Adjusted---by Hope's notes

               

              

               Today--- Not once again, your holy word has adjusted me. 

               Today--As I awaited your sense of directions, It adjusted me.

               Now, I have peace for your words are fire round about me.

           

               Whom shall I fear?

               No one--for you, My God--are always with me and near

               A cause only you know has been sent

               I am adjusted to turn the way

               I do not see as yet...It awaits me. 

Identifying the strong man---Part IV

   

Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

      Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. (Matt 12:29)

        Greetings! By now, you are tired of seeing Matt 12:29 in my past devotionals, but friends, there is a lot of truth in here. This truth is filled with insights on deliverance. First, we know that the strong man is Satan or a leader of a group of demon powers. Satan is a thief and he has robbed us of our finances, health and even our nation. When we learn how to bind him, we will take back what he has stolen!

         In my last devotional, I talked about mixture. Martin Luther was a great man of God and wanted to reach the Jews, but they rejected Christ. Instead of praying for them, he took it personal and became bitter. That bitterness had him write some negative things about the Jews.(1)

              When Hitler rose to power, the church in Germany was asleep. Winning the elections by just one vote (2), he started to take this nation on a downhill slope. He justified his persecution of the Jews by quoting the sayings of Martin Luther. We, all, know what happened--Germany was devastated and winded up being divided.

             We, as a church, have to guard ourselves from mixture. Mixture will set us down a slippery slope and cause us to miss God's best for our nation and family. The Apostle Paul had the same problem. Ephesus had a mixture of idols and it was coming into his chruch. As he prayed the prayer of the Ephesians, the church started to grow.

                 Friends, the prayer of the Ephesians is powerful. Not only can you pray it for yourself, but you can pray it for others! So, I encourage you to pray that prayer. Don't have it available? Go to the contact us section and I will gladly send it by email. As we pray for one another, we will see results and save our nation from ruin. God bless. 

(1) Links on Martin Luther and his

writings....http://www.nobeliefs.com/luther.htm

(2) http://onevote.com.au/the-importance-of-one-vote/

Bible verses by www.biblegateway.com

Identifying the strong man--Part 3

Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

                

      In our last studies, we saw how to identify the strong man in the lives of your loved ones and your city. Today's study is on how to pray for your government. Jesus has given the church power and authority over serpents and scorpions, as well as all the power of the enemy. But God's promises has a catch. The key word to remember is repentance. If we, as a church, fail to repent from our evil ways, we won't be effective. Satan is a legalist and if he sees sin in our lives, we won't have any type of power over him. Friends, it is not enough to say--Forgive me, Lord, I have sinned. That is just a first step.

         What the Lord expects from us and the church is to turn away from sin. Yes, the word says that a just man falls seven times (In a day), but it does not end there. The word says that he riseth up again. (Prov 24:16) You cannot stay complacent. You need to get up and fight the good fight of faith.

            Yes, I realize some habits are strongholds and change does not happen overnight, but we need to be consistent. We have to do our part. How can we fight the big demons (Serpents), if we fail to address the little ones (Scorpions) in our lives? Friends, God wants to raise us up to do a work for him. I encourage you to get a prayer partner to help you. That is the function of the church--To lend a helping hand. We need each other! 

           History teaches us the importance of repentance. Germany was once a Christian nation, but the church itself got into mixture. Martin Luther was a great man of faith, but not without its flaws. It has been said that he tried to reach out to the Jews but they rejected the good news. He, then, proceeded to write some negative things about the Jews. 

       Friends, mixture can hurt the church and others. These type of writings fell into the hands of Adolph Hitler and the persecution of the Jews began. Do we have mixture in our churches? Does your church has any mixture? Pray for your church and the body of Christ. Our nation's future depends on it. More thoughts about this to come tomorrow. God bless.

Verses provided by www.biblegateway.com

Links on Martin Luther and his writings....http://www.nobeliefs.com/luther.htm

Identifying the strong man---Part 2

                                                                It's time to put the enemy
                                                                under your feet!

