The Consecration of the Prophet, Priest and King part 3 - The Anointing and Consecration of the Priest

The Consecration of the Prophet, Priest and King

 

Part 3 – The Anointing and Consecration of the Priest

 

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Rev 1:6

 

Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. 1Co 14:1

 

Priesthood Under the New Covenant

 

And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish, And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them. And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams. And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him. And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them. And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons. Exo 29:1-9

 

               Under the Mosaic Law, the requirements for Priesthood were many and very stringent. Contrary to popular belief, the priesthood continues under the New Covenant. But because the priesthood has changed, many of the requirements have also changed.

               Under the Law of Moses, a priest had to be from the tribe of Levi, descended from the sons of Aaron. He had to be male, at least thirty years of age, and had to serve in the Tabernacle or the Temple. That was the only place where there was work for the priest to perform.

               Under the New Covenant, the Levitical priesthood was replaced by the Priesthood of the order of Melchezidec. Because the priesthood changed, so did the requirements of the priest’s office.

 

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Heb 7:11-17

               At this point, I can see a lot of you are scrunching your eyes together, feeling one of those migraines coming on that seem to appear whenever you hear something that turns your beliefs on end. So let me be very clear, here. We are not discussing the Old Testament priesthood established by Mosaic Law in the wilderness. We are, in fact, discussing the New Testament priesthood established by Jesus Christ under the New Covenant. Yes, the office of the Priest still exists. And yes, there are many New Testament Priests that are still in operation in the Church. And we are going to see who they are and why they are so very much needed.

               Another point of clarity: I am not referring to denominational titles used by certain groups that use the title of Priest instead of pastor, reverend, Bishop, etc. I am talking about the actual office of the priest in the New Testament Church as established by Jesus Christ.

               When we refer back to the above passage from Hebrews chapter 7 we see that the office of the priest was not eliminated under the New Covenant, it was simply changed in view of the fact that we now have a High Priest that lives forever. That High Priest is, of course, Christ Jesus. If there is a High Priest in the New Testament Church, then there is also the office of the priest in the New Testament Church. The offices of High Priest and Priest were originally designed by God to work hand in hand to service the spiritual needs of His people. While the priesthood was changed under the advent of grace, it certainly was not eliminated.

               In this article, we are going to discuss the changes in the priesthood and the requirements for being anointed and consecrated as a priest in the New Testament Church. We will also discuss in-depth the garments worn by a priest and how they apply to the ministry of the New Testament Priest.

 

The Sacrifices Required

 

And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish, And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them. And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams. Exo 29:1-3

 

And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar. And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar. But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering. Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar. And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head. And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about. And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him. Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration: And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD: And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part. And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons: And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the LORD. Exo 29:11-28

 

               Okay, as New Testament Believers, we no longer need to make animal sacrifices to satisfy the Law. Jesus Christ died as our eternal sacrifice, and it is through His blood that we are justified before the Father.

               So what has all of this sacrifice stuff have to do with a New Testament Priest? We need to understand that everything in the Old Testament is a type and a shadow of something in the New Testament. These sacrifices required under the Mosaic Law for the Levitical Priesthood give us an idea of what is required for a New Testament Priest.

               First, the new Mosaic Priest was required to offer up a sin sacrifice. Our sin sacrifice has already been offered up in the person of Christ Jesus, so that is taken care of. But other sacrifices are required of the priest that he or she must make for himself or herself. While the Old Testament sacrifices were sacrifices of animal blood, the required New Testament sacrifices are sacrifices of a spiritual nature, but for the same exact purpose.

               The second sacrifice the new priest is required to offer up is a sacrifice of a whole burnt offering. In the days of Moses and Aaron, that meant placing the required portions of the sacrifice on the altar of burnt offering, where it was slowly consumed throughout the day until it was all ash.

               For the New Testament Priest, this refers to a life of worship to the Lord. That means daily dying to the flesh, being consumed in the fires of God until nothing but Him remains.

