There is peace in salvation. There is peace in Jesus. There is forgiveness and rest in the Lord. But, may I be so bold – now what? We have been transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness and brought into the Kingdom of Light. Can I ask, “What do we do now?”
“For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins’ penalty.” “- Colossians 1:13-14 AMP
That is my saga. My Pastor challenged us today. He said, “Don’t stop.” Two simple words that rocked me in the spirit. Don’t stop Diana. God is not done yet. There is a battle to be fought, souls to be won, and new life to be given.
“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” -Phillipains 1;6 NKJV
There are those who have been taken captive by the Enemy’s lies and have believed the Liar. They are suffering, hopeless, and think that nobody cares or sees. That is not true. We are still here in the Kingdom and if God did it for us, He will bring them hope as well. God is no respecter of persons. He is not willing that any should perish.
God has raised us up Body of Christ for such a time as this. We are the light of the world and can grab them back from the edge of the cliff. We see and we hear their cries. We can step out with the compassion of Christ and make a difference.
Get up, look up, and don’t stop. God is not finished yet. He has raised you up for such a time as this!
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” – Jude 1:20-23 NKJV
There is Power in Praise. God inhabits the praise of His people. The Lord reminds us that when we are feeling down or discouraged or hopeless, we do have a rememdy. We can CHOOSE to put on the Garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
For me, this means that no matter how I feel, I put on my praise. God is more than able to shake off illness, sickneess, discouragement, and depression. When I praise Him – He goes to work and defeats my enemies!
Remember the Israelites? When they s came to the promised land God gave them they marched Jerico around 7 days. 7 days without saying a word. Just march around the city. They saw those walls, they heard the people laughing at them and mocking them I am sure. They didn’t fight back. They just did what God told them. And then, on the 7th day:
“So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.”- Joshua 6:20
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. – Hebrews 11:30
Today, I speak to the mountains of depression, cancer, illness, lack and command them to fall down. Like my husband reminded us today, “If it didn’t want to bow, it shouldn’t have given us a name – because now it has to bow!” We know a NAME that is above ALL NAMES – JESUS!
“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. “- Mark 11:23-24
“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24
If you need some tunes, here are the newest ones our Church, Janesville Apostolic Ministry are going to learn! Come on, crank it up and put on some PRAISE!
This world is not all there is. There is a whole new realm of reality. The Heavenlies. Here is where the angels and demons fight. Our prayers and worship can invade this place, and move mountains!
As children of the King of Kings, we have been made new and adopted into a new Kingdom. Our prayers have power. Our worship changes the atmosphere. – not because of what we do or how we do it, but because of WHO we belong to – Jesus. It’s His Power, His Authority, and His Word that brings the victory. He had the victory at the Cross of Calvary. We have the privilidge and honor to bring His kingdom from Heaven to Earth and stand by His Word, enforce His Word, and watch His Word set captives free!
When we align ourselves with God, we enter the fight. Yes, there really is a war going on – and we are the Soldiers of God’s Army bringing His light into the darkeness to rescue the captives and set free those who have been bruised and broken. Spiritual Warfare is God’s way of setting prisoners free!
