God's Pattern For DeliverancePart 2 - Freedom Through Obedience

God’s Pattern For Deliverance

Part 2 – Freedom Through Obedience

 

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

               Absolute freedom in Christ is available, and it is always God’s will for His children. It doesn’t matter what you are struggling against, God wants you to be free of it. Too many of us; nearly all of us in fact, are struggling against things that God wants to set us free from.

               We struggle against these things for much too long. They get stuck in our minds and become habitual patterns. We pray for relief, we speak to them and go into warfare against them, but they are still there. We steel ourselves against them every morning, and then have to admit they have gotten the better of us every night. Sound like anyone you know? Me, too!

               What we need to understand about our situation is this: God knows what we are going through and He wants us to be free from it. Free! Completely free!

               And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. Exo 3:7-10

 

               God knows what we’re going through when we are in bondage of any sort. He sees our affliction. He hears our cries to be released from this thing, whatever it may be. He comes to know our sorrows; the daily struggle; the endless line of defeats. And He has arranged a way for us to be free. All we have to do is to follow the plan that He has laid out.

 

               Yes, God has a plan to set us free! And He reveals it to those that are searching and listening for Him.

 

               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 3:20-22

 

And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.

Exo 11:4-8

 

               Once God has seen our afflictions, heard our cries for His help, and come to know our sorrows, He puts His deliverance plan into effect. But what is the plan? How do we find out? What do we need to do to be a part of this plan?

 

               The first thing we need to understand about God’s plan is that He always honors His promises (Num. 23:19). The second thing we need to understand is that He is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34).

 

               If God saw the afflictions of the children of Israel, heard their cries and came to know their sorrows, then He is still doing the same thing for you and I. And once God comes to know the sorrows of the afflicted, He comes down to deliver them from their affliction.

 

               And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Exo 3:8

 

               We must understand that this is the pattern that God has laid out, and that He always honors it.

 

               And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men. Exo 12:30-33

 

               Just as God honored His Word to Moses and the children of Israel, He continues to honor His Word today. And because He is no respecter of persons, what worked for them will work for us. It has to. It’s God’s pattern.

 

               Many of us are not familiar with the patterns of God. Many of us are even unaware that God has laid out patterns for us. What we need to understand is that we serve a God of order. Every time we follow the steps He has laid out, He will do His part. Every time.

 

               So where do we find the pattern for deliverance? Where did God hide this pattern? It’s in His Word. We just need to understand how to find it.

 

               The first thing we need to understand about the patterns of God, is that they always require an act of faith on our part.

               And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover. Exo 12:1-11

 

               Before the Pharaoh rose up in the middle of the night to realize that God had slain all the first-born of Egypt, the children of Israel had to follow His instructions. Even though they may not have fully grasped the importance of having lamb for dinner instead of roast beef and potatoes, they had to act in faith. They had to obey first. That is always the first step in every pattern of God: obedience. He will always reveal to us what we are supposed to do, but the ball never gets rolling until we do it.

 

               And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. Exo 12:28

               And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men. Exo 12:30-33

 

               Had the children of Israel decided that they weren’t really in the mood for lamb and ordered out for a pizza instead, the greatest deliverance in the Old Testament would have never taken place. The importance of obeying God in the smallest of things cannot be stressed enough. Who could have guessed that eating lamb for dinner one night would have such an effect?

 

               When we want or need God to move in our situation, we must respond to Him in faith. To respond in faith means that we must do something.

 

               Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Jas 2:18        

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Jas 2:20

 

Even if all we must do is to walk down to the front of the sanctuary during the altar call, we must do something that God is asking us to do. This is faith, and it is faith that causes God to act on our behalf.

 

And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. Mat 9:28-29

 

It is faith, acting in accordance with the will of God, that activates our deliverance and leads to our freedom in Christ. When we become obedient to the will of God and act out our faith, He comes to our rescue. This is a biblical pattern, and God honors it every time. No exceptions.

 

Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies. Exo 12:50-51

 

What we must understand is that our freedom can come only through obedience. Our oppression came from an act of disobedience, so to be free of the oppression we must come into obedience. Freedom can only come through obedience

 

This may make no sense whatsoever to the mind of a human being, but our freedom can only come through being a servant to Christ Jesus.

 

For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. 1Co 7:22

 

A good servant is always first and foremost an obedient servant. It is our voluntary servitude to Christ Jesus that buys our freedom.

 

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Rom 6:16-18

 

Servitude to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, IS freedom from sin and death.

 

I want to encourage all of my readers to search your hearts. Is there something you are struggling against? Do you feel as though it is getting the better of you? We’ve all been there.

