(Continued
From Part 1)
And be not conformed to this world:
but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is
that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2);
(For the weapons of our warfare are
not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high
thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
The
SOUL
gate. The SOUL is the seat of your WILL, IMAGINATIONS & THOUGHTS (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Because an attack against the mind is more
subtle and covert, it is more difficult for some believers to discern when his
mind is under attack by demons. Because
the devil attacks a believer more frequently in his thought life, it is
imperative that the believer spend time everyday renewing his mind to the Word
of God. It is also important that a
believer be aware of what thoughts are going through his mind.
What
do
you think about? What do you daydream
about? Do you know when God is
speaking? Is your thought life pleasing
to Him? When a bad thought enters your
mind, do you cast it down or do you entertain and rehearse it? Do you know when the devil is speaking to
you? If you want to find out just how
often Satan talks to you, sit quietly for one hour and write down every bad
thought that enters your mind.
To discern who
is talking to you, remember that God speaks to your HEART and CONSCIENCE from within because Jesus lives in your HEART
and the Holy Spirit indwells you. When
God speaks, you will be comforted, edified, encouraged, joyful, peaceful, and strengthened. Even when God chastens a believer, He does it
gently and in love, and there is no guilt or condemnation (Romans 8:1; Hebrews 12:8; Revelation 3:19).
Devils, on the
other hand, speak to your mind from the outside. The words that they speak are “fiery darts,”
which are repelled by a believer’s shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16). Satan instills fear and speaks lies and words
of accusation and criticism. He will
tempt you to say or do something that you know is wrong, and the fruit of his
words will produce a destructive harvest of condemnation, depression, despair,
hopelessness, guilt, suicide, etc. The
devil isn’t playing games. His mission
is to kill, steal and destroy you (John 10:10).
In
order to defeat the enemy, a believer must diligently guard his mind from the
enemy’s “fiery darts” and meditate on the Word of God:
You
will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind
is stayed on You: because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3);
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be
any virtue, and if there be any praise, think
on these things (Philippians
4:8).
The
SOUL
gate [the seat of your EMOTIONS―fear,
anger, rage, etc.] (2 Timothy 1:7). Demons can enter a person that suffers an
emotional, mental, or physical trauma (e.g. abuse, cruelty, divorce, betrayal, rejection,
neglect, kidnapping, incest, rape, torture, etc.) Children are especially vulnerable because of
their tendency to internalize trauma, their difficulty differentiating between
reality and fantasy, and because they are quick to blame themselves for abuse
inflicted by an adult. A demon will victimize
a traumatized child and masquerade as a “secret, invisible friend.” A demonized child may claim to hear
voices. A demon will also manifest in
the form of bizarre behavior that is completely out of character for the
child. The same is true for adults. I am persuaded that many, who after being
diagnosed as mentally disturbed or clinically insane, are committed to asylums,
are actually demoniacs in need of salvation, deliverance, and healing. In other words, their problem is spiritual. Unfortunately, most main-stream psychiatrists
either have no knowledge of demon-possession, or debunk it as an alternative
cause of some mental disorders (e.g. multiple personality disorder and paranoid
schizophrenia). Therefore, the
traditional treatment of mental illness is limited to private and group counseling,
drug and shock therapy, confinement and isolation, and in extreme historical cases, a surgical frontal
lobotomy. A demon-possessed person can
“act out” in such a bizarre manner that he will appear to be crazy:
And when He [Jesus] was come to the
other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two possessed with
devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by
that way (Matthew
8:28).
The
HEART
gate (Luke
6:45; Romans 1:21). Apostasy,
bitterness, criticism-judging, doubting, envious, evil intents & motives, evil
imaginations, hatred, idolatry, impenitent, jealous, lustful, murderous, perverse,
prideful, rebellious, stubborn, unbelief, unforgiveness, unthankfulness, vain
and wicked imaginations, etc.
Keep [guard] your HEART
with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23); [Emphasis Mine]
For as he thinks
in his heart, so is he … (Proverbs 23:7);
A good man out of the good treasure
of his HEART
brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of
his HEART
brings forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the HEART
his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).
