it.

I believe that every church in America needs some level of ministry available to help believers find freedom and equip them to keep it while helping others find freedom as well.   Even if it is just a few individuals or couples in a congregation who know who they are in Christ and who have experience in a few facets of spiritual welfare, the difference they can make over several years can be exponentially significant.

Declarations of truth, intercessory prayer, inner healing, deliverance, breaking curses, etc. are all divine weapons that need to be in the arsenal of every congregation and every mature believer. The goal of these ministries must not be to minister deliverance and healing only, but to teach the individuals they minister to how to fight with an expectation that they will maintain their freedom and help others do the same. The church has that mindset in evangelism. After we bring someone to Christ, we believe that they then know enough to lead someone else to Christ and we encourage them to do so. Most churches offer classes to further equip their members in a simple approach to evangelism. We should have the same mindset concerning spiritual warfare.

Even in charismatic churches, those who minister healing and deliverance are often seen as a few elite that everyone comes to for ministry. But every believer walks in the authority of Christ and every believer will have to face the enemy. Some may have more experience than others, but everyone should be equipped for the day-to-day battles that come with living in enemy territory.

If you agree with this perspective but are not in a church that operates in the gifts of the Spirit, healing, and deliverance how do you get trained? Tomorrow I will give you some perspectives on that and recommend some resources. Blessings in Him.

I was sitting through a training on Christian life-coaching two days ago when the presenter, pastor David Houston, spoke about a self-help gospel that is so often preached in America these days. As he talked the Holy Spirit downloaded this phrase to me: “The gospel doesn’t promise a better you, it promises a new you.” I thought about that and it is absolutely true.

Jesus talked with Nicodemus about being “born again” (Jn.3:3) as if we don’t just receive a course correction when we come to Jesus but, rather, we start over entirely with a whole new set of potentials and a new nature.   Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17). Too many of us view ourselves as being somewhat upgraded rather than transformed. We think of ourselves as struggling sinners saved by grace rather than God’s ordained representatives on the earth. “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 1:5-6, KJV).

Many of us grew up singing the classic hymn, At the Cross, by Isaac Watts. The first verse says, “Alas! and did my Savior bleed? And did my Sov’reign die? Would He devote that sacred head,  For such a worm as I?” If Isaac was referring to our state before the cross, he might be correct. If he was referring to those who have already been saved, then he was miles from the truth. I have heard many sermons announcing our state as believers as still worm-like, arguing that the only difference between us and the unsaved is that we are forgiven. I’m sure those messages were an effort to keep us from being self-righteous and to help us maintain our humility – but they were wrong.

We are new creations as different from the worm as the butterfly is from the caterpillar. We know that transformation in nature as metamorphosis. In his letter to the Romans, Paul commands us to no longer conform to the patterns of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom.12:2). The Greek word that is translated as transformed is metamorpho. In addition to this verse, that word shows up in several other New Testament passages:

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:18)

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,             who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Phil. 3:20-21)

There he was transfigured (transformed) before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. (Mt. 17:2)

In each of these verses, the referenced change is radical change. Some word study guru’s suggest that the term implies a glory or a nature from within, finding expression on the outside. On the Mount of Transfiguration (same word that is translated as transformation), it is as if the glory of Christ’s spirit in the eternal realm, suddenly manifested in the natural realm. Our transformation suggests that the change that has taken place in our spiritual nature, is to make itself known in the natural realm – Christ in us, being seen and experienced through us.

Since that is true, we are not worms nor broken sinners that are merely forgiven, but carriers of God’s Spirit, his glory, and his eternal promises. We are children of God, ambassadors of the King, Messiah’s inheritance, citizens of heaven, his holy ones, priests of the Most High God, and personal friends of the Commander of the Armies of Heaven. That’s not a bad resume. When we came to Christ, our status in heaven was changed from sinner to all of that and more.

If we hold on to our old, pre-salvation identity we will progress very little for “as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov.23:7, KJV). As we recognize and acknowledge our transformed status, our condition will begin to align with our position…from glory to glory. Paul reflects on that change in his letter to the church at Corinth. “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor.6:9-11).

