God wants to bless people.  It is his nature.  Just as a good father always wants the best for his children, our Heavenly Father wants the best for those he loves.  What we forget at times is that we are often his chosen instruments for doing so.

God’s original intent was to rule the earth through his children as his representatives. As he gave Adam and Eve dominion over the earth, he gave them authority to rule. Their words carried authority just as the words of Jesus carried authority.  I believe Adam and Eve, before their sin, had the same authority we saw in Jesus as he walked the earth as a sinless man.  I believe they could quiet the storms, walk on water, curse a fig tree, or give life to something just as Jesus did.  Jesus came not only to obtain forgiveness for our sins, but also to show us what we lost through our rebellion and what we could regain through an intimate relationship with the Father.  As Adam and Eve were to use their dominion to spread the culture of heaven over the earth, we too are to carry that influence.

Authority was given up through rebellion, but regained in Christ.  As his sons and daughters now, he still wants to rule the earth through his children who can represent him well.  Jesus told us that he only did what he saw the father doing and only spoke what we heard the Father saying.  He told Philip those who had seen him (Jesus), had seen the Father.  That is perfect representation.  In the same way, we are to be Spirit-led and do or say what our Heavenly Father would do or say if he were physically present.  When we pray according to his will, it is done because God honors the authority to rule that he has given us through Christ.  Our spoken words carry the same authority.

One of the privileges we have as sons and daughters of the King is the privilege of blessing.  In the epistle of James, he rebukes Christians for speaking curses over others or even over circumstances and directs them to speak only life-giving words.  He uses the analogy of a spring.  When fresh water flows out (blessings and truth), life is released.  When salt water flows from the spring (curses), death is the result.  James tells us that we are to always be sources of fresh water because that represents the heart of God.

Of course, Proverbs 18:21 comes to mind where the writer says, “The tongue has the power of life and death.”  When we speak life, we impart life.  When we speak death, we impart death.  Why?  Because our words have authority. In Ephesians 4:29, Paul declares, “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up.” Jesus goes further and instructs us to bless even those who would curse us because we represent a Father who sends rain and blessing on both the righteous and the wicked.  He also sends discipline and judgment, but that is his business.  Our business is to bless through our prayers and our words.  Satan imparts death.  Jesus imparts life.

One of the priestly functions of the children of God is to impart blessings.  In Numbers 6, Moses was told, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites.  Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.  The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.’  So, they will put my name on the Israelites and I will bless them.” Notice the Lord was willing and even desired to bless, but waited on the priests to declare the blessing before he acted.  We too are priests and God often waits on us to declare a blessing before he releases it. 

We are in a partnership with God for ruling the earth and dispensing blessings from heaven.  Blessings release good things on the earth.  The earth needs all the good things it can get…peace, health, provision, protection, justice, love, forgiveness, etc.  As we speak blessings, we impart life.  Paul tells us also that we reap what we sow.  We harvest what we plant and we plant by broadcasting seeds.  Blessings are seeds we are broadcasting and planting.  If we sow blessings, we eventually reap blessings. 

Now, I believe we are to be Spirit-led in our blessings.  Who are we to bless and how are we to bless them?  Blessings are valuable because they bear good fruit.  We should develop a habit of sensing who and how God wants us to bless. When Jesus sent out the seventy disciples to preach and perform miracles he said, “When you enter a house, first say ‘Peace to this house. If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them. If not, it will return to you.’” (LK. 10:5-6).  When in doubt, we still speak good things over people, but we tune in especially to those God puts on our hearts.

So today, be fresh water to those you encounter…not just those you know, but even strangers for they are not strangers to God.  Be sensitive to the Spirt and ask who he wants you to bless and what the blessing should be. Be a priest to those God puts in your path. Both you and the world will be better for it. May the Lord bless you today and meet your greatest need. 

They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.  Numbers 21:4-7

This text regarding the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites is well known and, to many. it seems excessively harsh.  After all, we all complain from time to time.  In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul pens a warning to the church and reminds them of the sins of Israel that cost them lives and the first generation’s entrance into the promised land. He reminds them that some of the Hebrews died as a result of idolatry, sexual immorality, and complaining (grumbling) about their circumstances.  Perhaps, we can understand the seriousness of idolatry and sexual immorality, but why would complaining stir up the wrath of God?

Remember, the tongue has the power of life and death (Prov. 18:21).  Our words matter because they have spiritual implications.  One of the most subtle, but effective strategies of the enemy is to prompt us to speak words that invite destruction.  The complaining of the Jews was not a one-time event that stirred up God’s anger.  They often complained about their circumstances in the desert, grumbling that they would have been better off in Egypt as slaves.  

The complaining constituted an accusation against God. The first recorded temptation was an accusation against God.  Satan’s subtle questions to Eve in the Garden of Eden planted seeds of belief that God wasn’t all loving, all kind, and generous after all, but withheld the best things because he did not want Adam and Eve to achieve their full potential…to be like God.
When Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they came in to agreement with Satan and accepted his accusation against God in their hearts.

