Encouragement

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ENGAGED IN WAR:
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One of the things that I’ve been more keenly aware of in this day and hour of the Church is that we are engaged in a war. Not just war but an intense war between the powers of light and the powers of darkness, both in the spiritual and in the natural realm.

We’re on the threshold of war in the Middle East and we all feel the intensity of it pressing in closer. There is also personal war going on between inner city gangs, each gang out to prove themselves more powerful and the victor over the other one. There is war going on in the home between husbands and wives, between parents and children, between siblings, between family members with the end result often disastrous. All you have to do is pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV news to see that this is so.

Then, outside the home, there are denominational war’s going on between churches that believe they’re the one with God’s true answers and everybody else is wrong. There is war between Church family members over their respective giftings and callings of God that are to benefit the body of Christ and not bring about division and church splits. But yet, we’re seeing this take place more and more today.

If you just take a moment to look around you and discern by the Holy Spirit what you see, you will see that we are engaged in war both naturally and spiritually. We must awake, “Arise, O sleeper” from slumber and not only discern the times and seasons we’re living in but take an active part in the war.

Whether you realize it or not, every member of the Church of Jesus Christ has been called to war. One of the first things God made mention of as He delivered the Israelite’s out of Egypt was this in Exodus 13:17-18, “And it came to pass when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for He said, Lest peradventure the people repent (change their minds) when they see war, and they return to Egypt.
18-But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed (armed) out of the land of Egypt.”

God wanted to build a warring spirit in the Israelite’s because there were enemies on the land God had promised them through covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They would have to learn to engage in war and defeat their enemies who stood between them and taking possession of their land of promise. We, as the body of Christ that’s made up of individual people, we’re going to have to allow God to “teach our hands to war" so we can take back possession of the promises He’s given to us. Yes, the “battle is the Lord’s” but we have our part to do in it as well.

I’m talking about taking back possession of God’s promises of peace, joy, abundance of His presence, health, sound mind, prosperity, salvation for our households, harmony in relationships, deliverance from evil spirits, wholeness, spirit, soul and body, to name a few. God loves each and every person so much that He longs and desires for all people to be walking in the freedom He gave us through the precious blood of Jesus.


God wants us to come into that freedom so we can come running with all our hearts to His presence instead of running the other way because of fear, shame and sin. All of those things that serve as a barrier to having the close and intimate fellowship with your heavenly Father. Fellowship with Father God that you long to have. I find that most people truly want to be free of satan’s prison of lies so they can come more freely to Jesus, but sometimes they just don’t know what to do in order to get there.

And so once again, we’re faced with war. There is a war over the will of man because satan wants your will to work his evil in the world. God also wants our will so that He can work good in the world and establish His kingdom rule in the earth. You and I have the deciding vote in this particular war over our will. Who get’s control of it? A lot of God’s people don’t realize that they have a deciding vote in the matter but I’m here today to tell you that it’s vitally important to know and understand that your vote counts in this war. The angel’s of heaven are also dependent upon our will being given to God so that they, as ministering spirit’s, can operate freely on our behalf.

You have to remember that in the garden of Eden, satan was able to deceive Eve through a perversion of the Word God had already spoken to the first couple, which was (paraphrase) “Don’t eat the forbidden fruit or you will surely die.” In the end of the deception, satan was able to gain control of their will, which ultimately led to their worship of him. And which was also what he wanted. Adam and Eve cast the vote of their will to believe satan’s lie instead of remaining faithful to God’s truth. And in the process; satan came into possession of their God-given authority. When you talk about the will of man, you’re talking about his authority and the using of it for good or for evil purposes.

Our “yes” is to be given to God, and our “no” is to be given to satan. “Submit yourselves unto God, resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). There is no “maybe” or “well, I don’t know, let me think about it” in this war over your will because when you’re here in this state, satan is already manipulating you through confusion. And when you’re here in this place, it’s exactly the right time to call on God for strength to help you in this war. He promises to answer when we call upon Him.