 

If this is your situation, ask the Lord to reveal the act of disobedience which allowed this thing to operate in your life. Then repent. Seek deliverance counseling from a qualified deliverance minister. But most importantly, bring your life back into obedience with the will and the word of God. This one simple act will make huge changes in your life.

 

I also encourage those of you serious about deliverance to continue reading this series of articles. The next article in the series, entitled “The Pre-Deliverance Pattern” will be published soon!

 

 

 

 

              

 

              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Faith That Moves Mountains

The Faith that Moves Mountains 

               And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick. Luk 7:2-10

               What faith from a man that didn't even deem himself worthy to have the Lord set foot in his house! What glorious, rock-solid belief from a man of the Gentiles who didn't even imagine he was worthy to be in the very presence of Jesus!

               Knowing that his beloved servant was dying and all hope was lost, he couldn't even bring himself to go before the Master to ask for this healing. He had to send others to ask in his stead, because he knew he was unworthy to even behold the face of Almighty God, come as a man. And yet, such faith from one that wouldn't dare to even look on the face of Christ! What faith!

               This man was a Gentile, a Roman officer; and yet he had more faith than any of the children of Israel. How could that be?

               He hadn't been brought up in the synagogue, hearing about the coming Messiah. He hadn't received the finest religious education that the Pharisees could offer. He had probably never even heard the word of God spoken, much less preached. And he still had mountain-moving faith! He had saving faith!

               Jesus had come to minister to the people of Israel, not their Gentile occupiers. Later, when asked by a Gentile woman to deliver her daughter from a demon, He would refuse her first request. Jesus was not sent to the Gentiles, and was not at all afraid to turn down their requests for His aid.

               And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Mat 15:22-27

               But still, the Roman officer had the nerve to not only ask Jesus to heal his servant, but to simply speak the word, knowing it would be done at His command. Regardless of who the officer was, or the fact that he was not even Jewish, he had one quality which Jesus responded to. It was the same quality he responded to when the Canaanite woman with the possessed daughter asked Him for His help: it was faith. When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. Luk 7:9

               Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Mat 15:28

               Even though these people were unclean, Gentile by birth, and unconverted, their faith was astounding. Even as the children of Israel, with their great knowledge of scripture, debated the who's and why's of Jesus Christ, the uneducated Gentiles knew Him for what He was: the Son of God. And their faith in Him caused Him to move on their behalf and to meet their need.

               Jesus, King of the Jews, became a servant to the Gentiles, just as surely as He was sent to serve the Jews. Why? How? Saving faith. The same faith in Him that caused Him to bless Peter, proclaiming him to be a rock.

               And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Mat 16:16-19

               Any of us that have accepted the Lord's gift of salvation have experienced saving faith, at least once. For many of us, it is that faith that rises up when there is nowhere else to turn. When we finally hit bottom, and have nowhere to look but up. That is generally when we experience saving faith, or what I call desperate faith.

               When we hit our lowest point, the Spirit of the Lord will begin to tug at our heart strings, reminding us that there is someone that can solve the problem at hand. Regardless of the situation, there is someone powerful enough to turn it around, and His love is so intense, that He is willing to get involved in our mess. There is someone that knows our desperation, and is reaching out to us in our time of greatest need.

               You know what I mean. When the last straw falls and breaks the camel's back, there is someone to Whom you can turn.

               It is at this point when a light in our spirit begins to shine, and we positively know that there is a Jesus Christ, and He is standing close by, just waiting for an invitation to help. It is at that moment when we experience saving faith. When the Holy Spirit reveals to us that Jesus Christ did indeed die for us, and He is waiting for us to respond to His offer to help. It is that desperate faith which causes us to run to the One that we have rejected for so long, believing that we could handle our lives without Him.

               And when we finally give in to the urge to turn everything over to Him, and to allow Him to embrace us and comfort us, it is at that point when we finally feel the release of the pent-up pain and frustration. It's like knowing that your big brother is right behind you, begging you to let Him have a talk with that bully that keeps oppressing you, making you fearful and miserable. It's like seeing your big brother step forward, and watching that bully turn and run for cover.

               Relief like that cannot even be described. It has to be felt to be understood. It cannot be effectively enunciated. It has to be experienced.

               And after that desperate faith rises up and we turn it over to Him, we feel like a burden as big as a house has just been lifted off of our shoulders. The peace that comes from that experience is so real and so wonderful that trying to describe it just doesn't do it justice. That is saving faith. Desperate faith at work, bringing about a much needed change and sense of relief from the worry and fear and oppression we've been struggling against.

