We have just read in the above scripture a 911 situation. We found a boy vexed by a foul spirit and no one could deliver Him but Jesus. We all sat in shock as we saw two planes crash into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. These were absolutely terrorist attacks at its worst.
God showed me that whenever He pours out His best, in a mighty display of power, people get healed and saved and delivered and encouraged and set free from the bondages that have held them. We call that outpouring "revival" and when it comes, Satan tries to counter it by pouring out his "best." His best takes the form of relentless destruction, maiming, crippling disease, and death. In its ultimate manifestation, we call that "war."
All through history, and particularly during this century, the revival of God has paralleled war. We’ve seen mighty outpourings of God during this twentieth century, and at the same time, we’ve also seen mankind’s most terrible wars.
Those wars have actually been Satan’s specific attempt to sidetrack us, to take our attention off the outpouring of God and center us up on war instead. It’s a diversionary tactic whose sole purpose is to stop the move of God.
What tactics does the devil use to attack us?
1. Critical Spirit
Matthew 5:25
Agree with thine adversary quickly, lest at any time the adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer and thou be cast into prison.
Adversary – satan
The devil is criticizing you but keep saying what the Word says. When the devil leaves you, then he is agreeing with the Word. The devil has to respect the Word.
Judge – krititos – because you did not agree with God, then you gain a critical spirit and turn yourself over to agree with satan.
Matthew 4:8-10 (paraphrased)
Again the adversary taketh him with him to the top of all the realms of the world and their grandeur suggesting to Him, Every bit of this I will give to you if you bow down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Go away devil! For it is written, You must worship the Lord your God and to Him only render divine service – at this the devil left him.
2. Religion has crept into the Church
Hebrew 9:1-3; 7, 10, 11-12,15
The church is once again in bondage to things we have been delivered from. The church has brought into religion.
Redemption – no longer sacrifice to man to get to God.
Pastors and Prophets have made it today that we have to come to them to get the promises, favor and benefits of God. They use their hands, money, tapes and that is the way to get to the things of God.
There has to be a restoration of the church. Where is the real church? People who are fire baptized, holy, sanctified?
We are praying for our relatives to come and when they come to church they don’t see the church but the spirit of the world.
Everything that we give signature today is not of God. Anything that promotes you to respond in the flesh is not God.
Ecclesiastes 10:1a
Where are our church mothers and fathers? Where are the people who labor in prayer all night?
When Jesus died on the cross it is finished! Not over. Jesus finished what God called Him to do and He established the New Covenant. When the tabernacle was erected, there was a veil that separated us from God; now the veil has been rent through the redemption work of Christ. We have access to the Father for ourselves.
Anything other than this is religion. The Church has stitched the veil back.
3. Thus goes the Family, then the Church, then the Nation
Joshua 24:15
Where are the “family men” like Joshua? Today, we have men who are unwilling to change to get back to the family structure set up by the Lord in the beginning.
The man needs to change so his family can change. Then the church will change. Then the nation will change.
Change is not change until it is change.
Intention to change is not change. Talking about changing is not change.
We spend millions of dollars on preventing teen violence by putting in programs. For the women, we have written books and seminars on teaching them to be good wives.
Having done this, we send our wives and children back to men who have not changed. Men are still untaught and unchurched.
A rehabilitated child and reform wife will find frustration when they come home to an unchanged man. The man is the head of the home: change is to start with him.
Manhood is not talked, it is lived.
Giving is not giving until it’s given.
Faith is not faith until it’s action.
In order to see a change men must develop the qualities as Joshua had:
1. A servants attitude – most men want to be served – I’m the boss
2. Spiritual vision – ability to see what God sees
3. Able to command respect – caused others to serve God
4. Courageous of heart – loved God above the lust of the flesh or the fear of men
Courage is the requirement of leadership. The church of today has failed to inspire, or require, courage in its men. Many pastors preach to women, organize women, work with women with less effort on the man.
Courage is the virtue, quality, or attribute of life than enables a man to face disapproval, persecution, fear, failure, and even death with a real manliness.
It takes courage to face reality. It takes courage to be a man.
Truth, honor, integrity and other marks of a man require change. Or love.
Courage is necessary to change.
The solution of family problems today and the church and the nation must begin with the male seed.
Many women are assuming leadership of the church, home and nation because of necessity.
Women – let up on the men! Men will never come to the Lord until we see them as leaders. Start raising our boys instead of just loving them. Stop putting pressure on men – they are not spiritual coverings over their families but a natural covering who when serve the family naturally because he is led by God, then the whole family will follow God.
Yes men, you have weaknesses, but rise to the challenge that you are going to be a family man. The nations are crying for men; women and children are crying for men.
What is our answer to this 911 call?
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all. The devil may have attacked, but for every attack God has a greater means to get glorified.
With all the violence and calamity bearing down on us these days, that’s a question you hear a lot. "What are we going to do about the World Trade Center and Pentagon crisis? What are we going to do about the economic failures? What are we going to do about the drug problem?"
How do we keep from falling prey to the attacks of the enemy?
1. Refuse To Fear
Jesus Himself knew we were going to have to face times like these. He warned us about them in Matthew 24. There He said: "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled."
See that ye be not troubled. That’s what Jesus said we should do when we go through dangerous times. When we hear of wars and rumors of war, we’re not to let it cripple our faith and throw us into anxiety. We’re to refuse to let that trouble enter into our hearts.
But you can guard against that by taking heed! By paying attention to what God is saying instead of what the world is saying. By concentrating on Him, looking at things through His eyes.