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” Isaiah 61:1
10 Quotes on Spiritual Warfare
“The nature of the enemy’s warfare in your life is to cause you to become discouraged and to cast away your confidence. Not that you would necessarily discard your salvation, but you could give up your hope of God’s deliverance. The enemy wants to numb you into a coping kind of Christianity that has given up hope of seeing God’s resurrection power.” ― Bob Sorge, Glory: When Heaven Invades Earth
“If you are a Christ follower, the evil one is after you. When you signed on for Christ, you enlisted in a great war. You became a combatant in a titanic battle for spiritual dominion that has been going on since before Adam and Eve. The enemy has marked you for annihilation, and his demonic armies are aiming their big guns right at your heart. Satan wants you to stumble and fall. He wants your failure to cause others to think that Christianity is empty of meaning and powerless to change lives. If he can tempt you to forget whose side you’re on just for a moment… if Satan can get you to forget your commitment to holiness for just that moment, he may bring down not only you, but others who are watching you. It’s a serious thing to be a follower of Jesus. We must find ourselves in a state of constant dependency on him. We must ask God for his strength to overcome the evil one and resist such temptations.” ― Michael W. Smith
“I believe that the attacks on your life have much more to do with who you might be in the future than who you have been in the past.” ― Lisa Bevere, Girls with Swords: Why Women Need to Fight Spiritual Battles
“Whatever your station or position in life, there is always room for improvement, enhancement, and perfection. I say this with a great sense of humility. Regardless of what you are enjoying at the moment, the Lord says that he has something better for you! No matter what you have achieved, attained, or accomplished in this world, there are more challenges and blessings ahead. God says that you have stayed long enough on this mountain. It is time to press forward to take more territories and receive more trophies.” ― Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ
“The devil takes his victories,” the man replied, “wherever men of God lose heart, and leave the field to him.” ― Orson Scott Card, Seventh Son
“Prayer is picking a fight with the Enemy. It’s spiritual warfare. Intercession transports us from the sidelines to the front lines without going anywhere. And that is where the battle is won or lost. Prayer is the difference between us fighting for God and God fighting for us. But we can’t just hit our knees. We also have to take a step, take a stand. And when we do, we never know what God will do next.” ― Mark Batterson, All In: You Are One Decision Away From a Totally Different Life
“We do well to be reminded that the devil hates a praying leader and a praying church. When we begin to pray, we pick a fight with the devil at a whole new level. Yet, our calling is to be praying menaces to the enemy.” ― Daniel Henderson, Old Paths, New Power: Awakening Your Church through Prayer and the Ministry of the Word
“If you are paralyzed by your past, if Satan is destroying your gifts and your calling by his incessant replaying of old tapes, you’re actually being hit by a double whammy. The original damage in the past is one thing – but now you’re letting yourself be hurt and sidetracked again by the memory of what happened… We should not be ignorant of Satan’s devices, and these ugly memories are one of the main weapons in his arsenal.” ― Jim Cymbala, Fresh Faith: What Happens When Real Faith Ignites God’s People
“Don’t attempt to fight the enemy in your own strength. You will experience burnout, and you will fail. Don’t even think about it! The key is to engage in spiritual warfare God’s way. And that is by resting in him and fighting from victory, not for victory!” ― Pedro Okoro, The Ultimate Guide to Spiritual Warfare: Learn to Fight from Victory, Not for Victory!
“God isn’t asking you to fight the devil. He is asking you to simply uphold or sustain the victory won by Jesus at Calvary and enforce his authority over the devil. You’re like the traffic warden who raises his hand and the vehicles stop. They don’t stop because he can physically bring the vehicles to a halt, but because he is representing and upholding the authority of the state.” ― Pedro Okoro, The Ultimate Guide to Spiritual Warfare: Learn to Fight from Victory, Not for Victory!
Recently we have been asking the question of why our current churches don’t display the same power as the early Acts churches did. Are we wimpy Christians? That’s not what the Word says. God says the same power that dwells in Jesus dwells in us.
Then why the lack of power?
Why the absence of miracles?
In researching this, there are many trains of thought out there. Some say we don’t pray enough. Some say we don’t fast enough. Some say we are not obedient enough. It goes on and on. Here are my thoughts, random as they may be.
Perhaps we have been too busy feeding our flesh to respond to God’s power. Let’s face it, we are human. Our flesh likes to be fed. Tell me a feel good message with what I can do, throw in a little emotion to get me worked up for an hour. Yeah, that sounds cozy. And so it goes, from week to week. No challenges, no goals, no vision, just feel good messages. It’s draining, and the church is asleep. I’m talking to me first here. We are lazy, me included.
I want more. I’m tired of the same old routine. There has to be more! I don’t know about you, but I am ready for a Holy Ghost Revival!
In my reading this morning God brought me here;
You’ll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did—Jesus crucified.I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate—I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it—and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway.
God’s Spirit and God’s power did it, which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God’s power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else. – 1 Corinthians 2:1-3 MSG
Perhaps we are not seeing the power of God because we are too busy feeding our flesh with mental and emotional footwork and not responding to God’s power. Maybe we are selfish and make it all about us, when it’s really all about God.
How do we change?
How do we stop feeding our flesh and respond to the Spirit?
Maybe, we should get off the stage, get off the platform and let God lead. Maybe we should let go of our plans and programs. Of course that would mean giving up control. Let’s face it, we like to be in charge. We like to control things – even our services. We think that if we have it all planned out we will know exactly what will happen.
