Sanctification – A Heart Thing

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1Jn 3:9

            Wait just a minute, here! What did that say? He cannot sin because he is born of God? How can that be? What about all of those well-prepared Sunday sermons that say just the opposite? What about all those T.V. preachers that have made a career of getting behind the pulpit, screaming hellfire and brimstone is about to descend on all of those Believers that are not obeying this command or that command?

            We are all born of flesh of blood, born into original sin, aren’t we? We are all just sinners saved by grace, right? There was only one sinless man that ever walked the face of the earth, right? Wait just a minute! How is it possible that the Bible could say that those that are born of God cannot sin?

            Don’t revolt on me, just yet. I can already hear some of you threatening to throw your computer out the window if the false teacher you have unwittingly allowed into your living room doesn’t straighten up and check his doctrine!

            But yet there it is. 1 John 3:9 leaves no room for misinterpretation, does it? It’s right there in black and white: those that are born of God cannot sin. How can that be? That flies in the face of everything we’ve ever been taught, doesn’t it? How can it be that any man can reach a point in his walk with God that he cannot sin? And this verse doesn’t even put it that way. It says “born of God”. As a matter of fact, it says, “Whosoever is born of God”. But how can that possibly be the case?

            Easy, there! Don’t faint just yet! There is a plausible explanation for this, I promise!

            The problem with our understanding of this verse lies in our interpretation of one of the most foundational doctrines of the Church; the doctrine of sanctification.

            We all know that when it comes to our salvation, that comes by grace through faith, right? Ephesians 2:8 is pretty clear that salvation is the gift of God because of His grace and love for us, and because of the work of Christ on the cross. We’ve all heard that before, right? But what about this sanctification thing?

            To be sanctified (Grk. “hagiazo”, Strong’s # G37, meaning “to make holy, purify, or consecrate”) means to be set aside for the service and the work of the Lord. For instance, the Tabernacle of Moses was sanctified for the service of the Lord. That means that the Tabernacle and all of the required furnishings, and those that performed the service of the Tabernacle were set aside as holy unto the Lord. In other words, the things of the Tabernacle could not be used for any other purpose.

            But how does that apply to us? And what has that got to do with being born of God so that we cannot sin? Be patient, I’m getting there, I promise.

            I cannot speak for anyone else out there in computer-land, but I was raised with the doctrine that salvation happens instantaneously, but sanctification takes a lifetime. Sound familiar?

            We were taught that sanctification was a process which allowed those that were washed in the blood of the Lamb to live a holy life. In fact, we were taught that sanctification was, in fact, living a holy lifestyle. And we were lied to. Sorry if that offends anyone out there, but the truth is the truth.

            Well, if living a holy lifestyle isn’t what it means to be sanctified, than what, exactly is sanctification all about? Glad you asked. Please allow me to explain.

            For an explanation of what it means to be sanctified, we must first understand what it means for a Believer to sin. Oh, I know, we’ve all heard numerous very interesting sermons on that. But what does the Word say?

            For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there

remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery

indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without

mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be

thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the

covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of

grace? Heb.10:26-29

               It has taken the Lord a long while to pull me up out of all those nice sermons to a point of realization about one of the benefits we have as Believers. The benefit I’m talking about is that all of our sins – past, present, and future were forgiven as Jesus hung on the cross at Calvary. That being said, there are only two acts that a Christian can commit that will endanger our salvation.

            The first such act is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

            Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Mat 12:31-32

               In the above passage from Hebrews, blaspheming the Holy Spirit is phrased as “done despite unto the Spirit of Grace”. So what is the other act mentioned that is so heinous that it will endanger our salvation? It is stated as “who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing”.

            What does that mean? Glad you asked.

            It means that we have to look for another form of sanctification. Something other than the blood of Jesus Christ. In other words, our salvation is endangered every time something other than the blood of Christ is the motivating force that makes us holy unto the Lord. How does that work? Easy.

            In order to understand this concept, we must first understand the process of salvation. Salvation is a two-step process: we must confess with our mouths (salvation) and then believe in our hearts (sanctification).

