CULTIVATING GOD’S PRESENCE

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I have found a new book: Cultivating God’s Presence: Renewing Ancient Practices for Today’s Church by Richard J Roberts which has been helpful in the way I look at how I relate to God. But, and there is a big but, Roberts makes no mention of the fact that Jesus made it possible for our heavenly Father to send the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit to indwell our Spirit to enable believers to live the Christian life. There is no way we can live a holy life without the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is clear that anything good in our lives is a result of the Holy Spirit, The fruit of the Spirit is the Christlike character: a character that reveals what Jesus is like. It is the outward expression of the holy nature of God in the believer. It is actually the development of the life of Christ in the Christian.

In 1 Thessalonians 5;19, Christians are commanded, “Do not quench the Spirit.” We must stay connected to God and always ask Him to help us say not my will but your will be done this day. We must obey God and allow the Holy Spirit to make us more like Jesus. Becoming lax in demonstrating the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit is dangerous to our spiritual life. As Christians, we believe that the Holy Spirit is our guarantee or down payment on eternal life (2 Corinthians 1: 21-22; Ephesians 5:15-21)

Imagine the Holy Spirit as a roaring campfire. What happens to the fire when we stop putting in the fuel and instead throw dirt on it? It goes out. It no longer produces the light or heat for which it was started. In the same way, if we neglect our relationship with God and become focused on the things of the world, we will extinguish the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives and no longer produce the fruit of the Spirit.

In addition to the importance of showing others how God’s Spirit can work in our lives, Christians must never underestimate the importance of fulfilling the covenant we made with the God of the universe when we were baptized and received the greatest gift of all: His Holy Spirit.

We all want to experience God’s presence. However, the presence of God is not amenable to a program, nor to a spiritual self-help manual. God is often elusive and even though we pray for his presence the Spirit is not at our beck and call. Jesus reminded us that the movement of the Spirit, like the wind, can be felt but He cannot be controlled: ‘The wind blows where it wishes’ (John 3:8). We cannot guarantee a certain outcome by adopting a particular spiritual practice.

WALKING WITH GOD

“Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.” Genesis 5:22

“Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” Genesis 5:24

Enoch was clearly someone quite remarkable even though he lived a somewhat normal life fathering sons and daughters. It is as if the author of Genesis breaks with facts and figures and has to tell us about this person that enjoyed the companionship of God as an ongoing continuous experience. The phrase ‘walking with God’ conjures up a life of constant fellowship with him on the earthly journey. Enoch’s fellowship with God was never broken; his lifespan, unlike that of his forebears, was not limited to a given number of years. Rather, from the moment he commenced his walk with God, Enoch experienced eternal life, beginning right here on earth.

It seems important that we are told, not that God joined in with Enoch’s walk, but that it was Enoch who joined God on his walk. He walked with God, rather than God walking with him. This may seem a subtle distinction, but it is an important one. While we often ask God to join in with and bless whatever we may be doing, ‘to join our walk’, Enoch in contrast, joined God’s walk. The psalmist hints at a similar dynamic when he wrote, ‘Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths’ (Psalm 25:4). Enoch’s life and walk with God raises the possibility for us of a more consistent experience of God’s presence.

Jesus spoke of our having constant fellowship, a constant walk, with God. He made it possible for our heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell our Spirit to enable this walk:

‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’ John 14:23

This is a promise of the presence of the Father and the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. But notice also that Jesus tells us that God’s presence is cultivated by obedience to his word, so this is a conditional promise. The promise of God’s presence is not an enticement nor even a reward to keep us on the straight and narrow path. It is simply the outcome of our obedience.

Matthew’s Gospel, in particular, links our eternal destiny with the way we live now, rather than emphasizing a set of beliefs (Matthew 25: 29-30 and 40-46). Grace is a deep appreciation that we are the recipients of God’s wholly undeserved kindness. Grace is often experienced in worship, as we realize how profound the Father’s love for us is, and that experience in turn leads to deeper worship. It is this experience of the mercy of God which changes our attitudes and leads to sacrificial discipleship (Romans 12:1-2). As we respond to God’s grace it inevitably makes us more gracious as people full of gratitude which spills over into acts of kindness to others.

EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

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“But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” John 16:5-11

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Romans 6:46

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Romans 8:16-17

SALVATION

God’s people longed for God’s judgment because it meant that God would set things right (Psalms 72:4). This saving judgment entailed God condemning their enemies but they thought little about what God required of them.

Some readers might need to reorient how they think about “being saved.” Salvation concerns both what we’re saved from and what we’re saved for. Many people think almost exclusively in terms of the former. We are saved from wrath, punishment, condemnation, and hell. Though a glorious truth, it is a partial truth.

Nothing is wrong with stressing the importance of being saved from something. Being saved from the penalty, power, and presence of sin is glorious! But…. and this is an important “but” … no one is saved merely from fear of penalty. Ultimately, salvation requires love for Christ and obedience to Christ by obedience to the guidance of the Holy Spirit that dwells within your spirit.

The goal of salvation is believers’ conformity to the Son of God—their participation in his rule over creation as God’s eschatological family and as renewed humanity—but only and always with the purpose of extending God’s hand of mercy, love, and care to his wider creation. This was humanity’s job in the beginning; it is the believer’s responsibility now and will be the believers’ responsibility and honor in the future, first during Jesus’ Millennial reign on this earth when He and the resurrected Saints will rule the nations with a rod of iron. This is a transitional era when Satan is bound but he is released at the end of the Millennium when he is still able to raise an army like the sand of the sea. He and his army will be defeated and this earth destroyed with fire. The second resurrection and the White Throne judgement follow, before the new earth and heaven where only the righteous dwell.

This vision is compelling and sustaining. It creates a far more robust biblical perspective on following Christ.

People know that the world has problems. Moreover, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin and righteousness and He will guide and direct our steps to evangelize the lost. He will even give us the words to say so they know that we are being used by God. We just need to be obedient to the call of God on our lives regardless of the cost.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39

“They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:5-6

MARKS OF THE TRUE CHRISTIAN

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Marks of the True Christian:

We need to read this section of Romans regularly to remind ourselves what are the true marks of a Christian

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:9-21

Walk in the Spirit

With His first coming to earth, Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to empower those that have repented of their past deeds and put their trust in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Prophecy indicates His second coming to rule and reign with the glorified Saints is soon.

The primary new covenant command is ‘walk in the Spirit.’ To walk or be led by the Spirit, involves a transformation that includes a change of former behaviours so as to live in a way that pleases God and enables us to do the ministry He has planned for us.

“But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.: Romans 7:6

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” Romans 8:13-14

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:22-24

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another, the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

“In the last days, there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Jude 1:18-21

STARTING 2022 WELL

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These three biblical truths are better than a new year resolution because they will change your thinking and make success possible.

God used the prophet Isaiah to encourage the Children of Israel after they lived in exile for many years. The people no longer believed they had a successful future. Negative thinking patterns kept them trapped. The message delivered by the prophet offered a new way forward for the Children of Israel, and it will do the same for you.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” Isaiah 43:18–19

What does God want you to do in 2022

1) Forget the Former Things

“Former things” have the power to keep us stuck if we’re not careful. God wants us to understand that despite our past failures, He still has a plan for our future. The path to achieving our goals starts with the decision to forget the former things. You must believe that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Philippians 4:13). If you don’t forget the former things, you may not even try to make a new year resolution.

2) Perceive What God Is Doing

Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to be our counsellor, teacher and comforter so we must learn how to perceive where He is taking us, even when it is not working out as planned. You may not see the full manifestation of your purpose right now, but with prayer God will cause circumstances to spring up which shows the way forward. It could be that a door unexpectedly opens. Or perhaps a door closes that you thought would stay open.

It’s not our place to know every detail about the future, but we must perceive the next step in the journey. In some cases, God has already given us instructions and is waiting for us to make the next move. You must know that God is actively working in your life. If you stop dwelling on the past you can perceive the next step forward.