But isn’t that how we got into this mess?
And how can God display His power and miracles among us if we are too busy to even respond to Him when He is already there in our midst?
Let’s face it, nobody likes being ignored, especially if you’re the King of Kings.
Lord, let us let go of our agendas. Let us come together and watch and hear what You have done in our midst.
“Take Action Perhaps you have seen the movie Gladiator and remember hearing General Maximus shout, “Stay together! As one!” and you saw the victories that strategy brought. It’s no secret that the most effective military strategy is divide and conquer. Jesus knew this well and taught that a house divided against itself cannot stand (see Matthew 12:25). When the body of Christ is divided in its loyalties to Christ, it is weakened as a whole. This means that one of the greatest things you can do for the worldwide impact of the church is to live your own life wholly devoted to Jesus’s cause. This means dedicating all your regular, everyday activities to God as worship to Him. God wants your whole life, not just your Sunday mornings. If you are not living your entire life—work, family, hobbies, etc.—as worship to God, repent today. Ask Jesus to give you vision for what a lifestyle of worship looks like in your life. Write down what He shows or tells you and ask God’s Spirit to fill you afresh as you dedicate yourself fully to Him. 4 Contagious Kryptonite The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church.”
In Ephesians 6 all of the weapons we have at our disposal are forward facing as Johns says. Our backs are exposed. Have you ever seen the movie Gladiator? The men move together as one unit. They protect each other. They cover each other’s backs.
And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
Ephesians 6:10-13 MSG
Perhaps we are not displaying the power of God in our services because instead of covering each other’s backs and fighting like Gladiators we are too busy stabbing our fellow brothers and sisters in the back.
“The loyalty of the Soldier is proved in battle.” – Martin Luther
“Spiritual warfare is very real. There is a furious, fierce, and ferocious battle raging in the realm of the spirit between the forces of God and the forces of evil. Warfare happens every day, all the time. Whether you believe it or not, you are in a battlefield. You are in warfare.” – Pedro Okoro
“Our tent is pitched not in a paradise, but on a field of battle.” LE Maxwell
“The nature of the enemy’s warfare in your life is to cause you to become discouraged and to cast away your confidence. Not that you would necessarily discard your salvation, but you could give up your hope of God’s deliverance. The enemy wants to numb you into a coping kind of Christianity that has given up hope of seeing God’s resurrection power.” – Bob Sorge
“Revival is no more a miracle than a crop of wheat. Revival comes from heaven when heroic souls enter the conflict determined to win or die—or if need be, to win and die! “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”” – Charles Finney
“If you are paralyzed by your past, if Satan is destroying your gifts and your calling by his incessant replaying of old tapes, you’re actually being hit by a double whammy. The original damage in the past is one thing – but now you’re letting yourself be hurt and sidetracked again by the memory of what happened… We should not be ignorant of Satan’s devices, and these ugly memories are one of the main weapons in his arsenal.” – Jim Cymbala
“Over the years, I have come to realize that the greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection. Success, popularity, and power can indeed present a great temptation, but their seductive quality often comes from the way they are part of the much larger temptation to self-rejection. When we have come to believe in the voices that call us worthless and unlovable, then success, popularity, and power are easily perceived as attractive solutions. The real trap, however, is self-rejection. As soon as someone accuses me or criticizes me, as soon as I am rejected, left alone, or abandoned, I find myself thinking, “Well, that proves once again that I am a nobody.” … [My dark side says,] I am no good… I deserve to be pushed aside, forgotten, rejected, and abandoned. Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the “Beloved.” Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence.” – Henry JM Nouwen
“Temptation is not his (Satan’s) strongest weapon. Despair is.” – Dennis Garvin
“I believe that the attacks on your life have much more to do with who you might be in the future than who you have been in the past.” – Lisa Bevere
“God isn’t asking you to fight the devil. He is asking you to simply uphold or sustain the victory won by Jesus at Calvary and enforce his authority over the devil. You’re like the traffic warden who raises his hand and the vehicles stop. They don’t stop because he can physically bring the vehicles to a halt, but because he is representing and upholding the authority of the state.” – Pedro Okoro
The Whole Armor of God
” Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
Yes, there are times to fight. Fight for what is right, for what is true, fight for what God said could be done here on Earth. But our fights as a Christian aren’t like the movies. We don’t fight evil with guns, or knives, or weapons. The weapons of our warfare are not of this world. The battles are not even with the people of this world. It’s a spirit thing.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 AMP
For though we walk in the flesh as mortal men, we are not carrying on our spiritual warfare according to the flesh and using the weapons of man.