            That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Rom. 10:9,10

               “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness.” This is sanctification. It is the process

which leaves us standing holy before our Lord and Savior. Doesn’t sound anything like what we’ve been taught, does it? I’m with you on that.

            I had always been taught that it took a lifetime to be fully sanctified. Sanctification was, in the opinion of my teachers, a process by which God got rid of all our bad habits and sinful acts. In other words, sanctification was “holy living”. And I was taught wrong.

            Jesus only left the New Testament Church two commandments:

             Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

               Why only those two? Why not a whole list of things, like “Don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t cuss, don’t have any fun, don’t smile, don’t be an individual, don’t wear makeup, don’t don’t don’t”?

            Why? Because God has always looked at the heart of a man.

            But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 1 Sam 16:7

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Mat. 15:8,9

It is only man that looks at another man’s behavior and decides that the man is unholy. God looks at the heart. Jesus gave us two commandments. The first one is to love God with all our hearts, minds, and souls. Unfortunately, the Church is teaching two other forms of doctrine. We are teaching either salvation without sanctification or sanctification by works.

            As a result, the Church of today is desperately in need of sanctification. Somewhere along the line, we managed to lose sight of the Truth. As a result, our people are either ignoring the need for sanctification, or they are killing themselves trying to attain it on their own. And they become more disheartened with every sermon on sin, because they still haven’t managed to get rid of their obvious shortcomings as pointed out by the last such sermon. Sad.

            Jesus only required us to do two things: love God and love people. That’s it. That’s all. Instead of fulfilling the only two commands that really matter, we are teaching our people that they are going to hell for a myriad of reasons that do not line up with the Word.

            We have been given two commandments. That’s it.

            What we need to understand, is that every time we hear one those fire and brimstone sermons that tell us we’re all going to hell, then run down to the altar in fear, and go home to kill ourselves trying to solve an issue which is not ours to deal with, we have gone through it all for nothing. The works of the flesh will be consumed in the fires of God like wood, hay and stubble.

            Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 1 Cor. 3:12-15

               All of the works accomplished out of fear and guilt and every other human emotion will be lost in the fires of God. Only those works that we accomplish in the name of the Lord will be saved. In other words, every time we try to sanctify ourselves by struggling against this issue or that issue, we have just taken on a battle that wasn’t ours to fight, and God didn’t even take notice.

            All God is concerned about is do we love Him with our whole heart, and do we love people. That’s it. That’s the whole program.

            As we pursue God with our whole heart, He will deal with our bad behavior. We are not to let another man condemn us over it. We are not to let the adversary condemn us over it. Why?

            There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Rom. 8:1-5

            We are not to mind the things of the flesh. We are to be concerned about walking in the Spirit. In other words, we are to focus on Jesus with our whole heart, mind and soul. We are to go through our life in this earthen vessel trying to concentrate on loving Him more today than yesterday. As we do this, He will deal with our flesh. Simple, right?

            To those that have struggled with condemnation, and have been the target of self-appointed “fruit inspectors” in the Body of Christ, my heart sincerely goes out to you. I hope this article helps you to see that you do not have to feel that God condemns you because of a behavior problem. Simply ask yourself this question: is my God the most important thing in my life?

            If you answered “yes” then you have nothing to worry about. Just keep it that way. Let Him do the rest.

            If you answered “no” then you have found the real issue. Recommit yourself to God. Repent for the times that you have placed something else higher in priority than Jesus. And understand that He loves you still, and He still wants that intimate love relationship with you. Are you seeking that kind of relationship with Him? I hope so. That relationship is the only key to life in the hereafter.

           

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

           

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

              

              

Braiding the Whip

Braiding the Whip

               And the Jews Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: and when He had made a scourge (whip) of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; and said to them that sold doves, “Take these things from here; make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise” (John 2:13-16).

               There are some important things that we need to take away from this passage of scripture. First, it was Passover, just like it is today. Second, Jesus, when He found unrighteous behavior in the temple, He didn’t just charge in and drive them all out. He stopped and braided a whip, first.

               Why did He hesitate? He had all power on heaven and earth. Why would Jesus need a scourge (whip) to drive out those that were turning His Father’s house into a den of thieves?