Israel had cried out for centuries against their enslavement in Egypt.  God heard their cries and delivered them with plagues against Pharoah, led them through the Red Sea, and revealed himself to them at Sinai. He provided manna and water in the desert and led them to the land he had promised them through Abraham. The journey from Mt. Sinai to Canaan was actually only a few weeks.  That is all the time they had to live off manna and water, but their unbelief that God would give them victory over their enemies bought them forty years of wandering in the wilderness and forty years of manna

Their incessant complaints about their circumstances were actually accusations against God…his goodness, his provision, his protection, and his generosity. You can hear the accusations of Satan in their words.  It is not enough to believe that Gods exists.  Demons believe that. Faith believes that God is good.  He is faithful.  He is mindful of our circumstances, wants what is best for us, and is always working in that direction.

When we complain, we are subtly accusing God of not caring for us, not providing what we need, not meeting our deepest wants, being unjust in allowing our circumstances, or of not being involved in our iives at all. Our complaints shape our view of God and undermine out faith. Our complaints bring us into agreement with Satan.  That agreement invites him into our home and our families. 

This prohibition of complaining does not mean I cannot acknowledge hard circumstances or suffering in my life.  The Psalms are full of laments and cries for deliverance from persecution, but the prayers were based on the belief that God did care about their circumstance and because he was loving, merciful and faithful, the answers to their cries were in the pipeline headed their way.  

Paul suffered a great deal for his faith and yet he wrote, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength: (Phil. 4:11-13). 

Paul’s contentment rested in his belief that God was always mindful of his circumstances and was working in them to bring about good. Sometimes he was perfecting something in Paul’s spirit and character. At other times he was using Paul’s circumstances to reach others, such as the Roman guards who stood by him day and night with whom he shared the gospel.  

The art of contentment is a great weapon in spiritual warfare as we focus on what we do have rather that what we don’t have.  Thank offerings were part of the Temple sacrificial system where men and women offered a sacrifice as an expression of thanksgiving to God.  Our thanksgiving, even in hard circumstances, keeps the enemy at bay and prevents us from coming into agreement with Satan about the character of our God.  

A life of thanksgiving keeps us positive and expectant. We don’t have to thank God for our suffering but we can thank him for his grace to sustain us in that season and the promise that joy comes in the morning.  We can thank him that he has solutions to our crisis and that he will bring good out of every circumstance.  We can thank him that he cares for us and has compassion for what we are going through.  We can thank him that he loves us enough to die for us.We need to be cautious about our complaints.  We must be sure that we are not, in some passive-aggressive way, accusing God of not caring or keeping his promises.

Our salvation lies in a conviction that God is good all the time, not just sometimes.  Feel free to honestly present your pain and your fears to God, but do so because you believe God cares and can help rather than as an accusation against his love for you.  Satan loves to inch into your view of God, so don’t give him an inch.  Follow Paul’s counsel: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6t-7).

For many years, one of my touchstone passages in scripture has been Isaiah 61. Let me quote it for you:

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor…And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God” (Isa. 61:1-6).

This is a Messianic prophecy that Jesus reads in the synagogue and applies to himself In Luke 4. It is important for many reasons, but the reason I want to highlight today is that it reveals the heart of God for his people.  Too many people, including many believers, see God as the harsh judge waiting to catch us doing something wrong like an angry parent.  This is the propaganda Satan works diligently to spread.  We often find this lie embedded deeply in people to whom we are ministering deliverance.  Because they view God through that lens, they have taken offense at him over some disappointment for which they credit him. You can easily see how that would affect your prayer and your faith. It is impossible to warm up to that kind of God, to be intimate with Him, or even pursue him.  That is the kind of God you want to avoid or hide from rather than draw close to. 

But Jesus tells us that if we have seen him we have seen the Father.  Whatever heart Jesus has is the same heart the Father has.  God is certainly holy and just.  God disciplines his children because any father who loves his children will correct them and direct them. But he is not a distant father just waiting for us to make a mistake so he can criticize, reject, or brutalize us. He is a loving father full of compassion for those who are hurting.

This Messianic passage clarifies that view.  First of all, God sent his son with good news not condemnation.  He sought out the poor and the broken first, rather than the rich and influential. As a good shepherd he sought first the brokenhearted who had been wounded by life, rejected and betrayed. He came with a priority to heal those hearts.  He also recognized the bondage and captivity many were experiencing – addictions, sin, demonization, and so forth. He came then and he comes now with an eye for us…not to criticize but to set us free; not to say I told you so; but to show us a way out. 

He also came to reverse our fortunes.  He didn’t just come to provide some abstract pardon which we will eventually experience in heaven, but came to change things for us now as well as eternally.  Notice the language: comfort for mourning; beauty for ashes; gladness instead of sorrow; and praise instead of despair.  His goal is to restore what is broken and return what has been stolen.  Ultimately, his heart is to give us a position of honor and service in the kingdom – priests of the Lord and ministers of our God

Satan would have us run from the Father, but the heart of God is that we would run to him…with our successes and our failures, with our strengths and our weaknesses, our joys and our sorrows and even our sin. 

When we are at our worst, Satan will whisper that we should hide from God, hide from his anger and his disappointment. But Jesus whispers he already came for us when we were at our worst…impoverished, brokenhearted, and captive to the flesh and the things of the world.  The prodigal son of Luke 15 sets the true tone.   There a son has left the house, walked out on his father and squandered his inheritance.  He came home  only out of a sense of shame and desperation, hoping only to be a hired hand.  But before the son could say a word, the Father ran to him, embraced him, and restored him to his former position of honor as a son.  That is our God.