3) Trust That God Will Make a Way

It’s important to trust God to make the way into the unknown places that we can’t handle on our own. If we have a dream that could happen without any assistance from God, then the dream did not come from God. The prospect of walking into our destiny should feel slightly overwhelming, or perhaps even impossible, without help from above. If we limit our future to what we can handle on our own, we will not step into the deeper things that God is doing.

It’s easy to focus on the unknown variables that make us feel unqualified, but that’s why we are in partnership with God. He will make a way in the wilderness where there is no clear path and provide streams in the wasteland when there are no resources. Don’t give your limitations the power to stop you from moving forward with God’s plans.

Do you need help overcoming negative thinking patterns that sabotage success? Then you may need help. Can I suggest you link with Habit Finder. They can teach you how your thinking patterns are impacting your success. You will discover why changing how you think is far better than a new year resolution.

FRANCIS CHAN: MORE ON REVELATION

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Everyday should be more exciting than the one before. God is a creator and we are made in His image, expect something new today, says Francis Chan

Francis Chan recommends that every Christian take some time to read through Revelation with fresh eyes. He did, and it changed his perception of the book. In this teaching at Azusa Pacific University, Chan talks about Jesus’ dire warnings to the early church and why we need to take the end times seriously.

Another great sermon from Francis on the end times. Make sure you have the time to see it through and to contemplate what it means for you.

EMPOWERED BY GOD TO DO GOOD WORKS

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“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

“God will do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all that you can ask or imagine, according to the power at work in you.”  Ephesians 3:20

You are still on this earth because God still wants to use you. Moreover, God’s Word says, you have not because you ask not.  Why would you settle for a little of God’s goodness, when He says, He will do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all that you can ask or imagine?

Jesus made it possible for your Heavenly Father to send the third person of the Trinity to indwell you, to empower you.  He is your counsellor, comforter, teacher and guide. Allow Him to guide your every step. However, it will require you to continually say as Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane; “not my will but Your will be done”

If you allow Him control, He will produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life: love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness and self control.

You can only minister effectively if He makes the gifts of the Spirit available to you; words of Wisdom, a word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, speaking in tongues and interpreting tongues. Distributing these gifts as He wills to accomplish the work God has called you to do.

Are you operating in the power of the Holy Spirit or are you quenching His work in your life and grieving Him?

Sadly, I lived many years of my Christian life not truly understanding the Holy Spirit is a person and that I could quench His work in my life and grieve Him. Nor did I understand His role, to empower me to live the Christian life, as mentioned, He is the one that produces the fruit in our lives and He is the one that provides the gifts to enable us to do ministry. His role is to make us like Jesus, to make Him fully known to us.

It was only when I came to realise how wonderful it is to work with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide and direct my life did I start to truly to enable His Kingdom to come.

Note both of my books; Build a Kingdom Business – Empowered by the Holy Spirit and Living Eternal Now – Empowered by the Holy Spirit acknowledge the Holy Spirit’s role. Both are available as ebooks on Amazon. I produce paperback copies as needed, and only have Build a Kingdom Business available in trade paperback form. These need to be ordered directly from me at ron@bakb.com.au. AU$12.50/US$9.50 includes postage. The funds will be used for the ministry powerpointsermons.net so payment will be made by making a donation on this website. You can download one of the sermons at the same time but make sure you email me as well so I can post the book to your address.

CHURCHES THAT WILL TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES – Part 2

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In order for kingdom culture to rule and reign on the earth, we must repent as a church for a mindset that doesn’t foster kingdom culture. We are citizens of heaven on earth, but we must act like it. At Pentecost, we were reminded that Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell all born again believers to empower them to do the things He is calling us to do.

We are living so far beneath our potential. As the church, if we don’t begin to live in the knowledge of His empowerment and guidance, then culture will not change around us. We have been given the Holy Spirit so God Himself can effect the changes He wants to make manifest in the earth, but we have to truly believe and act on it.

Repent simply means to change your mind. The church is not walking in the authority of God and His Word. We as a church are constantly submitting to the things of the world and the strongholds of the enemy that come from the second heavens, yet He has already raised us up and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6).

