Confronting the Spirit of Jezebel

The following article is by Joseph Herrin regarding his personal testimony of confronting the Spirit of Jezebel, both in his own home and in the church.  While we have spoken about this topic many times on this blog, it still remains the most neglected and yet most deep-rooted stronghold in the churchworld.

Although this is simply one man's testimony, I am confident that it is not so unique.  The foundation of God's church is in patriarchal leadership, and until the men of God take seriously their calling to be leaders in the home and in the church, then the churchworld as a whole will continue to suffer the corruption of rotten fruit, perversion, and death.

Are you not ready to see the power & life of God pouring through you as a living witness to Christ for a dying world?  Are you not tired of Satan running roughshod over your children as he uses the snares of this world to entice, deceive, and destroy them?  Do you not long for the glory of the Church as seen when it was first birthed at Pentecost, turning the very known world upside down in its glory?  If so, then you must decide to sanctify yourself from that defiling spirit and wage war against it.

God is raising up a standard against the spirit of Jezebel.  Will you be part of that standard?

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6

The Spirit of Jezebel

by Joseph Herrin

II Kings 9:30
When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out the window.

I want to share somewhat further regarding yesterday’s post where I spoke of facing much resistance and oppression while trying to revise the book Sarah’s Children. I appreciate those saints who wrote words of encouragement, and those who are praying for me. A number of people have written with words of exhortation. It has become evident to me that I was not clear in making known what it is that is hindering my writing on this subject. In truth, I did see the matter clearly myself until after further reflection today. I am confident that the prayers of the saints are accountable for this clarity.

Of all the topics I have taught upon, there has been none that has been met with greater resistance than the subject of godly womanhood. Back in 1999 the Father made it known to me that I was to follow Christ down an afflicted path. He directed me to leave my job as a computer manager at a local hospital and to begin a ministry of writing and teaching. He said I was to follow wherever He led, and to trust Him for the care and provision of my family.

As I mentioned in a recent post, this walk was difficult for my entire family. The way of the cross is not easy. My wife had many fears, and her struggles were exacerbated by ministers and their wives in the church we attended who were under the influence of a strong matriarchal spirit. The head minister invited each of the minister’s wives to attend pastoral meetings. At the time, such an occurrence was very rare. All of the women were very reserved, and spoke little, except for the head minister’s wife. She was very brazen, and would even get up in the men’s faces and tell them what they were doing wrong. This woman had very short hair, and dressed in men’s clothing, and had a very outspoken manner. This contrasts greatly with the pattern God has set before Godly women in the Bible.

I Peter 3:1-6

In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. Your adornment must not be external - braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

The ministers and their wives, knowing that my wife was struggling with following me down the path I was called to walk, being frightened by many fears, told us that it was wrong for me to make any decisions that affected my wife without her being in agreement. They said marriage was a democracy and all decisions were to be shared equally. This counsel came primarily from the head pastor and his wife. I was told that I could not follow where Christ was leading me apart from my wife’s agreement.

I shared with these ministers and their wives what the Bible teaches, that Christ is the head of man, and I had to follow Christ’s leading.

I Corinthians 11:3

But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.

If I was held captive to my wife’s will, then I had two heads. If Christ’s counsel conflicted with the will of my wife I would be forced to choose one over the other. In effect, to follow the counsel of these ministers and their wives I would have to place my wife in a higher position than Christ, for my wife would ultimately determine whether I could do what the Spirit was directing me to do.

I knew the counsel being given by these men and women was un-Biblical, and contrary to the governmental order of Yahweh.

Ephesians 5:22-24

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

I Timothy 2:12-13

And I do not permit a woman to teach or to usurp authority over a man, but to be in silence.

I spoke openly with the ministers about these things, but they would not be persuaded. They encouraged my wife to speak forth her opposition to me, and emboldened her to manifest resistance to my leadership in the home. Things eventually came to a head, and the ministers asked to meet with me one morning after church. The Father spoke to me and said I would be put out of the body by these ministers, and that I was not to resist it. It was His way of bringing me out of Babylon. That same week I had received a pre-release copy of a book by Charles Newbold titled The Harlot Church System.

SIDE NOTE:  This is a wonderful book that I highly suggest people obtain, as I do each of Bro. Newbold's books.  

The sub-heading of this book cover says, “Come out of her, My people.” This is a quotation from Revelation 18:4. The Father used this book, which arrived unannounced in my mailbox, to indicate to me what was coming. I would be put out of the church by my fellow ministers, but the Father would use this event to bring me out from Babylon.

That final meeting was very difficult. The ministers asked me if I would recant my position, and adopt theirs. I explained to them patiently that I could no in good conscience do so, and shared again the Scriptures with them. After I had spoken, for the next hour, the four ministers and the head pastor’s wife, excoriated me. At one point, the head pastor’s wife jumped up from her seat and stood right in front of me. She pointed her finger in my face and said, “You think your words are prophetic, but I tell you they are pathetic!” The ministers then all gave their judgment that they could not continue in ministry with me.

In the years since, I have had repeated run-ins with this matriarchal spirit. When I wrote the book Sarah’s Children in 2002 I had a great deal of hateful correspondence, and many dropped off of my mailing list. Even men wrote to tell me that I was wrong, offering various reproaches. No one, it seemed, wanted to confront this spirit, or teach the crucified life of the disciples of Christ.

The world walks in support of this spirit. It is especially prevalent in Western nations, and so-called Christian nations. I feel the oppression of this spirit whenever I teach on this subject. On two different occasions in 2010 as I traveled across the country, the Spirit revealed to me a domineering female spirit in the home. In one place I asked the host couple for permission to teach on the subject, and they permitted me. Two women who had previously been excited and eager about the things I taught were in attendance. They both were greatly offended, and have not had any communication with me since.

In another home, I was led to speak to the host couple privately regarding what I was perceiving in their home. I shared with the woman that she needed to relinquish the leadership of her family, and the husband needed to step up into that role. The man was very passive when I spoke with them, and the woman very vocal and extremely emotional. After a while I could see that no progress could be made, so I prayed with them. The woman was eager and excited when she contacted me to arrange the meetings in her home, but has not spoken with me since.

In the intervening years since 1999 I have encountered frequent and fervent resistance on this subject. My wife divorced me, being encouraged by a wealthy Christian woman from another church to not walk with me down an afflicted path of God’s choosing. I have been reproached in the courts, and put in jail twice over this same issue. I have found that everywhere, the message of Biblical womanhood is rejected, and the Jezebel spirit is supported both by the weight of societal opinion, by the laws of the state and nation, and by the practices of the churches.