We need to know who our Father is and the heart he has for his children.  God is looking out for the fallen, the weak, the broken, and the captive.  He meets us there but doesn’t leave us there and he always extends the invitation to draw closer.  Trust Jesus when he says he and the Father are one and they have the same heart for us.  

We just concluded our Spring Free Indeed session at Mid-Cities.  This is an eight-week class equipping people for healing and freedom followed by an all-day activation of everything taught during the eight weeks. The day includes inner healing, breaking generational curses, disconnecting from toxic and sinful relationships, forgiveness, repentance, as well as deliverance.  

Year after year, as we walk believers through this process, it is always evident that a person’s identity is a primary key to overcoming the enemy and that a shattered identity is an open door for the demonic.  The most broken people and the most demonized men and women are those who feel unworthy of love, who fear rejection and abandonment, and who walk with a crippling sense of shame about who they are. They know what the Bible says about who they are in Christ, but in their hearts, they still see themselves as unworthy, unlovable, and disqualified from God’s blessings and calling.

We also see an amazing amount of transformation occur when a follower of Jesus begins to believe in their heart who God says he or she is instead of who Satan, the accuser of the brethren, says they are.  He begins his work early by wounding children through wounded adults.  Children take on a negative view of themselves through abusive or neglectful parents, a traumatic loss of loved ones, hypercritical people, molesters, rapists, and so forth.  A child inevitably believes bad things happen to them because he or she is defective, bad, or unworthy of a parent’s care and protection.  Later those views can be reinforced through abusive, critical spouses or parents that keep up the rejection and demeaning words.  

Exchanging that negative view with God’s truth about who we are in Christ is critical.  But how do we get there?  I may know what scripture says about me, but actually believing that truth in my heart and making that truth my first thought when the enemy accuses and condemns,  is the goal.  Paul addresses the issue when he says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2).  We are transformed when we renew our minds with God’s truth.  Jesus said we will know the  truth and the truth will set us free.

The Holy Spirit, of course, works through the “living and active” Word of God to bear his fruit in our lives and to reform our thinking processes.  But we have a significant part in that process. Brain research over the past few decades has revealed some amazing things about God’s creation.  Thoughts and experiences are actually contained in brain real estate called neural pathways.  These pathways contain memories, emotions, beliefs, and so on sort of like a computer stores memory.  

A computer file can be filled with information, pictures, music, etc. but sits dormant until something in the operating system calls it up and activates it.  Our neural pathways can sit dormant until something happens that is directly or even indirectly  connected to what is stored up and then the neural pathway is accessed.  The memories along with beliefs and feelings attached to those memories, come flooding back.  We call those “reminders” triggers.  Triggers can be words, actions, a tone of voice, sounds, or scenes that have some similarity to the things that initially created the pathway. PTSD episodes for soldiers are a prime example.

Unfortunately, experiences that only vaguely resemble the words and behaviors captured in the neural pathway can also set off a cascade of hurts, resentments, fears, anger, condemnation, shame etc. so that the wounded person almost relives their past hurtful experiences.  Usually, the wounded individual then blames the person who accidentally tapped into that pathway with all the pain stored up there. They assign the same motives to this new person that the perpetrator of the wounds had and relationships are typically damaged. Those revitalized feelings can reinforce the beliefs about ourselves they initially established and Satan then uses that dynamic to great advantage.

The solution is found in weakening the pathway that holds false beliefs and replacing it with a new, stronger pathway containing God’s truth.  We can’t just decide not to think those negative thoughts about ourselves anymore, but must replace them with God’s truth about who we are.  That is where the power of meditation should be employed.  Neural pathways are established through the repetition and/or intensity of experiences, words spoken, etc.

Related to identity, we can intentionally lay in new pathways by meditating on what God says is true about us.  We should read it over and over.  When we read it aloud it adds an extra dimension to the meditation.  When we write it out, that adds one more layer.  When we talk about it with friends, it goes even deeper.  Even writing with colors or attaching music to the words helps to create the new pathway more quickly.  Memorizing the scripture adds another dimension.  

The discipline in renewing the mind is found in consistent, intentional meditation on the Word of God.  When the Holy Spirit joins in the process, he can write a revelation of God’s truth on our hearts.  That is when transformation takes place by the renewing of the mind.  If we have shame, unworthiness, and rejection deeply imbedded in us, it will take more consistency and intentionality on our part to create a stronger pathway.  The psalmist declares, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Ps. 1:1-3). 

After the new pathway is sufficiently laid in and empowered by the Holy Spirit, when something comes up related to our value, worth, or competence our new neural pathway is accessed and we respond as a person who is confident in our worth, our capacities, and God’s love for us.  We no longer feel wounded again or experience the pain of rejection.  Satan labors in this field daily wanting us to believe we are beyond love, beyond God’s forgiveness and disqualified from his blessings and plan for our lives.  We must be diligent to say only what God says about us Satan will reactivate the old, decayed pathway full of his lies. 

If you struggle with your identity, your self-esteem, begin to read God’s word with an eye toward seeing who the Father says you are in Christ.  Find a half dozen scriptures the Holy Spirit highlights for you and meditate on them day and night.  To become who God has called us to be, we must see ourselves as that person.  Set a goal of reading these scriptures out loud, writing them down, talking about them, singing them, etc. every day for ninety days.  You will see transformation take place in your life. Have your children do it with you!

