Loosing Yourself From Demonic Deception

   

When truth comes up against a lie in your believe system, it causes a dying process to take place. That 'dying process' creates a war within the individual. As truth fights against error, deception and thoughts that don't line up with God's word will cause the enemy to throw a huge tantrum. If it feels like you're coming unglued it's because God is shaking your belief system. He is allowing you to feel unstable, confused, angry, hurt, and frustrated because this is how all the underlying, hidden falsehoods make their way to the surface so that you can see where they enemy has been hiding within you. 

     Joshua 10:5 tells a story about how Joshua found himself fighting against 5 ungodly kings that had assembled themselves against him at Gibeon.

…4"Come up to me and help me, and let us attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel." 5So the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they with all their armies, and camped by Gibeon and fought against it. 6Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, "Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us."…

     I want to give you a little insight into the meaning behind the names of these five cities. 

• Jerusalem means peace. There is always a war for your peace!

• Hebron means 'to join, or team up.' A company, or a confederation of alliances. It can also mean to bind, and can be used in the sense of binding someone with a spell. Difference variations between the masculine and feminine part of the name indicated 'united, joined and bound together.'

• Jarmuth means 'to be high,' either in literal height, or rank. It can be also construed as the height of pride or arrogance.

• Lachish means 'he who walks or exists of himself.' This speaks of an independent spirit, rebellion. It also means impregnable, fortified, obstinate, hard to capture, and invincible.

• Eglon means 'the bullock.' A place of heifers, which speaks of strength. It also means chief or king, and round, or a circular round motion. Perhaps indicating a rolling about or going in circles.

     Old Testament scriptures give us symbolic references to spiritual matters. Joshua's battle shows us a key as to how demons organize and strategize against us. He was in a battle against 5 very strong, stubborn spirits that were high ranking demons. They were full of pride, arrogance, and rebellion. These ungodly kings, (demonic strongmen), will join forces together to make them very difficult to defeat. They will bring in a company of troops that arrogantly boast they cannot be captured, defeated, or evicted. The effect they have on people is to bind them to demonic spirits that cause people to keep going around in circles. These demons will manifest their character traits in those in whom they are inhabiting. Demons join forces in order to present a fortified wall of defense and attempt to resist being cast out of their host.

     Joshua was a deliverer to God's people. When the Gibeonites called for Joshua to come help them, they were full of fear. The enemy had presented a very formidable picture of his alliances in order to intimidate the people into believing they were already defeated, but we can see from the biblical account of the story, this isn't true. You see, demons will always TRY to paint a false picture for people hoping they can convince them to give up before the battle is truly won. It's all deception. The art of spiritual warfare is waged against the power of the lie. The truth is, a child of God has more power within them than the enemy does on his side, for it is written, "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world," 1 John 4:4.

     Delivering God's people is not always an easy job. People sometimes get so beat up from the enemy that they may want us to sympathize and take it easy on them. I am all for compassion, grace and mercy, but sometimes the words that God wants us to deliver are not easy words to speak, and they're not easy for others to hear. Sometimes what a person needs is a real shake up, wake up call because they are allowing themselves to be destroyed by the enemy rather than stand up and give it back to the enemy with both barrels. I've been in that place, too, and God never just allowed me to sit there and take it for too long. I would often get a stern rebuke, even when I most wanted sympathy! But that's when you know He's talking to you like your Father. It's because He knows you are mature enough to handle it and He wants you to rise up and overcome. We, too, when we're counseling others and trying to help them get free, cannot afford to sympathize with people to the degree that it ends up encouraging self pity or allows them to see themselves as a victim. We must all confront our own sin and faulty belief systems. If people don't learn to fight, it will be very difficult indeed for them to mature in Christ or develop any sense of stability in life. People must realize that they have been given an opportunity to raise their spiritual sword against the enemy and become the overcomer in Christ that God says we are. Satan is relentless in his plan to kill, steal and destroy. We cannot afford to see ourselves, (or allow others to see themselves) in a light that places them us/them in agreement with the enemy. Because, if that is true, then that person is also in rebellion against God and that is a wide-open door for the enemy to bring in every form of destroying spirit. Rebellion often looks very different that what we might imagine, and that's where we can fail to recognize our own blind spots. When ever we are in agreement with attitudes or beliefs that cause us to feel unworthy, rejected, defeated, angry or accusing towards God, bitter, feel that we can't trust God or we put our trust in ourselves, for example; we have rejected truth and accepted the lies Satan has told us. Thus, he becomes our god and master in those particular areas of our life because we've given away our dominion.  Perhaps without even recognizing it, we have made an ungodly peace treaty with the enemy and aligned ourselves with Satan and rebellion. This is why we can't trust our feelings to always tell us the truth.

• Do not make a peace treaty with the enemy.
• Take the enemy by surprise.
• Pursue your enemy until you can put your foot on his neck and force his surrender.
• Forcefully advance the kingdom of God and slay the enemy. Leave no survivors that can re-group and attack again another day.

     While the Gibeonites were standing there shaking in their boots, Joshua got a word from the Lord to pursue the enemy (Joshua 10:8). Read Joshua 10:10. 

8   And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.
9 Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.
10 And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.”