When I have recently sat down to write on this subject, I have sensed the oppression from spiritual forces of wickedness. These forces have made known that the message is unwelcome, being rejected even by the majority in the churches, and the many things I have suffered at the hands of this spirit sit as a threatening menace seeking to influence my mind and drive me into silence.

The battle between this spirit and the ministers of God is shown forth in the history of Elijah’s encounter with Jezebel. This spirit is unusual in its power to intimidate even the most godly and courageous of Yahweh’s servants. Jezebel could hear of God's miracle of sending fire from heaven, consuming the altar, the sacrifice, and the water; she could hear of the prophets of Baal and Asherah slain by the hundreds, and with absolute brazenness be un-cowed and speak reviling words and threats against God's chosen minister. Elijah had never backed up before. He had never shrank from a fight. But before this spirit he was daunted. Responding to Jezebel’s threats, this great prophet’s arms hung down weakly, he had no will left to fight. He fled in discouragement to the wilderness and sat down under a tree to die.

Elijah Flees from Jezebel

The Jezebel spirit seeks to cast the righteous works of Yahweh’s servants into a dark light. It calls good evil, and evil good. This spirit is intractable. It will not submit, but seeks to make the spiritual man to submit to it. This spirit can shake even the most devoted servants of God. Jezebel waged war against the prophets of God, and slew many. Elijah knew this and was intimidated.

I Kings 18:4

Jezebel destroyed the prophets of Yahweh...

Yahweh appeared to His chosen prophet, Elijah, and sought to strengthen him. However, He did not ask Elijah to face this intimidating foe again. Instead, Elijah was instructed to anoint another man who would face this spirit and conquer it. This man was Jehu. Jehu was exceedingly bold, and he was zealous to perform the will of God. Jehu did not run from Jezebel, but sought her out. He found her in a high tower, which is a parable revealing the manner in which the Jezebel spirit seeks to elevate itself over others, rather than to submit, or to take a low and humble position of service. Yet, the very transgression of elevating herself became the instrument of her death. Jehu ordered any who were in the tower with her who were on his side to cast her down.

II Kings 9:32-33

And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down.

Jezebel Cast Down

It is significant that it was eunuchs who cast Jezebel down. Those men who are attracted sexually to this spirit in a woman (or in the church) will not lift up a hand against it. Some men find a dominant feminine spirit to be seductive, even attractive, but it is repugnant to the Spirit of God for it is a spirit of pride and self-exaltation. Yahweh will cast down the proud, but He honors those of a humble and contrite spirit.

In writing this book there are spiritual forces I am coming up against. It has been difficult to make headway. The enemy would discourage with ignoble thoughts and suggestions. He says, “No one wants to hear this message anyway. Why trouble yourself? Why expose yourself again to enmity and reproach and even threats?” Some have written to me suggesting that my writing on this subject is not the will of God. I invite all who offer counsel to consider carefully whether they have apprehended the mind of Christ lest they be found to offer discouragement to Christ's ministers when they should be praying for them to be strengthened.

Some time back I became aware that there is even a website called Jezebel that has posted a mocking and scathing article about me. They did this after I posted a prophetic word relating to the Gulf oil spill and the spirit of abortion in Houston and in the church.

http://jezebel.com/josephherrin


When Jezebel begins to attack the ministers of God, the result can unintentionally confirm that the man is on the right track. A man is known by his enemies, as well as his friends. If I must have enemies, let it be Jezebel, the enemy of all that is pleasing to the Father.

Revelation 2:20

“But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray...”

Yahshua would not have the church to even “tolerate” Jezebel. Many have gone much further than this. They have committed acts of adultery with her.

Revelation 2:22

“Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.”

It is my heart’s desire to speak forth truth, and not be daunted by any threat. Although the majority will never receive the words of truth, there is a small remnant who will. I ask once again of those who are willing to please pray for me as I set my face to complete this task. There are real adversaries, both in the natural and spiritual realms. I can sense the oppression, but God has given us a promise.

Isaiah 59:19

When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of Yahweh will lift up a standard against him.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.

Power to Break the Shackles

I have written before about how I used to really like a song by Mary Mary called Shackles.  In the song, these women sing about how God has released the shackles off of their feet so that they can dance.  While it is a blessing to be able to dance for and before the Lord, I think what man needs most is the shackles broken off of his mind.

We can dance wholeheartedly before God and still be bound. Too many in the church have hindrances in the mind which prevents us from walking fully in the light/life with which God has called.  These can & must be dealt with by the power of God, for God is preparing His people at this hour for the days ahead.

This past night, I had a dream that I was in a shopping mall (which is strange for me as I hate shopping).  The store was filled with people buying this and that.  Then, a loud voice was heard.  It was like it was being spoken over a loud speaker, but it wasn't.  The timber & depth of the voice was extremely loud, but it was as if you were hearing it from inside yourself and it reverberated within your soul.  As I (and everyone else) turned to see who was speaking, there stood the Grim Reaper towering over the people with the machete held high in his hand.  The store erupted in agonizing screams as people ran everywhere looking for cover, but there was no place to hide.  This spirit of death marched on after the people and the fear from man was palpable. 

As I woke up, three thoughts occurred to me:

• "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."  Matthew 24:37-39
  
  Before God's judgment came in Noah's day, the people were oblivious to the coming storms.  They were going about life as if nothing was happening, in spite of the fact that God had been warning them (II Peter 2:5, 3:20; Hebrews 11:7).  They simply didn't believe.  Each day they awoke with that day being the same as the last.  Because there was no tangible difference, they assumed that time was continuing for them unabated.  They assumed that they always had tomorrow. 
  
  This is the sense I got in the dream.  The shoppers were oblivious to what was about to happen, merely getting caught up in their purchases and plans for tomorrow.
  
  
• "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he [Jesus] also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Hebrews 2:14
  
  The first time I read this Scripture many years ago, it stuck with me.  I asked God, "Are you saying that the common denominator among men staying in bondage to the devil is that man has a fear of Death?  Man is afraid to die?"  For some reason, this seemed a strange thing to me.  I don't know, I guess I expected some deep reason, but fear of death?
  
  Yet, we know that the nature of fallen man invests all that he is in sustaining and glorifying life in this present, evil world.  It is the temporary life that Satan tries to get you concerned about and wrapped up in; it is the same which he uses to try and distract you through entertainment.  Anything but have the eternal life available to you in Christ Jesus become more real to you than life in this world.  This is why God says whoever finds his (eternal) life must lose his (soulish) life (Matthew 10:39).
  