 

 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Rom 12:1

 

I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 1Co 15:31

 

               This is a sacrifice that was accomplished on the cross. However, this sacrifice is one that is required daily of every Believer, and especially from the Priest.

               The next sacrifice required is the sacrifice of consecration. We’ll get more in depth about this later, but for now let’s just say that it is a sacrifice of wholly giving one’s self over to the Spirit of the Lord. This allows Him to work and to speak through the priest, which is an absolute must for the Priest’s office.

               The final sacrifice outlined in the passage above is the wave offering. This is a sacrifice of praise. It is required of every priest. This is an active life of praising the Lord with the mouth. In order to function in the office of the priest, the ability to praise unhindered regardless of the situation is an absolute must.

 

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Eph 5:19-20

 

Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. Psa 40:16

 

               For many of us, this is a difficult lesson to learn. As human beings, we tend to want to complain whenever things aren’t going our way. The person that has learned to rejoice in the Lord regardless of their situation is showing signs of spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is an absolute requirement for anyone walking in the office of Priest.

 

The Cleansing Process

 

And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. Exo 29:4

 

In order for a man or woman of God to walk in the office of the New Testament Priest, they must have gone through the cleansing process as prescribed in the Word of God. It is important to understand that the cleansing process is thorough, and is never actually finished for a Believer. It is something that is done daily to keep ourselves clean from the sinful world we dwell in.

In order for the Priest to fulfill the duties of his office, he must be very familiar with the cleansing process. The reason for this is because one of the duties of the priest is to assist other Believers in the cleansing process.

While the cleansing process for Aaron and his sons consisted of washing with water and making the appropriate animal sacrifices, the cleansing process for the New Testament Priest is a little more in depth.

 

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) Heb 10:22-23

 

               The cleansing process for the Old Testament Priest was mostly on a physical level. They were to be ceremonially washed with water, then offer up animal sacrifices. For a New Testament Priest, it’s all about what’s on the inside. The cleansing process is now a purely spiritual one.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1Jn 1:7-9

 

               First, the New Testament Priest must be cleansed in the blood of Christ Jesus. This is the same salvation experience that all Believers have when they first come into the kingdom. It goes deeper than just one quick prayer at an altar, though.

               The blood of Christ must be applied to the life of the Priest daily. While all of us should be doing this, it is an absolute must for a Priest to remain clean from the sins of the world around him inn order to minister effectively in his office.

 

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Eph 5:26-27

 

               Those that walk in the office of the Priest will have experienced the washing of the Word of God many times before taking their office. As they study the Bible, the Spirit of the Lord will convict them of something ungodly in their life, and they will submit to Him, allowing Him to remove that from their lives.

               To the Priest, a Bible is much more than a handbook for daily living, it is the solemn word of Almighty God, Himself. The Priest will spend many hours of study and meditation in the Word of the Lord before they are ready to begin taking up the duties of their office. They will have a good working knowledge of the Bible, and will understand more than just what is written in its pages. From the Bible, they will gain an intimate knowledge of the nature, personality, and person of God Himself. In return, those hours of biblical study will pay off in the life of the Priest as he or she is slowly transformed into the image of God.

 

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Tit 3:5

 

               As the Priest continues to grow in spiritual maturity, they will be renewed and washed by the Spirit of the Lord many times over. In fact, we should all be doing this daily. For a Priest, it is an absolute must to be full of God’s Spirit, yet always hungry for more. It is by the regenerating process of the Spirit of God that we are renewed day by day. It is the job of the Priest to be able to instruct other Believers in submitting to the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, so he or she will be very familiar with the process.

In their walk with the Lord, and before taking up the vestments of their office, the Priest will go through this process many, many times over.  Eventually, they will become more and more Christ-like every day. When they have reached a point of maturity in the Spirit when God knows that He can trust them with the responsibilities of the job, they will begin to fully walk in their appointed office.