The weapons of our warfare are not physical weapons of flesh and blood.
Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your own obedience as a church is complete.
There are plenty of arguments that set themselves up against the Word of God. There are plenty of thoughts that set themselves up against the Word of God. There are plenty of vain philosophies that set themselves up that are contrary to the Word of God. What will you do with these? The fortresses of the world and the fortresses in our own minds. Believe them or reject them?
There is a battle going on – for your peace, your faith, and your loyalty.
Are you ready to fight God’s way for your mind and for your friends and families lives?
God’s Word says we ARE healed – by His stripes.
Are you ready to fight fight for that?
Will you March around that fortress for 6 days and on the 7thday shout for the victory?
The Israelites had to shout BEFORE the walls fell down. They had to praise God for the victory BEFORE it happened.
Praise and worship invites God into our “now”. Think of it as the door. Inviting God into our mess. Light in the darkness.
Our prayers are weapons. When we declare God’s Word the walls fall down. They defeat the enemy.
Our faith gives God room to work and bring Heaven down to Earth.
Our fasting kills our fleshy desires and feeds our spirit.
God said that HE would defeat our enemies. He crushed them at Calvary on a cross.
Are you ready to fight?
I am. I am sick of my friends and family getting pounded by the enemy. Enough is enough. God said it, that’s the Truth. I will STAND on the Word of God, march around those fortresses,and SHOUT and watch the LORD defeat my enemies!
One thing I have learned in my walk with God is that you must be prepared for resistance when God brings you to a Promised Land. Remember Joshua? He finally led the Israelites into the land that God promised. It was not empty. It was full of enemies. There was a battle that had to take place for God’s chosen people to enter. It was not just a show up and let’s move in kind of deal.
Let me share a personal story to show you what this looks like. I recently finished up my part time job at school. I applied for a summer job at a local company. They offered me full time with full benefits. Of course I said yes! I have not had a full time job with benefits in over 16 years!
Here is what my battle looked like:
3 days before my start date – the water heater in our home went out.
2 days before my start date – the gas stove started leaking and we had to turn it off.
1 day before my start date – the brakes went out on my truck.
The night before my start date – I was up for most of the night killing demons in my sleep.
My first day – the water heater still didn’t work and I took a cold bath.
My first day at lunch – one of my kids got in a fender bender. All is well but the car was ruled a total loss by the insurance company.
Expect a battle when God brings you to the promised land. Keep you peace. Greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world. Keep your peace. Stand on the Word. Stand on the promises of God. Watch God deliver you and your family. Keep your peace.
The results:
My husband and our Pastor fixed the brakes for $42.00!
My husband fixed the water heater with a new part. we now have hot water!
My husband bought the new hose for the gas stove, this too will be fixed!
And the car – we elected to keep the car and my daughter’s boyfriend has all the parts but one to repair it! Praise God!
Thank you Jesus! The Lord will deliver you, He promised!
God’s Word for You:
God’s Commission to Joshua After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:1-9 NKJV
My Prayer for You:
Dear Lord,
Please be with your people as they travel from the land of slavery and bondange into the promised land You promised them. Be with them as they stand before the Enemy and watch as You deliver them. Give us supernatural strength and resolve as we enter new territories. Let us lean on You and You alone as we conquer the land and possess the territory You have promised us, in Jesus Name.
Sad, Tired, Unmotivated, Overwhelmed. These are some of the things I felt while going through depression. Feeling like I was doing everything wrong and I couldn’t do anything right. Depression is probably the worst thing I have ever gone through. There were a lot of issues going on in my life and that was like an open door for the enemy to come in […]
There are Elijahs and Jezebles in this world. And it’s a battle for power. It may be at work, at home, or at church – but these spirits are present. God tells us to test the spirits. Not every spirit is from God. And not every spirit is friendly.
I recently received an interesting comment on a blog post about Jezebel. You can read it here – STOP TOLERATING THE JEZEBEL SPIRIT. A person thought that the Spirit of Jezebel was just about sex. I have not found that to be true. Yes, the Spirit of Jezebel uses her sexuality to control others, but it’s more than that. So today I thought I would compare and contrast these two spirits.