As a pastor, it is not uncommon to speak with believers who have been “offended by God” because he didn’t act in the way they thought he should. A child died, a marriage ended in divorce, a promotion was given to someone less deserving, and cancer was diagnosed in a young woman.  All of these situations and more challenge our faith.

Here’s what we need to know.  The enemy loves to whisper that God took the child, sent the cancer, and didn’t save the marriage when he could have.  One of his primary strategies is to plant a seed of doubt in our minds about the goodness of God.  That is the first diagram in his playbook.  To entice them to sin, he sowed a seed of doubt in the minds of Adam and Eve about God’s heart for them.  He insinuated that God might be withholding good things and even the best things from them because he didn’t completely love them.   In response, they took offense at God and ate the forbidden fruit. 

It is human to hope that God keeps every crisis and every tragedy from us from the time we are born until we step across the threshold of heaven.  But that is not what we are promised. Every person of faith in scripture dealt with trials.  Jesus told his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble (Jn.16:33).  Paul reminds us, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles” (2 Cor. 1:3-4). We will be in trouble.  We could list dozens of other scriptures that confirm our dilemma. 

Many times, God does keep tragedy and disappointment from our door.  But there are other times when we have to face the harsh realities of living in a fallen and hostile world. The promise is not a trouble-free life, but that God will meet us in our troubles and give us the grace to endure. He will then set us on a level place with seasons of blessing again.  

The difficulty is in holding on when what we are experiencing doesn’t make sense to us or rubs against our understanding of how God works. However, when things go our way and make sense, not much faith is required. Greater faith is required when we are facing that which doesn’t go our way or meet our expectations. What do we do when we believe we had faith for healing, but our loved one died anyway?  What do we do when we believe we stood on the promises of God, but our marriage dissolved in spite of that?  What do we do when we have cried out to the Lord for years but God has not yet sent us a mate or given us a pregnancy?

Those are the moments that Satan rushes in to accuse the Lord.  If we are not careful, we will believe the accusations, judge God as unjust or uncaring, and distance ourselves from him.  We may deny it, but somewhere deep within we may hold a grudge against our Creator. Our view of him will be tarnished and our prayers will lack conviction.

We will all have to face a mystery at some point about unanswered prayers.  So how do we face that moment?  We must learn to judge God on the basis of what we do understand, rather than on the basis of what we don’t understand.  When Satan comes to accuse, we must already know what we believe about God and stand on his Word and our past experiences with his faithfulness. 

I believe the definitive verse in scripture comes from the mouth of Jesus.  “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father” (Jn.14:9).  How much does God love us?  How much did Jesus love us?  How much is God willing to sacrifice for us to be saved?  How much was Jesus willing to sacrifice?  Is God willing to heal?  Was Jesus willing to heal?  Does God send tragedy?  Did Jesus send tragedy?  Does God drive away the imperfect and broken sinner?  Did Jesus drive them away?  

No matter what, our faith must rest not only in the power of God but also in the character and the goodness of God.  We must make up our mind about him before the accuser comes. We have to be able to say. “Even though I am disappointed and confused, I still believe God is good and that he loves me. He will see me through this and set me once again on a level place.”  

How often have we judged God to be unfair or unloving because of one prayer he didn’t answer while ignoring the hundreds that he did answer and the way he cared for us even when we had not prayed? Take note of God’s care now and all the ways he has loved you, so when the accuser comes, you can take your stand.

Job could make no sense of the tragedies that had come his way.  He asked lots of questions. He wrestled with the mystery of the loss and suffering he encountered although he was a righteous man.  But in the end, God declared that Job had not failed to speak the truth about God and so God restored his losses and blessed his life in greater ways than before his suffering. Remember the old saying, “God is good…all the time.  When we are not sure of anything else, we can be sure of that and, being sure of that, we can hold on through the fires. 

There is, of course, a great deal of discussion about “end times” right now.  Interestingly those discussions were going on even in the days of Paul. Writing to the church at Thessalonica he said, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thess. 2:1-4).

Jesus was clear that we could know the season of his return but not even he knew the day or the hour.  There are indicators that we are certainly in the season of the Lord’s return.  The most significant was Israel’s return in 1948 to the land God had promised them in the days of Abraham.  We sometimes forget that the world does not revolve around the United States, but in God’s mind, it revolves around the little nation of Israel that he chose millennia ago to be his special people. Believing Gentiles have been grafted into spiritual Israel, but God still has plans for the physical nation.  In due time, Jesus will return to Jerusalem and the veil of unbelief will be lifted from the physical descendants of Abraham.  

A second major indicator will be the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem from which the anti-Christ or the man of lawlessness will make his proclamations.  Orthodox Jews are on the verge of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, restoring the priesthood, and the sacrifices of the temple once again. We can expect animal rights activists to have a meltdown over those sacrifices.  But when the temple is rebuilt, another solid indicator that the Day of the Lord is near will be imminent.

A third indicator is what Paul called “the rebellion.”  The Greek word is apostasia from which we get apostasy.  Paul seems to be prophesying a time when the church would experience a great falling away and a rejection of essential doctrines and truths of the church. That’s where we come in.  We have seen such a falling away in American and European churches over the last fifty years. Over that time, increasing numbers of theologians in our universities began to deny the miracles of the Bible. They began to frame them as only mythological stories that carried cultural values much like fables.  Because miracles were not “scientific” and were not being witnessed today (by them), these men and women simply declared they didn’t happen.  