               Saving faith is not supposed to be a one-time experience. But for many of us, it is just that. We get saved, the crisis passes, and the next time we're in a bad situation, we find that we don't have the faith to believe God for the solution. We've all been there: in a crisis of faith at the worst possible moment in our lives. That is exactly when we need that saving faith, but cannot seem to locate it.

               We all go through it. Even the great men and women of the Bible experienced it. Many of them, on several occasions. Just look at the life of Peter. Or Abraham. Or Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus. Hey, I've been there.

               It is at those moments, when I don't even have the strength to pray, that I look for that saving faith and cannot seem to locate it. It seems to have just disappeared. Gone without a trace. Now I'm really in trouble. Not only am I in a crisis situation, but because I have temporarily misplaced my faith, I have become my own god.

               Believe me, that is the last thing I want. I do not want to be my own god. I tried that for a number of years, and I just went from one crisis to another. Eventually, I even misplaced my faith in myself.

               While misplacing faith in yourself would seem to be a huge problem, for me it was actually a blessing. Once I lost faith in myself, I was able to see where my faith really should have been invested all along. In Jesus. Not in Paul. Paul just messes things up. Jesus has never messed things up.

               So how do we go about finding that saving, miraculous faith when we need it? We've already discussed one option. Find yourself in such a low condition, that you have only one place to look: up. I must admit, this is not my  favorite approach. It can be a little hard on the nerves. And on relationships.

               There is another option. We can go running to Jesus before we hit that low point, and allow His faith to carry us through. That is what Martha did when her brother died.

               Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Joh 11:20-40

               Lazarus has died, and neither of his sisters have the faith to believe that Jesus can and will raise him from the dead. Instead, they focus on the fact that it is now too late. God waited too long, and now all hope is gone!

               Not having the faith to believe for their miracle, they do have one redeeming quality. They run to Jesus. Even though their faith is weak, the faith of Jesus carries them through it.

               Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Joh 11:41-44

               We've all done this. I call it a "meltdown". I get into a situation that I don't have the faith to get out of. I begin to struggle with depression, just like Mary. I just sit there instead of running to the Lord.

               Then God sends someone to get me; to motivate me to go searching for Him. Once I do so, I have a meltdown. I just lay it all out, and proceed to tell Him that if He had just acted a little quicker, I wouldn't be in this mess. Sound familiar?

               Even though I do not have the faith to believe for my miracle, His faith carries me through. He acts on my behalf, believing in my stead, and things change. Suddenly I come to the realization that even though my situation stinks, Jesus is moving in the midst of it. Then it dawns on me that if He had acted sooner, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to see Him at work. I wouldn't have recognized His miraculous touch in the situation if He hadn't waited until there was no other hope left. And then I  realize that this has been a situation which the Lord was using for my benefit. He was teaching me to hold on to my faith regardless of my situation.

               Of course, there are more proactive approaches to building one's faith. There are ways to build up one's faith before the crisis hits, and so to be prepared for it. Of course, that makes it much easier, and where's the fun in that?

               For those of you that don't like having that kind of fun, you can always build your faith by reading the word on a regular basis.

               So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom 10:17

               Of course, time spent in prayer, especially praying in the Spirit, builds up faith. Especially so, when we ask for more faith.

               And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. Luk 17:5

               But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Jud 1:20

               Faith can also be a gift.

               To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 1Co 12:9

               For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Rom 12:3

               Oh, and by the way, faith is required by God. It is essential to the Christian walk.

               But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Heb 11:6

               And faith helps us immensely in our walk with God, because of the help it give us.

               Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Rom 3:28

                But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  John 1:12

               That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Heb 6:12

               Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Rom 15:13

               And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Mat 21:22

               Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand. 2Co 1:24

               So by faith we receive justification in Christ Jesus; we are made by faith into sons of God; we inherit the promises of God; abound in hope; receive from the Lord; and by faith we stand.

               Oh, and just one more tiny little point.

               And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Rom 14:23

               Faith is our shield against the works of the enemy, so it is the first thing he usually attacks. Stand firm, and hold on to what the Lord has given you. Build your faith through prayer and through the word of God. Use it like a muscle, understanding that it grows larger and stronger with every use. And above all, never surrender it, because the just shall live by faith (Rom. 1:17).

               Because faith is a gift from God, there isn't anyone or anything that can take it from us. It must be willingly surrendered. Hold fast and stand firm, knowing that in the end, even the faith of the size of a grain of a mustard seed can move a mountain.

               If you have a mountain to move, speak to it in faith. Then wait expectantly for it to get up and walk away.

For more articles by this author, please go to www.thelighthousespeaks.blogspot.com