Leave me a comment if you think of more characteristics to add to these – thanks!
Source – KimberosePhotography
Spirit of Elijah
Stands up for truth and is bold and fearless
Has intimate relationship with God and receives instruction from God. (See 2 Kings 9)
Has the God given Authority to overthrow and overturn Jezebel and her kingdom
Is a Prophet and sees the future and declares it
Is a Minister of Fire and destroys the enemies of the Kingdom of God (See 1 Kings 18)
Confronts Jezebel and her blind followers
Source – churchofjezebel.com
Spirit of Jezebel
Seeks her own agenda. She is bold and fearless as well.
Uses Power and Control to manipulate and destroy others
Mocks God and His people
Uses Witchcraft and other dark arts
Puts herself on the throne and sees herself as God
Sets up her own false kingdom where the subjects worship her
Kills, steals, and destroys anyone who does not agree with her
Note to self – Elijahs and Jezebels can be men or women. Its not about gender – it’s a spirit.
As a body of Believers, let us pray for the Lord to raise up the Elijahs to defeat the Jezebels in our Churches, our Schools, our Workplaces and our Homes. Show us your glory Lord, and RAISE UP THE ELIJAHS TO DEFEAT THE JEZEBELS, in Jesus Name.
Jezebel is a spirit. But where does it come from? That’s what I want to know. Why was she so hell bent on destruction? Why is she so against the Prophets of God? She must have got that way somehow. Yes, her Father led her the wrong way. She followed him into witchcraft and sorcery. It was her choice. And she led many astray.
But you know the interesting thing? There was a great man of God, Elijah, who displayed the powers and wonders of our God during her lifetime. God was there. And then it hit me:
Where there is an Elijah – there is a Jezebel.
Where there is a huge prophetic movement in a church or community – there will be a Jezebel spirit trying to pull it down. She will do whatever is necessary to divide the community, to push her fake ‘religious’ self and her agenda. And she hates the Spirit of the Living God. She will have those who follow and worship her.
But the good news – Elijah and God win! Elijah called down fire from Heaven and God answered his prayer. Even after the enemies of God poured water on the alter three times.
You cannot quench the fire and Spirit of God!
God is victorious! And the followers of Jezebel died that day. It’s quite an amazing story. You can read it all at 1 Kings 18. Here is a sample:
Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” (1 Kings 18:19 NKJV)
And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “TheLord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”
And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there. (1 Kings 18: 36-40 NKJV)
After Elijah called down the fire of God. God showed Himself strong. And Elijah killed all Jezebel’s followers in one day. After she heard the news Jezebel was determined to kill Elijah. Elijah had displayed how powerful God was, and how the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah had no power. They all died. Jezebel said she would kill Elijah. But again, God stepped in.
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw that,he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. (1 Kings 19:1-3 NKJV)
Here is an interesting article I found on how Jezebel spirits are ‘born’. I have mixed feelings about it, let me know what you think. It is very hard for me to see Jezebel as a ‘victim’. Yet, there was a doorway open somewhere that let that spirit in.
What do you think?
“Babies are born to be normal, loving beings.This is to examine why anyone, like a Jezebel, would turn evil, or be open to an evil presence, that would dominate their thinking. Scripture says we war not against “flesh,” but against (evil) spirits, and principalities in high places.We have to remember that Jezebel is a spirit that infects people, who are victims as much as those people they damage by their behavior.”
Today I would like to share some things I learned about breaking the generational curses over our lives. There are times that we find ourselves in a situation merely because it has followed us there. Kind of like genetics. If you mom had brown hair, and your dad had brown air, odds are you will have brown hair. The same is true in the spiritual. There may be curses like poverty, divorce, illness, or other things that may be lingering around from the past. Only the Blood of Jesus can break these curses. He is the One who became the curse so that we could obtain the blessing. You can read all about the curses and blessings in Deuteronomy 28. But as a believer, I had to learn how to APPLY the Blood of Jesus in my life so that these curses would be broken.
And as a Believer I did know that I had the authority to break the curses over my own life. I always thought I needed to go to someone to do that. You know, some super-spiritual Pastor or something. Not so. We have the authority – God gave it to us. And we can redeem the past for good – no matter what our Ancestors did. This study was very eye-opening for me. And I did it! I pray that you take the authority God gave you and break the curses over your life and your family’s lives. God bless you as you do!