Just like the King must have his armor to do his appointed job, so must the Priest be clothed in the priestly vestments to do their job.

 

 

The Priestly Garments

 

And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. Exo 29:5-6

 

               In order for a priest to be recognized in the Spirit for who they are, they must be clothed in priestly garments. Aaron and his sons never attended to their duties in the Tabernacle without the appropriate apparel, because the priestly garments told the children of Israel who they were and what they were there to do. It is the same today, only the garments are of a spiritual nature.

               The first garment mentioned in the text above is the coat of the priest. The coat is symbolic of being loved.

 

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. Gen 37:3

 

               The priest will have a depth of understanding of the love of God for each and every one of His children. He will therefore be attired in a spiritual garment which symbolizes his understanding of the love of the Lord.

 

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. Job 29:14

 

And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. Rev 6:11

 

And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev 7:13-14

 

               The robe symbolizes righteousness and judgment, and every priest will be attired in one.

               The righteousness of the priest and the robe that they wear is not their own, but comes from the blood of Jesus Christ. Similarly, the judgment symbolized by the robe is not their own, but divine judgment.

               It is important to remember that divine judgment always leads to repentance, and never will it be condemning. It is the function of the priest to bring those that have fallen back into a state of alignment with the Father. This is part of their calling. As such, a priest will always seek to bring those that have fallen back into a state of repentance.

               This is never accomplished through reprimand or condemning a fallen one. Grace is eternal, and a priest will be very familiar with their own fallen nature, making them great counselors for those that need restoration. In fact, one of the easiest ways to spot a priest in action, is to look for someone with a ministry of restoring the wounded to grace.

 

And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen. 1Ch 15:27

 

               The ephod identifies a person as a priest in the realm of the Spirit. David is the first person mentioned in the pages of the Bible that walked in all three anointings of Prophet, Priest and King. Thus, when the ark was on its way back to Jerusalem, he donned the ephod of the priest to lead the worship procession.

              

And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth. With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold. And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial. Exo 28:9-12

 

               The ephod of the priest comes with a burden to bear. Those that you minister to will weigh heavily upon your shoulders. This is the nature of the calling. This is also why the priest is such an effective intercessor. The burden for intercession comes with the office of the priest, and the priestly authority to intercede is readily recognized in the realm of the Spirit.

 

And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together. Exo 28:5-7

 

               Like much of the Tabernacle which they ministered in, the levitical priests wore ephods made from fine, twisted linen. It was first bleached to purest white, then dyed gold, blue, purple, and scarlet. The linen used was the absolute finest available cloth for the time period.

               The fineness of the cloth represents Jesus Christ, which is the covering worn by every priest. The bleaching to pure white represents the suffering He endured to be our covering. The dyed color of gold represents the nature of God, and every priest must be wrapped in it to do their job effectively. The color of blue represents the Holy Spirit, and He covers every action of the priest operating within the boundaries of his calling. The color of purple represents royalty, as priests are part of the royal heritage of Christ Jesus, King of Kings. The color of scarlet represents the blood of the Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world, which covers and cleanses every child of God.

               The two stones on the shoulder of the ephod were used to discern the will of God for any situation. One would light up as a “yes” answer, while the other would light up for a “no” answer. As such, the ephod represents divine discernment. Every priest carries the discernment of the Holy Spirit as part of their office.

 

And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod. Exo 28:28

 

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; Eph 6:14

 

               Built into the ephod were two rings which were used to attach a breastplate with a blue lace. A breastplate signifies righteous judgment. The fact that it is bound to the ephod with a blue lace signifies the binding of the Holy Spirit required for both righteous judgment and the divine discernment of the ephod to operate together.

Notice that the breastplate was supported by the ephod, not the other way around. It is divine discernment which supports righteous judgment, not the other way around. This is important in the operation of the priest.

The breastplate was not to be loosed from the ephod, because any judgment which is loosed from divine discernment is of the flesh and hasn’t any place in the ministry of the priest. Any judgment not tied to and supported by divine discernment is NOT VALID as righteous judgment.

