Kingdom Aggression: Enemies at the Gate
The transition from a pew level church to a Kingdom one centers upon meeting the enemy at the gates of our city. Gates or entryways provide the path of least resistance especially if the gates are not manned. Every strategic military structure maintains some sort of restrictive access that prevents unwanted entry.
One of the most difficult concepts that the church has yet to grasp is that we are at war. There is a direct attack against Christianity in our country that must be confronted. Ostrich type ministries run rampant in our community with a belief if we just show up then the devil will back down.
The bible tells us if we resist the devil he will flee from us however we have substituted the word resist for the word ignore. The average believer wants to ignore the devil, the symptom, and the problems in hope that it just goes away.
The word ignore means to refuse to take notice.
Don’t Be Ignorant
(NKJV) 2 Corinthians 2 11lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
If that is true and the church is not ignorant of the devil’s devices than why do we insist on ignoring him? Because we do not like confrontation. How in the world can we be in war without confrontation? Ignorance will exist in a place free of confrontation.
I believe if we are to be victorious in our community then confrontation must be engaged on 3 levels.
Confrontation Levels
Prayer Level – Prophetic intercessor must begin to pray for open heavens. The importance of an open heaven is so that our prayers are not hindered and there will be open dialog between the intercessor and the throne room of heaven.
Strategic Level – The strategic or planning level centers on how to implement God’s design for our community and region. Every vision requires a plan as the prophet Habakkuk stated, “Write it down and make it easy to understand.”
Engagement Level – The enemy must be resisted by meeting him at the place of his greatest infiltration. This is where culture influences society greater than the church does. Therefore our level of influence must increase by making our message more audible and visible. The message must become relevant to our communities.
Catch The Revelation: The House of God
Haggai 1:3 So the LORD sent this message through the prophet Haggai: 4“Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? 5This is what the LORD Almighty says: Consider how things are going for you!
Haggai 1:6 You have planted much but harvested little. You have food to eat, but not enough to fill you up. You have wine to drink, but not enough to satisfy your thirst. You have clothing to wear, but not enough to keep you warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
Haggai 1:7 “This is what the LORD Almighty says: Consider how things are going for you! 8Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD. 9You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the LORD Almighty, while you are all busy building your own fine houses.
Haggai 1:10 That is why the heavens have withheld the dew and the earth has withheld its crops. 11I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olives and all your other crops, a drought to starve both you and your cattle and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.”
The heavens have withheld their blessings because of the church’s neglect of The Harvest!
Regardless of what we have been led to believe in our Christian walk, I know this to be true; God is more concerned about The Harvest than anything else. This includes our ministry, our church, our gifts and abilities, and even our well-being. Everything and I mean everything is tied into the harvest.
I missed this because I thought rebuilding the House of the Lord was based upon a building and land. They are important but only for one thing The Harvest!
Everything we need to expand the Kingdom of God in our communities is contained in The Harvest!
(NLT) Matthew 9:35 Jesus traveled through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And wherever he went, he healed people of every sort of disease and illness. 36He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd.
Where are the Workers?
(NLT) Matthew 9:37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. 38So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields.”
The devil has blinded us to why we are here. We have used the church to show off our gifts to each other instead of using them to unlock the gates around the kingdom of darkness to let people out. The Apostle Paul stated that he became all things to all men that he might win some to the Lord.
We need true workers in the church whose whole interest is compelling people to come into the House of the Lord, so that it may be saved. However, our churches are filled with gifted people but not workers!
Jesus has a hard time being around church folk and religious people. Why? Because they criticized him for hanging around sinners. Religious people had a very difficult time understanding the message of the Kingdom. Why? Because they still believe it all about them. Remember Jesus died for the lost not the saved.
Church programs and activities that center around keeping believers comfortable should be discarded. We have to beg people to use their gift, beg them to come, and beg them to participate. Then beg them to stay and complete their assignment once they so-call hear God calling them to some other church or location.
The church must become a sanctuary, a place of refuge for those who are lost.
(NLT) Psalms 9 9The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
If the we as the Body of Christ fail to become a refuge it is because we have substituted God’s plans for our life for our own. You must ask yourself these questions:
1. Why an I saved?
2. Why am I here?
3. What is my assignment?
4. Have I complete my assignment?
God Knows the Plan
(NLT) Jeremiah 29 11For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
1. God has a plan for you; you do not have a plan for God.
2. God plans contain the good; your plans contain disaster.
3. God plans give you a future and hope, your plans gives you temporary satisfaction.
Plow in the Right Season
(NLT) Proverbs 20 4If you are too lazy to plow in the right season, you will have no food at the harvest.
The harvest means that we must work to see it manifest. The harvest must be brought in, not wished in and not just prayed in. Prophetic Prayers are key to open the heavens but prayer alone will not win one soul to Christ. It will take all of us focused on the most important assignment given to the church: Souls
WE NEED WORKERS TO BRING IN THE HARVEST!
The Battle is at the Gates of our City and door of our church. These gates represent who controls the city. Will it be the kingdom of darkness or the Kingdom of God? Your choice could help determine who goes to heaven or who is eternally lost.
Time to Take It by Force!