I remember one commentary on the gospels regarding the account in which Peter and Jesus needed to pay a temple tax.  Jesus told Peter to go fishing and when he caught the first fish it had money in its mouth that covered the tax.  The commentator boldly proclaimed such a miracle would never happen and that Peter caught the fish and sold it for the amount needed to pay the tax.  He wasn’t there, he didn’t witness the event, but spoke as if he had been.  In the name of higher education and science, these theologians have denied the flood, the plagues on Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the fall of Jericho, giants in the land, the healings of Jesus, the feeding of the five thousand, the virgin birth and ultimately the resurrection.  But if you take the miraculous out of the Bible, you have stripped it of any intervention by God in the affairs of men and the essential proofs that Jesus was, in fact, the Son of God.  You have stripped our faith of any personal relationship with God and, thus,  of our salvation.

Once theologians starting taking liberties with the Word of God, the trickle-down effect was that pastors and denominations felt they could also modify it as they saw fit.  So, in the past few decades, the “church” has felt free to change the definition of marriage, approve homosexuality, support transgenderism, question whether Jesus is the only way to heaven, and stand up for abortion on demand…even though scripture clearly calls these issues sin and even abominations. Once you deny the authority of scripture in any area, you deny it in every area. 

This has likely been the great rebellion or apostasy that Paul spoke about in 2 Thessalonians.  The church has compromised Biblical standards by giving into cultural pressures and a desire to be “intellectually acceptable” to the world.  John, however, warns us about such a move. He says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them” (1 Jn. 2:15).  He defines the world in this context as the cultures, systems, and values of the world that Satan promotes contrary to God’s truth.  If we deny the Word of God then we deny the one who spoke it.

As this “apostasy” continues in many places, we must accept the fact that we must speak out in order to be faithful representatives of Jesus and his truth. We must also accept that when we speak out, those who love the world will hate us.  We can speak the truth in love and still be hated because the spirit in them hates the Spirit in us. This is an “end times” reality we must embrace.  To be silent or compromise with the world opens the door for the enemy to establish a stronghold in our families, our nation, and our churches. We may have little to do with Jerusalem or the third temple, but we are those who are called to push back against the great falling away of the church.  

Our role is to be personally clear about biblical truth and to speak out when others want to deny it or compromise with the world.  We must avoid any arrogance or self-righteousness in our push back, but our silence will seem to them as agreement and so we must speak to city councils, school boards, church leaders, business leaders, and even family members.  If we love God we must speak up for his truth and his standards.  

To fail to speak up will be a form of denial, but we can take heart.  Jesus promised, “you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist God’s truth to those who are not prepared to receive it.  As we move toward the return of Jesus, we need to ground ourselves in biblical truth and pray that God will prepare our hearts to speak when the time comes.

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9 

If you have been a Christian very long you are familiar with the passage quoted above from the prophet Jeremiah. Many preachers have used this text to warn against subjective spiritual experiences. I was part of a fellowship for twenty years that consistently warned against “experience-based faith.” The underlying presupposition was that all we needed for faith was the written Word of God and that spiritual experiences could be used by Satan to lead us astray. We were warned against seeking spiritual experiences, prophetic words, healings, chasing after miracles, or judging things based on what we felt in our hearts. It was if head-knowledge about God carefully derived from scripture was the only safe way to God. Jeremiah’s words were the proof text for staying away from experiential religion.

There is some truth to the warning, however, experiences are also crucial to our faith. An experience with God can be more faith building than the written word alone. Think of all the great stories in the Bible. Noah hearing from God that a great flood was on the way.. Abraham encountering God outside his tent with a promise that an impossible child was on the way. Jacob wrestling with an angel who represented God. Moses seeing a burning bush that was not devoured by the flame. David being supernaturally empowered to overcome the lion and the bear. Every person in the gospels who was given a miracle or who witnessed a miracle. Paul on the road to Damascus, etc.

Each of these stories was an example of a man or a woman who did not just read about God or hear about God but experienced God. The experience was transformative in their lives. The heart, if that equals emotionalism, can certainly lead us astray, but Jeremiah’s words were written before the Holy Spirit took up residence in God’s people. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts though faith” (Eph. 3:16-17). We are also to love the Lord with all of our heart. Remember the disciples who were walking on the road to Emma’s after the resurrection. They encountered Christ (unknown to them) who walked with them and opened up the scripture so that they understood the necessity of Messiah being crucified and raised on the third day. After they recognized him, he disappeared and they said, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road…” (Luke 24:32). In this instance, the heart confirmed the truth that was being shared with them.

In addition, Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus that, “the eyes of your heart might be may be enlightened in order that you may know the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Eph. 1:18-19). Although the unregenerated heart can easily be deceived, the heart enlightened by the Holy Spirit can also discern truth and the nature of God through experiences.

It is my personal experience and my observation that lives are transformed to a greater degree when people not only read the Word of God but experience God as those in the Bible experienced him. Whether a powerful answer to prayer, a moment of supernatural provision, a prophetic word that strikes home, his overpowering presence in a worship setting, a profound healing, the experience of tongues, a demon cast our after decades of torment, a still smallll voice in the darkness, or a rescue from an impossible situation. Could it be that scripture is not just to give us information about God but to also prepare us for encounters with him?