Notice the past tense. And that is what some of you were. By the work of the Holy Spirit, these men and women had been changed, their very nature altered. There were not who they once were but were radically different. Their status had been changed as well as their identity. They were not just “drunkards” whose sins had been forgiven. They had been transformed. They were someone else.

I think 12-step programs have done a great deal of good in the world but they tend to deny that the very heart and nature of a person can change. Even if a person has been sober for 15 years, the introduction is still, “Hi, I’m Bill and I’m an alcoholic.” I know some former alcoholics who were delivered from that bondage by God and they are no longer alcoholics. They don’t just manage the addiction, they are free from the addiction. Transformation has taken place.

If you struggle as a follower of Jesus, you may want to spend some considerable time meditating on who you are in Christ. Don’t worry that you don’t feel like you are those things. If God says you are, then you are and you need to say that you are. His truth does not depend on your feelings to be true. We are all of those things in his eyes and his Spirit will help us begin to see ourselves in the same way if we will take hold of those truths. If you are a follower of Jesus, you have standing in heaven is much more than any president, celebrity, billionaire, dictator, athlete, or supermodel. Get that in your heart and everything changes. Continued blessings in Him!

We can never overstate the importance of prayer. I need to be reminded of that from time to time so I assume you may need to be reminded and encouraged as well. So I want to issue a reminder today for myself as well as for you.

What if God refused to do anything until he received a request? What if God refused to do even the things he wanted to do or willed to do until he received a request? What if God had issued a directive in heaven stating that he had turned the rule of planet earth over to his people and that no agent of heaven could move on any project until requests had come in from his governing body on earth? If we believed that nothing out of the natural order of things would ever happen unless we prayed, we might pray more. My questions may overstate the case a bit, but not as much as you might believe.

For instance, while James was writing under the influence (of the Holy Spirit), he told his audience, “You have not because you ask not.” An amplified version might say, “There are many things that you desire which your heavenly Father would be willing to give…but not until you ask.” I know that God does give much without our asking because he is a loving Father who enjoys gifting his children. But, James clearly tells us that many things are left undone because we haven’t asked or prayed about them even though God is willing.

But isn’t God always going to do what he wants to do, with or without me? The standard view of God’s sovereignty would tell us that his will is always accomplished but, apparently, that is not always the case. For instance, Ezekiel records a lament of God when he says, “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. So I will pour out my wrath on them…” (Ezek.22:30-31)

In this text, Jerusalem’s sins had come up before God and his holiness was demanding judgment. However, his heart did not want to judge Jerusalem and was looking for a man who would stand before him and plead for the city as Abraham had done for Sodom and as Moses had done on several occasions for Israel in the wilderness. Mercy triumphs over judgment and God was searching for a man who would plead for that mercy. However, he could not find one and so he had to execute judgment when it was not his first choice. Prayer would have made all the difference, but no one asked.

In 1 Kings, Elijah had prayed for drought and famine in Israel, at God’s prompting, as a discipline on a wicked nation led by King Ahab. After three and a half years of severe drought, God told Elijah, “Go and present yourself to Ahab and I will send rain on the land.” Elisha then told Ahab, “Go, eat and drink for there is the sound of heavy rain.” But then, Elisha took his servant and climbed to the top of Mt. Carmel and began to pray for rain. He offered seven prayers before his servant finally saw a small cloud forming over the Sea of Galilee.

Why pray for what God had already declared? This scenario only makes sense if God had declared first that even his prophetic declarations would not be released on the earth until someone prays. The Book of Daniel also speaks to this principle. In Daniel 9, the prophet discovered a prophetic promise in the writings of Jeremiah that the desolation of Jerusalem would last 70 years and then the city would be restored. He was aware that the 70 years was close to fulfillment.

n response to this discovery, Daniel began to fast and pray for God to fulfill the prophecy and even prayed a prayer of confession and repentance for the nation. But if God had already prophesied the restoration of Jerusalem, why pray about it? Wouldn’t it happen just as he declared whether anyone prayed or not? And wouldn’t praying for it almost be an expression of unbelief, as if God had to be reminded or talked into keeping his promise?

Again, Daniel’s actions only make sense if even the things God wills or declares are only released on the earth after his people pray. God’s love is unconditional but most of his promises are conditional. At a minimum they require some level of faith. Often they require repentance and confession. Many will not come to us if we do not forgive others, etc. One of those conditions must also be prayer and, sometimes, sustained and enduring prayer.