(For the weapons of our warfare are
not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting
down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the
knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ; (2
Corinthians 10:4-5).
The
FEET
gate (Proverbs
4:14, 26-27; Romans 8:14; Galatians 5:16). Whether you lose or win the race that is set
before you (Hebrews
12:1), and whether you lose or win spiritual battles depends largely
on where you allow your feet to take you:
Enter
you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be
which go in thereat (Matthew 7:13);
This
I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
For
example, if you are a new Christian (a
spiritual babe) and Jesus delivered you from alcoholism at the moment He saved
you, it would be foolish for you to go to a bar because you would be too spiritually
weak to resist Satan’s temptation to drink alcohol. The last thing you want is to become entangled
again in that yoke of bondage:
Stand fast therefore in the
liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1);
For if after they have escaped
the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, they are again entangled
therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning (2 Peter 2:20);
These six things does the
Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto
Him:… A HEART
that devises wicked imaginations, FEET that be swift in running to mischief, … (Proverbs 6:16,18)
The
FLESH gate. The word
flesh pertains to the sensuous or
animal nature of man, with an inclination or propensity to indulge cravings
that excite to sin. To act in the flesh
means that a believer chooses to re-assume the pre-salvation, fallen,
nature—the carnal, earthly nature of man (the old man) apart from
divine influence and, therefore, prone to sin and opposed to God. Accordingly, it includes in the SOUL
whatever is weak, low, debased, tending to ungodliness and vice. It is far easier for a believer to know when
he is being tempted in the flesh than when his mind is being attacked.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are
become new (2
Corinthians 5:17);
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin (Romans 6:6);
Now the works of the flesh are
manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders,
drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I
have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21);
Watch and pray, that you enter
not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak
(Matthew
26:41);
So then they that are in the flesh
cannot please God (Romans 8:8);
This I say then, Walk in the
Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians
5:16).
The
EYE
gate (Proverbs
4:25; Psalms 101:3; Matthew 5:28).
It is vital that we guard our eyes.
Christian men, in particular, are vulnerable because men are turned on sexually
by visual stimuli. Many backslide,
commit adultery, and divorce because they succumb to the temptation of looking
at pornography and lusting after provocatively-dressed women. Other activities to avoid include reading and
watching occult-related resources [Harry
Potter, which teaches about witchcraft]; movies like Scream, using Ouija boards, and playing Dragons & Dungeons (Leviticus 19:31; Joshua 6:18; 7:1).
But I say unto you, that whosoever looks
on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his HEART
(Matthew
5:28);
And you, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest you make
yourselves accursed, when you
take of the accursed thing … (Joshua 6:18).
The EAR gate (Luke 8:18; Mark 4:24). It is important that we be very selective about what we hear. This isn’t always possible, particularly when we are in the company of sinners who speak vulgar profanity. When we are alone, however, we should avoid listening to hard metal rock music that glorifies death, suicide, and violence, and make sure we are not listening to “Doctrines of Devils” (1 Timothy 4:1) in church!
Take heed therefore how you hear: for
whosoever has, to him shall be given; and whosoever has not, from him shall be
taken even that which he seems to have (Luke 8:18);
But be you doers
of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving your own selves (James 1:22).
OCCULT ACTIVITIES & PRACTICES (Deuteronomy 18:9-12)
And you, in any wise keep yourselves from the
accursed thing, lest you make yourselves accursed, when you take of the
accursed thing … (Joshua 6:18).