The word 'discomfited' in this portion of scripture means to unfasten, break up or disintegrate. By definition, the word means to cause uneasiness or embarrassment, to put someone off their game. It means to confuse, agitate, fluster, upset, disorient, disturb or unsettle. In other words, it means that if you're going to displace the enemy, you're going to have to rattle his cage a bit and put that devil on the spot. You're going to have to pin him down so he has no more wiggle room to escape. Because once his tactics are identified, the person can make a conscious choice to exercise their will over the enemy. The process can be uncomfortable for everyone, BUT - it becomes the moment of freedom for those that have been oppressed by the enemy. This is what it means to put your foot down on the enemy's neck, just like Joshua did to those five ungodly kings.

     We have to tell demonic spirits to unlink, or unfasten themselves from one another and come out from where they've been hiding. We have to command them all to go back to the abyss and ask God's angels to lock them up until the day of their judgment. Joshua knew how to route the enemy to where he could defeat them. He went to locate the five kings that were hiding out in a cave in Makkedah, trying to escape certain death. Their plan failed. Joshua brought out the ungodly kings and had them slain, then he hung up their bodies as a warning to Israel's other enemies. Every enemy must be destroyed if we are to have peace and good success. Demons will always try to hide from you, which is why God allows things to come shake you up a bit. He's trying to shake those demons out of the cave where they're hiding in your belief system.

     Scripture defines Satan as liar and the father of all lies. He screams and lashes out when he's in pain, and truth causes him an incredible amount of pain and anguish. If deception has been a false father to you, then let him die! The war within is to get you to make a decision on what is truth. If you make your emotions the measuring rod to determine what you feel is truth, then you will always be unstable in your thoughts and actions. This is caused by a spirit of double-mindedness and unbelief.

     The remedy? Disregard your emotions. Emotions and feelings come and go, they are constantly in motion and are not a true barometer to establish truth. Scripture says the heart is deceitfully wicked, who can know it? Our hearts are fickle. One day it will tell you one thing and the next day it will tell you something else. Instead, recognize the plumb line that God has provided in His word. The Spirit of Truth will make you free WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO LINE UP WITH TRUTH. The illusion is that the enemy is stronger than you are and you can't get free. This is not true. The spell of the enemy's deception can be broken once a person settles it in their heart what they believe. You will be able to walk free because the truth has made you free; it's all a matter of choice. You can't waiver between two opinions because that is what causes the chains to remain. You really do have to decide who you are going to serve. Either you will be bound to worldliness and Satan will be your master, or you can be free, healed, delivered and blessed if you make a choice to serve the Lord. BUT, you will never defeat or overcome the enemy that you are in agreement with. You must renounce the lies. Renounce the agreement you made unknowingly when you took the lies into your belief system and started acting as though the lies were a basis for creating your reality. They are not. The enemy will only listen to you when you exercise the spiritual authority God gave you, and that is through declaring the real truth, the word of God. Every time Satan came to tempt Jesus, He responded with, "Get away, Satan. It is written..." and He would quote scripture. This is how you overcome.

     When you break the agreements you've had with the wrong things, you can come back into right alignment with God. God will not put a blessing on disobedience, sin and our faulty beliefs no matter how much we pray, cry or beg. He teaches us to grow up in Christ by partnering with Him in our own self deliverance and wage war using our spiritual sword and shield, (the Word of God). When God shakes you, He's trying to get YOU to shake off the old man. Shake off the old belief system. Shake off the father of lies. Shake off the agreements you've made unknowingly with deception and the enemy. Let the spirit of the Lord STAND UP on the inside of you and declare, "Away with you, Satan. Get out! I make up my mind this day that you are a liar and Jesus Christ is Faithful and True. I break every agreement I've made with unbelief, double-mindedness, lying spirits, familiar spirits, rebellion, discouragement, depression and witchcraft spirits. I CHOOSE truth, and I choose to believe what God has said. This matter is finished, now go to the abyss that was created for you and never return! In the name and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray, amen."

Our Kingdom Cannot Be Shaken!

Hebrews 12:26, 27 - And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN." This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;…

Uprooting Stubborn Spirits

Demonic spirits can be stubborn and resistant, there's no doubt about it. Sometimes when people struggle under oppressive spirits or unbroken curses they grow tired and weary of the battle. It feels like you're never going to win. It feels like things are never going to change. The voices of hopelessness and unbelief grow louder, and a sense of injustice and bitterness over your situation seems overwhelming.It's bad enough for those that don't have a relationship with Christ, but when the struggles in life are so discouraging they can even turn a Christian away from trusting and believing God, that's a hard day indeed.

Some of you reading this have struggled and wrestled with God for what seems like your entire life, and you're tired. You're tired of trying to make your faith work and seen little results for your effort. You're fed up with feeling angry and frustrated with God and your circumstances. You want to believe God for His promises, but you've just seen so little progress that it can feel like you and God are at a standoff. If you feel like you're caught in this never ending tug-of-war between God and the devil, well, you ARE. I understand those stubborn-as-a-mule type of spirits that just won't give you any rest. But, here's the good news. I may not have the exact same experiences as you, but there are spiritual principles that WILL release breakthrough.

