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.

Inevitably, when we minister deliverance to men and women who are severely tormented, we find that those individuals have a vague sense of who they are in Christ. They know the biblical answers – they are forgiven, redeemed, sons and daughters of God, priests in the Kingdom, appointed, anointed and so forth.  

But when we get down to it, they know those things in their head but not in their hearts. Satan has filled them with doubts about their salvation, their worthiness, their competency, their standing in the eyes of God, and so forth.  They struggle with forgiving themselves for past failures and believe they are disqualified from the blessings of God.  Through the lies of the enemy, they slip into a mindset that they may be saved, but God can’t use them in any significant way because they are not spiritual giants full of the Spirit of God.

When Satan whispers those lies and we come into agreement with him, he gains access to us and demons are given a permanent assignment against us.  Of course, his first goal is to keep us from accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. Failing that, however, he gets busy convincing us that we are disqualified from experiencing the blessings of God or serving him in significant ways.  His goal is to keep us from fulfilling our destiny in Christ. 

From him we get a constant drum beat of how inadequate we are, how unacceptable we are, and how disappointed our Heavenly Father is in us.  Demons whisper that refrain over and over and prompt the toxic people in our lives to tell us the same things.  After a few years, we view ourselves through that same lens and find ourselves in bondage to the false identity Satan has projected on us. 

Moses illustrates the principle. When drawn to the burning bush on the slopes of Sinai, his only response to the call of God was his insistence that he was not the right man, he was inadequate, no one would listen to him, and that God had knocked on the wrong door (Ex. 4).  Even as God assured him that he would go with him, Moses balked.  He did so because he saw himself as a failed leader, a corrupt man, and a fugitive who must hide his true identity at all costs. When called to serve, he simply anticipated failure and disaster. He was so unbelieving that God’s anger finally burned against him.  

The key was that Moses was judging himself by his history rather than by the future God was offering.  Throughout their dialogue, Moses kept insisting on his inadequacy while God was insisting that he would make Moses adequate. Our struggle is the same.  We evaluate ourselves by our past and our present view of ourselves as not being adequate rather than evaluating ourselves on the basis of who God declares we are and the adequacy of Christ within us.

When we face down Satan, our foundational weapon against him is a view of ourselves that matches God’s view of us. We can only face the enemy when we know and believe who we are in Christ.  I have heard preachers declare that the only difference between us and the wretched sinner on the side of the road is that we are forgiven.  I assume that is an effort to keep us from some form of spiritual pride.  But most of us aren’t afflicted with spiritual pride, but with a view of ourselves much lower than God has made us.  

In fact, we are very different from the wretched sinner on the side of the road.  We are not only saved but are new creations in Christ.  We are adopted sons and daughters of the King, grafted into Israel, filled with the Holy Spirit and the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.  We are gifted, appointed, anointed and called to walk in the authority of the king of Kings and Lord of Lords. We are citizens of heaven and duly authorized representatives of Christ on the earth. We have instant access to God’s throne room in heaven. We are empowered to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy.  We are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms with a destiny written in God’s book in heaven.  We are more than conquerors…and even more.

We must reflect on what God says about us and never agree with anything that does not match God’s description of who we are in Christ.  We must meditate on who we are, memorize what God says about us, and speak about it with one another.  We must pray for a daily revelation of who we are in Jesus and then we can face down the enemy at every turn.  The days are coming when we will absolutely have to know who we are and whose we are.  If we doubt that, we will crumble under the pressure of criticism, slander and accusation aimed at us by an unbelieving culture hostile to the truth of Jesus.  Be intentional.  Work on knowing who you are and getting it in your heart. It is a necessity for the future. 

Indicators You Need a House Cleansing

We frequently do “house cleansings” for believers in our church and our city.  I’m not talking about a service day on which we go to some needy person’s home to deep clean, organize, and haul away junk (we also do that from time to time). But what I am talking about is clearing the house of demonic spirits that are attached or assigned to that location to oppress or afflict the people living there.  In a sense, it is deliverance for a location rather than a person.  The demonic spirits are not in or attached to the residents, but have an assignment against anyone who is living in that location.

In scripture we have several indicators that demonic spirits are assigned to locations. In Daniel 10, we are told that a demonic prince, the Prince of Persia, resisted the angel God had sent in response to Daniel’s prayer.  He was assigned to a nation. In the gospels, the demon named Legion (for we are many), who was afflicting the man of the Geresenes, plead with Jesus not to drive them out of the region (Mark5).  The region must have been a geographical assignment. There are many other examples but we can be assured that some spirits do have ties to geographical locations. 

Those spirits can be attached to a location where sin has been prevalent such as when pornography, adultery, or molestation in a home has occurred.  They often exist where some form of witchcraft has taken place…Ouija boards, tarot cards, psychic readings, or more formalized forms of witchcraft. When there has been conflict, violence, or abuse spirits seem to be established in those locations. Where suicide or murder has taken place, a spirit of death often remains.  Sometimes the spirit is attached to the house, sometimes to the property where something took place before a house was even built there.  It also seems that individuals who are involved in witchcraft, false religions, or unrepented sin can “shed” demons when they have been in someone’s home – friends, relatives, service workers, etc.  The person leaves but a demon stays.  

Demons can also take up residence when objects in the house invite them…idols (sometimes used for décor), books about witchcraft, souvenirs from overseas that have spirits attached to them, movies or television shows about the supernatural, pornography, tokens of false religions, new age items, and so forth.  The residents may come and go but the spirits remain.  Apartments are especially susceptible to such attachments. 