Brothers
and Sisters, please DO NOT
get involved in any of the following components of Satan’s Spiritual
Structure. They are doorways to
demonic possession:
Astral-projection
Astrology
Burning black
candles
Church of Satan
Cyberpunk
culture
Divination
Dungeons &
Dragons Game
Earth worship
Eastern
Religions
Fire-walking
Fornication
Freemasonry
Goth culture
Halloween
Harry Potter
books and movies, which teach witchcraft
Horoscopes
Hypnosis
(yielding one’s mind to the power of suggestion opens a door for possible demonic
deception, domination, manipulation, possession and control)
Illuminati
groups
Levitation
Lycanthropy
Marijuana and
pot parties
Meditation
Necromancy
New Age
religions
Occult-related
video games
Ouija boards
Palmistry
Psychic Readings
Remote viewing
Rock or Heavy
Metal Music
Scary movies
Scientology
Séances
Skull &
Bones
Tarot cards
Trilateralism
Vampirism
Vegetarianism
Voodoo
Wearing Occult
Jewelry
Wicca
Witchcraft
Yoga
SINFUL ACTS & RECURRING SINS (Matthew 12:45;
John 5:14). If you find
yourself committing the same sin over and over again, it may be because you
haven’t been honest with yourself or with God about repenting (turning from
that sin). If this happens, ask God to
forgive you and give the Holy Spirit permission to take control of this part of
your life that has been yielded to Satan.
Deliverance will come when you get honest with yourself and with God and
when you have a sincere desire to be set free from the bondage of sin.
For if we sin willfully after that we have received
the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, (Hebrews 10:26).
GENERATIONAL CURSES (Exodus 20:5;
34:7; Deuteronomy 5:9). Do
you have a lost family member that you have prayed for and witnessed to for
years, but he/she doesn’t seem any closer to receiving Jesus Christ as Savior? If you do, don’t lose heart! Remember, the words that you have been
speaking over them represent GOOD seeds that won’t return void (Isaiah 55:11). In God’s timing, they will produce the desired
fruit of Salvation. Until then, take
authority over the power of the devil in your loved one’s life (Luke 10:19). PRAY: “In the Name of Jesus, I break the devil’s
power over (name the person).” Although
the will of your loved one is directly involved in his/her Salvation, it is
still wise to do everything you can to break the devil’s influence and power
over that person. It just might be that
at the moment you speak words of authority and deliverance, the Holy Spirit may
choose to bring that person to a state of conviction (sin awareness),
repentance, and surrender!
[Jesus is Speaking:] Behold, I give to you power to tread on
serpents and scorpions [types or symbols
of demons spirits], and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by
any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).
If
your family is plagued by specific, recurring health problems that seem to pass
from one generation to another, your family may be dealing with a generational
curse (Exodus
20:5; 34:7; Numbers 14:18).
Christ has
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being
made a curse for us: for it is
written, Cursed is every one
that hangs on a tree (Galatians 3:13);
You are of God,
little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he
that is in the world (1 John 4:4);
I call heaven
and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:
therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may
live (Deuteronomy
30:19).
In
the Name of Jesus, begin to take authority over those health issues on both
sides of your family. Let the devil know
that you will not allow him to put (name the disease) on you or the next
generation. Let him know that (name the
disease) ends with and excludes you! If
you are living an obedient and holy life before God, you have the power to
break a generational curse in the Name of Jesus!
We know that whosoever is born of
God sins not; but he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one
touches him not (1
John 5:18);
There is therefore
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1).
Now
you might well reason within yourself, “What difference does taking authority
over generational curses make? After
all, everyone has to die of something.”
The difference is this: I would
far rather die by a merciful method that God chooses for me—like drawing my
last breath peacefully and painlessly in my sleep—than leave this world in
agony due to some dreaded disease process that Satan chose for me because I
didn’t take authority over and break the power of that generational curse. That is the difference!
The
MOUTH
gate (Proverbs
18:21; Psalms 141:3; Matthew 12:36; Luke 6:45). In addition to a lack of knowledge, another
enemy of a believer is his untamed tongue, which James 3:8 describes as an unruly
evil, full of poison. In Luke 6:45,
Jesus said:
A good man out of the good treasure of
his HEART brings forth that which is
good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his HEART
brings forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the HEART his MOUTH
speaks. [EMPHASIS MINE];
Death and life are in the power
of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof (Proverbs
18:21);
Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God (Luke 8:11);
… Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed,
some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls [birds of prey, a type or symbol of demons] came and
devoured them up (Matthew 13:3-4; 1 Peter 5:8).
The
Word of God represents GOOD seed.