Demons have a way of revealing our weaknesses and character flaws to ourselves.If you think of someone you don't much care for or you're offended with, and something rises up within you and says, "I am not going to forgive so-and-so," you've got spirits of Defiance, Stubbornness and Rebellion at work. If you tend to justify certain behaviors, social activities or attitudes that are less than becoming, you are dealing with a stubborn demon. If you feel stubborn and defiant towards God, repentance or parting with certain sins in your life, then that is a clue you have a very stubborn spirit at work in your life. It can come in through generational sin that runs in families, or it can be doors you've opened yourself, but the reality is some demons are stronger that others and thus become more difficult to remove from one's life. God calls this idolatry, because it elevates self-will over submission and humility to God. No one can worship God in spirit and in truth when they are resisting submission to Him. It's called rebellion, and God does not put a blessing on that which is aligned with Satan and the kingdom of darkness.

Addictions, lust, rebellion, bitterness, anger, witchcraft (which is control and manipulation), and self pity are all very strong, defiant and stubborn spirits that resist deliverance. Those are just a few. Poverty, especially generational poverty, is another one. When a person or a family has struggled under demonic oppression for what seems like their entire life, it affects their entire belief system. It's difficult to believe God, much less trust Him. A person can tend to waiver between faith and unbelief, and the indecision invites a spirit of double-mindedness. The problem is, according to scripture, a double minded man receives nothing from the Lord. 

The Amplified Bibles says it like this: [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]. (James 1:8)

The CEB version says this: If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.

And, the EXB version: [L For] Such doubters are ·thinking two different things at the same time [L double-minded], and they ·cannot decide about anything they do [L are unstable in all they do]. They should not ·think [expect] they will receive anything from the Lord.

If we want to receive answers to prayer, we must resolve the double-mindedness issue, for God rewards FAITH and OBEDIENCE. See, a person can pray and pray and pray, yet if they have a spirit of double-mindedness operating in their life, and they can't seem to establish their faith and trust in God, they won't receive the answer they need because God can't bless sin, and double-mindedness is sin. Whatever we do, if it is not done in faith, is considered sin, according to Romans 14:23. In Mark 11:22-24 Jesus advised His disciples that if they were going to pray, to have faith in God and pray without doubting, then they would have what they asked for in prayer. 

The second thing God cannot bless is disobedience and sin When an unbroken curse exists in a person's life, it means the enemy has found legal grounds to steal, kill, or destroy in that person's life, or in his/her family. He can rob finances, health, act as a destroyer in relationships, business, or marriage. He can bring mental torment, illness, disease, instability in a variety of ways. He can send accidents, untimely death, and plunder where ever he chooses until the individual makes a deliberate choice to partner with God in healing and deliverance. This comes by prayers of renouncement, genuine repentance - which means forsaking and turning away from the things God calls sin, and asking for the blood of Jesus to seal the doors shut so that the enemy no longer has access to a person's life. Renounce the soul ties to people that have negative impact on your life. Separate yourself from those that encourage you by being willing accomplices in sin and error. These things are biblical and scriptural.

As I mentioned earlier, there are some spirits that are more stubborn and resistant than others. Matthew 17:18-21 is a warning about stubborn spirits that don't give up easily. Jesus advised fasting along with prayer to help move the demonic spirit out of a boy when the disciples could not cast it out. When they brought the issue to Jesus, He told them that it was because of their unbelief. They were dealing with a stubborn spirit that did not want to let go of the child, and they became frustrated at their lack of understanding.

Friend, every problem has an answer. Just hold on. Every test or trial has an expected end. For someone today, God just answered your question why you have not seen greater success, why you're still going around the same old mountain. He just gave you the answer to the trial you've been facing. FAST over the stubborn issues of your life and command those spirits to come up and be removed, in Jesus name! 

I struggled with a stubborn root of bitterness all my life. I could tell it was a generational spirit because it affected our whole family. I never even met my grandmother but I know she had to have had it too, simply by observing my own family members and hearing stories about the kind of person my grandmother was. She had bitterness. Poverty was generational. Addictions, lust, rebellion, mental illness were also quite strong in my family. All of these were the tell-tale signs of a demonic root system at work. Idolatry and witchcraft were strong and deeply rooted. It felt like I was never going to get truly free. When a person has struggled for a long time with the same recurring issues they get weary, discouraged and unbelief sets in. Hopelessness sets in. This can cause a person's faith to begin to fail, and they may become offended with God. They don't understand how to get free and may get angry all over again. The person may even feel like giving up on God, but unbelief must be challenged! 

FASTING is a chain breaker. It helps break up the entangled root system so that it can be removed from a person's life. Especially when you're dealing with a generational spirit that has seemingly been with a person all their life, FASTING is a necessary component to help drive the enemy out! Couple it with worship, prayer, declarations of faith, and decreeing God's word. It might not get completely taken care of the first time or two, but if you remain persistent and determined, you can and WILL get free. It's hard, I know. We all want the quick fix. But everything in our journey becomes teaching curriculum in the hand of the Lord. He won't waste our experiences, rather, He will use them to teach others how they can also get free, just as I am sharing with you now. He wants you to understand that there is light at the end of the tunnel. He's just given you the answers to the tests you've been going through. He's given you the strategy to see the enemy defeated in your life so that you can be free and healed!

I'm going to throw in a little side note. It's important that you are in correct spiritual alignment, too. Ask the Lord to direct you to a good local church, and if you can't find one, then connect online with an internet ministry where you know you are being fed the good word of God. Even if you don't always want to be accountable to the words that your reading or hearing, your spirit will witness truth. You've got to do everything you can to line up with truth. 