Spiritual gifts are another way we experience God. They are God working through us. These gifts were abused and misused in Corinth, but Paul did not forbid their exercise. He simply taught them how to use the gifts as God intended. Experiences are the same. I cannot seek God without experiencing him. I cannot fully know him without experiencing him.

Of course, experiences can lead us astray. Experiences must be weighed like prophetic words and tested like spirits to see if the experience lines up with the Word of God, reflects his nature and character, and bears fruit that glorifies God and points us to Jesus. My heart can be deceived but it can also be enlightened and made fit for Jesus to dwell there. Paul said that he wanted to “know Christ” (Phil. 3:10). The word he used means to know him experientially, not just intellectually. Our desire should be the same, Test and weigh your experiences with God, but do not fear them or avoid them. They are transformative.

I hate to admit it, but most of my life has been based on trial and error…with error being emphasized.  My parents were both depression kids with parents who provided the essentials but who did not speak into the lives of their children beyond clean your room and play outside.  My parents did the same for me… “Do your chores, play outside, don’t get into trouble.” They never spoke into my life or taught me many life skills that I needed to know.  When I graduated from high school I moved away, found a job, went to work, and started college without any direction from them.  This was before Google, so I didn’t even know who to ask about car insurance, health insurance, job interviews, relationships, spirituality, or opening a bank account.  On top of that, I was embarrassed that I didn’t know these things. I had no relationships with older men and so I learned from peers who knew little more than I did or I just stumbled along experimenting with life.

When I became a Christian at age 24, I still had no one step up and ask if I could use some help growing in my faith or learning how to be a Christian husband or father.  I didn’t even know enough to ask someone to fill that role for me.  My first marriage ended in divorce. I stumbled along spiritually.  I faithfully attended church and served in the church.  I grew in my Bible knowledge, but didn’t really know how to apply the principles I was learning to my life.  I knew nothing about spiritual warfare which was crushing me and had no one to tell me about it.  I eventually learned these things, but it was a long, slow, and sometimes painful learning curve.

In reflection, if I had been connected to some mature mentors, my relational and spiritual life would have been on target with accelerated growth and I would not have had to climb out of the ditch so often.  So, whether you are male or female, I encourage you to find a mentor and spend some time with that person to prepare you for your next few years.  You need someone to speak into your spiritual life, your relational life and your career.  You may find it all in the same person, or you may need several different people.  Our first response is usually, “How would I find that person?”  Let me give you some simple guidelines for the process.

1. Ask God to connect you to that person.  God does not intend for us to “go it alone” in               our spiritual life.  We need spiritual mothers and fathers or, at least, big brothers and sisters to help us navigate life.  God is quite willing to help you make that connection.

2. Make sure you are able to receive from a mentor.  You need to be convinced that you need a guide and must be willing to receive from that person and prayerfully put their direction into practice. Mentors do not always have the answer, but give serious consideration to their words.

3. Clarify what you are needing from a mentor.  What areas of your life do you need him or her to speak in to? Which areas do you need to grow in first? 

4. Have realistic expectation for your mentor. If these are people you want to hear from, they are probably very busy.  You can expect to meet once a week for a while and then once a month for a while.  Keep your visit to an hour or hour and a half and do not abuse the time they are giving you.  Take notes when you are with them. You are asking them for their time, so make your meeting times convenient for them as much as possible.  Set an end date for the mentoring when you request it…three to four meetings  over coffee, three months, six months, etc.  The mentor can extend those times if he or she feels led to do so, but asking a busy person for an open-ended commitment is not a good plan.


The next major question is how do I find this person who will speak into my life?

1. First, think of the people you already know and look up to.  As much as possible, make sure this person has character and judgment…not just financial success or notoriety.  Find a person who you know already invests in other people and encourages them.

2. If you are in a church setting, ask your pastors who they might recommend or get into a multi-generational life group or Bible study.  Some of the most profound testimonies I have heard have been from couples or individuals who intentionally got into a group with older men and women.  Those older believers became informal mentors who shared experiences and perspectives simply in group conversations.  You may then approach one of those men or women to spend some one-on-one time with you as you get to know them and feel God’s direction or simply ask someone to coffee or lunch to begin a conversation that might lead to mentorship.

3. Be aware that many older people have a real desire to use their wisdom and life experiences to help others along the way.  They are often flattered that you asked.  If they say they cannot meet with you now, they may be glad to do so at a later date, so keep that option open.  Too often, we feel like we are imposing if we ask to spend some time with another person.  Let them make that decision.  They may be “maxed out” right now, but would be glad to meet with you in a few weeks.

4. Be prayerful about the person you approach.  Ask around.  Observe. What is the long-term fruit of their life?  What is their family life like? What is their business reputation?  Are they known to be fair, have integrity, and encourage others rather than just using them?  Have they produced good spiritual fruit and raised up others over a long period?  Do the people who know them best, respect them?  Have they grown through their mistakes?  Do they have a genuine humility about them?  What do you sense the Holy Spirit is telling you about that individual?

Scripture is clear that we need others in our life.  In fact, God designed the body of Christ to need one another as some have one gift, while others have another.  We are to have people in our lives that sharpen us, encourage us and even admonish us.  Again, I encourage you to find a mentor even a group of mentors or an individual or couple who might share their wisdom for marriage and parenting.   Doing so will be like finding a road map for the next journey you are about to take, rather than just driving and hoping you reach your destination.  Blessings. 