                      Image courtesy of http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Stomp.j

Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.(Matt 12:29) 

              In our last study, we saw how Jesus used this principle in dealing with the madman of Gadara ( Luke 8:30) He identified the strong man and cast him out. The result was deliverance and the Lord was magnified! The same applies for your city. In Revelation 2:12-16, the Lord spoke to the church of Pergamos. Pergamos was a city with problems. Crime was high, but so was idolatry. We see here how the Lord identified the 3 strong men---

• Satan--Pergamos was so corrupt that Satan himself was controlling that area.(verse 13) 
• Balam spirit---Perversion had penetrated that church in the form  of mixture and spiritual fornication. The church had departed from sound doctrine.
• Nicolatianes spirit--It was a form of control. A church should not force its people to serve God or their man-made doctrines.      

 God had warned the church on these 3 main strongmen. The key to victory was repentance. You can bind all day long the principalities, as well as the power of the enemy and get nowhere without repentance. If the church is not walking in repentance, then its all in vain. Years ago, in my city, we had a high crime rate. The churches got together and addressed the problem in their community. One night in prayer, a brother identified the murder spirit as Python. After that, the crime rate dropped and the church impacted the city for a season.  So, don't give up on your city. Pray for your church. Pray that God will examine hearts and then you will see God move in your community. God bless.

Bible verses courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

               

Identifying the Strong Man!

  Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he             first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.  (Matt 12:29)

              

             Greetings. In this devotional, I want to share some thoughts on identifying the strong man. In our Christian walk, we battle through strongholds in our life, family, community and nations. For a stronghold to function, it has to be run by a strongman. Previously, in our last studies, we saw how we can bind the spirit of the world and get our loved ones saved in the name of Jesus. We, also, saw how Daniel's prayers was hindered by the prince of Persia. Another strongman that was identified in prayer!

               Jesus used this principal when he cast out the spirit of the demon-possessed madman. He had, previously, commanded that spirit to come out and believe it or not, it refused to do so. (Luke 8:28-29) When you are casting out demons, they will fight you to the end. It wasn't until Jesus identified the strong man and commanded it to come out! (Luke 8:30) 

             Why was Jesus so successful in casting out spirits and doing miracles? He paid the price. He sacrificed some of his time in prayer, seeking God's face and fasted 40 days! Now, I am not telling you to fast 40 days, especially if you have some health problems, but in order to prepare yourself for the work God has called you, you need to set some time for him. There is a time of preparation in order to be effective in what God has called you to do.

                I have seen new believers in the Lord who mean well, but run ahead of God. They get a little revelation and think they know it all. To top it off, they start to see some shortcomings in their church and Pastor. Folks, remember there is no perfect church nor Pastor. We need each other. Other than preaching apostasy, if the church falls short---Stay there until you hear from God to go elsewhere.

           Soon, the new believer starts church hopping and is never stable. Then, he comes across a brillant idea---I am starting my own ministry. Doing that is a recipe for disaster. Friends, there has to been a season of preparation. A season in where other than seeking God, you submit to the authorities in the church and grow. 

          Remember, God does speak to man but he uses the church as the mother to nuture the soul. When you are planted in the church you need to be in, you are safe. God's grace will be upon you and it will restrain you from going back to the world. (Prov 1:8-9) Church is necessary for the body to grow and be prepared. Seek a church that believes in a God who is,still,alive. A place that believes that God, still, does miracles. As you do that, you will start being prepared in your calling and be effective. Tomorrow, I will share more on the strongman and pulling down strongholds. God bless.

Bibleverses by www.biblegateway.com

              

Praying for your loved ones.

"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." (I Cor 4:4) 

     How many times have you've been frustrated praying for a loved one? I got good news----God remembers you! He loves that person more than you do and wants salvation to come. The question is--Why is it taking so long? 

      First, we are in a spiritual battle. The word says that we wrestle not with flesh and blood. (Eph 6:12) Second, we need to know God's purpose for man. He is, not, willing that people perish but that all come to repentance. It is God's will that man be saved, so that is good news. 