God also gives us a promise in Malachi 3:10-12. It's really the only time in scripture where God tells us it's ok to test him at his word. If you hold up your end, He will hold up his. Giving in the house of the Lord is for the furtherance of His kingdom. If you're aligned with good leadership, anointed leadership that prays for you and feeds you with God's word, you can expect a good return. Friend, don't let fear cause you to hold back financially. Giving is part of the way you break the back of the enemy and release the promises of God. You just can't cheat God and expect to get the full benefit of what His word promises.

Malachi 3:9-12New King James Version (NKJV)

9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.

11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the Lord of hosts;
12 “And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

I did want to interject the part about tithing because God makes a promise that when you give generously, you can also stand on His promise to rebuke the devourer. You need to have all your ducks in a row so you can be assured of correct spiritual alignment. This is one of the keys to getting unstuck!

Ok, back to the main point of this article which is dealing with stubborn spirits!You can't do it without incorporating fasting. As I mentioned earlier, there are some spirits that are much stronger than others. You are dealing with strongmen spirits that have other lessor demons under their authority. Think of it like taking out the general of an army. If you get the general, you also take out all those under his command. If you don't get the general, you'll continue to war without results because he just keeps calling in more troops faster than you can get them out. Fasting humbles our flesh and allows our Spirit man to rise up and take authority over the enemy. You are not a victim unless you choose to be. You do not need to feel helpless in your situation, you just need a different perspective of how you see it. You have to ask God to help you understand from a spiritual perspective and give you the strategies to outwit and overcome your adversary. God is trying to get the body of Christ to mature and understand that you must use the authority He has given you. He will not do for you what He expects you to do for yourself. It's time to grow up! As you cooperate in your own deliverance, you become stronger. Fasting, high praise, worship, declaring God's word and making decrees against the enemy is like taking a huge hammer against the enemy. You're pounding on his hands, his feet, his head, his back. You are hammering, pounding, weakening his grip and destroying the demonic network of that stubborn, resistant root system that has been entangled around your life. If you have to fast three days out of every week and repeat the process of praise, declarations, repentance and renouncing the sins of your ancestors, do it. Keep repeating the process. As you do, your spirit man gets stronger and the enemy gets weaker. Eventually your spirit man will overcome and force the enemy to let go and vacate!

Friends, listen to me. There is such a strong root of bitterness in our nation. We can see the evidence of it in the cries of injustice, the anger and the protests. Bitterness is unfulfilled vengeance, and it's a root cause of the outrage against police, the divisiveness and racial divide. The enemy has planted demonic root systems in our nation that are using bitterness,hatred,rebellion, lust and witchcraft to produce divisiveness and war. This is what the enemy wants. These are perverse spirits that twist truth and war against unity, forgiveness, repentance and reconciliation. They war against God himself, and they war against each one of us. The bigger picture is the enemy claiming souls for himself and taking as many people as possible into captivity, turning hearts against God and one another, shifting blame so that Satan's schemes goes unnoticed. As a nation, how can we expect to defeat our natural enemies like ISIS and other real threats unless we first defeat the spiritual enemies within? The very roots of bitterness, rebellion and witchcraft that motivates terrorist groups are the very same roots that exist within our nation; it just manifests somewhat differently. One cannot fight and expect to win against an enemy (whether externally or internally) if they are in agreement with the same spirit(s). The reality is, we cannot defeat any enemy unless we are in proper alignment with God and have taken care to annihilate the enemies in our own back yard. The only way we are going to get victory over stubborn, resistant enemies is to incorporate fasting along with prayer, high praise and worship, declaring God's word and evicting devils out of our lives, our of our homes, and out of our cities. It starts one life at a time. One household at a time. Transformation can only take place to the degree that each one of us is willing to own the sin of ourselves, our ancestors and generations of those that came before us. We must reverse the curse so that God can bless us the way He has always desired to!

I just want to end this article with a praise report. As I mentioned earlier, I struggled with bitterness for a long, long time. I could not seem to get the complete victory until I incorporated fasting along with the other components I mentioned above. As I did, I began to feel stronger in my spirit. I started to also heal internally from the toxic effects that long term spiritual issues had on my digestive system. The related health issues slowly began to reverse itself. My husband got a boatload of work (suddenly) and in one day, we paid off all our bills and credit card balances. That's a promise because it's a year of Jubilee! But that's a whole other message. Friends, God wants to bless us, but often the way he wants to bless us gets held back because the enemy has found legal loopholes to hold back the blessings in the pipeline. They're there, waiting, until we successfully complete whatever process God has us in. So don't think God isn't fair or He doesn't want to bless you. That's simply not true. I will end with this portion of scripture. I pray it's a motivator to you today and an encouragement. 

Ezekiel 36:29-36New King James Version (NKJV)

29 I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!”

33 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. 35 So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it.”

Did you see that? On the day you are delivered from the things God calls unclean, blessings await you! Restoration awaits you! A turnaround in your circumstances await you! 

The Winds of Change

Today I thought I would post Norm's message from Sunday called The Winds of Change. What a great word of encouragement on the glory of God!

http://lifegatechurch.net/scmedia.php?type=mediaplayer&loc=lifegatechurch.net/media/media/mediaplayer.php&id=20150908020913FC1677

Coming Home

If I asked you where you came from, what response would you give?

There are a lot of people on this planet searching for truth, searching for purpose, and trying to figure out who they are. Yet the truth that is key to discovering who you are and what you are created for is found in a portion of scripture that many may not have discovered.