The key to faithful prayer is understanding how much responsibility God has given us in the affairs of the Kingdom of God on earth. God has placed us here to rule and establish his kingdom. He rarely inserts himself without our requests or declarations over a situation. God is very relational and very committed to our maturity. Think of it this way. What if a CEO made you a manager over a part of his company, but then continued to micromanage and make decisions for your department before you could even submit plans or by overriding your plans each time they were submitted?

First of all, you would never grow into management and, secondly, he would undermine any authority that “theoretically” was attached to your position. When God gave you the position of “ambassador” or “his representative” on the earth, he attached authority to your position – authority to represent and to govern. Authority means that we are responsible for directing the power of the kingdom through our prayers, declarations, and actions as we push back on the kingdom of darkness.

Ideally, the Holy Spirit will put the impulse in our hearts, then we come into agreement with the Spirit through prayer and as we do the plans and power of heaven are released on the earth. In Revelation 8, prayers from the saints are mingled with incense given to an angel and the incense and prayers of the saints rise together before God. After that, power is released or poured out on the earth. The symbolism seems to be that the prayers of the saints mix with the activities of heaven and then power is released on the earth.

I am certain that God will do some things with or without our prayers but I am also biblically certain that much of God’s will may not be accomplished if we do not pray, pray fervently, and continually. The failing is not on God’s part, but on ours. I simply wanted to remind you and myself of how important our prayers are and hope that if your prayer life has grown cold that you will rekindle it. People around you need your prayers. Our nation needs your prayers. The world needs your prayers. God wants your prayers so that all of his will can be done on earth as it is in heaven. Be blessed.

For the past week, the news has given microscopic coverage to the latest shooting on a school campus that reflects the brokenness of our culture. It took only minutes for those who seek greater gun control to speak out and for those who want more guns to reply. We are a culture that wants to focus on symptoms rather than causation. More or less gun control is like trying to find a cure for AIDS rather than addressing the sexual behaviors that produce and maintain AIDS in a society fueled by the emptiness of the hearts that try to find some semblance of love and belonging in promiscuity.

The problem is not guns or AIDS but the human soul that needs regeneration by the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit of God that pushes back against sin. Genesis declares, “Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years” (Gen.6:3). Two verses later, we are given clarity about this verse. “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen.6:5).

God’s Spirit had been striving or contending with man’s sinful nature that had been corrupted beyond the “fall of man” in the Garden. The presence of demonic spirits on the earth had magnified the problems of a fallen nature. As a result, man had become almost incurably evil. What restraint there had been, was produced by the Holy Spirit contending against evil in the hearts of men. It is no different today. The primary constraint against sin in the world is the activity of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of men.

As we fumble around trying to find solutions to STD’s, school shootings, terrorism, racism, and so forth we seem to miss the essential cause – the broken and sinful hearts of men. Man has a fallen nature that will only deteriorate as he distances himself from the Spirit of God. So…let’s remove prayer from public life; forbid the reading of the Bible; forbid mentioning the name of Jesus in our schools and universities; strip any suggestion of the Ten Commandments from public buildings; push back against Christian standards; put people in jail for trying to be faithful to those standards; lobby to eliminate the term Merry Christmas (Christ Mass); and ridicule anything or anyone who stands for Biblical truth. In essence, let’s quench the Spirit, ridicule the Word of God, and create as much distance as possible between our culture and the Spirit of God – who restrains sin – and wonder why our culture is deteriorating.

Not only that, but let’s short-circuit another of God’s established restraints against sin – personal responsibility. Paul clearly states this principle when he says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Gal.6:7-8). God has established a law that says we reap consequences from our chosen actions.

Negative, sinful actions produce negative consequences, which should then act as teachers to point us to better decisions. If I put my finger in a fan, a painful consequence arises. If I am teachable at all, I will learn not to put my finger in the fan. If I touch a hot stove, the painful consequence should teach me not to duplicate that action. That is God’s Learning Channel. Make good decisions and reap positive consequences. Make bad decisions and reap pain and sorrow.