               Saying to them, “It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves.” (Luke 19:46)

               Jesus was famous in Jerusalem. Anywhere He stopped, hundreds of people would gather around to hear the famous healer, teacher, and Rabbi. You can assume that as He sat down and patiently braided His whip that hundreds of people gathered around to see what He was doing. I will guarantee you that everyone in the area knew exactly what the famous Rabbi was doing. Why would He do so? The answer is multi-faceted.

               First, it is the whip that brings discipline.

               For whom the Lord loves, He chastens, and scourges (whips) every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chastens not? (Heb. 12:6-7)

               Second, the whip brings repentance. Notice that in John 2, Jesus drives out the money-changers, but He speaks to the sellers of doves, and tells them to remove their wares from the temple. Why didn’t He drive them out as well? They had a repentant heart. Otherwise, He would have treated them like the money-changers.

               Third, the whip brings healing. I know this makes no sense to our logical mind, but it is the truth.

               Who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins,

should live to righteousness: by whose stripe you were healed. (1 Pet. 2:24)

               It is the striping of the whip that brings repentance, discipline and healing to the Body of Christ. So why did Jesus stop and make a whip before charging into the temple? He was giving them a chance to repent and exit the temple with their wares before He came charging in.

               And notice what He called them in Luke 19:46: a den of thieves.

               Saying to them “It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves.”

               And what does a thief do on the temple?

The thief comes not, but for to steal, to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and life more abundantly. (John 10:10)

I can already some of you saying, “That’s great, but how does this apply to me and to my life?”

               In this day and age, we are the temple.

               Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

 (1 Cor. 3:16)

               The sad truth of it is, that most of us are defiled temples. We build altars to self, altars to Ba’al, and altars to sex and drugs, and altars to wealth, and every other unholy thing.

               If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. (1 Cor. 3:17)

               In this Passover season, Jesus is once again braiding the whip. He is giving us a chance to repent, to come before Him once more as purified, and righteous, and clean, as the Bride of Christ. Passover is a special season in the kingdom. It is a time when God looks to see who has the blood of the Lamb on the doorposts of their hearts. It is a season for repentance and coming back into perfect alignment with the Lord. It is a time when we need to destroy every altar in our lives that is not of God.

               For those that are unrepentant, refusing to come back into alignment with their Lord and Savior, they may experience the fourth use of the whip. Notice from John 2:15, that the fourth reason Jesus used the whip was to drive the thieves out of the temple.

               So what, exactly does Jesus consider to be a thief? Anything that steals our destiny in Him. Anything that kills our relationship with Him. Anything that destroys the plans He has for us. It doesn’t matter what it is, or where it comes from. Anything that is operating in our lives that is not of Him is a thief. And Jesus is once again driving the thief out of the temple to bring abundant life to His Body.

               I want to encourage all of my readers to prayerfully observe this Passover season. Search your heart and your spirit. Repent for anything that the Spirit of the Lord reveals to you. Seek forgiveness for the sins in your life. Then take communion. Right there in your home, with your family. Jesus will be looking for the blood on the doorposts. Will He find it at your house?

If you would like to read more articles by this author, please go to www.thelighthousespeaks.blogspot.com.

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Witchcraft and the Church

Part 6 – The Confrontation and the Casting Down

               In the first five installments of this series, we have discussed how witchcraft operates, who it operates through, and how it entered into mankind. We have also discussed some specific spirits of witchcraft and detailed their operations. Now we get to the good stuff: how to confront and cast down witchcraft when it is operating in our lives or in our churches.

               One thing that we need to understand about witchcraft is that it is never just going to go away on its own. Once it obtains power in a person’s life or ministry, it will continue to take ground and work on the heart and mind of that person until they are so bound up that they are of no use to man or the kingdom. Once witchcraft roots itself into a ministry, such as a church, it will continue its operations until the assembly splits or shuts down completely. Both of these results are a manifestation of broken covenant, and this is one place where witchcraft thrives.