 

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; Rom 2:1-9

 

Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. Rom 14:1-4

 

               Righteous judgment will lead to repentance, while any other form of judgment always leads to condemnation. It is only by the coupling of divine discernment and righteous judgment that we may effectively judge the Body, bringing it to a state of repentance. Any other form of judgment does not belong in the Church.

 

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; Eph 6:14

 

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. Joh 17:17

 

               The priest is also given a girdle as part of the priestly garments. The girdle represents truth, sanctification and the Word of God. The priest will be girded about with all three during the course of their ministry. They will be called to speak the truth in love, live a holy and sanctified life before God, and will use the Word of God like a weapon against the realms of darkness.

 

And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework. Exo 28:36-39

 

               The miter was very similar to a modern turban. It was worn on the head of the priest whenever he performed his duties in the Tabernacle. The miter represents salvation, authority and holiness.

 

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Eph 6:17

 

And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. Rev 22:4

 

               With the miter on his head, and the gold plate attached to it, the priest was marked as holy unto the Lord. These same markings still appear in the Spirit on the foreheads of those that minister in the priest’s office.

              

 

The Consecration of the Priest

 

And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons. Exo 29:9

 

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. Luk 24:49

 

               It is the consecration of the priest that is one of the most important factors in their ministry. The Hebrew word for consecration (Strong’s #’s H4390, H3027) is actually arrived at by combining two words, meaning to be “filled with power”. This is one of the most important aspects of the ministry of the priest.

               In both the Old and New Testaments, when God establishes the Church, He does so be filling it with power.

 

Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. Exo 40:34-38

 

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Act 2:1-4

 

               God has established a pattern of launching valid ministries through the act of filling them with His power. It happened in the Old Testament to the Tabernacle of the Congregation. It happened in the New Testament to 120 people in one accord in the Upper Room. It happens today.

               The ministry of the priest is one that must be consecrated, or filled with the power of the Spirit. It is the act of consecration, the filling with the power of the Spirit of the Lord that brings the gifts needed for the ministry. It is the filling with power by the Spirit of the Lord that launches the priest’s ministry. It is the acts of power performed by the Spirit of the Lord that validates the priest’s ministry. If the individual in question is called as a New Testament priest, then the acts of power demonstrated by the Holy Spirit will be apparent in their ministry.

 

If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. Joh 10:37-38

 

Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. 2Co 12:12

 

               Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul make it very clear that the test of a New Testament ministry is the acts of power performed by the Spirit of the Lord. Any priest’s ministry will demonstrate acts of power as the normal course of events.

 

By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. Act 4:30

 

And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. Act 5:12

 

Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Rom 15:19

 

               When Jesus sent His disciples forth, He instructed them to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out devils. The ministry of the priest will still show these events as evidence of the power of the Lord in the ministry.

 

And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Mat 10:7-8

 

               Also, a priest must be anointed for the job. This can be a very informal type of ceremony, or it can be very elaborate, depending on the assembly. The most important part of the anointing of the priest comes from the Spirit of God, however.

               The priest must also be reproducing sons in the kingdom. This means that they must have intimate relationships with spiritual parents as well as spiritual children. Priests are raised up by the mentoring process, and they will in turn, raise up other priests.

               This ends the series on the Prophet, priest and king. I hope it has been enjoyable and informative. Please make sure to leave your comments, and to give the article a “+1” below if it has ministered to you. Thank you and God Bless!

              

 

 

God's Pattern For Deliverance Part 4 - The Power Encounter: The Beginning of the End

God’s Pattern For Deliverance

 

Part 4 – The Power Encounter: The Beginning of the End

 

If we are Free…

 

               If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Joh 8:36

 

               If the Son shall make you free. How exactly does that happen? How does the Son go about bringing freedom to a life of oppression and servitude?

               We know that we serve a God that uses patterns to communicate His nature and His will for every given situation. By coming to understand the patterns that God has given us, we can always achieve the desired results in any situation.