  In any regard, this fear of the Grim Reaper (a spirit of death) was very real in the dream.  People were terrified and you could literally feel it.
  
  
• Who can stand against it?  As (spiritual & physical) death is released on people, who is prepared to stand?  Who is able to confront that evil spirit in the name of Jesus Christ and save souls from its clenching hands?  Moe importantly for me, can I stand in such times?  And if not, then why not?
  
  In the dream, everyone heard the voice of Grim Reaper who stated, "If only you had known my name."  It was like he was taunting the people, indicating that they could have been in a position to stop him, but they were in ignorance.  They had not known or believed that there was such an adversary and as a result, they were powerless against him.  Even some who claimed to know Jesus ran fleeing from the Grim Reaper, never having really been transformed into the image of Christ and equipped to stand.
  
  In Revelation, God speaks of the king of the demonic hordes released on mankind and says that his name is Abaddon in the Hebrew, or Apollyon in the Greek.
  
  Abaddon: "destruction"; the name of the angel-prince of the infernal regions, the minister of death and the author of havoc on the earth.
  
  Apollyon: "Destroyer", the angel of the bottomless pit, the Destroyer

When I awoke from the dream, I was led to read through Hebrews Chapter 2. While there is lots of meat in that Chapter, certain things stood out at me:

• We must not take lightly the truths God has given us about who He is and the way of salvation.  Doing so could cause us to "slip" in our faithfulness to Him and result in us neglecting this great salvation.  We must be diligent. (verses 1-3)
• We need the power of the Holy Spirit.  This is not an option but is required in order to be able to confront the enemy and release folks from his kingdom.  The Holy Spirit breaks the captivity. (verse 4)
• We have the authority in Christ Jesus to do this, and we must.  Saving souls is not about changing what people believe but is literally about translating people from one power (darkness) to another (light).  It is a confrontation, a war for souls, and we must be ready in spiritual armor in order to engage that enemy and spoil his goods. (verses 7-8)
• We can expect some suffering in the flesh, but this is what will help grow us up in God so that we can be more prepared in the battle. (verses 9-10)
• In it all, we can be encouraged to sing praises to God for the mighty things He has done through & in us by His Son Jesus. (verse 12-18)

So this is my prayer for the Church worldwide. That every Christian soldier will have shackles broken off of the mind so that he/she can be diligent in their calling, seeking to be endued with power from on high so that we can take authority over Satan and his horde of demons which seek to wreak havoc on the souls of men.  

This is also my prayer for the meetings next week.  As many of you know, there are fellowship meetings occurring in Atlanta from January 6th - 8th.  If you feel that you have lost that zeal for the Lord, or you simply want to connect with other believers of a like & precious faith to be stirred up all the more, please consider coming. I am personally praying that these meetings can be just the start of what God will do through His church in this next year.  This request is not about raising up any particular person or congregation, but about individual members of the Body of Christ having a renewal of purpose in Christ and coming together to seek God's face to be empowered for that purpose.  If there are financial hardships, please call the church to see what is possible.  Members are sponsoring others who cannot afford it and some attendees are staying in the homes of members to help defray costs.  A lot of times, we do not receive because we do not ask (James 4:2).

Lastly, I don't think it was coincidental that the spirit of death appeared in the dream as a Grim Reaper.  I highly recommend a couple of articles done by Omega Church & Ministries Center about the Grim Reaper and its relevance to the present-day Church: Part 1 and Part 2.  Please take some time to read these.

I am not one who posts a lot about dreams and visions.  However, when I feel like there is something worth sharing I do.  I pray that you reflect upon this message and take it to the Lord for anything He might have you to know in it.

In the meantime, may the peace of God be with you and His holy fire burn with increasing intensity within you.

No Grim Reaper - Part 1

The following message is from the Omega Church & Ministries Center.  Although it is four years old, it is very relevant for today.  I was reminded of this article via a dream I had last night, and am posting part one here for the edification of others (part two is also available).

The interesting thing is that various members would write articles for the Omega newsletters and I happened to write the Grim Reaper articles in the summer of 2007.  By the end of that year, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.   I am just now realizing that connection.

However, the thing to keep in mind is that we must be prepared to stand on God's word.  When we decide to proclaim His words, Satan will come to tempt us, to see if we really believe what we have proclaimed...and God will let him, so that we can prove & grow our faith in the trial.  I could write and say that Christians have nothing to fear about death, but what will I do when my own life is threatened? 

I pray that while proclaiming His truths, you will also pray to God to have those truths become life to your soul.  Never let your circumstances or doubts/fears rob you of what God has already planted in your soul.  Meditate on His words and let His life blossom forth within you so that what you do & say becomes merely an extension of who you are in Christ, and not just shallow dead works.

God is faithful to do all that He has promised.  Trust Him.  He will never let you done.  His words are a sure foundation.

"When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Psalms 126:1-6

The Spirit of Death

For centuries the world has portrayed the spirit of death as the Grim Reaper, a hooded figure in all black brandishing a scythe. This depiction originated from the tale of the Titan Cronus, the Greek god of the harvest. According to mythology, Cronus hated his father, and his mother (Gaia) was able to use this to her advantage. In an attempt to sever her relationship with his father, Gaia convinced Cronus to castrate him and provided a sickle to accomplish the task. Once Cronus had done this, he become god over creation and in turn began to devour his own children in order to protect his throne.

This worldly image of death seems only fitting when we consider what the Bible has to say about the root, response, and consequences of patriarchal rebellion.

THE ROOT OF PATRIARCHAL REBELLION

The doctrine of Jezebel

THE RESPONSE

The spirit of Elijah

THE CONSEQUENCE

The curse of death

God's response to patriarchal hatred is to send the prophet Elijah. During the days of Elijah, the Queen Jezebel had led Israel into idolatry and Elijah had shut up the Heavens in order to prompt the people to repentance. Rain did not return until the patriarchal foundation of God was re-established (I Kings 18:21- 38).

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6

The consequence for not heeding this call and failing to restore patriarchal order results in a curse, and it is this curse that we are seeing spread across the landscape. The warning of this curse of death is reiterated in Revelation.

"And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. 

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 

And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come." Revelation 2:18- 25

The Church at Thyatira was commended in many areas, yet Jesus found fault in that they gave place to Jezebel. They allowed Jezebel to usurp authority and seduce the people with her false doctrine. Further, he says that knowing this doctrine is akin to knowing the very depths of Satan. Satan at his worse tries to disguise his true evil nature and is transformed into an angel of light; that is what the the doctrine of Jezebel accomplishes. It encourages people to believe that they may live as they please (even diametrically opposed to the word of God) and still be accepted by God. It attempts to transform darkness into light.