He will strengthen you by His Word and His power. His grace is given to you freely if you will believe that it is and receive it. You have to do this regardless of how you’re feeling emotionally at the time because your feelings should never be the deciding factor in the matter. It’s all by your faith in God. Mark 11:22 says, “Have faith in God.” This should be plain and simple to each one of us. In fact, its plain as day. Amen! Praise the name of the Lord! Don’t put your faith in the devil’s lies and receive them as truth. Put your faith in God’s truth and believe it to deliver you and set you free today! (John 8:31-32, 36). Hallelujah!

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NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD:
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Now, I know for a lot of people it’s most uncomfortable to talk about war but even in the natural when you’re inducted into the Army, if there is not an active war going on at present you can be assured that you will be learning about warfare. The military will teach your hands how to war. You will be taught how to engage in actual war with a real enemy. But even then, that enemy is actually Satan who’s working his evil through men. And we have to keep reminding ourselves that our real enemy is not other people. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (places of authority).”


I want to say it again, our enemy is real and his name is satan. Your enemy is not your spouse. It’s not your children, or your neighbors or your church family. The real enemy of God and man is satan, and his plan of destiny for you is to “steal, kill and to destroy” (John 10:10). But 1 John 3:8 says, that the reason Jesus, the Son of God was manifested here on this earth in the flesh was so that He could destroy the works of the devil” And He did that at Calvary on the cross, praise God! The blood of Jesus has defeated Satan. Hallelujah!

Listen, that’s good news when you’ve believed that you have to put up with all of satan’s junk in your life. It’s a lie straight out of the pit of hell because the devil is a liar! Through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross, every man, woman boy and girl was set FREE from the slavery of satan and sin. Jesus said in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; for He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor: He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty (free) them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Glory to God! You’re free in Jesus right now, this very second.

The only problem is whether you believe that or if you’re still holding on to the lies satan has been feeding you. Telling you the lie that you’ll always be the way you are right now, broke and in debt., a nobody, a has been, worthless and no good for nothing. Telling you the lie that you’ll never get over the divorce you‘ve gone through. Telling you the lie that you’ll always be addicted to drugs, or cigarettes, or alcohol or pornography, or gossip or food, or criticism, etc. All of those things and more are deceptive lies of satan he’s told to you to create strongholds and imprison you in your mind. Once you’re in his prison, it affects all areas of your life.

I know we’ve heard this Scripture quoted over and over again but I want you to really listen with the “ears” of your heart to it again and allow the Holy Spirit to quicken it to your spirit. Jesus said in John 8:31-32, 36, If you will continue in My Word, then are you My disciples indeed,
32-You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
36-For whom the Son sets free is free indeed.”

Jesus said here that it’s the TRUTH that will make you free if you will believe it and act on it. If all truth, which is in Jesus, will make you free, then what does the lies of satan do if you believe them? They will put you in bondage and make you a prisoner. You will become a casualty of war and taken prisoner through believing a lie instead of using your free will of choice to believe the truth that Jesus promises will make you free.

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FORGIVEN AND FORGOTTEN:
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Sometimes as believers in Christ Jesus, we still don’t understand that we’ve been given authority in His (Jesus’) name to say, “no” to the devil and have him run from us. I used to be one of these people. I thought I had to take everything the devil dished out to me because I believed I deserved it for my past sins. What had not gotten through to me was the truth that I had been forgiven for all my past sins and God wasn’t holding them against me. The devil was holding them against me to bring me under condemnation and I was agreeing with him. Maybe that’s what you’re doing today.


God had tossed all my past sins into the sea of forgetfulness never to remember them against me anymore. And so often I would go to God and bring up my past and cry, ‘woe is me, Lord remember when I did such and such, etc.’ He said to me once, “Remember what? I’ve already forgotten it. Why haven’t you?” You know, there’s nothing like a good strong word from your Father God so the light will dawn in your spirit so it can set the record straight.