               It’s just like making a dress from a pattern. Every time we follow the pattern we have, we end up with the same dress. The same is true for God’s patterns. If we follow His pattern for deliverance, we will always end up being delivered. And we will stay delivered. No exceptions.

Enslavement is Pride

 

               Back in the very beginning of things as far as man is concerned, satan was cast down. His downfall was due to a pride issue. Any time anyone rises up to defy Almighty God it is a pride issue, plain and simple. When we refuse to humble ourselves before the Lord Jesus Christ and do as He commands, it is an expression of pride in one form or another.

               Once he was cast down, he again defied the will of God and contributed to the downfall of man in the Garden of Eden. Obviously, he was still struggling with that whole pride thing.

               In order to cause man’s downfall, he played on Eve’s pride, as well as her lusts. It was her pride that was the real culprit, however. It was her desire to be like a god that caused her to take a bite of the forbidden fruit.

               Let’s face it: that tree had always been in the Garden. The fact that it was good for food and pleasant to the eye had never been a problem for her in the past. The difference this time was that she was promised the wisdom of the gods if she ate it. Like most of us would have done, her foolish pride manifested in her desire to be like God, so she took a bite. Pride was her downfall.

               Because of her pride, she and her husband fell from grace. As a result of the fall, sin, sickness and disease, and everything unwholesome was given authority to operate on the earth. Therefore, every form of sin, sickness and oppression is a direct result of pride. Either the pride of man or the pride of satan. Regardless of whose pride we’re talking about, someone’s pride is always at the root of every sin and every form of oppression, including disease. Had it not been for pride, none of these various forms of oppression would exist on the earth. If it were not for pride, they would not have the freedom to operate as they do.

               So when we begin to discuss the need for deliverance in any form – salvation, healing, or demonic deliverance – we must first address that what we really need deliverance from is pride. Whether it’s out pride, the pride of our culture, or the pride of the enemy, it is pride that is always the root.

               But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Jas 4:6

 

               Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Pro 16:18

 

               Since we are talking about pride, we need to understand that God hates a proud heart (Ps. 101:5). As such, He is always willing to get involved in our situations in order to bring humility. If we are struggling with pride, God will bring humility through the working of His Holy Spirit as we learn to submit ourselves wholly to Him. If it is the pride of our culture that has taken up arms against us, He is more than willing to become involved in our situation in order to honor his Word and exalt the humble. If it is the pride of the enemy that has oppressed us, He is more than willing to put His hand on that thing and declare that it must let us go. It is all about bringing humility to a place where pride is oppressing us.

The Provision of the Promise

 

               One expression of man’s pride is the inability or the refusal to believe in the promises of God. We see this all the time in the church world. Some denominations refuse to believe that God still heals today. Others claim that the gifts of the Spirit are not for today. Still others say that apostles and prophets are no longer in operation.

               When we make the decision to walk with Jesus, we need to quickly come to a major decision in our walk. Either we’re going to believe the Word of God or we’re going to believe the doctrines of men and the doctrines of devils that are so prevalent in the church of today.

               If we’re going to believe the Word of God, then we need to decide we’re going to believe all of it. Not just selected passages that agree with what we’ve been taught. If what we’re being taught does not line up with the Bible, then we need to decide in favor of the Bible. Always. Every time.

               If we’re going to believe the doctrines of man, then there is nothing that I or any other minister can do to help. Sorry.

               Once we come to the decision to believe the Word of God, it is a short walk to believing that every promise that God made to the people in the Bible is still good today. 

              

 

               Once God makes us a promise, it as good as money in the bank. God has made us numerous promises that we need to hold onto. Many, many promises are contained in the Word. They are just as valid today as the day they were recorded.

               And the Word is not the only source that God uses to reassure us that He is taking care of something for us. Sometimes He will witness His promises directly to our spirits. At other times, He may use a prophetic voice to speak into our lives. It doesn’t matter how He communicates His promises to us. A promise from God is a promise from God; period.