Here is one of the most powerful sermons I have found on this subject along with my sermon notes.
The Nature of Curses and Blessings by Derek Prince
Through the redemption of Christ we should be released from the curses and enjoy the blessings. But the body of Christ enduring curses when they should be enduring blessings. One of the reasons is we do not recognize what is a curse and what is a blessing. We many not know how to be released from the curse and enter into the blessings.
CURSES AND BLESSINGS BOTH ARE VEHICLES OF SUPERNATURAL POWER FOR GOOD (Blessings) , OR FOR EVIL (Curses).
One characteristic feature of them is they will continue from generation to generation until someone knows how to cut them off (curses). The result is that many people are bearing consequences in their life that took place long ago. We many need to trace where the problem came from and take the appropriate action to be released.
These Vehicles may be:
1. Words – spoken, written, or pronounced inwardly by you or someone else.
2. Can be transmitted by physical objects
When the curse is broken there is no more reason for sickness.
In Deuteronomy 28 there are 14 verses of blessings and 54 verses of curses. Here is Derek’s summation on that chapter:
7 Blessings:
Exaltation – no longer living under things
Reproductiveness – fruitful in every area of your life
Health
Prosperity or Success
Victory
Authority (Head)
Above (Strength)
7 Curses (the opposite)
Humiliation
Barrenness – failure to reproduce
Sickness of all kinds
Poverty or failure
Defeat
Helplessness (tail)
Beneath (weakness)
“The difference between the head and the tail is the head makes the decisions, the tail just gets dragged around.” -Derek Prince
Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the application for these areas. The Holy Spirit is the teacher. We should be above our circumstances.
7 Indications That We Are Dealing With A Curse:
Mental/Emotional Breakdown – people fall apart, emotional or mentally or both
Repeated/Chronic Sickness – hereditary things, or if Dr’s cant find any normal cause
Breakdown of marriage/family alienation – families fall apart, marriage break up, children are separted from each other
Continued Financial Insufficiency – a history, not a season, of being short
Being accident-prone – not natural to always be that person
History of Suicide/Unnatural Deaths – frequency of those things in a family.
A curse is like a long evil arm from the past and every time you are just about to succeed this evil arm trips you up and you have to get up and try again. A curse is like a dark shadow from the past shutting out the sunlight of God’s blessings.
Causes of Curses and Blessings
Blessing = Listen to God’s voice and do what He says
Curses = Don’t listen to God’s voice and don’t do what He says
The greatest sources of curses in people’s lives are breaking the first two commandments. We must not acknowledge any other God. Or bow down or serve idols. See Exodus 20:3-5. Whenever we go to another source for something we should go to God for, we are actually making that other thing our God. For example, if we go to a Fortune Teller for information for the future where God has said not to use that channel, you are making the power behind that Fortune Teller your God. Same with cults, ouiji boards, occults – you are making a God that is not the true God.
Sources of Curses:
False Gods – Exodus 20:3-6
Idolotry (occult) – Deut. 27:15
Disrespect parents – Pr. 30:17
Treachery – neighbor – Pr. 17:13
Injustice to weak, poor – Pr. 28:27
Unnatural sex/incest – Lev. 20:10-16
Anti-Semitism – Gen 12:3; 27:29
Depending on flesh – Jer. 17:5-7
Stealing/perjury – Zech. 5:1-4
Stinginess toward God – Mal. 3:8-10
Men who speak as God’s Mouthpiece against someone – Joshua 6:26, I Kings 16:34
Other Sources of Curses
Persons with Relational Authority – A husband, Parents, Teachers, Pastors, etc. Words spoken by those people have special power whether they are blessings or are curses. In the Bible, the best blessing someone can have is a blessing from their Father. And sometimes the worst things are said by a father to his child.
For example if a Father says to his son, “You will never make it. You will always struggle.” 20 years later his son doesn’t do well. Or if a Father says to his daughter, “You will always have pimples on your face.” 15 years later she still does. Or what if a Teacher says, “You’re shallow, You’re stupid.” That was a curse spoken over a child. And that child was still reacting to those words in their 60’s.There is authority behind those statements. There is a demonic element behind those words. James 3:14-15.