               The only solution to this problem is to confront and cast down witchcraft before it can attain its goals. In the life of an individual, this may require intercessory prayer, casting the spirit down, retraining of the flesh, and some intense Christian Counseling to fully bring healing and restoration. In a ministry, the head of the ministry may have to step aside for awhile so that healing and restoration can be sought out. It may also require intense prayer on the part of those involved in the ministry, asking the Lord to send in someone anointed for the job. One thing that is always required to root out witchcraft is a man or woman of God who is anointed for the task; and they must have the will and the intestinal fortitude to see it through to the end.

               The Bible contains some pretty in-depth information on witchcraft. It tells us how witchcraft is introduced into a body, what can be expected of the operations of witchcraft, who it considers its primary enemy among men, and how to root it up and cast it down. 

               Gen. 3:1 says, “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made”. Through craftiness, deception, deceit, and promises of illegal power, witchcraft will enter into the life of a person and begin to operate. We see this played out in Genesis chapter 3 between the serpent and Eve. Once we allow ourselves to be deceived, it is only a matter of time before we become a tool used to destroy the lives of others, as well. We see this in every manifestation of witchcraft presented in the Bible.

It should be noted here that witchcraft cannot enter into a ministry unless it first enters into the life of someone in authority in the headship of the ministry. This person may be the pastor, the pastor’s wife, a board member, the worship leader, etc. Once it has entered the life of an individual in authority in a ministry, it will seek to form sin covenant bonds with other spirits of witchcraft operating in the same ministry. The two, working together, will then form other alliances and open doorways for other spirits of witchcraft to operate.

               1 Kings 16:31-33 tells us how this takes place. It says, “And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jereboam, the son of Nebat, that he (Ahab) took as wife Jezebel        the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonaians (Phoenicians); and he went and served Ba’al and worshipped him. 32 Then he set up an altar for Ba’al in the temple of Ba’al, which he had built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made a wooden image. And Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.”

               So here we have it all laid out. Ahab is living a life of walking in his father’s sins. In other words, he has inherited a generational curse, just like many of us. Instead of seeking the Lord and walking righteously before God to have that generational curse removed, he chooses to allow the sin lifestyle to take more of his life than did anyone that came before him. Unfortunately, the same could also be said of many of us.

               The biggest mistake Ahab makes is to then form a sin covenant with Jezebel. Many of us probably do the same thing. Jezebel was not a Hebrew girl; and being a king’s daughter and a worshipper of Ba’al, she was most likely a priestess of Ba’al; meaning that she was most likely a high dollar prostitute. So Ahab’s lust for her gets him into this situation, and she takes full advantage of him. This is very typical of the Jezebel and Ahab sin covenant. It is also very typical of the Ahab spirit to use lust to entice a person into some places where they really shouldn’t go.

               The next thing we see is that Ahab goes and begins to serve Ba’al. This is typical behavior when a person is oppressed by a spirit of witchcraft. It will work tirelessly to open doorways for other spirits of witchcraft to enter into a person’s life.

               So what does Ahab do next? He builds a temple and an altar for Ba’al, effectively introducing witchcraft into his ministry. Because of the operation of Jezebel and Ahab, the entire nation of Israel was led astray into Ba’al worship.

               We see the same things happening in ministries all over the nation. A pastor, board member, or other authority figure in a ministry will make some bad decisions and allow spirits of witchcraft into their own lives. As a result, doorways are then opened for witchcraft to begin its operations in their ministry. From this position, witchcraft is then released to attempt to open doorways in the lives of their congregation because they are then used as a tool without even realizing it.

               For instance, a minister under the influence of witchcraft will get up behind the pulpit and preach about prosperity. He will indicate that God blesses those that give. He will then extol his congregation to increase their level of giving, promising anything from monetary return to actual signs and wonders if they will give. This is manipulation and it is witchcraft. Every person that then gives has become complicit in his witchcraft by trying to manipulate the hand of God with money. As a result, everyone that gives has opened up doorways for witchcraft to operate in their own lives. Even though giving is a kingdom principle, giving in order to influence God to give you a miracle is witchcraft. It is the motivation that is in sin.