When discussing what commands to give the Gentile converts, the Apostles declared the following, "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well." (Acts 15:28-29) Yet this is exactly what Jezebel seduces the people to do: eat things sacrificed to idols and commit fornication.

The Book of Ezekiel says it this way:

"Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken. 

The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD." Ezekiel 22:24-31

These individuals "divine" lies on the people while claiming to speak for the Lord. They teach no difference between the holy and the profane, not upholding the way of the Lord but instead glorifying the ways of the flesh so that they can live off of the wealth of the people. For the unrepentant, God says that He will kill their children with "death." This is the curse and the legacy of a Jezebel spirit; it is an inheritance of death, sexual perversion, murder, witchcraft, and ultimately damnation.

With each passing day, it becomes more obvious that a spirit of death has been loosed upon the world. Many children now anoint themselves in preparation to receive this spirit through the music, the clothes, the movies, the very culture of our times. In such times, God seeks those who will stand in the gap and intercede for the people, so that they will not be destroyed. This is the call to the real church; to stand in the midst of perversion and proclaim God's word.

For those who do not know the Lord, the time of reaping what has been sown is indeed a dark and dismal time. Yet, for the servants of the Most High, it is a time of joy. For the Christian, there is no grim reaper but instead a plentiful harvest on the way to a glorious homecoming where we are met with the loving arms of our Savior.

It is time to focus our eyes on the harvest as the Lord turns our captivity once more.

Continue reading Part 2 by clicking here.

No Grim Reaper - Part 2

The following message is part two of a newsletter from the Omega Church & Ministries Center.  I was reminded of this article via a dream I had last night, and am posting it here for the edification of others.

In the last issue of The Omega Times, we discussed the root, response, and consequence of patriarchal rebellion. We examined how the doctrine of a Jezebel spirit inspires hatred of a father by encouraging disrespect for patriarchy.

When people choose their own way, come against rightful authority, and seek to do things opposed to the word of God, it is because they hate the image of a father. Sin is personal to God, whether we realize it or not. God stated it this way, "And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." (I Samuel 8:7)

God's response is to send forth the spirit of Elijah to confront this Jezebel doctrine. Just as in the days of Elijah, God will call on the people to make a choice - if the Lord be God, then serve Him. If Baal, then serve him. What is the precursor to this point of decision? A supernatural display of power. It must be shown once and for all who God really is so that the faith of man may be established, not in word but in a demonstration of the Spirit and of power.

The time of harvest is a volatile time, a time of decision and of war. In this edition of the newsletter, we will look at the steps the Church must take in order to prepare for the harvest.

Preparing for Harvest

"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."  Joshua 1:9

As the children of Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, God repeatedly instructed them to be strong and of good courage. He had taken them through the wilderness to teach their hands to war. Now was the time to put into practice what they had learned. One of their first challenges was to cross the Jordan River. In describing the crossing, Scripture says:

"And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan." Joshua 3:15-17

Because it was the time of harvest, the banks of the Jordan had overflowed. It was physically impossible for the estimated 1.5 million Israelites to cross the Jordan with all of their provisions in their own effort. This is the first lesson that God needed to teach His people: you cannot make this journey in your own strength.

God was also using this experience to confirm His anointing on Joshua; showing that He was with Joshua just as He had been with Moses. Further, with the exception of Joshua & Caleb (and their families) this was a new generation of Israelites. Their fathers had been killed off in the wilderness due to their stiffnecked rebellion, so these people had no first-hand knowledge of how God had delivered them from Egypt. They needed a show of God's power to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He was able to bring them into the land He had promised. Lastly, it was a sign to Israel's enemies that God was coming in power to restore His people.

Notice that the waters were cut off at the city of Adam. This represents a transition into a new inheritance. In the Garden of Eden, God placed Adam in charge of creation; he was given dominion over the earth. God established a patriarchal order as a reflection of His own authority in the earth. Yet, the devil beguiled Eve into disobeying God's words and she in turn seduced her husband into doing the same. This fall of man birthed the beginning of the Adamic nature; an upside-down kingdom where man became the opposite of what he was created to be.

Instead of being God-conscious, man became self- conscious. Instead of being led by the Spirit of God, man was led by his five carnal senses. Instead of being under the protective headship of a patriarch, man was cut off from his head (Jesus) and subject to the whims of the devil.

Believe me church, I don't care what society says, matriarchal rulership is a curse from God. (Isaiah 3:12) What was meant to bring life (Eve) became death to man because proper headship was usurped. The consequences of that perversion have continued throughout time. The only thing that could turn the tide and reconcile man back to God was the death and resurrection of Christ. Through the cross, the lineage of Adam is cut off and we are made partakers of a Godly inheritance, a divine nature. The parting of the Jordan River at the City of Adam during this time of harvest is symbolic of our being crucified with Christ. It is the blood of Jesus being applied to our souls that allows us to "pass clean over" Jordan into God's promises.

The harvest is described in Eastons Bible Dictionary as follows:

The season for gathering grain or fruit. On the 16th day of Abib (or April) a handful of ripe ears of corn was offered as a first-fruit before the Lord, and immediately after this the harvest commenced. It began with the feast of Passover and ended with Pentecost, thus lasting for seven weeks.

Look at the timing of the season of harvest: it begins with preparation for the Lamb's death and continues to the manifestation of the Holy Spirit as the the church is endowed with power from on high. "Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn." (Deuteronomy 16:9)

The church has entered a new season. As we prepare to reap a harvest in the world, God is raising up a new generation from among the young. God is through striving with a people who will not go; a people who have seen His work and been a partaker of His blessings, but have become complacent in their relationship with Him. Under the leadership of patriarchs who have come out from Egypt and dedicated themselves in service to the Lord, God will bring this new generation into a confrontation with the enemy so that His kingdom will be established in the hearts of men and His promises fulfilled. Preceding this fulfillment is a re-establishment of the order which He has ordained.

"And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, and command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. 

And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day." Joshua 4:1-9

Before we can move on to claim the promise, we must re-establish the patriarchy of God. Having cut-off the old, Adamic nature, we have become born again into a new lineage. God commands the Israelites to set-up a memorial of twelve stones, one for each of the patriarchs of Israel as a reflection of the foundation upon which faith must be established. Just as Jesus' death killed the Adamic nature, Joshua by himself sets up a memorial at the very place where the Jordan River was cut-off. And just as Christ tells us to pick up our cross and follow Him, each tribe had to carry a stone to establish the same memorial in their lodging place.