               And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. Exo 3:15-22

 

               In this passage, we see a promise from God that He will lay His hand on the thing oppressing the Israelites to bring them out of their oppression. In addition, He is going to make sure that they are reimbursed for all their trouble. These promises to the children of God are still good, today. When we are being oppressed by something, all we have to do is to follow the pattern that God has given us. When we do so, we activate every promise that He has made for that type of situation. How do we know that the Old Testament promises of God are still valid?

               Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. Act 10:34-35

 

               God does not have more love for those in the Bible than He has for you. Everything that He did for those that are recorded in the Word, He is still doing for His children. It doesn’t matter what has happened in your past. It doesn’t matter where you came from. It doesn’t even matter that you are not worthy of His help. We have all participated in numerous sins worthy of a death sentence. We’ve all come from bad places in our lives. None of us are worthy to be called the sons of God on our own. Nevertheless, He loves us all the same. Just like He loved those in the Word. We are all His chidren, and we are all entitled by right of our spiritual rebirth to all of His promises. We just have to make the decision to believe the promise and then to stand on it until it manifests in our lives.

               In other words, with very few exceptions, everything that happened in the Bible can, should and does happen today. Everything.

               And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. Exo 3:20

 

               If God was willing and able to strike down the thing oppressing and enslaving the children of Israel for their benefit, He will do the same for us. In fact, since we are covered by the blood of Christ Jesus, we have a right to expect even more because we are sons and not servants.

The Uprooting Begins

 

               And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words. And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore? Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people. But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD. Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task. And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all. Exo 5:1-23

 

               In this chapter, we are seeing the first stages of the actual power encounter between God and the nation of Egypt. The Power Encounter happens when the power of God directly confronts the oppressor in our lives. It doesn’t matter whether that oppressor is our own flesh, the world we live in, or the demonic forces of the enemy. The deliverance process is the same, and the reaction will be the same.

               Once God has seen our affliction, heard our cry for help, and come to an intimate understanding of our struggle, He comes down to deliver us. When He comes down to deliver us from our oppressor, the first thing that He does is to “fire a shot over the bow”. He does this in order to let that thing, whatever it is, know that He is about to set us free.

               When God first informs this oppressor that He is setting us free, the first thing we usually see happen is that it rises up in defiance. Because of its pride, it will rise up against the will of God in our lives. In short, the problem will become worse than ever. Sickness and disease will manifest more and usually worse symptoms than ever. Addictions will seem to become even harder to struggle against. Those that struggle against rage or similar issues will notice that for a time they are having even more trouble than usual. This is only a temporary situation, as we will soon see.

               The fact that it is rising up in defiance is actually a good sign. That means that God has pointed His finger at that thing and informed it that He has come down to bring us deliverance, healing, etc.

               Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Mat 13:24-30

 

               When God comes into our lives, He immediately begins to sow good things into our lives. Unfortunately, all of us have had a life before Christ. As a result, we all have areas in our lives where we deal with things within us that are not of God. Many of us are broken, hurt, unloving, etc. Once God comes into those areas of our lives, He turns over the field and begins planting a new crop.

               Like most farmers, when God plants a seed, He is looking for a harvest. Unlike human farmers, however, God doesn’t just plant a seed and look for the harvest. He sets the date for the harvest. Just like God created corn and wheat and squash to grow in a certain time span, the seeds He creates and plants within us are assigned a certain amount of time to grow and bear fruit. Once God sets that date, He doesn’t change it. God doesn’t worry about coming up with a “plan B”, because His “plan A” always works out just like He wanted it to.

               So when we come to Jesus as Lord and Savior, God immediately begins to place seeds within us. He plants the nature of Christ within us; the fruit of the Spirit. He plants a new love within us. He plants many things that weren’t there before.