The truth of the matter was I had not forgotten my past sins because I didn’t truly believe God had forgiven me or had forgotten them. I believed the lie of the devil when he condemned me and said my sins had been too bad for God to forgive. In the back of my mind I believed God was still holding them over my head. So, I would get in agreement with the devil and repeat his lies of condemnation to myself. It only served to beat me down further and further into discouragement. And of course, in this state I was weak spiritually and no threat to satan’s kingdom.

God straightened me out on my thinking and I saw how presumptuous of me it was to think for one second that the blood of Jesus wasn’t powerful enough to wash away my sins. If He said they were gone from Him and He didn’t remember them anymore, I could absolutely believe Him because He is THE Truth. No sin that you ever commit is ever so bad that the precious blood of Jesus can‘t touch and deliver you from it. The devil is a liar! There is power in the blood of Jesus to not only forgive your sins, but there’s enough power in His blood to separate you from ALL sin in your life. Hallelujah! Praise the name of Jesus forever! The blood of Jesus is all power and can keep you now, in this life, and throughout all eternity!

So, what was my problem? The same problem that a lot of you may be experiencing:
1-I didn’t believe I had been forgiven and God had put my sins away from Him.
2-Plus, I had not forgiven myself for the past.

These things will keep you going around and around in a vicious circle and cycle of being up one day and down the next. It’s what I call the yo-yo syndrome. It’ll keep you in the grip of condemnation, confusion and discouragement. What comes out of your mouth that is aimed at yourself in condemnation is said because you’re repeating what you hear the devil tell you. What he says is all a lie and contrary to what God says about you. God says, He loves you the same as He loves Jesus and you’ve been accepted in the beloved Jesus. You’ve been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, therefore let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Right where you are, say this out loud from your heart:

CONFESSION:
“In the name of Jesus, I make up my mind today to believe God loves me and accepts me. I believe He has forgiven me of my sins because His Word says He did when I called on the name of the Lord.

I choose to believe that He doesn’t remember my sins anymore. Therefore, because I believe God has forgiven me, I also forgive myself for the past.

Now that I know and believe God has forgiven me and doesn’t remember my past, then I don’t need to remember it either.

I declare that I have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus, and as the redeemed of the Lord, I boldly say so!”
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If you truly believe what you just said, then condemnation won’t be able to continue beating you over the head. Romans 8:1, “There is therefore NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, and who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." When you know the truth and you believe it by faith, then you’ll be quick to grab those condemning lies around the neck and thrown them down under your feet, which is to say, you take authority over it and say, “I refuse lies of condemnation in Jesus name!”

I’ve said this before but I feel the need to say it again, you will only act on what you believe, whether it’s the truth of God, or the lies of satan. If you believe satan’s lies, then you will put your faith in them and you’ll act on them. Satan can’t bless you by your believing in him. He can only curse you and bring about death and destruction to all areas of your life. His plan is to destroy you.

If you believe what God says to you and about you from His Word, then you’ll put your faith in His words and act on them. This is obedience and God blesses obedience. Things will go well with you. When a man’s ways please the Lord (faith pleases God, Heb.11:6), then He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. What a wonderful promise. It’s glorious because it’s the abundant life of almighty God given to us without limit. We’re the only limit to the abundant life of God.

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WE HAVE AUTHORITY:
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Let’s take a look at the word ‘authority’ which comes from the Greek word, exousia. In it’s original form it represented the “power and freedom of choice.” First and foremost absolute authority belongs to God alone . All other authority is subordinate to Him. In Romans 13:1, Paul makes this statement, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher (state authorities) powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained (commissioned) of God.”

Jesus Himself said in Luke 12:5 when speaking to His disciples, the people and the Pharisees, “But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear Him (God) which after He has killed (destroyed, separated) has power (exousia---authority) to cast you into hell (destruction), yea, I say unto you, Fear Him (God).” No man or other being can challenge the authority of God almighty because He has the right and power to deal with His creation as He sees fit. And how does He do that? Through His love, His Word, His grace and His mercy. He says, “I chasten those whom I love.”