There are tried and true ways to rid the house of these spirits through the authority of Jesus Christ, but when is a house cleansing indicated in the first place?  Let me list a few of the most common indicators that demonic spirits are operating in your house, a business location, or even in your church and that you need to take action.

1.  You sense a heavy or “dark’ atmosphere in part of your home where you feel sad, depressed, or hopeless when you are in a certain room or section of the house.
2. You and your family frequently feel agitated or angry for no apparent reason when you are home and don’t experience that anger when you are away from your home.  There is irrational conflict and even violence that seems unexplained or unsolvable.
3. You or family members see shadows that are out of place…sometimes with a vague human form.
4. You experience sleep disturbance, feel the presence of something around you, or have tormenting dreams.
5. You feel fear in certain parts of your home.
6. Your children are afraid of something in their room or playroom. They tell you they see scary things or scary people or have frequent nightmares.
7. You hear unexplained sounds in the house…voices at night, cabinet doors opening by themselves, footsteps in the house when no one is there, electronics coming on by themselves, etc.
8. You see inanimate objects move by themselves.
9. You experience frequent illness or fatigue that defy diagnosis or treatment.
10. Demons actually manifest in the house in physical form.

To many, these indicators sound like the quintessential haunted house.  But these are demonic spirits that are subject to the authority if Jesus Christ and those who walk in His authority.  Satan has his greatest success we he operates without detection.  When we live unaware of the spiritual realm and his schemes against us, he oppresses and torments freely. Certainly, not everything is demonic. But when these indicators persist or when several become apparent, you should seriously consider a house cleansing.  Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy. He wants to rob the peace and blessings that a home should provide for a family.  

If you go on line, you will find any number of articles on house cleansings from New Age practitioners.  They will describe essentially the same indicators but will prescribe sage, music, crystals, bells, and meditation.  When facing the demonic, the blood of Christ and his authority over the enemy is all you need.  Next week, I will write a brief blog on how to cleanse a house when needed.  May the Lord bless you and keep you. 

I’m reading back through Exodus again and this passage caught my attention.  “See, I am sending an angelahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land (Ex. 23:20-30).

I think we can draw some significant lessons from this passage regarding our destiny in Christ.  Scripture is clear that “everyday ordained for us was written in God’s book before one of them came to pass (Ps. 139:16). In other words, God established a plan for our lives before we were ever born.  He has prepared things in advance that he invites us to be part of (Eph. 2:10). When we walk in our destiny we are fulfilled and fruitful.  Of course, we can say “no” to the things God has planned for us just like human children can reject good things their father has prepared or provided for them as their inheritance.

The land of Canaan was promised to Abraham and his descendants.  To possess the land was Israel’s destiny. In this passage, God revealed that he had provided an angel to go before them – to guide them and protect them as they stepped into their God-ordained promise.  However, possessing the land or the promise was not automatic.  God warned them there were things they wound encounter that could and would derail them if they were not careful and committed.  First, they had to pay attention to the leading of the Lord. We are directed to be Spirit led.  If we choose to go our own way and then expect God to bless what we have chosen, it will limit our participation in all the things he has prepared for us.  What we choose might be good.  Bur what God had for us would have been great.  It is not always easy to discern the will of the Lord. but God will honor the heart that seeks to know and pursue his will.  If we miss it, he will redirect us.  

Our first step in fulfilling our destiny, then, is to be willing to seek what he has planned for us above our own desires.  God warned the Israelites not to rebel against his instruction but to listen carefully to what he said.  The more responsive we are to the word of God and the more submitted we are to his will, the easier the journey will be.  God told Israel if they would be careful to follow his ways, he would go before them, he would put fear in the hearts of their enemies, and he would oppose those who opposed them.  As Paul said, “If God is for us, who cans stand against us. 

He then warned them of their greatest temptation and that would be the false gods of the people who inhabited Canaan.  As they moved into the land and faced opposition, the temptation would be to make peace with those tribes and to compromise in order to be accepted by them rather than being at war with them.  We have to acknowledge that the false gods of this world appeal to our flesh and our flesh will prompt us to want what others have.  We will be tempted to taste just a little and to participate just a bit, but when we do, the enemy will gain a foothold in our lives that may well become a stronghold.  God said to make no peace and no compromise, but to seek only him and his provision for fulfillment.

Whenever possible, God’s people were not just to isolate themselves and avoid the enemy, but to actively oppose false worship and the demonic spirits behind each idol and each sacred stone. As the saying goes, “All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”  So…God instructs his people to demolish the false religions and to break or pulverize their sacred stones. He goes on to say, if we worship the Lord and follow him only, we will find our destiny and experience his abundant blessings.  He says he will put his blessing on our food and water.  He will remove sickness from us and miscarriages and barrenness will be a thing of the past. He also promises a full life span.  In essence, he is promising the same abundant life that Jesus promises when we serve him with all our hearts. 

Interestingly, we also see that God is strategic in bringing us into our destiny and the promises he has for us.  To Israel, he promised that he would drive the enemy tribes out…but no all at once.  If they were driven out immediately, Israel would not be able to steward the land well.  Wild animals would take over and vineyards would be choked with weeds before Israel could care for what God had given them.  We often want our destiny now and our promises immediately. But God is wise and only gives us what we can manage well.  As we grow and mature, he will give us more.  Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Lk.16:10).  If you want more opportunity, more responsibility, more creativity more prophetic gifting…be very faithful with what you have now and God will give the increase…if you are seeking the destiny he has established for you.  

All of us are guilty of going after what we want and then asking God to bless it.  He may do so, because he is a gracious God.  But the greatest fulfillment and the greatest productivity that will have an has eternal impact is found on the road he destined for us before the world was created.  Let me encourage you to seek that road and let him lead you there.