As they come out of the Jordan River, Scripture states that Israel encamped in the east border of Jericho. Here, God does one of those things that just might leave you scratching your head.

"At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised." Joshua 5:2-5

There are times when you might wonder just what God is doing. Times when to the natural eye, it seems like God has brought you to a place where there is no possible way of escape. I can envision that this could have been one of those times for Israel. They had made it through the wilderness. They had made it across the Jordan. They were ready to fight, and God says to circumcise them.

Can you imagine being Israel at this point? Camped by Jericho, at the enemy's border, and God eliminates their ability to fight and defend themselves. Positioned right outside Jericho, they could have been taken out by the enemy at any given moment. Worse still, they had to stay there in that place of vulnerability until they had healed enough to move on.

Again, the natural man might say, "Um, God. Don't you think you should have circumcised us before we crossed the Jordan? I mean, why bring us right to the enemy and then place us in the most vulnerable state we could be in. We are like sitting ducks." Yet, this is exactly where God wanted them.

Many of us wonder what God is doing in our lives. We are in a position where it seems as if the devil can destroy us at a second's notice. Yet, this is also a place where we learn complete dependence upon God. If God does not stay the hand of the enemy, if God does not provide supernatural protection and provision, then we will be destroyed. The sheer circumstances of our situation are enough to compel us to seek God like we never have before, and it is from this place that we are given marching orders.

Remember, the harvest commences with the Passover, but continues to the coming of the Holy Ghost. In Acts 7:51, Stephen stated to the people, "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." Before we can engage in battle with the enemy, all resistance to the Holy Ghost must be removed. A circumcision of the heart will make us pliable to God and allow us to hear His words so that we can know what to do. It also eradicates any flesh that could contaminate His words of life as they come through us to reach the lost.

The world's image of the grim reaper has his sickle poised to destroy, but God has extended His hand to save. All God is looking for is a body that has been prepared to do His will; He is looking for laborers. The question is, who will sign up for the task?

For those who will, prepare for battle. Don't lose hope. Be strong and of good courage.

Spiritual Warfare Against Dark Spirits

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this Christian artist.

The following message from Russ Dizdar of Shatter the Darkness is on how to walk in the freedom and power of Christ (and bring others to it).  He reviews:

• Demonic attacks can come from outside of a person.  In such cases, we can stand on and speak the word of God against that oppression which often come in the form of involuntary feelings, thoughts, etc.
• Uncontrolled anger can give the devil a legal foothold (an attachment) to latch on to a person and launch demonic attacks.
• Another type of demonic influence is when demons possess a person.  Only turning in faith to Christ can break such a hold in a person's life.  God has given Christians the authority to bind and cast out those demons in the name of Jesus.  Don't back away or back down from such manifestations.
• The Book of Acts is the best end time training manual on how to deal with unclean spirits and lead others to Christ.
• We are the midst of the largest wrapping up of manifest dark presence worldwide and biblical prophecy indicates that we must be fully sanctified to the Kingdom of God to wage war against it.
• All believers must realize that there will be warfare coming your way.  A Spirit-filled believer will come against demonic oppression in prayer and by exercising the spiritual authority God has given us against these forces.
• To obtain and stay in freedom in Christ:
• Surrender everything to Jesus.
• Ask Jesus for deliverance.
• Renounce all sin.
• Command the demons to leave.
• Ask to be (re)filled with the Holy Spirit.
• Obedience is inseparable from real faith.  So many Christians are leading a "spectator" Christian life by not putting into practice those things God says we should be doing.  There is blessing and strength to be found in obeying the word of God.
• Don't leave a new believer to themselves.  God says that we are to "disciple" them.
• Jesus came to destroy the devil's work.  Is the power of the living Christ experienced - not just talked about - in your church?  Power of God made manifest in worship, in winning souls, in having prayers answered, etc.
• Believers have not been called to just go and study the Bible for ever.  Study leads to obedience, to action, to good works that God has commanded us to do.
  

Search Me

I watched someone recently try to present the Gospel to an unbeliever while at the same time reassuring them that they have no desire to "judge" them.  "No, we are not supposed to judge", they said, "We are only supposed to present the Gospel."

It was torturous to see.  They were trapped in a religious loop of trying to demonstrate the person's need for Jesus while at the same time not convicting of sin so as not to seem "judgmental".

People, the presence of sin is the very reason why we all need Jesus so desperately because it is such which separates us from God.  We cannot separate salvation from the essence of that from which we are being saved (Romans Chapters 5-8).  If we do not judge ourselves as sinners, then we will never see the need for Christ.

Even churchfolks these days are adopting a "You can't judge" stance, although such is completely unBiblical.  The only reason others say, "You can't judge me." is because they assume that everyone else is a sinning hypocrite like themselves.  And I am saying that with as much "love" as I can muster.

The heart of a true Christian is one who desires to be judged because they have a reverence for, and love of, the Lord; treasuring His ways above all else.  As a result, they seek to be transparent before God and men.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139: 23-24

"Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart." Psalm 26:2

"Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." Psalm 17:3

"How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin." Job 13:23

"For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried." Psalm 66:10

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" II Corinthians 13:5

"Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD." Lamentations 3:40

I have said it before, but I'll say it again.  There is no room in a Christian's life to be "offended".  People feel so justified in being offended by others; holding on to hurts & grudges because of what they feel others have said or done.  Yet God showed me many years ago that I have no right to be.  If someone says something - and I am offended by it - then I should examine myself to see if there is even a grain a truth in that statement.  If there is, then I need to repent plain and simple.  If there is no truth in it, then there again is no cause for me to be offended. 


In the Scriptures, there were two responses to Jesus when He preached the Good News: people were either offended by His words (and thereby rejected Him) or pricked to their hearts by them (and brought to repentance).  Which boat would you rather be in?

I implore you to let the light of God's Holy Spirit search you out through and through.  Don't hold back areas of your life from Him and don't be afraid for Him to put His finger on old wounds.  He is doing so for our own good, to make us whole.  He is the ultimate Healer and He restores our soul. 

The following song by Brother Joe May is one of my favorites and is called "Search me Lord."  I hope that it encourages you!

I Knew You

The following is a message from Pastor Zac Poonen as he discusses what it means for God to have ordained not only the course of our lives, but even our very existence.

While this Scripture is a good reminder when we are in the midst of trials, what I love about the message is how Pastor Poonen addresses the human frailties we often let limit us with God.  If God has called us, then He has indeed equipped us to do everything He sets before us.  It is only when we look to our own strength that we feel weak and incapable for the task at hand.