The Gospels tell the life story of Jesus Christ. In His life, our life is found. Jesus did say that he was the way the truth and the life. In Him we find the truth that allows us to catch a glimpse of who we are, who we belong to, and who we are to return to when our days on earth come to an end. This is an important key revelation to anyone that is seeking to discover their true identity. How can you possibly understand who you are if you don’t know where you came from?

If you understand where you came from and to whom you belong, the result is a dawning of awareness that you are loved, valued, accepted, and born with a divine purpose in mind. Jesus was the forerunner of us all and His life is a model for us. Jesus had parents that brought him up with an understanding that He had been born into the earth to carry out a divine plan and purpose. He was born with the understanding that He came from God and one day would return to God, His Father. Mary and Joseph were simply his earthly parents who had been chosen by God to care for Jesus and bring Him up in the ways of the Lord. In John 13:3, as Jesus’ earthly assignment was coming to a close, scripture tells us that Jesus knew He had come from God and was preparing to go back to God. This truth sets the stage for a profound revelation for each one of us, too.

Scripture says that God put eternity into our hearts. Our spirit longs to connect with God. Human beings are hard-wired to worship God, but unless we are born again we will worship things of the world instead of giving our time, attention and adoration to Him.

“How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people - free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!

He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free - signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.” Ephesians 1:3-14 MSG Bible

God dreamed about each and every individual long before they were born into the earth as a human baby. Do you know why we are so special to Him? Because we were formed in His image. We were made to be like God, and do the things He does. We have a Father who loves us, and He longs for each of us to connect with Him as sons and daughters. When we do, we have a greater understanding that THIS is where we came from...We are made in His image for a reason and a purpose, to do the works of God just like Jesus. Now THAT is empowering. Jesus Christ, God's only Son, gave His life in exchange for our sin. He took all the punishment so that we would not have to bear it. All we must do is to receive that truth, and live in relationship with the Father who loves us. Abide in the truth of God’s word, and live in intimacy with God’s Holy Spirit.

Take a look at what God spoke to His servant Jeremiah. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Knowing someone refers to an intimate, personal relationship. God told Jeremiah that He knew him even before he formed Jeremiah in his mother’s womb. If that truth applies to Jeremiah, it applies to each one of us, too, for Jeremiah was an ordinary man just like any other. God chose Jeremiah to know Him, and Jeremiah responded positively. It was Jeremiah’s response that revealed his purpose on earth. If Jeremiah had not accepted God’s invitation to know Him, he never could have understood what God had ordained for his life’s purpose. Here we see that discovering our true identity must first be established by knowing where we came from, and to whom we belong.

Of course, God has left the decision up to every person as to what path they will choose. They can choose to reject the offer of eternal life, and their spirit will never be reborn into the kingdom of God, and they will never obtain entrance into the kingdom of heaven. That choice comes with severe consequences. But, the beauty of knowing that we are loved by God and always have been loved by Him is a wonder beyond comprehension. The Creator of the Universe knows us personally. Everything about us. Every tear that we shed. Every pain and disappointment we hide inside. He knows every experience we’ve ever had, every word before it comes out of our mouth. He knows us at our worst, and loves us anyway. Accepts us anyway. He gave His only beloved Son to die in our place just so that we could have the opportunity to return home one day and not have to experience eternal suffering for all our wrong choices. Our Father, the Lord Jesus, and all of heaven’s angels are pulling for us to choose life. Choose Jesus and say yes to His offer of salvation.

He is the door we must all come through in order to re-connect with our heavenly Father. When a person invites Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, His Holy Spirit comes into that person’s heart and flips on the light switch, so to speak. We begin to see things that once were just shadows lurking in the corner of the room. We throw open the closet door and (gasp!) discover things in there that really need to be taken out to the curb. None of it bothers the Lord. He already knew what was in there anyway, and He always lends a hand in helping us clean out the trash. Isn’t it amazing to discover that no matter what you’ve gone through, no matter how rough the world has been on you, you’re loved and accepted by your Father in heaven. He has so many secrets waiting to tell you! Yet, all the secrets stay forever hidden until we turn to Him and say, “Father, I’m sorry...I just didn’t realize...I’ve strayed. I am beginning to believe that You do know all about me. You do care. My eyes and my understanding have been blinded by a lot of things, but I want to come home. I want to know you again like I did before we got separated. Will you forgive me for believing a lot of lies? Will you please let the blood of Jesus cover my sins? I want to know my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Thank you for eternal life and forgiveness. Thank You Jesus for dying in my place. You are the Son of God and I believe in You. In your name I pray, amen.”

Working with God in Self Deliverance

Every day I have people write to me, asking for help in personal deliverance issues. As much as I want to give everyone personal attention, I'm beginning to understand the need to address some of these things publicly rather than spending copious amounts of time writing each person a lengthy email or series of emails trying to assist them with their issues. With that said, please know that my heart is to help as much as possible, as time permits.

One issue that I seem to be addressing more and more frequently is the issue of incubus/succubus and demons of a sexual nature. (See attached prayer). I have had over 200 hits on this topic in just the last week alone, and multiple emails. I find that I tend to be repeating myself as I attempt to help individuals on this issue. What I'm hearing from others is that they can't find anyone to help them on this particular issue. I also realize that people often feel deeply embarrassed and fearful of approaching their pastors or other ministers on this subject, and I think they tend to prefer the anonymity of email or internet ministry. It's really hard for people to gain the courage to say, "Umm, excuse me, but can you help me get free from this sexual demon that won't go away?" 