Whatsoever is not of faith, however, represents
BAD seed because it is SIN (Romans
14:23). Bad seed produces “weeds.” What weed seeds (bad thoughts and vain
imaginations) sown by Satan in your mind—that you didn’t take authority over
and cast down (2
Corinthians 10:4-5)—have set down roots in the fertile garden of
your regenerated HEART? Have you
asked the Holy Spirit to reveal any such weeds to you? If your speech is not Christ-like and
contradicts the Word of God, most assuredly weed seeds have set down roots, sprouted,
and are thriving, reproducing, and spreading.
Working corporately, a weed-ridden HEART, an unrenewed MIND, and an unbridled TONGUE
will speak careless, reckless, idle words; sinful, faithless speech; gossip and
slander; blasphemy, curses, criticism, accusation—alas, the list is unending!
In addition, Satan,
the tempter, will tempt you to sin. Temptation, however, does not constitute
sin. Jesus was tempted by the devil (Matthew
Chapter 4), but did not sin. It
is
sin, however, when a believer yields to the temptation and chooses to commit
willful sin, knowing full well that what he is doing or saying is wrong. Willful sin constitutes any spoken word or
deed that disobeys God’s Word. A
believer who sins willfully is playing games with Satan, who is playing for
keeps. When a believer commits willful
sin, he puts out a welcome mat, inviting demonic influence and activity in his
life. By yielding to any temptation, a
believer empowers the devil to kill, steal, and destroy.
For if we sin willfully after that we have received
the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking
for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries (Hebrews
10:26-27).
An accidental
slip of the tongue does not constitute willful sin. However, careless and rash speech that is not
Christ-like reveals three things about the believer:
Weed seeds have taken root in his
HEART
and are producing bad fruit that is not pleasing to God (Luke 6:45);
That his MIND has not been RENEWED
by the Word of God. Over time, the
ongoing process of renewing the mind will retrain the tongue and produce
righteous speech (Romans 12:2);
That his SOUL (mind, will, thoughts and
emotions) and his TONGUE are not
yielded or submitted to the Holy Spirit, the only Person who has the power to
tame the tongue (James
3:8).
When
you begin to experience symptoms of sickness in your body, do you speak words
of faith or words of doubt and unbelief? It is important that every believer cultivate
“weeds” or words of unbelief and death out of his vocabulary. Consider the following weed words:
“I feel like I’m coming
down with the flu.” If you make this confession, you are (1) walking
in the flesh and going by your feelings, instead of walking by faith in the
Spirit (Galatians
5:16); (2) you are communicating that you don’t believe 1 Peter 2:24
which says “by Jesus’ stripes you are healed,” and (3) you are giving a spirit
of infirmity permission and an open door to inflict you with the flu!
There is therefore
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1).
“My back is killing
me.” The word killing is a word of death, not
life.
Death and life
are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit
thereof (Proverbs
18:21).
“That tickled me to death.” Do you have a death wish, or a desire to
live a long life?
“I’m broke, busted and disgusted!” Instead of cursing yourself, confess the
Word of God! … “I am blessed because my God supplies all of my needs according
to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus!” (Philippians 4:19).
“Every male on my Dad’s
side of the family has died of cancer, so I expect
to die of cancer, too.” If you make this confession, you are
communicating to demon spirits that (1) you believe the curse of cancer is
greater than the healing power of the Holy Spirit; (2) you don’t believe in
generational curses, or your Christ-given authority to break them, in Jesus’
Name, and (3) your expectation for the future is to die of cancer.
Christ has
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being
made a curse for us: for it is
written, Cursed is every one
that hangs on a tree (Galatians 3:13);
You are of God,
little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he
that is in the world (1 John 4:4);
I call heaven
and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:
therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may
live (Deuteronomy
30:19).
To
expound on the above, consider the true story of a young Christian woman who
suddenly began to suffer from a very high fever. The fever remained in her body for weeks,
causing her great concern and discomfort.
Convinced that she must be seriously ill, she made an appointment with
her family doctor, who ordered a battery of tests to determine the cause. After weeks of testing which did not reveal
the cause, and after incurring thousands of dollars in medical costs, her
doctor acknowledged defeat. Even the
specialists that he had referred her to could not determine what was wrong with
her.