               Once God begins to plant seeds for righteousness within us, our flesh, the world, and the forces of the enemy will rise up to try and choke out those good things the Lord has planted. After God first plants for His harvest, we will suddenly seem to be battling on every front. Our flesh will rise up, and those things we haven’t struggled with in years will come back to haunt us. Our friends, family, and even our spouses will come against us. The world around us will start treating us like we’re lepers. Problems will arise at work. We will suddenly seem to be getting sick s lot more often than is usual, etc.

               It seems like the more we pray for relief from this uprising, the worse it gets. If we are not careful, we can come to believe that this is God’s fault. We can come to convince ourselves that He has abandoned us. If we listen to the voices of others, or the voice of our flesh, we will be constantly reminded that things weren’t this bad before God got involved in our lives. We may even allow ourselves to be convinced that the only safe thing to do is to turn around and walk away from God.

               And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? Exo 6:12

 

               If we’re not careful, we can allow ourselves to be convinced that the issues we are dealing with are bigger than us. We may even come to the conclusion that they are bigger than our God.

               Do not be intimidated by any of these things in your life. If God is sowing into you, then He has already planned and set the date for the harvest. On that date, He will pull up the things that are struggling against you and remove them from your life. Once the tares in our lives rise up in prideful defiance to His will, we can be assured that He can and will strike them down. We can also take comfort in the fact that the date for their destruction has already been set, and that their days are numbered. We can also rest assured in the fact that when God sets the date for the harvest, everything after that is His work. We can’t mess it up even if we try because it is no longer about us. It’s about Him versus the tares.

               Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD. Exo 6:1-8

 

               Once God has set a date for the harvest in our lives, He never waivers. He never takes a step back. Even if every single thing which has power over our lives rises up in defiance, God never changes the schedule. He never forgets His covenant promises to His children, and His Word is as good as gold.

               So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Isa 55:11

 

               You can rest assured that when the mouth of God uttered those promises of freedom to the children of Israel, that He was speaking to you, as well. He had your exact situation in mind, and the date for the harvesting of the tares is set in stone, written in Heaven.

God Marches Forward – The Engagement Initiated

 

               And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh. And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

Exo 7:1-9

 

               Once any form of bondage rises up in prideful defiance to the Word and the will of God, God responds by increasing the pressure. Remember back in Chapter 5, God only instructed Moses to tell Pharaoh that the children of Israel needed to go three days into the wilderness to celebrate a feast. Now that Pharaoh has risen up against God and His children in prideful defiance, God changes the terms of His command to Egypt. No longer does He tell Moses to demand three days for a feast. Now He tells Moses that He is going to execute great judgments against Egypt until the Egyptians know that Jehovah is God. Once God has executed those judgments and the Egyptians realize Who they are defying, God assures Moses that the Egyptians will send them from Egypt, not just let them go to sacrifice.

               This pattern still works today in our lives. Once any form of bondage rises up, God begins the engagement by putting pressure on it. People we don’t even know will begin interceding for us. The Spirit of the Lord will come over us and minister rest and peace to us in the middle of its uprising. Those that God has placed in our lives will suddenly begin to hold us up when we start to falter. In short, God begins to pressure that thing until it is time to engage it.

               And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

Exo 7:10-13

 

               Regardless of what rises up to defy the Lord, His power always dwarfs it and eats it up.

               The Hebrew word translated here as “serpent” (Strong’s #H8577) should have actually been translated as “sea monster, sea serpent, or dragon”. During the time of the exodus event, it was also used to describe very large crocodiles. We need to take just a minute to consider the implications of this.

               When God met Moses at the burning bush, He instructed Moses to throw down his rod and it became a serpent. In Pharaoh’s court, however, it is Aaron that throws down the rod. At the burning bush, the Hebrew word for serpent is used in the original text (Strong’s #H5175). In the court of Pharaoh, the same word is not used because the rod of Aaron became a very large crocodile, not a serpent.