Those things plagued me for a long time, too.I seemed to have been born into it. I struggled with lust and familiar spirits even as a child. I was far too young to realize what was happening to me, it was just always a part of my life. Once I got older and understood more about generational curses I realized that there were things I had to deal with through my ancestors. Lust, idolatry, familiar spirits and generational rebellion (which is a spirit of witchcraft) were very strong in my family line. I didn't understand any of that for a very long time. It's not like we had practicing witches casting spells over a black cauldron or anything; but the spirits were there none-the-less. FYI: A spirit of rebellion will grow stronger with each generation if it is never renounced and repented for, allowing the blood of Jesus to cover that sin. Thus, it becomes idolatry in the sense that God is not God in the person's life; they become their own god and allow other spirits to have dominion over them. Idolatry always has witchcraft connected to it in some form.

So how do you get them to go away? 

The first thing people need to understand is that whether it concerns incubus/succubus demons, addictions or any other demonic spirit that is attached to their life, the process of getting free is going to require work on the part of the individual. While a Christian can exercise their authority in Christ and command a demon to leave another person, we have to consider that may not always be the best solution. It can be irresponsible to cast out a demon if the person is not willing to take personal responsibility for their sin, because those demons will just come back even stronger. A demon will come back into a house that hasn't been swept clean and filled with the Holy Spirit. (See Matthew 12:43,33 & Luke 11:24,25). It is very important to fill that void with good and godly things that fill up the space so that there isn't room for demons to come back. Prayer, worship, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, reading the word of God, speaking in tongues and good godly relationships are vital to spiritual health and personal growth. It's like hanging the "NO VACANCY" sign and letting them know there's no more room for them here! Many people just want to be free from the demonic spirits that are tormenting them, but freedom never comes without personal responsibility. We must own our sin. We must own the sin of our ancestors, whether we participated in it or not. If it's in our generational line, it's ours by inheritance. We must deal with the things that our ancestors opened a door to or the enemy has a legal right to access our life - and those of our family. Kids will end up dealing with the junk that their parents and grandparents never brought under the atoning blood of Jesus. It doesn't matter if we agree with it or not. We can argue our own ideas,philosophies and theology until the cows come home but it really doesn't make a bit of difference whether or not we believe it, agree with it, or like it. I agree it's a bum deal but it's just the way the spiritual realm works. We each have the responsibility of cleaning up our own backyard, so to speak. For more information on how generational curses arrive in a person's life, go to the page link on the upper right side of the home page, "Understanding Generational Curses." 

Our Breakthrough Prayer is very thorough and it lists a lot of things, but consider it a starting point. (Go to the link on the right, about half way down the page). It's important to be specific and name as much as you can that you know about. Tell the Lord you want nothing to do with any of the things tied into generational rebellion, idolatry, the occult and other things. Sincerely ask your heavenly Father to apply the blood of Jesus to any doors that were opened knowingly or unknowingly by yourself or your ancestors. Speak it out of your mouth that you divorce all unclean and ungodly spirits and that you choose to join yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ as the only God you will serve. Every time God has delivered me from something, it wasn't just because I said a particular prayer. The prayer helped open the door to my understanding but often I needed to go a bit deeper. It can be different for everyone. I"m just trying to tell you how God has worked in me. I know we all want the quick fix and just get it over with, but that isn't always the way God works. He wants us to understand what got us in bondage to begin with so that we have the knowledge to stay free and then help others. One thing we have to understand is that the Lord will wait until He knows that we not only desire our freedom, but we recognize that there is something He calls sin that has allowed those demons to attach themselves to us. Working with Holy Spirit is imperative so that He can reveal your blind spots. Ask Him to help you understand what has given those demons access. 

One thing that is needed is to examine your heart to see if you have any open doors through unforgiveness or unhealed offense with someone. If we carry unforgiveness it brings torment and affliction with it. (See my previous article, Healing the Breach).Those are common to many people and give demons a legal right to remain until the issues of the heart are resolved. You must forgive and yes, it must be sincere. Not just from your mouth, but from your heart. Demonic spirits feel welcome when they've been a part of your life for a long time and they don't want to leave easily, but the key is to figure out where you have an agreement in the spiritual realm. Demons know when you're sincere AND submitted to God. If they see some open door from your ancestors that never got dealt with properly, they know they have a legal right to stay. Also check your home for any cultural art such as tribal masks, or obelisks for instance. Things such as unholy music or videos, statues or anything connected to other religions can possibly be used in occult practices. Those things can also allow demons access without people recognizing them. Again, Holy Spirit is your helper. You need Him to reveal what things the enemy is tied to in your life. If you prepare your heart to hear, God will answer. He never denies His children the answers they need to get free!