We need to step out into the world and use the gifts of the Spirit as Paul instructed. The church needs to work in John 17 unity of purpose to build His Kingdom on earth.

My book Living Eternal Now – Empowered by the Holy Spirit is a useful resource and is available as an ebook on Amazon.

“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:4

AGE IS NOT A BARRIER IN GOD’S KINGDOM

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Quit saying, ‘I am getting older.’ the Holy Spirit in you is ageless. Allow Him to quicken your mortal body and soar with the eagles. Many of you know I am in my eighties. God initiated my latest ministry project http://www.powerpointsermons.net when I turned eighty. Both of my books: Build a Kingdom Business and Living Eternal Now have a sub heading “Empowered by the Holy Spirit” and were written in my seventies.

“Wisdom is with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.” You have more wisdom now than ever. With years comes understanding.” Job 12:12. Caleb when he reached 85 years, said to the Lord, “I am as strong now as when I was forty, and I want to take another mountain!” Many of God’s heroes started their ministry when they reached 80.

Moses, Joshua, Caleb. Why is that? Maybe, it is then that we know we can’t do it in our own strength and God is certain to get the glory.

Psalm 68:28 says, “Your God has commanded your strength.” God is commanding His strength into you! ” 

Our older years are when we are in our prime to be used and bring forth fruit.

Psalm 91:16 says, “With long life I will satisfy [you] and show [you[ My salvation.”

What prompted this post is a prophecy I came across by Bill Yount. Bill has authored several prophetic books. His latest book is: The Power of Real / Transparent Prophetic Encouragement.

A Word to the Kingdom’s Older Stars

I sense the Lord saying, “The older stars in My kingdom are going to shine brighter and do greater exploits than ever before!” I sense there is a special anointing coming upon older men and women in the Body of Christ. God is not through using you. Your age is not against you, it is for you. Job 12:12 says, “Wisdom is with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.” You have more wisdom now than ever. With years comes understanding.

This anointing is going to cause you to live longer. Many of you have not planned to live long enough. It will be an anointing similar to Caleb when he reached 85 years. He said to the Lord, “I am as strong now as when I was forty, and I want to take another mountain!” There is coming a “spiritual fountain of youth” into your midst, a renewing, a release of God’s strength. Psalm 68:28 says, “Your God has commanded your strength.” God is commanding His strength into you! One translation says, “Your God has decided you will be strong!”

Many of You Are Going to Have to Live Longer 

Many of you are going to have to live longer because God is not through using you. Many of you are going to go into a second “childhood” in the Spirit. You will be reactivated by God to live out your dreams that you are just dreaming about right now. People and relatives will laugh and say, “You are going to do what? You are going to go where? At your age?” But that anointing is going to rise up within you to take mountains, to do exploits, to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint (see Isa. 40:31).

There is an anointing coming upon God’s people to live longer. The joy of the Lord which is our strength is lengthening our days upon the earth.

LIFE WITHOUT LIMBS EVANGELIST CELEBRATES ONE MILLION DECISIONS FOR CHRIST

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What an amazing testimony of what God can do with people that are totally committed to serve Him. This article is by Stoyan Zaimov , Christian Post Reporter. Nick’s experience with the demonic is powerful evidence for the Bible’s account of the supernatural realm and of demons intent on deceiving and destroying humans.

Nick Vujicich, limbless author and inspirational speaker reported on a few major outreach initiatives last year, and said that his team witnessed 400,000 people repent for their sins and choose to follow Jesus Christ at an event in Ukraine in October 2017.

“The biggest event that our team at Life Without Limbs (LWL) has seen and maybe the largest event ever in Europe — 800,000 people in the streets of Kyiv Ukraine! Thank you God,” Vujicic wrote on Facebook at the time.

He added, “400,000 repented of their sins and began their spiritual journey with Jesus. Now LWL celebrates the witness of 1 million decisions to walk with and trust God in everything face to face.”