Over and over, scripture testifies to the power of the spoken word.  In the beginning, God spoke the universe into existence.  The spoken words of Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, and drove stubborn demons out of men and women.  In the Book of Jeremiah, we are told, “Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant’” (Jer. 1:9-10).  As Jeremiah openly declared the word of the Lord over nations and kings, spiritual forces were set in motion to raise up kings and depose them, establish nations and destroy them.  Proverbs affirms, “The tongue has the power of life and death” (Prov. 18:21).  We could go on and on quoting scriptures that declare we have the power to bless and to curse through the proclamation of our words.  In short…our spoken words matter.  They have power.  They make a difference.

In the Book of Revelation, we are told, “For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of theirtestimony” (Rev. 12:10-11).  Speaking of the saints, we are told they overcame the enemy, by the sacrificial blood of Jesus and by the words they spoke.  The words we speak, our testimony, is an essential part of winning the battle against Satan.  What we speak informs both the world and the spiritual realm where we stand and established God’s truth over circumstances. 

Our first testimony, of course, is that we believe Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins and was raised to life on the third day. Our continuing testimony is to declare publicly what we know to be true…not only about Jesus but about God, his sovereignty, his righteous standards and his judgments.  We are to testify to God’s word and truth as we resist the things that push back against God’s will in this world.  When we speak life, truth, and victory over people and circumstances, our words set spiritual forces in motion to accomplish what we have declared.  The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit and when we speak his word, that word becomes a weapon in the spiritual realm.

But here is the rub. We live in a culture that no longer believes in absolute truth. It no longer believes that a divine standard of right and wrong exists by which nations and people will be judged. We often hear the phrase, “personal truth,” which means that every man does what he wants without reference to any other standard. Judges 21:25 speaks of a time when Israel had no king and “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”  That was not a season of God’s favor. 

From that perspective, truth changes with the times, with the culture, with our emotions, and with circumstances. Many claim they are “evolving,” which means their view of truth keeps shifting with the tide. To give into that premise, undermines the very foundations of law, ethics, and faith.  How can law deliver justice when there is no sure definition of what is just?  How can faith stand against assaults if we are unsure of the ground on which we stand? 

Part of the angst of our younger generations is that they don’t know where to stand or what to believe. They have nothing certain on which to base their lives and decisions. Their compass has no true north. Men may no longer be men and women may no longer be women. The definition of marriage which has stood for thousands of years has now become a fluid word with no certain meaning. Morality is relative and shifts with public opinion. So, when we vote for a president, character doesn’t matter anymore because no one can define it. “Personal truth” allows politicians and news services to manufacture their version of “the truth” at will and dispense it as if it were as certain as 2+2=4. 

In our generation, it almost seems quaint, naïve, and unenlightened to even discuss the notion of absolute right and wrong or actual moral standards for a society. But once you cut yourself loose from the moorings of a God in heaven who establishes truth, right and wrong, sin and righteousness, and who will judge the world on the basis of those standards, good will certainly be called evil and evil will be declared good.

The church used to be viewed as the conscience of the nation.  Sin was called out in the pulpits and people were called to repentance…even national leaders or the nation itself were subject to admonition. In those days, the church testified to the word of God, the standards of God, right and wrong, sin and righteousness.  Children were taught those standards in school and the Ten Commandments hung on the walls of every courthouse.  But through the decades, the testimony of the church faded and so did the testimony of many individual believers.  We were called haters and intolerant because we said what God had said.  In many cases, we buckled to pressure and compromised our faith in order to be acceptable to the world.  Our testimony became a whisper. 

But the saints of Revelation overcame the enemy, not only by the blood of the Lamb but by the word of their testimony.  If we are to overcome in this age, we must give testimony as well. God is giving us a window in America in which believers must speak up again and testify to the reality of Jesus as well as the truth and demands of God’s word.  Whether in school board meetings, city council chambers, private conversations, church assemblies, or to our children at home, we must speak out and say what God has said about all things.  This is an essential part of spiritual warfare.  

So much hangs on our willingness to speak out for God.  Our words set spiritual forces in motion.  Our words correct the distorted world view of those around us and our words reinforce our own faith and certainty that the Word of God is true.  Let’s pray and ask God to give us boldness to testify in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. Certainly, we must do so in love and out of concern, not in self-righteousness.  But as we do, we too will overcome the enemy and encourage others to do the same.

In last week’s blog, we discussed the indicators that a house cleansing might be in order.  This week I want to share a simplified approach to performing a house cleansing that has always been effective for us.  This process is essentially the same as deliverance for individuals and involves aligning ourselves with Christ, renouncing the enemy and his works, declaring authority over the enemy and, then, exercising that authority. 

Alignment:

If you are not a believer, the devil has access to you at all times because you have not yet been delivered from the dominion (authority) of darkness (see Col.1:13).  Your only way out is to sincerely make Jesus your Lord and Savior. If you are a believer, Jesus has taken away Satan’s legal right to oppress you or afflict you.  However, you or those you are connected to or those who lived in your house or on your property before you arrived, may give that right back to him. 