               We see the same principle displayed in Genesis Chapter 3 between the serpent and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The serpent deceives her into believing that if she eats the forbidden fruit, she will be like God. Seeking the power that comes with that type of knowledge, she takes a bite and then gives it to Adam, also.

               Now, there is nothing wrong with seeking knowledge. In fact, Proverbs 1:7 says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”. And Proverbs 10:14 says “Wise people store up knowledge”. In 2 Chron. 1:10, Solomon asks God, “Now give me wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of yours?” In 2 Chron. 1:11-12, God grants his request, and then promises long life and wealth in addition.

               God does not mind us seeking knowledge. He objects to us seeking knowledge for the sake of the power we presume it will bring. That is the difference between knowledge alone and knowledge with wisdom: Knowledge tries to figure out how to do something, where wisdom stops first to ask if it should be done. When we seek knowledge to bring us power, we are practicing witchcraft, just like Eve. When we seek knowledge and wisdom to better serve God, we are pleasing to Him.

               In the story of Jezebel and Ahab (1 Kings chap. 16), the very first thing Jezebel does is to convince Ahab to serve Ba’al. This is a very typical way of doing things in the world of witchcraft. One spirit enters a life because of a bad choice, then proceeds to make sure other doors are opened for other spirits. Notice, however, she has also succeeded in leading another person into witchcraft.

               In effect, Ahab was the head of the Church of his day. Being king over all Israel was his ministry to the chosen people of God. As such, he was bound by covenant with both God and the children of Israel. Once Jezebel entered the picture, both covenants were easily laid aside in favor of the worship of Ba’al. Thus, she had convinced him to allow witchcraft to enter into and destroy his ministry to Israel.

               We see the same thing in Gen. Chap. 3. Eve eats the fruit and then gives it to Adam. Witchcraft never operates alone, and when it is alone, it will find another person to entice into sin. Adam’s ministry was to tend God’s Garden. When he allowed sin to enter into the Garden, he broke his covenant with God and forfeited his ministry. He also damned all of humanity to be born into sin.

               And notice from the story recorded about Jezebel and Ahab, their primary enemy among men is always the prophet (1 Kings 18:13; 19:2; 21:20). This is because the prophet is the polar opposite to the witch. Witches use false prophecy to manipulate others into doing their will. Prophets speak prophecy to edify, exhort and comfort the children of God to keep them on track with the Father. Witches crave power and authority which is not theirs; prophets give all the glory to God. Witches believe that they are more powerful in numbers; a prophet knows all power in heaven and earth belongs to Christ Jesus. Witches lift up themselves; prophets lift up Jesus. A witch’s ministry produces false signs and lying wonders; a prophet’s ministry is followed by true signs and wonders from heaven.

               It is also the prophet that has the gifting necessary to expose the witch for what he/she truly is

(1 Kings 18:18). Prophets can discern through the Holy Spirit when a spirit of witchcraft is in operation, what spirit is operating, what its operations are, and whose life it has infected (although not all prophets will have all this information, they will have enough to do their job). While other ministers may possess discernment, the prophet’s sense of discernment is usually sharper, especially where witchcraft is concerned.

               As a result, witches will usually place a prophet very high on their list to destroy (1 Kings 19:2). They will be discredited, have their reputations soiled, directly challenged, called false prophets,  forbidden to minister within a body, and even get thrown out of churches. Each and every one of these avenues is a normal, expected avenue of attack. And all of the reasons for such actions will sound so reasonable. It is only the Spirit of the Lord that can truly identify witchcraft in operation.

               One of the main reasons that prophets are so disliked is because they carry the anointing for destroying witchcraft. A prophet walks in the anointing to destroy witchcraft as part of their calling and gifting. So getting rid of a prophet is just playing it safe if you are a witch.

               Casting down witchcraft is always done through direct confrontation. If Jezebel is operating in an assembly, someone with the anointing and the will and the authority to challenge her must step up to the plate and carry through. When the infestation is serious, God usually sends a prophet anointed for the job (1 Kings chap. 18), to either cast down witchcraft or to anoint the man who will (2 Kings chap. 9).