I mentioned the topic of sexual demons above, so let me just address this a bit. Lust is not just sexual. It's also tied into a desire for promotion, a drivenness to achieve personal success or even a need for recognition (selfish ambition). It can manifest in your business or personal life in various ways. Often when a person has wrestled with shame, rejection, insecurity or feelings of unworthiness - lust, selfish ambition and idolatry comes in as a by-product of other emotional wounds. It took me many, many years to realize that I still had open doors to the enemy that I didn't recognize as open doors. Rejection was very strong in my life and the enemy had done a great deal to insure that I incurred wounds that wouldn't heal quickly. If you had asked me, I would have told you that I was not in sin or doing anything wrong, but I also had blind spots that the enemy didn't want me to understand. Often the key to deliverance from one issue is directly connected to healing of a heart issue. The key to freedom is tied into your perspective of what it means to walk in true humility and submission to God's Holy Spirit. We all need to work with Him to heal the belief system that affects our identity. When the identity and wound issues are healed it often helps a person regain control over other things too.

My suggestion is to pick a time when you can be alone with the Lord and put on some worship music that allows you to really connect with Him in a deeper way. If you don't know what to pick, Kari Jobe has some videos on You Tube and usually her songs are very intimate with a healing theme. Just worship God for a while and tell him how grateful you are for Him. Praise Him for being your healer and deliverer. Then begin to pray from the heart, asking Holy Spirit to reveal specific things that will deliver you from everything unclean and ungodly in His sight. Tell Him that you truly want your deliverance and you want no benefit from anything the enemy has brought into your life. Let Him know you are ready and willing to face whatever He needs to show you. In your worship and prayer time, ask Holy Spirit to reveal the lies that have affected your belief system, then be prepared to renounce and forsake them. More than likely, you have come into agreement with something that the enemy has used to forge an agreement in the spiritual realm, which is why the demons haven't left yet. Somewhere a lie has registered in your belief system that you cannot be free unless or until..........(fill in the blank). I used to feel that way when I was addicted to alcohol. I was convinced I couldn't quit, but that was a lie the enemy used to infiltrate my belief system so that I WOULD AGREE WITH HIM. Once I realized every temptation had a lie connected to it, it became easier to resist the enemy and recover my will to overpower his. As with any sin, you have to realize the lie, renounce it, and then exercise your will to resist that temptation. You have more power than you realize! Are you using the authority that Christ gave you? You need to get in the enemy's face and tell him in no uncertain terms that he is not welcome. Let Satan know that He is not your god! Devils are not welcome.  There is a no vacancy sign out front. They must go in Jesus name! 

You can get set free simply by working directly with the Holy Spirit. My husband and I did, and he can do it for you, too. I pray that this article has been helpful. Go through it again, taking time to click on the links and read the other articles and speak out the prayers. Don't give up! If you are persistent with Holy Spirit, I promise He will not fail you! 

Please check out my new book called Seduced into Shame. It has all the information in one place...the root issues behind lust and sexual addictions, how to help diagnose your own situation, and working with God towards your own healing and deliverance. You don't have to live with sexual demons, addictions, or the shame associated with secret sins. Order a copy for yourself or gift it to someone you know that is struggling with porn or other lust related issues. Available on Amazon.com! 

Healing the Breach

One of the most difficult things people struggle with are the stinging barbs left by the critical words of others. It’s not usually the harsh words of a stranger that tends to leave a wound. It’s the unexpected or unwarranted criticism of those we love and care about.

Criticism, if not carefully spoken in love or with a redemptive purpose in mind, can come across as an insult. Insults offend. They also create a tear in the relationship that then requires diligent care to restore so that the enemy cannot further exploit that area of distress. Insensitive words cause others to feel dejected, humiliated,  judged, or leave them with a sense of not measuring up.  The person receiving hard or critical comments can feel knocked off balance. These emotions then tell them that the person that spoke those words are unsafe and unable to be trusted, and fear of receiving more of the same treatment causes emotional distance. A breach of relationship occurs. Over time, and with repeated similar actions, those broken areas of trust create anger, offense, unforgiveness and eventually, bitter root judgments against themselves and others.

“A sensitive answer turns back wrath, but an offensive word stirs up anger.” Prov. 15:1 CEB

Harsh and insensitive words come from our own untended hurts, wounds and irritations. Those things cause us to be impatient with the growth process in others. Impatience can cause a person to feel very irritated and unable to adequately love others while they are working through their own issues. Perhaps we all need to take a step back and ask whether or not that thing we really want to say to someone else is so necessary to blurt out, or is it just our pride that tends to elevate judgment above kindness? While it may feel good momentarily to get some irritation off of our chest, the reality is, when we do, we often neglect to think about how our comments may bruise or damage someone else. My friend Reda Sue has a great little saying. Sometimes our soul just wants to be ornery. Isn't that the truth? Pride doesn’t consider how anyone else feels. It’s only concerned with making ourselves feel better. Once those critical, judgmental or harsh words leave our mouth, the affect they have on others can be complex. It can be far worse than what we realize, because the enemy is right there to take advantage of any opportunity to blow things out of proportion. When the accuser grabs hold of those words, he magnifies offense and creates a deeper wound, further dividing the relationship. Before you know it, both sides are at a stand-off.  

The key to healing our own words is to first recognize that we all fall short of the glory of God. We are all sinners in need of a merciful God. People will sometimes disappoint us. We have all had times when we have failed to make good decisions. We've neglected to stand up when we should have stood up. We've said the wrong things when we should have kept our mouth shut. It could be any number of things, but the point is, we are all human. Should we not have compassion on those that are just as human as we are and prone to stumbling from time to time? Regardless of how we may tend to justify our words or actions, if we hurt others or cause deliberate pain just so that we can make ourselves feel better, then we are in need of forgiveness. Pride is offensive to God. The only way to freedom is through humility, to recognize that we have offended not just another individual, but the Lord Himself, and are in need of His mercy.

