JEPHTHAH: DEALING WITH THE SPIRIT OF REJECTION
1. Judges 11: 1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. 2 And Gilead's wife also bore him sons. And when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him. 4 After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. 5 And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 And they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, that we may fight against the Ammonites.” 7 But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” 8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the Ammonites and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” 9 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites, and the Lord gives them over to me, I will be your head.” 10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord will be witness between us, if we do not do as you say.” 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah.
2. 1 Samuel 2:8 The Lord raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the beggar from the ash pile, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory.
INTRODUCTION: JEPHTHAH – DEALING WITH THE SPIRIT OF REJECTION
illustration: “John’s Father Says He’s No Good. Buried Wife, At Work. Father Dead”
Illustration: Went To A Seminar – My People Buying The White Man’s Book.
God Made Each Of Us – Babies - For & with A Purpose. He designed each with specific skills, gifts & talents that are unique for the divine assignment & destiny He has placed within us. But there are many Satanic spirits put on assignment to hinder us from realizing God’s destiny over us.
1. 2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2. Genesis 4:6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, Satan is squatting at your door; he desires to have you, but you must rule over him.”
3. Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, be careful, Satan has planned to have you, that he may sift you like wheat: 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith does not fail: and when you are converted, strengthen your brothers also.
FEW SPIRITUAL STRONGMEN MANIFESTED THROUGH PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE
1. Spirit of Divination: Manifested through Fortuneteller, hypnotism, witchcraft, horoscope, drugs.
2. Familiar Spirit: Manifested through false prophecy, yoga, Spiritism, etc.
3. Spirit of Jealousy: Manifested through murder, revenge, anger, rage, jealousy, hatred, cruelty, strife, contention, competition, envy, divisions, etc.
4. Lying Spirit: Manifested through slander, gossip, lies, deception, flattery, superstitions, religious bondage, false prophecy, false teachers, accusations, etc.
5. Perverse Spirit: Manifested through broken spirit, evil actions, atheism, abortion, child abuse, filthy mind, sex perversions, twisting the word, contentions, incest, pornography, etc.
6. Spirit Of Pride: Manifested through arrogance, haughtiness, idleness, scornful, strife, obstinacy, self-deception, contentious, self-righteous, rebellion, rejection, etc.
7. Spirit Of Heaviness: Manifested through excessive mourning, sorrow-grief, self- pity, rejection, broken-heart, despair-hopelessness, depression, suicidal thoughts, inner hurts, etc.
8. Spirit Of Whoredom: Manifested through unfaithfulness/adultery, spirit-soul-body prostitution, chronic dissatisfaction, love of money, fornication, idolatry, excessive appetite, worldliness, etc.
9. Spirit Of Infirmity: Manifested through sicknesses, bent body-spine, impotent-frail-lame, asthma-hay fever-allergies, arthritis, weakness, lingering disorders, oppression, cancer, etc.
10. Spirit Of Bondage: Manifested through fears, addictions (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, food, etc.), fear of death, captivity to Satan, servant of corruption, bondage to sin, etc.
11. Spirit Of Fear: Manifested through fears / phobias, heart attacks, torment-horror, fear of man, nightmares, anxiety-stress, fear of death, untrusting, doubt, etc.
12. Seducing Spirits: Manifested through hypocrisy, seared conscience, fascinations by false prophets, signs & wonders, deception, wandering from the truth, etc.
13. Spirit Of Anti-Christ: Manifested through denying deity of Christ, denying atonement, humanism, teachers of heresies, anti-Christian, deceiver, lawlessness, etc.
14. Spirit Of Error: Manifested through unsubmissiveness, false doctrines, unteachable, defensive / argumentative, New-Age Movement, etc.
15. The Spirit Of Poverty: Manifested through oppressing ability to prosper - not a prosperity concept for this spirit harasses even rich people. Spirit of poverty is a condition in a person, people, or land manifested through laziness, greed, stealing, stingy but loves to receive, etc.