2. It’s time to reform the thinking in the church!
We have the victory!
We have to come to the complete and absolute decision that we are the victors. The victory is ours and the battle is the Lord’s. We must settle that within ourselves.
Let me tell you something. After Jesus defeated the devil and left the earth, the Bible says He sat down on the right hand of the Father. He sat down expecting all His enemies to be made His footstool (Acts 2:34,35). Do you understand what that means?
It means Jesus is not standing up wringing His hands. He’s seated, confident in His victory. So you and I need to start acting that way too.
We need to say, "Thank You, Lord! Praise You, Jesus!" and tell the devil, "You take your dirty hands off me and my loved ones. Those generation curses were bound in the Name of Jesus. Don’t you realize that Jesus is seated on the right hand of the Father?"
Colossians 1:13 says you were delivered from the power of darkness. The word power is literally translated authority. You have been delivered from the power, or authority, of darkness and placed into God’s kingdom. Jesus said, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. You have entered into this position of authority because you are in Him.
Don’t pray and ask God to fight Satan for you. You are the one in authority. Take your responsibility and speak directly to Satan yourself and stand your ground firmly. He will flee!
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins...Even when we were dead in sins, (God) hath quickened us together with Christ...And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:1,5,6).
If you are born again, baptised in the Holy Ghost, I want you to pay close attention to what I’m about to say because I have some news for you. The news that you are anointed.
Well, if you’re a Christian, then you’re anointed because the very word Christian is derived from the Greek word Christ that means the Anointed One. Translate the word Christian and you’ll find out it means to be anointed like Him!
We’ve been mistaken to think that only preachers are anointed. Business people are anointed. Doctors are anointed. Mothers and fathers are anointed. If you know Jesus, and you’re baptized in His Spirit, you can expect the power of God to function wherever you are. You can expect the spiritual gifts or manifestations of the Spirit to work in your life as you need them.
Pastors and other gifts to the Body – we are here to served, not to be served.
Matthew 20:25-28
Get the Hollywood image or superstar image out of the church!
3. It’s time for spiritual warfare for the family.
The family unit must be brought back into its original purpose the man as the head of the household and as he follows God, the whole family will follow God. Men you must resolve to change to become family men.
Prayer for all men: Lord, help these men to be family men like Joshua and say “as for me and my house”, we will serve the Lord. Forgive them Lord and let them forgive themselves. They surrender all bitterness, loneliness, and low-self esteem to you. They put their trust in You Lord to show them how to be the family man you ordained them to be. Deliver them from bondages of the past and visit them Lord in this hour. They set their heart today to renew their minds and resolve to become family men according to Your Word. In Jesus’ Name – Amen.
It is time to do spiritual warfare for your family. God wants to bless the generations after you.
It’s time to walk in the flow of blessings for your family. Turn to three people and say, YOU ARE BLESSED AND SO ARE THE GENERATIONS AFTER YOU!
4. Get to the Father.
Dial – GET2GOD.
I John 3:1-3
A. Purify yourself.
We have everything on the inside of us to purify ourselves.
Purify – make clean of defilement; clean ourselves of impurities. Anything on the inside of us that is not purified will destroy us (mind/body). How to get purified:
1. Through truth of God’s Word. You shall know the truth or establish a relationship with truth and the truth known will make us free.
2. Through obedience – fruit of obedience is discipline; when we fire obedience to discipline. Discipline is an automatic response to righteousness.
3. Through understanding we are the righteousness of God.
The moment you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior into your heart, you become righteous.
• You cannot become righteous.
• You don’t need to be taught righteousness to be made righteous.
Righteousness is the ability to stand in the presence of the Father without sense of guilt; without sense of inferiority – as if sin never existed.
If you understand righteousness then, you will know:
• Who your Heavenly Father is;
• Who you are in relationship to Him;
• Know your enemy;
• How to praise the Lord.
B. Start praying targeted and strategic prayer.
James 4:2-3
The scripture here is talking about desires you cannot help because they are strong. Unbearable desires – for example, you tried to quit crack, but the desire to continue is stronger than the desire to quit.
You are praying amiss.
Amiss – praying miserable; diseased prayer.
You need strategic prayer.
Prayer of Jabez is a strategic, targeted prayer.
C. Worship.
It’s time not to settle for the song, but the Song of the Lord. This worship is for those who have such a passion and hunger for the Lord.
When you worship Him, it is done in spirit and truth. Everyone is commanded to praise Him, but we need worshipers.
Zion has lost its ability to worship God. Where are the people who can worship God until they feel the anointing to move on?
Ephesians 5:19
Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.
1. We need worship that is empowered.
People are saved, baptized, filled, healed and delivered through worship. This is the type of worship that comes from you when you come out of a past that should have killed you and you still say, “Thank you Lord, I love You”. Even in the midst of the tragedy that has occurred in our nation.
2. Faith filled worship.
There is a hunger to pursue God in worship and not just sing songs. There is a passion to get past the music to the presence of God. This is the kind of worship that you know that God did it in the past and will do it again.
3. Breakthrough worship.
The worshiper is no longer satisfied until God touches and changes them. Some of you need to start worshiping God to see breakthrough in your life.
Your miracle is tied up in the level you worship God!
God wants His people to fully be devoted to Him. We cannot fake it no more. We need to be like Paul said in Phil. 3:10 that we want to “know Him and the power of His resurrection. If we are worshiping God with pure hearts that will be our desire too. We will hunger and thirst after the knowledge of the Lord, and not after the perishable things this world offers.