Self-Imposed Curses – Curses spoken by us. Gen. 27:11-13. It’s a self-imposed curse. Rebekkah begins to use negative lanuage about herself in verse 46 of that chapter. She curses herself.
Sometimes we are the ones cursing ourselves. For example if you have said, “I’m tired of living, or what’s the good of living, or I’ll never be able to do this, or I’m a failure, or I’m no use, or I wish I were dead” – you have cursed yourself. And you are inviting the spirit of death into your life! Many people need to be delivered from the spirit of death because they invited it in themselves. Here is the Word to defeat that spirit – If you have made a negative remark on yourself or about yourself, you need to revoke it and replace it with the positive.
Psalm 118:17 I SHALL NOT DIE BUT LIVE, AND PROCLAIM WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE!
Curses from Unscriptural Covenants – Exodus 23:32 No covenant with people with those who worship other Gods, if you do then you make a covenant with their God. In the Western World, there are Free Masons – that is a covenant that brings a self imposed curse. It is idol based. The true God is joined together with 2 idol deities that God has condemned.
Curses by Practices of Tribal Societies – new babies or a young person is initiated into the tribe by cuts in their skin.
Curses from Servants of Satan from the Evil Side – Witchdoctors, Cutting, Elders in Tribes, Witchcraft. Satan’s servants have the power to curse.
Curses from false gods, and forbidden objects – Deut. 7:26 Burn the carved images of their gods, nor bring it into your house. When you bring anything that is associated with idolatry or the occult into your home you are opening the way for a curse to come into your house.
If you believe you need deliverance, go home and check what you have in your home. See if there is anything there that advertises another god except Jesus Christ. Children are very sensitive to this. They may not sleep at night as they feel it. Somewhere in that house is something that gives Satan access. For example, horseshoes are superstition – they don’t protect you they open the door to Satan.
HOW TO BE RELEASED FROM A CURSE
Establish a scriptural basis for your release – Gal 3:13-14, Eph 1:7, Col 1:12-141 John 3:8,Luke 10:19
Confess your faith in Christ. Jesus is the High Priest.
Commit yourself to obedience – hear God’s voice and do what He says
Confess any know sins by yourself or by your ancestors. Confess the sins of your ancestors too, you are not guilty of their sins, but you are affected by them. Be released from it
Forgive all other persons
Renounce all contact with the occult by yourself and your ancestors
Get rid of all forbidden objects
Release yourself in the Name of Jesus. Whatever you bind on Earth will be bound in Heaven, whatever you release on Earth will be released in Heaven
Confess and Expect the Blessing of Abraham! We are released from the curse to receive the blessing. The Holy Spirit administers the blessing. He has the Key to God’s Storehouse.
Expect the blessing in ALL things. It won’t happen overnight. Go the right direction, you are on the way. Keep walking, keep listening, and doing what God says.
A PRAYER OF RELEASE
Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that you are the Son of God and the only way to God, that you died on the Cross for my sins, and rose again from the dead. That on the Cross you were made a curse with every curse that is due to me, that I might be redeemed from the curse and enter into the blessing. Lord I confess any sins committed by me or by my ancestors. I ask your forgiveness. I also forgive every other person who ever harmed me or wronged me.I forgive them as God forgives me. I also forgive myself. I renounce all contact with the occult in any form. And I commit myself to get rid of any contact objects. And now Lord, having received by faith, your forgiveness, with the authority I have as a child of God, I now release myself and those under my authority from any curse over our lives. Right now in the name of Jesus I declare release, I claim it, I receive it by faith in the Name of Jesus! Thank you Lord!
When I prayed You answered
as I asked and believed
Provision was sent from Heaven
Even when delayed by enemies
You sent Warrior Angels to meet my need
I felt the Shift in the atmosphere
I heard the Heavenly Battle Cry when
You turned your face towards me on high
brought me overflowing supply
With Warrior Angels by my side
Messengers of Mercy
Sent to strengthen, cover, and protect
Win the battle in the Heavenlies
Lord, You alone can tip the scales
with Your Mighty Warrior Angels
Prophecies Concerning Persia and Greece
Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.
Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.”
Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince. (Daniel 10: 10-21 NKJV)
(Image Sources: confidentfaith.net, dailycatholic.org, and Pinterest)