16. Spirit Of Death: Manifested through Suicide attempts, frequent immature family death, etc.
17. Spirit Of Rejection: Manifested through self-pity, feeling of sadness, low self-esteem, discouragement, depression, moodiness, distrust (suspicion), self-condemnation, rebellion (man & God), inferiority complex, over sensitivity, attention seeking, wanting to draw sympathy, frustration, failure (family & self), stagnancy, suicidal tendency, etc.
WHAT IS REJECTION?
Rejection Means To Cast Aside; Throw Away; Put Side; refuse to accept; dislike; look down upon with disdain; refuse based on prejudice & preconceived ideas; deny recognition or acceptance; discard that individual as being worthless. It can refer to a person or a thing as if not up to some standard. It shows that the person is unacceptable, of no value, doesn't belong, is unwanted, can't fit in, is unloved. Rejection Is One Of The Most Common Tools That The Devil Uses To Destroy Lives. It can attack any person whether young or old, rich or poor, black or white, literate or illiterate. It can be deeply rooted and woven into their identities before, during & after birth. It can destroy self-esteem & prevent us from accomplishing our God-given purposes in life. Humans were created by God as social beings – Eve created because Adam was alone. The Spirit Of Rejection Works The Greatest When Heaven Has Marked You For Greatness. The reason you are rejected is the Devil’s stink to prevent you. But God can use rejection to inject you back to life. Do not let man’s rejection of you stop you.
REJECTION PUTS YOU IN THE COMPANY OF THE GREAT
1. Moses: Rejected by man but was injected back to prominence by the Lord.
2. Joseph: Rejected by his brothers but was injected back to leadership and power by Lord.
3. Ruth: Rejected by pedigree & social status but was injected to prominence by the Lord.
4. David: Rejected by his brothers but was injected to Kingship by the Mighty Hand of God.
5. Paul: Rejected by men because of his past but injected back in by the Lord.
6. Jesus: Rejected by the Jews, rejected by His brothers, rejected by the Romans, despised by all.
? Luke 17:25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
? Luke 23:18 They cried out together, saying, "Away with this man & release for us Barabbas!”
? John 1:11 He came to His own & those who were His own did not receive Him.
? Mark 12:10 The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.
? Isaiah 53:3: Jesus was despised & rejected; a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him & looked the other way.
? Heb. 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet did not sin.
EXAMPLES OF REJECTION
1. Unwanted Pregnancy: Rejected even before birth; treated as mistake; looked upon as burden instead of blessing; Conception may have been out of lust; out of rape; sexual abuse or incest. Medical Practitioners: Babies Are Active In The Womb Just Like Outside. E.g. Esau & Jacob. They hear, have taste in music, feel love or lack of love of mother or father, learn father’s & mother’s voices, experience anxiety if mother smokes, have memory capabilities, form attitudes & personality traits, refuse to nurse after birth (due to rejection during pregnancy), have mother’s fears transferred to them, affected by use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco during pregnancy, mother or father wanted a child of one sex & got the other sex (identity confusion), mother & father have a bad relationship & constantly fight & quarrel, being compared to another child, etc.
2. Birthed Out Of Wedlock: Rejected at birth; regarded as an outsider & intruder to the family; called a bastard and denied access to Love & compassion.
3. Social Pedigree: Rejected based on your social background; disqualified because of your family name, your education, where you live, your kind of job, etc.
4. Color Or Race: Rejected based on your color - this goes beyond black or white; your accent, your height. It’s so deep that only those who have experienced it can speak into it.
1. Emotional: You committed to a relationship that betrayed & rejected you; Rejected by the very one that used, abused & misused you; looked upon as only good to be used & discarded like trash; you were put down, criticized & abused physically, mentally, emotionally by the father or mother who was meant to be your protector & provider; rejected by a spouse who left you for your best friend, or a younger partner; rejected by your children in your old age; rejected because you were too fat; rejected because you were too poor; rejected because you were too plain looking; rejected because you were too ugly; rejected because you were too shy; rejected because you were not educated enough; passed over at work for a promotion you deserved; etc.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF REJECTION?