It is also interesting to note that the process which is used to establish God's word in the nations is the same as what is used to establish God's word in our minds & hearts.  Oftentimes, new Christians are not prepared for the extreme renovation which will occur in their inner man as they submit to Christ.  In sin, our way of thinking, our feelings, and even our perceptions are largely defiled.  We must learn to "pluck up, break down, destroy, overthrow" every old way so that the word of God can begin to "build and plant" a new and living way in our souls; it is how we are made new creatures in Christ.  Yet even in this process, God has already ordained the path and is leading us towards victory...if we but follow Him.
 

The Lord called Jeremiah when he was a young man (Jeremiah 1:5, 6) and said to him, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I consecrated you and appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

God knew Jeremiah even before his body was formed in his mother’s womb.  There is a lot of dispute nowadays about whether an embryo is a human being or not.  Here is a verse that should clear that doubt forever - because God says He knew Jeremiah before he was formed.  When Jeremiah was a microscopic speck in his mother’s womb, God knew him and consecrated him to be a prophet.

That is a great encouragement for us - to know that God had His eye on us even when we were just microscopic specks just conceived in our mother’s wombs. He has a plan for our lives just as He had a plan for Jeremiah.

Just imagine, when Jeremiah went through all those difficulties, how this thought must have encouraged him: “I am facing a lot of difficulties right now. But God knew me when I was in my mother’s womb and He planned my life then. And that plan will be fulfilled. I am going to yield to God utterly.” All of us too should think about that whenever we face trials and difficulties. God chose you before you were born and His plan for your life will be fulfilled. So don’t ever get discouraged.

Then Jeremiah said, “Lord, I don’t know how to speak.”  It is amazing how God picks up people to be prophets who are not good at public speaking.  Moses was like that.  He also said, “Lord, I am unable to speak publicly.”  I want to encourage all of you.  Don’t think that God cannot use you to preach His word just because you don’t have the ability to speak or the boldness to stand before people.  The Lord said to Moses, “I made man’s mouth. Can’t I then make you speak?”  If you allow God to break you and to fill you with His Holy Spirit, He can make you also His spokesman.  It all depends on your walk with God.

I was a shy, self-conscious person as a young Christian. But when God anointed me with His Spirit, He began to speak through me.  He can do the same with you.  And one more thing: Don’t ever say to God, “Lord, I am so young.”  If God calls you and consecrates you, your age won’t make any difference.  You don’t have to wait until you are an old man before you start serving the Lord.  As soon as you feel a burden in your heart, seek God to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and go forth and proclaim the word of God.

The Lord told Jeremiah, “Don’t say I am a youth, because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak” (Jeremiah 1:7). And then the Lord spoke a word to him that He often spoke to His prophets: “Don’t be afraid, because I am with you to deliver you”(Jeremiah 1:8).  One big advantage that all the true prophets had was this that the Lord was with them.  Therefore they were not afraid of any man.  That is the way we need to serve the Lord today as well.  The Lord must be with us.

The Lord touched Jeremiah’s mouth and told him, “I have put My words in your mouth.”  God did the same for Isaiah too.  Notice then the ministry that the Lord gave Jeremiah.  Six activities are mentioned here – plucking up, breaking down, destroying, overthrowing, building and planting (Jeremiah 1:10).

Four of these were negative and two - building and planting - were positive.  Jeremiah had to tear down the old structure first and then put up God’s structure.  That is not an easy thing to do.  It is much easier to build a building on an empty plot of land.

Christendom today is in very similar condition to what Judah was in those days.  There are huge religious structures in Christendom today that are contrary to the Word of God.  A prophet who comes with God’s word to such a situation will have to first pluck up, break down, destroy and overthrow many things before he can build and plant something of eternal value.  It is this initial work with the bulldozer that many preachers are unwilling to do.  They seek to “stitch a patch of new cloth on an old garment”.  But the Lord says, “No. You have to throw away the old garment. You have to destroy the old structure completely and start afresh with something completely new.”  If you don’t do that, you will not be able to build what God wants you to build. The Lord went on to encourage Jeremiah saying, “They will fight against you, but they won’t overcome you, for I am with you” (Jeremiah 1:19).

Transition

transition: movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another; change.

Last Saturday night, I had a dream that Google suspended all of my accounts (Youtube, this Blog, etc.) due to content stating that homosexuality is a sin.  In the dream, when I tried to reestablish the accounts, God told me not to.  He said that it was time to "transition" to the next thing He had for me.

I can remember a time before when God told me that within a year I would no longer have the job I held.  In response, I started training one of my team members to take over and manage the team.  Six months later, I was laid off.

The funny thing is that, when I was first informed that I was being let go, I was momentarily stunned.  As I started to question my supervisor, God spoke to me and said, "I told you that you were going to be out of this job."  I then remembered the word of the Lord and had peace in that situation.  Hopefully I have learned a little better since then how to hold on to God's words and not be moved by the things of this world (especially when He takes time to forewarn us). 

God has not given me any time tables here, but if you attempt to pull up these sites at some point in the future, do not be surprised if they are no longer available.  More importantly, and to the point of this post, be prepared for there to be much change and transition soon in your own lives.  We certainly know that such is true just looking at the world's landscape to see how nations are changing.  It is almost like the world is a huge powder keg and any one thing (among the many issues around at present) could ignite it.

I also believe change is coming to the lives of individual Christians as well. I am no fatalist, but I do believe the word of God.  The things which are written in Scripture are for our admonition, edification, and enlightenment; even about the times in which we live.  As mankind becomes more defiled in anticipation of receiving the world's king (the Anti-christ), surely the church is being prepared by God to be a great light in this darkness in anticipation of receiving our Great King, Jesus.

In the meantime, I'll continue to post on these accounts as God leads.  Yet, it is only fitting that this blog would end over a topic which was the focus of the very first article posted over four years ago.  Who says that God doesn't have a sense of humor?

If there is any word that I would give in this hour it is not to be complacent.  Don't think that the way things are today will be the way they continue to be.  Do not say to yourself, "I have time", and put off that which the Lord has been putting on your heart to submit to Him; tomorrow is not promised to anyone.  Seek God to be ready for what is to come and inquire of Him to know the purposes He has for you at this time.

Maranatha!

WHAT Was Crucified at Calvary?

The following sermon is from Pastor Gary C. Price and is called, "What Was Crucified at Calvary?" 