Thinking
that her problem might by psychosomatic in nature, her doctor referred her to a
psychiatrist. After weeks of costly therapy,
the woman was released from his care and deemed mentally sound. Still suffering from a high fever and in
despair, the woman shared her story with a friend who attended a Spirit-filled,
faith-based church. As the woman’s
friend listened to her story, the Holy Spirit told her to ask the woman this
question: “What do you usually say when something or someone upsets you or makes
you angry?” Stunned by the unexpected
question, the woman looked blank for a moment then began to think. During that moment of reflection, the Holy
Spirit brought to her remembrance (John 14:26) … four familiar words that she
spoke quite often when she became angry.
The words were, “That burns me up!”
Fortunately,
this woman’s story had a happy ending.
When she received with joy the revelation that she was speaking the
fever upon herself, she repented, asked for forgiveness, and purposed in her HEART
to never speak those words again. Then
she exchanged the curse of her former words for a blessing by speaking words of
health, healing and life over her body. During
this process, she also re-trained her TONGUE. Within days, her fever subsided and returned
to normal and she was never again plagued with a high fever.
To
illustrate the power of words, I want to share a personal experience that conjures
such sad memories that I don’t share it unless God specifically tells me to, as
He is right now. Unlike the previous borrowed
testimony, my story did not have a happy ending.
In
the late 1990’s, I had a black and white, short-haired cat, named “Chance,”
whom I loved dearly. From the time he
was a kitten until his untimely death, Chance was a mischievous scamp whose
playful antics entertained me for hours, brought me much joy, and often prompted
me to say, “You
little scamp! You’re rotten clear
through!”
Shortly
before Christmas following Chance’s 5th birthday, I came home to
find him humped up under my bed, gagging violently with the dry heaves. Concerned, I stroked his head gently and
immediately noticed that he was burning up with fever. Alarmed, I dropped everything, bundled him in
a blanket and rushed him to an emergency animal hospital, where he remained overnight
to undergo diagnostic testing and treatment.
The
next morning, I received a call from the hospital and the Vet’s report knocked me
for a loop. Something had showed up on
an x-ray of Chance’s abdomen and the Vet wanted my permission to perform exploratory
surgery. I readily consented, hung up,
and proceeded to pray. Nearly two hours
later, the Vet called to relay devastating news: Chance’s abdomen was full of inoperable cancer
and euthanasia was recommended.
To
say that I was stunned and heart-broken is an understatement! Accepting the diagnosis was hard because
Chance had not been sick a day in his life and he had shown no symptoms of
being ill the previous morning when I had left for work. As I wondered why, I heard the still, small,
comforting Voice of the Holy Spirit tell me that the POSITIVE confessions that I had prayed over Chance every day had spared
him the ravages of cancer and suffering.
Following close on the heels of that revelation, another truth hit home. The NEGATIVE
words “You’re
rotten clear through” that I had spoken over Chance so many times in
fun had produced the harvest of cancer and death! As the horror of this realization sank in, I
crumpled under the power of conviction, sank to my knees, doubled over, asked
God to forgive me, and grieved as I had never grieved before! And as I grieved, Jesus was there to comfort
me.
Did
I know about the power of the tongue when this happened? Yes, I did, but I hadn’t taken Proverbs 18:21
seriously. If I had, I would never have
spoken words of death over my beloved pet.
God, in His Infinite Wisdom, used this experience to teach me a hard
lesson that would stick with me the rest of my life. I am sharing it with you now, so you won’t
make the same mistake.
END OF
TESTIMONY
When
a believer makes confessions like these, he is aiding and abetting the
enemy! Why? Because he is disclosing his “lack of
knowledge” (Hosea
4:6) and “little faith” (Matthew 8:26) which are two spiritual
weaknesses. He is also giving spirits of
infirmity permission to give him exactly what he is speaking and expecting! Remember, the spiritual Law of Sowing and
Reaping principally applies to spoken words (referred to as seeds), as
illustrated in the Parable of the Sower:
Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God (Luke 8:11);
… Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed,
some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls [birds of prey, a type or symbol of demons] came and
devoured them up (Matthew 13:3-4; 1 Peter 5:8);
Be not deceived; God is not
mocked: for whatsoever a man sows,
that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7).