But our culture is bent on erasing both the notion of personal responsibility and the consequences of bad behavior. Everyone gets a trophy – even if you didn’t try or didn’t care. Everyone will be supported by the taxes of hardworking people – even if you have the capacity to work but choose not to. For the sake of self-esteem, there will be no real negative consequence if you are nine years old and disrupt a classroom daily, year after year. Any negative decision will be assigned to genetic predispositions or brain chemistry. We could go on, but you get the drift.

I’m not saying there should be no grace and forgiveness for people in those situations, but I am saying we no longer point to the sin that brings the consequence but only work to eradicate the consequence without holding anyone responsible for their actions. Negative consequences for bad decisions are part of God’s grace to restrain sin in the world. I’m not saying they eradicate sin, but I am saying they were designed by God to restrain or inhibit sin. When we hold no one responsible for their negative actions, remove discipline from the classroom, or take away from those who worked hard and reward those who have made no effort, we undermine God’s principles.

When a culture chooses to distance its people from the influence of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and biblical principles, what is left to restrain sin? When people are severely broken, counseling will only get you so far because the dangerously broken people will not show up for counseling. If you take away the gun of a bitter, broken, angry person he will simply drive his car into crowds or learn how to make explosives out of household chemicals. He will poison water supplies and explode dirty bombs.

Government is busy trying to control and reduce the influence of the only thing that can change hearts and heal a culture – the saving grace of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who heals and reconciles. We are in a downward spiral that our leaders recognize but for which they offer no solutions – except more control. Who then will control the controllers who also have a fallen nature? Spiritual revival in this country is the key to solving shootings in our schools, snipers on our highways, drug dealers on our street corners, and racism in our hearts. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph.6:12).

The church needs to say so and we need to lead others to Christ in this nation in unprecedented numbers. Government has no solutions, only temporary stopgaps. The church offers the only lasting solution because Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God are the only antidotes to sin. Waiting for government to come up with a program or platform to stop school shootings or any other tragedy is a pipe dream. The battle is in the spiritual realm and our constant prayers for this nation are critical.

We need to pray for God to elevate faith-filled leaders who will point this nation to righteousness once again. We need to pray for a spirit of revival and reconciliation to be poured out on America. We need to pray against the spirit of anti-Christ that is so evident in Washington and against a host of other spirits that are trying to possess this nation and our children. We must also do our part to share Jesus with those around us because the Kingdom of God typically advances one heart at time. Pray for the families who lost loved ones in Oregon but also pray for

God’s hand to rule this nation once again – not guns or government. Remember peace and grace come from our Lord Jesus Christ. Be blessed today.

I’ve always been fascinated by the focus of Jesus. His reference point for life was not found in the natural realm but in the spiritual. He didn’t make decisions based on natural logic but rather spiritual logic and those are diametrically opposed. The world says that the first shall be first and the last is a loser. But in the spiritual realm, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. In the natural realm, the rich and powerful will be remembered and venerated but in the spiritual realm, the servant of all will be considered the greatest. In the natural realm, the narcissist and the self-indulgent will get ahead but in the spiritual realm, he who gives up his life will save it. In the natural realm resources are finite. In the spiritual realm there is no lack. In the natural realm raw power and aggression get their way but in the spiritual realm the Spirit of God always carries the day. Jesus always lived by kingdom principles with the kingdom of heaven as his reference point.

The church in the past century has faithfully taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and has defined it as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins – and that is definitely good news. But it is more than that. Jesus taught an amplified version of that gospel which was called the good news of the kingdom of God. John the Baptist preached that the kingdom of heaven was near (Mt.3:2) which is a phrase synonymous with the kingdom of God. Jesus preached over and over the good news of the kingdom of God. The good news was that the kingdom was suddenly within reach for those who would believe. After his resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days on earth showing himself to many people and talking about the most needed things. Luke tells us, “After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

The gospel or good news of Jesus is that he died for our sins. But there is more. His death, burial, and resurrection not only purchased forgiveness but also opened up the kingdom of God to us and made us citizens of heaven now. Jesus even taught us to pray daily about the Kingdom. “They kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” So what exactly is the kingdom of God?