Feeling Of Sadness, Bitterness, Unnecessary Suspicion, Discouragement, Always moody, Not trusting anyone, Self-condemnation, Self-Pity, Rebellion, Misbehavior, Inferiority Complex, Over Sensitivity, Seeking attention, Frustration, Failure, Stagnancy, Suicidal Tendencies, Fabricated personalities (being somebody you aren't, in order to be accepted), reject others so that you aren't the first one to be rejected, need to fit in or be accepted by others and be a part of everything, self-pity, inability to be corrected or receive constructive criticism, A feeling of being starved for love even though a lot of people loves you, tendency to blame God (“Why did God make me so short?"), opinionated & need to be right about things, Feelings of worthlessness & insecurity or hopelessness, Envy & jealousy, Fear of confrontation, low self-image, insecure, withdrawn personality, shame, etc.
Rejection Is A Killer Of Enthusiasm, Hope And Potential. It is a cruel & degrading experience. It hurts. It shatters. Occasionally it kills. This creates a wound in the soul that is difficult to heal. In the loneliness and the hurt, we imagine that we are the only ones who have been hurt, but we're not. Rejection is a common experience.
SPIRIT OF REJECTION AS SEEN IN JEPHTHAH – HE HAD GREAT QUALITIES
1. Jephthah Was A Man Of Valor: His courage was outstanding beyond all else. In such era of constant tribal warfare & battles for land, he was an asset.
2. Jephthah Occupied The Position Of The First-Born: First-born represented the youth and strength of the family. But he was not respected or honored. He was disrespected though he protected his family & tribe as indicated in the passage. Why?
3. Jephthah Called An Outsider. He’s not the son of the married woman. This was not his choice.
4. Jephthah Was The Son Of A Prostitute. His father was a Jewish and his name was Gilead. His unnamed mother was a prostitute – shrine or ordinary harlot – sold body for money. His daddy was having fun & Jephthah was the unplanned, unwanted & unloved result. Jephthah was treated like human trash. This is where racism, prejudice, discrimination in any form is a tragedy in society. You are not responsible for your color, family line, height, disability, etc.
5. Jephthah Was An Outcast. Once people are placed in a different category, it’s easy to discard them as having no value. When Jephthah was old enough, his (30) half-brothers drove him away because they had no intention of sharing the inheritance with him. The brothers made sure their portions would be as large as possible. Selfishness & fear breed prejudice.
6. Jephthah Was Thrown Out: Can be devastating especially when relatives do this. He was labelled not wanted. So mistreatment followed. Elders of Gilead participated in the mistreatment. Then what happens next to rejected people?
7. Jephthah Fled: This is exactly what most rejected people do - no need to be around. They distanced themselves. The problem is: you may move away from those God can use to lift you.
8. Jephthah Became An Outlaw. No surprises here, lost men do lost things. Jephthah – unloved & angry, became a streetwise kid with a flair for attracting people like himself. Jephthah became the leader of a gang of outcasts. When people are treated like outsider, they will begin to feel like an outcast. When they feel like outcast, they will usually become outlaws.
9. Incomplete Persuasion: His rejection led to distrust – always making deals. Here is a man who could not even trust God. He is already empowered by God to do battle, but makes a vow that ends up affecting his daughter. This is not a giant of faith. If I wanted a godly leader, I would make faith the No. 1 Priority. But God chose Jephthah, knowing that he didn’t fully trust Him. Maybe you just can’t see yourself as a mighty faith warrior. You’re struggling to trust God in areas of life. How could God use you? E.g. Gideon - God found him in the cave hiding his wheat from the enemy & still the Lord addressed him as "mighty warrior."
SUMMARY OF JEPHTHAH – JUST LIKE US…
1. Improper Pedigree / Unsavory Background: You’re not from a ministry family, Christian family. But God chose people like Amos: Amos 7:14 "I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ’Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
2. Insufficient Preparation: Gilead was shunned by his father’s proper family. He didn’t have the opportunity to move in social circles that might have helped prepare him to be the leader of the people. He apparently didn’t have genuine military experience. God can prepare you His way. Paul wrote young Timothy: "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 1 Tim. 4:12-14 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Get into service at whatever your hands find to do.
3. Inappropriate Pursuits: Jephthah and his men were basically pirates, traveling around stealing, bullying people. This is not the sort of person you hire to do God’s work. He couldn’t have even gotten a security clearance to be a dog walker. But God confirmed him. You feel your background disqualifies you from ministry? E.g. Watch Paul: He received his call to the ministry while on assignment killing and imprisoning Christians. God delights in showing his ability to transform lives and putting those transformed lives into the ministry.