Satan may gain access to you or your home through areas of your life that are not aligned with Satan and give him a legal right to afflict you.   If you are walking in unrepented sin, unforgiveness, or unbelief, those sins may open the door to the enemy.  If others who lived in your home or apartment before you committed gross sin in the house, abuse, violence, or witchcraft, there may be a demonic assignment on the house or property.  Be sure you have confessed and repented of any personal sin before you start the cleansing.

Jesus taught us to pray “and deliver us from the evil one” (Mt.6:13).  It’s always good to begin with a prayer of protection from the schemes, the influence, and the attack of the enemy when you are confronting darkness. After that, the first step of alignment is to have the one(s) with authority in the home make a verbal declaration of his or her faith in Jesus as the Son of God and his or her allegiance to Jesus as Lord and Savior followed by a verbal renunciation of Satan and all of his works. If married, the husband and wife can say these things together.  You might begin by making a verbal declaration like this:  Heavenly Father, I declare my faith in and allegiance to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and willingly place everything I am and everything I have under his authority and lordship.  In the name of Jesus, I renounce Satan and all the works of Satan and repent of any and all sin in my own life.

In addition to personal repentance, we ask the owner, renter, or head of the household (both husband and wife should do this together) to verbally place the house, contents of the house, and the property under the Lordship of Jesus and to dedicate all of that to his purposes.  In doing so, you transfer dominion of the house and any part of the house from the enemy to Jesus. Joshua declared, “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15).

You should verbally declare something like…In the name of Jesus, we dedicate and consecrate this home, its contents, this property and our family to the service and Lordship of Jesus Christ who has all authority in heaven and on earth.  And in the name of Jesus, we renounce and nullify any claim that the enemy has had on this house, this family, any contents in this house, or on this property.  In doing so, we declare that Satan has no right and no place in this home, in this family, or on this property and is declared a trespasser.

Lastly, we look through the home to identify any objects that may be giving the enemy a place in the home such as souvenirs from overseas; books, dvd’s, or music that glorify sin, violence or death; occult items related to witchcraft such as Ouija boards, tarot cards, horoscopes, books on witchcraft, items related to Freemasonry, or representations of false gods; pornography or other items that, by their presence, provide an open window for Satan rather than honoring God. These items should be removed and destroyed if possible.

We also ask the Holy Spirit to highlight any other objects or areas that need to be removed or given special attention in the house such as places where sin has occurred – beds where adultery was practiced, tables on which occult activities took place, etc.  We then ask those in authority to verbally renounce any sins that those objects clearly represent – pornography, idolatry, magic, false religions, fortune telling, adultery, sexual abuse, etc.  Say something like: In the name of Jesus, we renounce and repent of (name the sin) and ask forgiveness for its presence in this house and for our involvement in (name the sin).   When that has been done, then the owners of the house and the house itself have been aligned with Christ.

Exercising Authority:

All those who believe in Jesus and have his Spirit within them have been given authority to deal with the demonic.  Because of that, we then lead the owner(s) of the house or those who have authority in the house to command all unclean spirits to leave the house and property and to never return. Of course, all this is done in the name and authority of Jesus.  If the people in the house have experienced fear, anger, sexual issues, or have seen or felt spirits, we name or describe those spirits specifically as well as commanding all unclean spirits, in general, to leave. 

Note:  It is obviously best if both spouses are present and involved, but at times that is not possible or one spouse may not be a believer or believe in spiritual warfare. Whoever is a believer should go ahead with the process knowing that an unbelieving spouse or a spouse that is mired in sin may be an open door to the enemy which may inhibit the cleansing or make it necessary to do it again or on a regular basis. 

You may command something like:

In the name of Jesus, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, I command you, spirit of fear (or any other spirit you know by the fruit it has born in your house or simply by calling them demonic or uncleans spirits) to leave this house and this property and this area immediately.  You have no right here and no place here.  You are trespassing on property that has been dedicated and consecrated to the Lord Jesus Christ.  In his name I command you leave immediately and never return and I command you to do so without hurting or harassing anyone in this house.

Once those with authority have made their declarations and have commanded the spirits to leave, we agree with them.  “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Mt.18:19-20). We agree by moving throughout the house commanding spirits in each room and garage to leave and never return while always being sensitive to the Holy Spirit for direction in what we are doing or declaring.  

As we move through the house, we smear a drop of anointing oil (olive oil) above each door and window (like blood over the Hebrew doors on the first Passover) as a way of consecrating that space to the Lord or marking that house as belonging to God. We often do that around the perimeter of the property (fence lines, etc.) and on outbuildings as well.   In the same way, oil was poured on priests to dedicate and consecrate them and their service to the Lord.  Those needing healing and deliverance were anointed also with oil in the New Testament. There is nothing magical about the oil, but I believe it symbolizes the Spirit and as the Spirit marks us as those belonging to Christ, the oil also marks homes and items in the homes as those dedicated to and belonging to the Lord.  

Having anointed the house and having commanded all unclean spirits to leave and never return, we ask the Lord to place angels around the house to prevent the enemy from returning.  We bless the family living in the house, encourage them once again to get rid of any objects that may be giving the enemy access to their house and we leave.  We have rarely had to return except where individuals held on to objects that should have been taken out or destroyed. When questionable people have been in your house, we recommend at least commanding any unclean spirits to leave your house and property and never return as soon as those individuals leave.   If demonic activity continues, then you should pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what is giving those spirits a continuing right to afflict you.  When that is revealed, take care of it and then again command all spirits to leave.