The definition of the kingdom is the “king’s domain.”  It is the rule and reign of God and heaven is heaven because God’s will for his people is expressed perfectly there. When we think of heaven we usually think of majesty, joy, peace, eternal life, perfect health, lack of want, overwhelming love, angelic beings, etc. Those things are expressions of who God is and his will for his people. Jesus taught us to pray that experience down to earth – for God’s will to be done on earth as it is done in heaven.

Many believers agree with that prayer but assume that it refers to the millennial reign of Jesus or to a restored earth after the final judgment. Jesus, however, clearly taught that an experience of heaven is available now. “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you” (Lk.11:20). Both Jesus and John the Baptist declared over and over that the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven was near. They didn’t mean that the kingdom was near in the sense of “coming soon,” but rather that it was within reach of those who believed. In heaven there is no demonic affliction, no disease, no death, no bitterness, no fear, no turmoil, and no lack.

Jesus declared that, by faith, we can touch heaven now. Two essential qualities of the kingdom are love and power. God is both love and ultimate power. Both of those permeate the kingdom. The truth is that every believer needs both in his or her life now – the love of God and the power of God. Both are available through Jesus and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The love of God alleviates fear, bitterness, sorrow, anguish, rejection, and turmoil. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, etc. The power of God can set us free from the demonic, sickness, poverty, and every form of bondage. Those things are available now. That is God’s will on earth as it is in heaven.

If we live with our hearts and minds anchored in heaven as Jesus did, then we can anticipate the provision and protection of heaven in our lives. When Jesus was faced with feeding 5000 men plus even more women and children with only a few loaves of bread and a few fish, he wasn’t dismayed. The power and provision of heaven had come to earth and he was confident that he could draw on that reality to get the job done. By faith, heaven was expressed on earth. Every person had plenty to eat with twelve baskets full of bread and fish left over. God’s love approved of the provision and his power provided it.

Today we have the same God with the same love and the same power and it is available to those who believe. As we count on both, heaven comes to earth. Most Christians believe in the love of God but are uncertain about the power of God in their lives. However, from Genesis to Revelation, it is clear that God desires to express both in the lives of his people. If I love you, but have no power, I can sympathize with your dilemma and even weep with you but I cannot help you. If I have power but no love, I won’t care to help unless it increases my power. It takes both for good outcomes. Great love coupled with great power is the ticket out of every dilemma.

Power directed by love is the mark of the kingdom of God. Both are there for you today. In whatever circumstance you find yourself, God is willing and able to provide your solution. God is the same – yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus modeled the reality of the kingdom of God on earth. He died so that we might possess the kingdom. It is time for the church to anchor its thoughts and expectations in heaven rather than the natural world. It is time for each of us to do the same. Ask for it, expect it and wait for the love and power of heaven to be expressed in your life today. Blessings in Him!

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.  (2 Tim. 1:6-7)

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Rom. 8:15)

Timothy was a young man who had a pastor’s heart but, at times, was plagued with self-doubt and fear. If you read Paul’s letters to Timothy you will see him encouraging Timothy to step up to his calling and ministry without allowing others to intimidate him. Fear is Satan’s primary weapon against God’s people. Fear comes in many forms but it keeps us from stepping out and stepping up.

Many of us were wounded in our childhood by anger, rejection, neglect, or abuse that came from authority figures or even strangers in our lives. Each time we experienced one of those actions or attitudes we felt ashamed and experienced profound pain in our hearts. We felt helpless and victimized at the hands of hurtful people and finally felt as if something were wrong with us that invited that response from people who should have loved us. As adults, the fear of being wounded again or of being abandoned again still haunts us and keeps us from stepping into the full destiny that God has for us.

The fear of man hinders most of us. For many it is simply the fear of rejection experienced as criticism, a snub, a loss of reputation, and so forth. Most of us do not carry a healthy sense of significance and worthiness within us. We think we need the acceptance or approval of others as validation that we matter, that we are competent, or that we are worthy of love. When we experience disapproval in its many forms, we are taken back to our childhood years. We re-experience the fear that there is something wrong with us that keeps others from approving, valuing, or extending love to us. The pain comes from our fear that we are not okay or that we are inalterably defective and we choose to avoid circumstances that might affirm our fear. Satan loves to fuel that fire and to stoke the fear that comes with it.