So,
what should
you say? When you experience symptoms in
your body, exercise caution and wisdom before referencing them in
conversation. For example, if someone
asks how you are—and you’re not feeling well—make a positive, faith-filled
confession like: “I’m having some symptoms, but I’m
taking authority over them, and I’m standing on 1 Peter 2:24 which says ‘by Jesus’ stripes, I am healed.’” (Isaiah 53:5; Luke 10:19).
In
addition, if you do reference symptoms in conversation, don’t expound and
dramatize. A demon spirit of infirmity
will hang around to find out if you’re feeling and suffering the symptoms of
the illness it is trying to get you to receive.
Don’t give it the satisfaction! Instead
of accepting its gift, return it to
the sender!
For
example, if the postman rang your doorbell and tried to deliver a box that was
labeled “DANGER! LIVE RATTLESNAKES!,”
would you accept the delivery? Of course
not! You would refuse the package and
tell the postman to return it to the sender!
When
you expound on your symptoms and dramatize how bad you feel, all you are
accomplishing is feeding your unbelief and glorifying the work of the
devil! STOP IT! Instead, exercise the authority
that Christ has given you, meditate on healing scriptures, and stand firm on
the promises of God! Even more
important, listen to the still, small Voice of the Holy Spirit (and the voice
of common sense), which will let you know if/when you should seek medical help.
THE SPIRITUAL
LAW OF SOWING & REAPING
The
spiritual law of sowing and reaping is called a law for a reason. It is a physical and spiritual principle and
part of a covenant that God made with Adam and all of Creation:
While the earth remains, seedtime
and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall
not cease (Genesis
8:22).
So far, the earth
has not ceased, which means that the principle of seedtime and harvest (sowing
and reaping) remains active and mankind is still subject to it:
Be not deceived; God is not
mocked: for whatsoever a man sows,
that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7).
The
Law of Sowing and Reaping works in a NEGATIVE
way as follows:
If you sow discord and gossip,
you will reap discord and gossip.
If you slander, you will reap
slander.
If you judge others, you will
reap judgment.
If you condemn others, you will
reap condemnation.
If you do not forgive, you will
reap unforgiveness.
If you hate, you will be hated.
If you talk about your aches,
pains, and illnesses, they will continue to plague your body.
On
the POSITIVE side:
If your words are edifying to the
listener, you will reap edification.
If you sow kindness, you will reap
kindness.
If you speak life and health over
your body, you will reap health and healing.
If you plead the Blood of Jesus
over your children, they will reap protection.
Remember,
words are powerful!
Death and life are in the power
of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof (Proverbs
18:21).
Once
released into the atmosphere, words go forth to accomplish their intended
purpose. By His Word, God spoke the
heavens and the earth into existence.
God’s Word never returns void and always accomplishes what God pleases
or desires (Isaiah
55:11). The same is true of
the words that we speak. Words
prosper. Whether they produce the fruit
of life, or death, is the decision of every believer. Believers must be armed with knowledge and
they must exercise wisdom before speaking.
It is never too late for a believer to begin bridling and retraining his
tongue!
If
you inadvertently and unintentionally sin with your words and you are concerned
that you may have opened a door for demonic attack, PRAY: “Father God, I have sinned with my mouth and
I repent. Please forgive me, in Jesus’
Name.” Then, exert your authority by
confessing: “Satan, the Lord rebuke you!
(Jude 1:9) I want no partnership with you. You are not welcome to operate in my life. In Jesus’ Name, I close any door in the
spirit realm that I may have inadvertently opened. I lock and seal it with the Blood of Jesus,
so that no evil spirit may pass through and operate in my life.”
GOD’S BLESSINGS
& PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL
This revelation may come as a shock to some
believers; nevertheless, it passes the test of being supported by the Word of
God. It is true that God’s blessings and
promises are FREE; however, they are
free only if we meet certain conditions.