I am reminded of a parable Jesus told in Matthew 18 about the unforgiving servant. A king set about to settle outstanding debts with those that were indebted to him. One man begged for more time to settle his debt and the king was gracious to him. Yet, later on, that same man refused to extend the same sort of grace and forgiveness to someone that was indebted to him. Instead, he viciously grabbed him by the throat, demanded that his fellow servant pay him what was owed, and threw him in jail. He refused to release this man from what he felt he was owed. Other servants found out about this man’s unwillingness to forgive a debt and told the king what he had done. The king was so outraged that this is what he told him:

 “Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.”

“Jesus said, ‘So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” (Matthew 18:32-35).

Did you catch the fact that the first man and the second man were both servants to the king? Neither one was any better than the other, yet one lorded over the other and refused to forgive his debt. What the first man was really saying through his actions is that he did not want the other man to be free or healed. That is an offense that warrants serious correction from the Lord. Can I tell you something? We are all indebted to Jesus Christ for paying a debt we could not pay. He paid with His life in exchange for ours. He ransomed us from eternal punishment as our sins deserved. When we refuse to be gracious towards anyone - regardless of what they may or may not have done - that is an offense to the cross of Christ. 

Any unhealed offense or unforgiveness will result in some sort of affliction and captivity if it is not dealt with immediately. Affliction can mean a lot of things and none of them are good. Friend, your spirit can’t breathe if your understanding of the gospel is distorted. When a person rationalizes their own faults with compassion and grace but cannot extend that same compassion and mercy towards others because they have a critical spirit, then they have established a false standard. God hates false weights and measures because it results in injustice. The gospel is not biased like that or full of prejudice. That is the beauty of the good news. The gospel that you apply to yourself must be equally applied to others as well. God’s grace and mercy is available to all.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me. Lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps. 139:23,24

David was a man with many faults but considered a friend of the King. It was because he wasn’t afraid to examine his own heart and ask the Lord to do the same. Psalm 51 is another example of the integrity of David’s heart. He knew he was prone to sin but asked God to create a clean heart in him. The thing that David feared most was the thought of God’s Holy Spirit departing from his life. He was compelled to worship God in Spirit and in truth. God honored his request and showed him his faults so that David could repent and have his heart in right standing with the Lord. This is the right way to relate to God. Friend, I pray that you would earnestly seek the Lord to inquire of Him. Ask Him if there is anything you have tried to sweep under the rug. Sometimes when we don’t really know how to deal with a situation, we tend to try to avoid it altogether. That doesn’t mean it’s really resolved. God is dealing with His body, His bride, and He is leaving no stone unturned. You can’t hide from Him, and I pray you won’t try. If there is someone in your life you tend to want to avoid, then consider that the Lord may be asking you to deal with underlying issues. You will never truly move forward until you’ve released everyone from your past. God let you off the hook. Don’t you think it’s time you do the same for others?  Ask the Lord to give you a double measure of grace and compassion to allow your forgiveness be more than just words out of your mouth, but genuine.

I will tell you how to make it effective and real. I am reminded of when I used to have to pull weeds out of our garden when I was young. Oh, how I hated that job! Have you ever tried to pull up a tightly rooted plant up out of dry ground? It’s impossible. Part of the root will break off and on the surface it might look better for a while, but the plant will always grow back. But, if the ground is well saturated you can pull up the weeds, and they come up very easily. Even the long rooted, stubborn plants will come out as long as the saturation goes down deep enough to reach the tip of the roots. I remember pulling on those big dandelion plants trying to get them out of the ground. It’s almost like surgery. You have to do it so gingerly and carefully so as not to break off a part of the root. You have to get the whole thing. If you ever got assigned to weed pulling as a child, you know what I mean! When you finally felt it give way and begin to come up out of the earth, it was so rewarding to get that bugger finally pulled up, wasn’t it? Spiritually rooted issues are a lot like that too.

If you’re heart is not well saturated in worship and prayer, those stubbornly rooted issues are not going to come up. You may get part of it, but to do the real surgery, you have to be in the presence of God where your heart is humbled and compliant to whatever He requests. You have to be properly motivated, and sometimes that is where God allows the devil to bring affliction for a season. God is not into tormenting His people, BUT, the devil is more than willing if we open a door to him. Unforgiveness grants him legal access. Go back to Matthew 18:32-35. Whether it be poverty, infirmity, a thorn in your flesh of some sort, or even mental torment of your thoughts so that you have no peace; God will allow the enemy to bring affliction if a person is guilty of breaking a spiritual law. He wants us to figure out that the affliction is connected to a heart issue that has gone on too long.

It’s time to clear the airwaves of judgments and harsh, critical words. They don’t just hang over the heads of those that you spoke them about; they hang over your head as well. Those words laced with judgment will block your path. It’s time to ask the Lord to cut those strings and let those words fall to the ground. Tell the Lord you release those that have offended, hurt or disappointed you. Ask the Lord to let no more bad fruit come from word laced with the spirit of death. Speak blessing over those individuals, and ask the Lord to bless and heal all wounds so that the enemy can no longer take advantage of either of you. You’d be surprised at what has been held back, waiting for you to take these steps of faith. The answers to prayer that you’ve been waiting for may just be connected to this very thing. When one thing is released, other things often follow suit.