The authority of Jesus is original because He’s the Son of God, and also because He’s God Himself, Co-Creator and One who shares in all the Father’s works. Jesus said, He did only those things He saw the Father do for He could do no works apart from the Father (John 5:19). And again, Jesus was speaking to the people after healing a young man and giving him back his sight. He said this in John 10:17-18: “Therefore does My Father love Me because I lay (give up) down My life, that I might take it up again.
18-No man takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power (authority) to lay it down, and I have power (authority) to take it up again. This commandment have I received of My Father.”

Jesus did lay down His life for all of mankind when He took upon Himself the sins of all people, past, present and future and they were nailed to the cross where His blood redeemed man. He also took it up again when He arose alive from the grave three days later. And right before He ascended to the Father, He said to His disciples in Matt.28:18, “All power (exousia--authority) has been given unto Me in heaven and in earth.”

Now lets look at Luke 10:19 and see what Jesus said about power (authority). Before we read this verse of Scripture, I want to point this out to you. God’s Word is established in heaven forever. And Jesus is the living Word of God, Who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Therefore, His Word is relevant to believers of today the same as it was when He walked this earth.

The disciples are all gone so we have to understand that the Word being spoken in Luke 10:19 is to you and me today. “Behold, I give unto you power (exousia--authority) to tread on serpents and on scorpions and over ALL the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” YOU are the ‘you’ He’s talking to here. He’s given YOU power (authority) over satan and his evil kingdom in Jesus name.

This is not all Jesus said. Lets look at Mark 16:17-18, These signs shall follow them that believe (if you’re a born again believer in Jesus Christ, then He’s talking about you): In My name shall they cast out devils (demons); they shall speak with new tongues:
18-They shall take up serpents (not literal); and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

What name are these things to be done in? The name of ’Jesus.’ That name whereby every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. When is this to happen, in someday yonder closer to the end of things? No! He’s talking about today, right now as well as then. Everything that’s contrary to the will of God, such as cancer, has to bow to the name of Jesus, because He is Lord over all. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.”

When we speak in the name of Jesus this way, we’re speaking and acting in the authority of His name. We have been given authority in the name of Jesus to use against satan and all evil and it must bow and submit to that name that is above every name. Jesus has given us as believer’s the authority of His name to use in the earth. When do we exercise this authority? When we speak “word’s” of faith according to God’s Word. We resist the devil by the words we speak based on God’s Word. We say, “No, in Jesus name.”

On the other hand, we say to God, our heavenly Father, “Yes, in the name of Jesus.” For many of God’s children, we’ve somehow gotten our ‘no’ and ‘yes’ turned around backward. That is, we spend more time saying “No,” to God than we do the devil. We end up many times saying, “yes” more often to the devil than we do to God, our Father, Who loves us with an everlasting love. We may not intentionally mean to say ‘yes’ to the devil in a lot of things but God says in Hosea 4:6, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.”

How do we get knowledge? By the Word of God. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the (rhema) word of God” (Romans 10:17). Not only do we need to read and hide the Logos Word of God in our hearts but we also need the Logos Word to become a rhema word in our spirits. This only comes through revelation as the Holy Spirit quickens the Word to our spirits. Not only do we need intimate fellowship with God and have knowledge of Him and His Kingdom, but we also need to gain knowledge of satan and his kingdom. We must know our Father God, but we also must know our enemy, that is, his method of operation. And as we gain more revelation through the Holy Spirit working with the Logos Word that we take the time to read and meditate on. As we do, we will become more confident and with authority we can say, “no” to the enemy and “yes” to Jesus and His will for our lives. After all, He has a good plan and destiny for you and me (John 10:10).

Plain As Day Ministries

Shirley Williams
3-12-03

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