Think about it. What keeps us from sharing the gospel with others? What keeps us from praying for a lame man at Starbucks? What keeps us from writing the book that’s been on our heart for years or from leading a ministry for which we have a passion? For most of us, it is fear of failure or a fear of disapproval that keeps our mouths shut. Why should that even matter, especially, coming from people we will probably never see again? It only matters if the response of other people is what sets our sense of being valuable, acceptable, or significant. Our deepest fear is that we will have our belief confirmed that we are not okay and not acceptable.

We should know that we will never meet out full potential in Christ if the fear of man and his or her response to us continues to shackle us. So how do we overcome that natural fear? We simply do it by changing reference points.   Paul says, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15). John chimes in with this theme when he says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love” (I Jn.4:18).

When the Father, truly becomes our reference point for whether we are significant, acceptable, worthy of love, competent, etc. then we lose the fear of man because the opinion of man does not set our value. Besides, I’ve got news for you. If you are in Christ and serving Christ, most people will not approve of you anyway because most people belong to the world. The world disapproved of Jesus and it will disapprove of those who remind them of Jesus. Jesus himself said, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (Jn.15:19).

To a great extent, the church has lots its power and authority because of compromise with the world. We have taken soft stands or no stands on vital issues so that we can be friends with those outside the church – so that we can fit in with society. In other words, we have tried to win both the approval of God and the approval of man. I’m not saying we should intentionally alienate the world, but as we stand for godly values we will inevitably be labeled as judgmental, homophobic, Islamophobic, self-righteous, intolerant, etc.

Those words sting and suggest that there is something wrong with our views or our hearts so we back down or try to meet the world halfway. When we do, we have chosen the praise of men over the praise of God. When we do that, God’s power and authority will decrease in the church. When we do that as individuals, his power and authority will decrease in our own lives and ministries.

The only antidote for this fear is the love of the Father and love for the Father. To know who He is and who we are in Christ is all that will take away our fear of rejection because we will know our significance, our worth, and our competence in Him. Then we will be confident as we seek the approval of heaven and not the citizens of this world. Don’t get me wrong. We are to do good in this world and sometimes that brings praise even from the world. Mother Theresa has become iconic for sacrifice and her work among the poor in India. The world approves. When the church responds to natural disasters or world hunger the world approves. When the church ministers to AIDS victims the world approves.

But notice, that the world approves when we try to alleviate the pain associated with the consequences of sin in the world…and we should as an expression of God’s mercy. But when we stand against the sin itself, the world quickly turns on us. Eventually, we will have to stand against sin in the world or an individual’s life if we are truly interested in his or her salvation and ultimate healing. Even to alleviate many of the consequences of sin, we will need to invoke the name of Jesus for healing or deliverance. That will draw many to Christ but will offend others. If we fear the offense, we will not be able to minister the grace of God, which comes only through Jesus.

The love of the Father is the key. When we know how much he loves us then we can be secure and confident in who we are and in our significance. After all, we are sons and daughters of the Most High, ambassadors of Heaven on this earth, carriers of the Holy Spirit, those who will judge angels, and those who direct the power of Heaven by our prayers and declarations. We are more than conquerors and destined for eternal glory. We can do all things through Christ and awesome angels serve us. It doesn’t get more significant than that. If we get that truth in our hearts, the fear of man will fade away.

Continually ask God continually for a greater revelation of who you are in Christ. When you get it in your heart, everything changes. Seek the applause of one and not of many and be blessed in your significance today.

There are individuals today who have the capacity to see into the spiritual realm. They typically see both angels and demons from time to time. This is called the gift of spiritual discernment or distinguishing between spirits (1 Cor. 12:10). They often have the gift of prophecy as well but not always. Many of the Old Testament prophets had the capacity to see into the spirit realm and were called seers. Elisha demonstrated that capacity when he saw chariots of fire surrounding Dothan when enemy troops had come up during the night to capture him.