We know that Jesus came as the second Adam to crucify the old sin nature which man was born with as a result of the fall.  However, Scripture also makes plain what exemplifies that nature and Pastor Gary C. Price reviews these texts in order to show exactly what was crucified on the cross.

• The forbidden fruit was a forbidden nature.  Eve and Adam ingested the fruit or words of Satan and became a partaker of his defiled nature.
• God's answer is to kill off that nature via crucifixion.
• Religion creates a holding tank for you to indulge your lusts without being crucified.  It was instituted by man to make him think he is serving God when he is not.
• Most churchfolk are not saved; they are just churchfolk.  The devil has learned the church game.
• The way to be safe from deception is to know the real.
• Satan couldn't come to the head (Adam) to deceive, so he used the weaker vessel (Eve) to destroy Godly headship.  The devil can only rule through abdication by men.
• The spiritual legacy birthed in the Garden of Eden (when Adam abdicated authority to Eve) can be seen historically throughout the Scriptures, culminating in the harlot and the beast we see in the book of Revelation.
• Grace doesn't keep you in sin; grace pulls you out of sin.
• The purpose of Jesus dying on the cross was not only for Him to die in your place, but to provide the means for taking you to the cross so that the old nature can be killed off.
• After coming to the cross, we need to go through the cross.
• The importance of Jesus' crucifixion was not horror of His death, but the miracle of His resurrection.  Jesus is not presently dead; He is alive!
• When you repeatedly expose yourself to a thing, you are programming your soul to be fed by the same.
• Sin will "talk" to you, which is why we must cast down imaginations.
• The law serves to show us how sinful we really are so that we will understand why we need Christ.
• We can be set free when God renews our mind.
• Don't go to church, become the church and then He can lead you to the fellowship He has for you.
• The sin nature and the manifestation of its perverse spirit is what Jesus killed on the cross. 
• Religion uses spiritual sodomy (accessing you emotionally through your soul rather through your spirit) to keep you  bound to the preacher in the pulpit and bound in sin.
• The return of Godly character as reflected in fatherhood is what is needed for the church to be endowed with spiritual power and to set captives free.
  

Prayer for Others

This last message in Min. David Pawson's series on prayer addresses praying for others or intercessory prayer.

• When we intercede for others, we are completing a circuit between Heaven and earth for God's power to flow on that person's behalf.
• Angels are also involved in the circle of power in intercessory prayer.
• Why we pray for others.  Our motives for prayer can get so mixed up that prayer can be perverted by self-interest.
• We also must be careful not to pray at others due to self-righteousness.  It can be easy to preach in our prayers at others who we feel are "not as spiritual" as ourselves. 
  
  SIDE NOTE:  Min. Pawson addresses by way of example here someone who may be unequally yoked.  He asks such persons to question the motives of their prayer for the unbelieving spouse.  Is it because you want to be happy? Because you want to have a "Christian" marriage?  Because you want things to be easier for you?  Those are selfish motivations.
  
  Once again, I can so testify to the truth of his words.  Before my husband came to know the Lord, I prayed for him to be saved out of similar soulish motivations.  God actually instructed me to stop praying for his salvation for some time while He worked on me in this area.  Then, when God felt that I could offer that prayer from a pure heart (one more concerned about my husband's well-being than my own), he allowed (rather He commanded) me to cry out for my husband's salvation.
  
  For those who are unequally yoked, Min. Pawson suggests that instead of praying for them to be changed, thank God for every good quality in the unbelieving spouse and pray for yourself to be changed.  Make the focus of your prayer that God make you a better husband or wife.  I think that is very sound advice.
  
  
• Prayer is not a way to manipulate others or to get them to do what you want them to do (which is witchcraft by the way).  Prayer does not force a situation, but it does reinforce what God is doing.
• There are only two proper motives for praying for others: 1) The Glory of God; and 2) The good of the other person.  To test your motives, ask yourself, "What would I be willing to lose to have my prayer answered?"
• Who we should pray for. There are two groups of people there is no use in praying for:
  
  • Those who have died.  This is a pagan practice which has crept into Christianity.  The decisive period in a man's life is between the cradle and the grave.  We are judged for the things done "in the body".   Prayers of the dead for us and our prayers for the dead are ruled out by the word of God.
  • Christians who have so committed apostasy that they have committed the sin unto death. (I John 5:16).  
• Scriptures indicate that we should pray for the following:
• Our enemies.  Those who don't like us or those we don't like.
• Workers for the Lord.  Pray that there will be workers and pray that the same will be bold & given a door of utterance by the Lord.
• Politicians and government leaders. 
• The physically sick. 
• Let the Lord lead you about whom to pray for.
• Never say, "I'll pray for you." and then don't do so.
• What we should pray for.  What people want and what they need are two different things.  Don't pray for the symptoms, but ask God for wisdom of the cause and pray for that.
• When praying for someone else, you are to seek to pray for their highest good.  This means that you might wind up praying for something that causes them pain or discomfort.
• Ultimately, you need the Holy Spirit to reveal what should be prayed for others.
• How we should pray for others.  We can make our intercession effective by praying more deeply (qualitatively), not by praying for longer times or with more people (quantitatively).
• Deep prayer costs the person who is praying something.  The effectiveness of our prayer for someone else is in direct ratio to the cost.  This is why Jesus said that certain demons can only out by prayer and fasting; there is a cost in self-denial.
• Prayer can be even more effective with physical contact.  Laying on of hands is not a symbol, it is a reality because power does flow through that way.
• Just as virtue came out of Jesus when the woman touched the hem of His garment, real intercessory prayer will make you tired and take spiritual strength from you.  This is why it is important to pray that we be continually filled.
• When you ask in prayer for somebody else, be prepared for God to tell you to be the answer to the prayer.  This is why each prayer of intercession should end with, "Lord, here am I."
  

Prayer By Myself

A message from Min. David Pawson on the importance of secret prayer, praying by one's self.

• The secret of religion is religion in secret.
• In theory, having a secret life of prayer should be the easiest thing to do. 
• By nature we are blind and deaf to the Lord and we must learn to communicate without relying on our senses.
• In most things that we learn, we have to learn them as a duty before they become a delight.
• Let your feelings be hooked unto your faith; don't let your faith be hooked unto your feelings.
• When we persist in prayer out of love & obedience to God, we can come to the point where hindsight proves He was there all along.
• The more relaxed with, and related to, God we are in prayer, the more we are aware of His presence in the spirit.
• If you are having issues with being aware of the presence of God when you pray, ask Him to fill you with His Spirit.
• There is a level of prayer which is not limited by bodily senses or mental deduction, but is made real by spiritual awareness.