               Confronting witchcraft is never easy. Ba’al and Jezebel can root themselves very firmly in a body with very little time to do so. There are so many of us that are susceptible to promises of illegal power; or that struggle against lust or pride, that it makes the job of a spirit of witchcraft that much easier. The first thing to remember when confronting a spirit of witchcraft operating in a life is to never negotiate. It goes, the person stays.

               Spirits of witchcraft will generally seek the highest position in a ministry as possible, and will always work in teams. The couple that writes the biggest tithe checks, serving on the board, and calling all the shots in a church is a near guarantee, and must be confronted if the ministry and they themselves are to be saved. Otherwise, the ministry will split or close completely, and Jezebel and Ahab will take a good many of the congregation with them to another assembly to do it all over again.

               The elder who just recently divorced and remarried two months later, amid rumors of marital infidelity is another nearly sure bet. The older woman who always sits in the front pew, scowling at anything she doesn’t like, who writes tithe checks that pay the pastor’s salary is another place to check. Any church member in authority that has issues with covenant relationship, or seeks to control the ministry should be approached prayerfully.

               Jezebel and Ba’al will resist being cast down. They will split the church, get the pastor fired, have the visiting prophet thrown out, and have the worship leader replaced with a close friend that is not anointed for the job (thus placing a spirit of witchcraft in the driver’s seat for worship). In short, they will pull every dirty trick in the book to retain or grab hold of more illegal authority. And they will always reproduce themselves in disciples. Two spirits of witchcraft will always work together as a team, but will train disciples to do the same thing they are doing.

               The pastor who won’t allow anyone else except family to flow in their giftings is one good example. The busy-body that brings a troop of ten women with her to complain about the new Sunday School teacher is another one. Or the new couple in the church that brought five other couples with them. All of the above situations should be carefully monitored, so that a spirit of witchcraft can be shut down before it gains any real power in the Body.

               Once a spirit of witchcraft is found out and cornered, it generally is rather cowardly, preferring to run instead of facing a direct confrontation with a true man or woman of God. The person that has been oppressed should be removed from power, and then deliverance and post-deliverance counseling (for retraining of the flesh) should be sought out. If the person will not be convinced to be prayed for and counseled, then the only choice left is to ask them to leave. That should always be the last resort, and even then only when the Lord endorses it. People are not disposable just because they are oppressed, but if they are unrepentant and unwilling to submit to church authority, then the rest of the Body must be protected.

               Ministers that exhibit signs of witchcraft in their ministries need to be prayed for through serious intercession. Only when the voice of the Lord says to do so, should they be asked to step down for a long enough period to seek healing and restoration. Then they should be gradually reintroduced to their authority in the Body. Close monitoring needs to be used for awhile, until it can be reasonably guaranteed that they are not falling back into the same trap again. Again, this should only be done under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and should be confirmed numerous times through several individuals before it is acted upon. One of the first things a witch will try to do is to upset the power structure in a ministry through false prophecy. We need to be sure that it is definitely the Lord speaking.

               Confrontation needs to be direct and to the point, but done in a loving manner. Remember, these people are not demons, they are oppressed by demons. There is a huge difference. Guilt and shame should NEVER be used as leverage to make someone submit to prayer or to stepping down temporarily. Confronting witchcraft with witchcraft is not going to do any good.

               The most important part of deliverance counseling with those oppressed by spirits of witchcraft is the counseling. Pre-counseling needs to be used to be sure that it is indeed witchcraft that they are struggling with. Post-deliverance counseling needs to be employed to help them retrain their flesh. Otherwise, it is almost a guarantee that they will fall right back into the same trap. If a minister senses the presence of a spirit of witchcraft and does not have the time or the experience to counsel the individual involved, then the minister should intercede that the Lord will send a deliverance counselor to set them free.

               Most importantly of all, love those that are oppressed. We all have open doorways in our lives. To treat someone like a leper because they are struggling against something is not Christ-like. It is not good for them or for other members of the Body. And it is not the heart of God. The heart of God is that we love our neighbors as we love ourselves. In other words, the Golden Rule definitely applies here. Treat those that are struggling with the same love and respect that you would want to receive. If you cannot, let another minister pray for them.

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