For example, the word if (when used in
conditional Scriptures) means that God has added a condition that we must obey
before we inherit a blessing or promise.
God places a high premium on obedience because:
Obedience measures our love for Him (John 14:15);
Obedience distinguishes a “born again” Christian from
a lost sinner (Ephesians
2:2);
Obedience is a powerful spiritual weapon that positions
and keeps us from being touched by Satan, our enemy (1 John 5:18).
Approximately 1,500 verses in
the Bible contain the word if, but as you can see in the
following topic examples, different condition words are also used. (The condition words appear in red bold):
ANSWERED
PRAYER
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you
will, and it shall be done unto you (John 15:7).
DISCIPLESHIP
Then said Jesus
to those Jews which believed on Him, If
you continue in My word, then are you My disciples indeed (John 8:31).
FAITH
Jesus
said unto him, If you can believe, all things are
possible to him that believes (Mark 9:23).
FORGIVENESS
If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
FORGIVENESS
& HEALING FOR A NATION
If My people, which are called by My
name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their
wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).
HEALING &
DELIVERANCE
Confess
your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous
man avails much (James
5:16).
Then
came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And
Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you
shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall
remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goes not out but by prayer
and fasting (Matthew
17:19-21).
HEARD PRAYER
And
this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if
we ask any thing according to His will [His Word], He hears us (1 John 5:14).
HEAVEN
Not every one
that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but
he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 7:21).
HELL
For
if you live after the flesh, you shall die:
but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds
of the body, you shall live (Romans 8:13).
Know
you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells
in you? If
any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God
is holy, which temple you are (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
HINDERED
PRAYER
Likewise,
you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto
the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace
of life; that (condition) your prayers be
not hindered (1
Peter 3:7).
IDOLATRY
…
if you do at all forget the LORD your God, and
walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them … you shall surely
perish (Deuteronomy
8:19).
OBEDIENCE IS
A MEASURE OF OUR LOVE
If
you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15).
PROSPERITY
If they obey and serve Him,
they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures (Job 36:11).
PROTECTION
We know
that whosoever is born of God sins not;
but he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one touches him not (1 John 5:18).
SALVATION
For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
THE LOSS OF
SALVATION
It is true that we are saved by grace and not by
works (Ephesians
2:8-9). However, a believer can
still lose his Salvation. Many Christians
choose not to believe this because they have bought into the OSAS (once saved
always saved) doctrinal teaching, which constitutes a “wind of doctrine,” a “doctrine
of devils” “another gospel,” and
a “feel good gospel” that tickles
itching ears (2
Timothy 4:3). Many Christians
today find this doctrine to be of great comfort, because it in essence relieves
them of all personal responsibility in their relationship with God. They reason within, “After all, if I’m saved
and there’s nothing that I can do to be lost, then it doesn’t really matter how
I behave or act, so I needn’t worry that much about it.” The truth is that this is a dangerous doctrine
because it deceives believers into thinking that their relationship with God is
eternally secure, when in fact it is not.
(Ephesians 4:14; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2
Corinthians 11:4). This false doctrine clearly
contradicts and devalues numerous Scriptures which emphasize that holy living
and obedience are key to entering heaven:
Not every one that saith unto Me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will
of My Father which is in heaven. Many
will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name?
and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful
works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you that
work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21-23);
Follow
peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the
Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up
trouble you, and thereby many be defiled (Hebrews 12:14-15);
[The
Apostle Paul is Speaking:] But I keep
under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest
that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a
castaway (1
Corinthians 9:27);
Wherefore
let him that thinks he stands take heed lest
he fall (1
Corinthians 10:12);
How
shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation
… (Hebrews
2:3);
Wherefore,
my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with
fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).
UNANSWERED
PRAYER
You ask, and
receive not, because you ask amiss, that you
may consume it upon your lusts (James 4:3).
UNFORGIVENESS
But
if you forgive not men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:15).
UNHEARD
PRAYER
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the
Lord will not hear me (Psalms 66:18).
CONTINUED IN PART 3
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