WHAT EVIDENCE DO WE SEE OF JEPHTHAH’S WHOLE HEARTED BELIEF IN GOD?
1. He Became A Man Of Forgiveness. He accepted request to come & help. He forgave them.
2. He Became A Man Of Faith (Prayer). “And he repeated all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.” He took his job as commander seriously. How do we know? He took it all to God in prayer first. He wanted God to be his witness of the decision that he was making before Israel.
3. He Became A Man Of Focus – Great Military Focus: Jephthah first sent delegates to the king of Ammon asking why they were attacking Israel in the first place. Then he explains that the king is wrong. He gives him a history lesson on how Israel came to possess the land under dispute.
HOW TO DEAL WITH THE SPIRIT OF REJECTION
1. Be born again. Repent from sins.
2. Focus on God’s love & Jesus’ sacrifice.
3. Draw nearer to God. Have faith in God
4. Always be ready for divine changes.
5. Avoid diversionary tactics – be focus.
6. Refuse to be in "your comfort zone."
7. Associate with focus people.
8. Renew your thinking in good things. 9. Believe in yourself. No more barriers.
10. Be faithful in the little things you do.
11. Accept rejection as part of God’s door to destiny.
12. Forgive yourself as well as those who hurt you.
13. Pray & take authority over strongman of rejection.
14. Define your identity by God’s Word.
15. Praise the Lord through it all.
16. Choose to be better, not bitter. Refuse to be a victim.
SO WHAT EXACTLY DOES GOD'S WORD TELL US ABOUT WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST?
1. My Sins Have Been Removed From Me As Far As The East Is From The West.
2. I Am A Child Of God. God Loves Me. I Am Chosen. I Am Loved. I Am Precious.
3. I Am Loved With The Same Love That The Father Has For Jesus Himself! [Jn 17:23]
4. Because Of God's Great Love For Me, I Am Adopted Into His Family.
5. I Am The Righteousness Of Christ Through Faith, Thus Being Made Right Before God.
6. I Am Made To Sit In Heavenly Places With Christ (authority over demons, sickness, etc.)
7. I Am Blessed With All Spiritual Blessings In Christ.
8. God Has Preserved My Life For A Purpose. I Must Rest In Him. I Am God’s Gift.
INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
1. Every, label, or mark of rejection in my life, be remove now by the Blood of Jesus.
2. Demonic powers creating enmity b/w me & my divine destiny, I command release in Jesus name.
3. Every yoke of collective rejection afflicting my life, I dismantle you in the name of Jesus.
4. I break the curse of rejection & loneliness, operating in my life, in Jesus name.
5. Every altar of rejection, erected against me, I destroy now, in Jesus name.
6. Lord, take me from where I am to where You want me to be, in Jesus name.
7. Father, give me the power to be fulfilled, successful & prosperous in life, in Jesus name.
8. I break, every yoke of failure in my life, in Jesus name.
9. All legal grounds that the enemy has against my life I destroy in Jesus name.
10. Every access to my life by the enemy I block you today in Jesus name.
11. Problems that came into my life by my parents or personal decision, I refuse now in Jesus name.
12. Lord I command the spirit of rejection, when people rejected me, my friends rejected me or my parents or my family rejected me, to come out of me now in the name of Jesus.
13. I forgive everyone that offended me in Jesus’ Name.
14. I command every spirit that is not the spirit of God to leave me now in Jesus’ name. Resentment, bitterness, hatred, loneliness, discouragement, depression, despair, despondency, shame, defeat, hopelessness, death, suicide, heaviness, disappointment, leave me now in the name of Jesus.
15. I command every spirit that tormented me - spirit of mental disorder, confusion, mind-control, bipolar, double-mindedness, schizophrenia, mental instability, madness, fear of people, paranoia, compulsive & persistent fear to come out of me now in the name of Jesus Christ.
16. I receive acceptance from you Lord, You are my Father & I know you love me. I command out of me every demon that attacks my physical body to leave me now & never return in Jesus Christ.