               Why is this important? We must take into consideration that we are dealing with ancient Egyptians.  Ancient Egyptians revered the Nile crocodile as one of the most powerful gods in their pantheon. The crocodile god was worshipped by nearly every class of Egyptian, and was thought to be nearly undefeatable, even by other gods.

               When Aaron’s rod turned into a giant crocodile and swallowed up the crocodiles of Pharaoh’s magicians, it sent a very clear message to Pharaoh and his wise men that their gods had been turned against Egypt by the power of Jehovah. With this one simple act, Jehovah proved that He was so powerful that He could, in fact, turn the Egyptian gods against the nation that worshipped them. This sent a very clear message to the children of Israel to have faith in Jehovah. This also sent a clear message to the Egyptian magicians that all of their demonic power would be of no avail against this unknown God of the Hebrew slaves.

               This is always the next step in the pattern for deliverance. After the defiant uprising of whatever is binding us, God begins to turn the power of that thing against itself. For example, cancerous tumors will begin to devour themselves instead of the healthy cells of the body. The drugs that a person is addicted to will begin to exhibit unusual, undesirable side effects at this stage. The idolatrous things in a person’s life will begin to turn on them. There are many examples of how this step manifests in our lives.

               And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go. Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand. And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear. Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river. And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said. Exo 7:14-22

 

               The Nile was ancient Egypt’s greatest source of nourishment. In one way or another, it fed and watered the entire country.

               The Nile brought trade of foodstuffs from other nations. It overflowed its banks every year, creating the most fertile soil for farming in the Middle East. Irrigation ditches kept the Egyptian crops watered and healthy. It supplied drinking water for people and animals. Many of Egypt’s pantheon of gods were connected with it. In short, it was indispensible to the health, welfare and spiritual life of Egypt.

               For an ancient nation, the Egyptians were actually fairly civilized. They had a system of written laws that were enforced throughout the country. Their religious system was more advanced than most any heathen nation, with the priests becoming wealthier and more politically powerful as they progressed in rank. Egypt had a standing professional army of thousands, and by military standards, was one of the most powerful nations in the world. The country’s military machine was well organized and well funded. The country was well protected from outside invaders by a system of manned border keeps and an advanced early warning system of professional military messengers. Their roads and buildings were some of the most advanced architectural achievements in the old world. In short, they were far from being barbarians.

               They were so civilized, and their religious beliefs so strong, that the thought of drinking blood would have made most of them sick enough to vomit. When God turned the Nile to blood, He caused the one thing that nourished all of Egypt to become an abomination to it. By doing so, He also defiled the religious worship of a number of Egyptian gods in the process.

               So because Pharaoh has risen up in prideful defiance to the Word of Jehovah, the consequences are severe. God demonstrates that the Egyptian gods are not only powerless against Him, but that they are His to turn against the nation. In addition, the one thing that nourishes the entire nation has now become abominable to it.

               It still works this way. Once any form of bondage raises itself up in defiance, God turns the power of that thing against itself and then takes whatever is feeding it and turns that source of nourishment into an abominable thing. For instance, during these stages of this process, an alcoholic may begin having horrible hangovers when they drink (unusual, undesirable side effect). As a result, they will begin having days when the mere thought of a drink will make them physically ill (becomes abominable).

               Once these steps have been instituted, God begins the plaguing process to achieve the full working of deliverance.

               For those of you that are struggling against something in your lives, please take just a few moments to review your circumstances. Can you see yourself or a loved one in the steps of this pattern? If so, then you know that your answer to prayer is in the works. God is already working to bring your freedom from whatever it is that is oppressing you.

               I encourage you to continue praying and to keep seeking the Lord for your freedom. If you have progressed this far in this pattern of events, then you know that the date for your freedom is already on God’s calendar. Whatever is working against you has a limited number of days. Begin to praise Him for the things that He has accomplished and is accomplishing for you.

               I also encourage you to continue reading and studying along with this series. The next article, “God’s Pattern For Deliverance Part 5 – The Uprooting Begins” will be out soon. Blessings!