             The catch to this is us! Many times, God's will gets to be fulfilled in what we do. If you read the above verse, it says that the god (Satan) of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not! So, the root cause is spiritual blindness. Yes, man has a will and God respects free will, but in this case, man does not have a choice---he is blinded! 

           So, that means that we have to get to the root cause. We have to bind the strong man, which is Satan. (Matt 18:18) We have to bind the god of this world and release (loose) a spirit of repentance. When the blindfold is removed, then man can make a choice!

           But, that is not where it ends--there is still good new! God made a promise to Jesus. He said to ask and I will give you the heathen for an inheritance. We are joint heirs with Christ, so that means that souls are our inheritance. 

            We have a mixed-up concept of inheritance. When we think of inheritance, we think of money. Yes, our salvation included financial prosperity and that is something to be happy about, but the thing that should make us shout and dance is the saving of a soul. That is the main focus of our inheritance.

              You see, Brethren, when you loose a spirit of repentance and ask God to open your loved ones eyes, you are asking for a soul. You are asking for your inheritance, so in spite of man's free will, God is able to break it and bring your loved ones to the altar. It is a promise! 

             He knows how to get the attention of your loved ones. George Muller was a tremendous man of prayer. A story was told of his burden to reach a young man for Christ. That man hardened his heart, but Muller kept on praying for the man's soul. When Muller died and was being buried, the young man, finally, came to Christ. By the way, George Muller had a great track record of answered prayer! 

          We, in the body, need to get away from tradition and unbelief. Many churches explain thier lack of members by saying many are called but few are chosen, then why is God wasting his time building mansions? Another case in point is the Bible records that there was a mulitude of souls that could not be numbered. (Rev 7:9) Friends, God does, not only, wants to fill churches and empty hell but he wants to reach nations. So, be encouraged and pray. Don't give up because God remembers you and your loved ones. God bless.

Bible verses courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

Being effective in Prayer

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph 6:12)

                  Prayers! Everyone wants their prayers to be heard, especially those that involves our loved ones. The question to ask---How do we start being effective. First, in my past series of devotionals entitled "Don't miss out", we covered the area of praying in tongues. If you've missed any of these teachings, you can scroll down this website and study this interesting subject. 

            Praying in tongues is so important when interceding because the enemy is, also, trying something "new" to hinder us. It takes the Holy Spirit to help us stay ahead in the game. He helps us to pray. He helps us to solve the mysteries of prayer. 

             In Eph 6:12, we see the different classes of demon powers listed. They are the following--

       1- Principalities

       2- Powers

       3- Rulers of the darkness

       4- Spiritual wickedness in high places.

      We can have an extense Bible study on these four items listed above, but let's concentrate for now on the word Principalities. Principalities are the foremost person or leader of a group. Principalities denotes Satan's generals. When we pray for a nation, city or community, we need to identify the strong man.(Matt 12:29) 

       Daniel saw this principal in prayer. In fact, when Daniel set himself to seek God, it called attention in the demon world. Why?  Satan is not stupid. He knows the power of prayer. 

       Daniel was doing a parcial fast and praying. A fast is effective and can do serious damage to Satan and his kingdom. (Isa 58:6) In fact, Satan was so scared of what Daniel was doing that he sent one of his chief generals to stop his prayers.The word tells us that the prince of Persia went out to hinder Daniel's prayer. That means that the demon general that was influencing the king of Persia took a break from his function in government to hinder Daniel's prayers! It called attention to the world of darkness.

          What does that tell us? When we pray and fast, we will call attention to the powers of Satan! In fact, when you pray for your community,city or nation, you become a threat to Satan. If you notice what happened to Daniel, he found out, through an angel, the name of that principality. It was the prince of Persia. (Dan 10)

        Friend, we need discernment in order to, effectively, pray for those that have authority over us. It is necessary to identify the strong man so that we can be effective in praying for others. There are tools that God has given us in order to be victorious in battle. In this day, ask God to give you discernment in prayer, especially when interceding for those in authority. God bless. 

Bible verses provided by www.biblegateway.com