Prayer With the Saints

The following message is from Min. David Pawson's series on prayer and addresses corporate prayer:

• There is no such thing as private prayer for a Christian.  The very minimum in prayer for a Christian is four: Father, Son, Spirit, and yourself.
• Once you become a Christian you cease to be an individual and you become a member of the Body of Christ. (Isn't that wonderful?!  People spend all of their lives trying not to be alone and in Christ we never have to be, even is no one else is physically with us.)
• This is why Jesus said that when we enter into our prayer closet to pray to the Father in secret say, "OUR Father..."; "give US..."; "lead US"; and "deliver US". (Matthew 6:6-13)
• All prayer is therefore corporate prayer, even when you are physically alone.  Yet, it is also important to pray together with other Christians.
• There is a Biblical basis for praying together.  In the Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation, there is more about praying with the saints than praying by yourself.  The promises in the Gospels are nearly all to people praying together.  The practice in Acts is nearly always praying to together.  The precepts in the Epistles are nearly always about praying together.  The predictions in Revelation are about people praying together.
• The added advantages of praying together.
• Being able to obtain the promises Jesus made about corporate prayer
• It empowers the presence & work of the Holy Spirit for infilling believers and converting the lost.
• It makes God's will more easily accessible & plain.
• It provides security & support for members of the Body of Christ.
• It turns prayer into a school for learning prayer.
• It turns prayer into a fireplace.
• It turns prayer into a powerhouse.
• The practical problems of praying together.
• Those who remain silent.  Everyone should be ready to pray when we come together to prayer.
• Those who are inaudible.  Make sure that you speak so that others can hear and then share in your prayers.
• An individual's lengthy prayer.  The deepest prayer is not based upon being long, but sincere.
• Stereotyped prayers, those who pray the same thing all the time. 
• People who pray in public as if they were alone, being preoccupied with ourselves and our own problems.
• The issue of discontinuity.  The Lord flows in a prayer group and has a pattern which He fits together.  We should be sensitive to the Spirit about not only what to say, but when to say it.
• The concentric circles of praying together. 
• Two or three believers together, even just a husband and wife together.
• Prayer meeting of perhaps 10-100 believers. 
• Prayer during public services. 
• God's blessing on corporate prayer is a reflection of His being a Father.  God doesn't want to just fill individuals with His Spirit, but His Body, His family.

Prayer Without Hindrances

The following message from Min. David Pawson addresses how to pray with hindrances.  I have been blessed by all of these messages, but especially this one.  I hope you can take some time to listen.

• For months Job wasn't getting through to God and he believed that he was in the right and that God was in the wrong in letting him suffer.  When you don't get any answers from God, stop arguing with Him and you might find that He can then bless you.
• Many of the difficulties we have in prayer are of our own making.
• There is one basic problem in prayer: unanswered prayer.  Not that you don't get what you ask, but you don't get any reply; when the Heavens feel like brass.  All other issues in prayer are related to this.
• Psalms is filled with such phrases as: "Answer me...Incline your ear...Hear my prayer....Hear my cry!"
• There are five major causes of this problem:
• You're not right with God - Your feelings about God may be wrong (you may be sinning against Him in attitude) or God's feelings about you may be wrong (you may be sinning against Him in action). 
• You're not right with other people - God says that if husbands do not treat their wives right, their prayers will not even be heard, let alone answered (I Peter 3:7).   Sometimes the issue is that you have not forgiven others for what they have done to you.  When others do not forgive you, that can be a blockage to your own prayers (Matthew 5:23-24). 
  
  SIDE NOTE:  I just want to inject something about this last point.  About 2 years ago, there was a misunderstanding between me and a sister in the Lord.  She mistakenly believed that I had ignored several communications from her and therefore broke off all interaction with me.  In my heart, this was just fine with me because I simply didn't need the extra drama in my life.  Well, God brought me to Matthew 5:23-24, and boy it was a hard pill for me to swallow.  I had to reread the text several times, but there was no escaping God's command. 
  
  I didn't understand why "I" had to go and try to be reconciled with this person when I had done nothing wrong.  The problem was of her own making, in her own mind.  Yet, every time I went to pray, I would get a brick wall from God and He would bring her to my mind.  I literally could not pray!  I could either pretend to pray & ignore the fact that God wasn't listening or I could go attempt reconciliation with this woman. 
  
  So I reached out to the woman once more and apologized if I had done or said anything to offend her.  In the course of the conversation, she found my previous responses to her inquiries and realized that the error had been hers.  This woman then broke down in repentance to God and began to cry, telling me how she had suffered from rejection all of her life.  Anytime she felt someone was rejecting her, she would become angry and all of the pain would surface again.  She said that she realized now how blinded she had become because of that spirit and how she knew she needed to seek God for deliverance from it.
  
  I was dumbstruck.  All I could think about before was myself; how it wasn't fair for me to have to extend the olive branch since I hadn't wronged her.  Yet God was teaching me a lesson in humility by taking the wrong, even if undeserved.  It was the opportunity for me to deny myself that I was resisting.  Too often, we allow ourselves to be puffed up in our sense of being "right" and it becomes an obstacle in our relationship with others (and God).  Listening to this woman pour out her heart, I was so ashamed of myself and I repented as well for my self-righteous pride.
  
  Matthew 5:23-24 makes it clear that God often expects us to initiate reconciliation with our brothers and sisters, even if the cause for the discord was not of our own doing.  In God's economy, it matters not whether we are "in the right" because none of us are "right" when compared to Him.  Don't be too proud to humble yourself by seeking reconciliation when He brings such individuals to your heart & mind, for such will hinder your prayers to God. 
  
  
• You're not right with yourself - Getting on my knees doesn't change me.  The problems we have in other areas of life can carry over into our prayer life.  If we are undisciplined in regular life, then we will be undisciplined in prayer.  If we seek mere entertainment in other areas of life, then we will lack concentration in our prayer life. 
  
  
• Another hindrance to prayer can be Satan, who deliberately tries to discourage even the smallest Christian from prayer.  Satan has at his command legions of angels & demons; intelligent, supernatural beings who are highly organized and charged to get in the way of prayer.  In such cases, you need to pray against Satan in the name & blood of Jesus.
• The last hindrance is that God may be deliberately not replying because He wants you to move up and grow in the school of prayer. 
• I CAN succeed in prayer.  Many people fail because they expect to.  The Holy Spirit wants to help you to succeed in prayer.
• I WILL succeed in prayer.  You must set your will not to be deterred.