What is not clear is whether seers see angels and demons as they are or as symbolic representations of what they are and are doing. God shows his people many things that are related to the spiritual realm in dreams, visions, and open visions. He may open up the spiritual realm as we dream as he did with Jacob when he saw angels ascending and descending on a ladder or a stairway to heaven (Gen.28:10-17). God also reveals things through visions that come to individuals who are awake but slip into a trance-like state where they are unaware of anything else going on around them (see Acts 10:9-16).  Open visions come to individuals who are seeing things God wants to show them while they are still quite aware of their surroundings. Elisha at Dothan might be a good example of an open vision. Cornelius would be another example. “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius…One day about three in the afternoon, he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God who came to him…’ (Acts 10:1-3).

Jonathan Welton, in his book The School of the Seers, says the he sees angels superimposed over the natural realm. He doesn’t see them as clearly as a person in the flesh but he sees them with “spiritual eyes.” We have several individuals on our Free Indeed team at Mid-Cities that see angels and demons from time to time as we minister to people. In our setting (spiritual warfare), they are typically dressed in armor. Some are eight feet tall. Others are much taller. Some are on the floor. Others are close to the ceiling. Sometimes, as we read the Word of God, our seers will see angels kneel in reverence to the Word. On several occasions, as we have been doing deliverance with large groups of people, our seers have been aware of an angel close to the ceiling next to a whirlwind sucking up unclean spirits as they are cast out. Is that literal or is God showing them symbolically what is happening in the spirit realm? I don’t know. Our seers will also see demonic spirits on those days as smoke leaving individuals, as serpents crawling away, and so forth.

Many seers see angels in worship settings. Welton recounts one such experience. “As worship began, I saw two angels standing on the stage and they were unlike anything I had ever seen. They were about 15 feet tall and there was fire coming out of them – six feet in every direction. I was standing in the front row of the church with Randy, so I was closer to the stage than the rest of the crowd around me when the closest angel began to walk toward me. I wanted to run or get out of his way but I was unable to move. He came straight at me and reached out his hand. When he touched my chest, I collapsed to the floor on my side…The spiritual fire from his touch remained on me causing me to create my own puddle of sweat on the cement floor of the church…

Over each section (of the sanctuary) I saw another angel of fire about the size of a human man and fire only emanated out of them about six inches. As the worship intensified, I saw more of these smaller angels come down through the ceiling and join the crowd of worshippers. The worship grew so intense that at the height of worship, while the fire angels continued to join in, the crowd looked like a field of grass on fire, an extreme wild fire of worship” (Jonathan Welton, The School of the Seers, p. 29). At the end of the service, Welton asked another person, with the gift of spiritual discernment, what he had seen and he described exactly what Welton had perceived.

I was at a conference in south Texas once where an individual was taking digital photos of the dark ceiling of the sanctuary during worship when only the stage lights were on. Afterwards, he showed me the pictures and there were orbs of light all around the dark ceiling. He believed those orbs indicated the presence of angels. You will have to decide what you think.

Here is what we know. Angels were created as ministering spirits who minister not only to the Father but also to the children of the Father – that is you and I. They play a prominent role throughout scripture in the lives of God’s people and in the life of the nation of Israel (think Six Days War). Sometimes they are not seen, except by those whose spiritual eyes are activated to see into the spiritual realm. Sometimes they are seen as amazing creatures who often inspire awesome fear. They are seen in dreams, visions, and open visions. Sometimes they come to people and do not inspire fear such as when Gabriel came to Mary to tell her that she would carry the Messiah. Sometimes they appear as humans and, according to Hebrews, many of us have entertained angels unaware of who they were. They are powerful. One angel destroyed 185,000 Assyrian troops in one night. They love to worship God as we do. Sometimes they work on our behalf for protection, provision, and direction and sometimes they are fellow servants serving alongside us to accomplish God’s purposes.

Perhaps, the major takeaway from this little study on angels is that God is “sooooo for us” and has provided for us in remarkable ways. His Son died for our sins and intercedes for us now. The Holy Spirit lives within us and leads us into all truth, equips us with spiritual gifts, and provides us with divine weapons. Magnificent angels watch over us and work beside us. He hears every prayer and knows even the number of hairs on our heads. And scripture declares, “If God is for us who can be (stand) against us?” So as the angels say, “Don’t be afraid.” Live with joy. Walk with confidence. Do not fear man or Satan because you are filled and surrounded by the immeasurable power of God who cares for you. Be blessed today and keep an eye out for angels.