Nick Vujicic, known as the “limbless evangelist,” has said that one of the reasons why he’s not an atheist is because he has seen things that science can’t explain, such as 10-foot-tall demons in his hotel room.

Vujicic, who was born with no arms and no legs and has been inspiring millions throughout the world with his story of overcoming the odds, answered a few questions about his faith in a Facebook video on Friday.

In one of the questions he was asked, “How can we know God’s love is real, and how do you know it?”

To which he responded, “I can’t show you God, I can’t show you an angel, but one of the reasons I am not an atheist, and one of the reasons why I don’t believe science explains everything, is because I have seen miracles, and I have seen demons.”

Vujicic continued, “I’ve seen 10-foot-tall demons, 5-foot wide walk in through my San Francisco hotel room. And I felt the demon’s presence, the demonic presence, before the demon actually walked through the wall.”

He suggested that the existence of things like voodoo and witchcraft, which he said are real, also show that science can’t explain everything.

“There is a spiritual realm,” the evangelist insisted.

“You have to walk by faith despite what you see, despite what you feel — you believe it.”

Earlier in the Facebook video Vujicic explained that the mission and purpose of his ministry, Life Without Limbs, is to equip people to be “the hands and feet of Jesus,” so that they know that God loves them.

In response to some of the other questions, Vujicic talked about his growing family, and how he balances spending enough time with them and his ministry.

He said that Kanae, his spouse, is an “amazing wife, super mom, she is unbelievable.”

Kanae recently gave birth to Olivia and Ellie, the couple’s twin daughters, bringing their number of children to four, including their two older sons.

“In 2017, my total days away from home was about 105 days. [In] 2018, it’s going to be 84 days. And we’re going to stick to it, by the grace of God reaching the most amount of people ever,” Vujicic said of his plans.

The author and inspirational speaker reported on a few major outreach initiatives last year, and said that his team witnessed 400,000 people repent for their sins and choose to follow Jesus Christ at an event in Ukraine in October 2017.

“The biggest event that our team at Life Without Limbs has seen and maybe the largest event ever in Europe — 800,000 people in the streets of Kyiv Ukraine! Thank you God,” Vujicic wrote on Facebook at the time.

He added, “400,000 repented of their sins and began their spiritual journey with Jesus. Now LWL celebrates the witness of 1 million decisions to walk with and trust God in everything face to face.”

When he is home, however, Vujicic said his focus is on his family.

“Every week that I am home, me and Kanae, we do have a date. I am also about to start taking my son on a date once a week, and I also don’t want to forget my family. I am starting to take out my mom for a date every second week, and my sister every second week.”

The evangelist advised that in relationships, it’s important to take time to turn off the phone, and be real.

“Having those people in our lives is the greatest blessing, so we should live like it is,” he said.

ONLY RADICAL HOLY LIVING WILL DO

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“For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth—proving what is pleasing to the Lord. And do not have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; instead, expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things are exposed when they are revealed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.  Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Ephesians 5:8-14).

Spirit-filled Christians are not immune to overwhelming assaults of the enemy, but we should be victorious at the end of the battle. Sadly, in today’s dark world, even some of the most passionate Believers are experiencing defeat after defeat. Many would admit that they have been unable to break free from strategic, continual, tormenting and demonic oppression. They force a smile on their face for Sunday morning and let it fade away as they walk out the doors at the end of the service. For some depression and despair digs into their soul and refuses to let go. They pray in tongues and stand in faith with no effect at all. It seems that God has abandoned them. The truth about their situation, however, is quite different.

Do not be deceived. None of us is strong enough to resist the onslaught of a very evil, demented and deadly spirit if we entertain that spirit. Not only must it be cast out, but it must be rejected in every form, in every area of our lives.

As I stated above, innumerable Spirit-filled Christians find themselves bound up, oppressed and without strength for a permanent deliverance in their lives. Yes, they are spiritually minded. They understand the power of prayer. They believe in the authority granted to them by Christ. They do their best to function as spiritual warriors, but at the end of the battle, they are beaten, desperate and hopeless. The enemy wins time and time again.

We cannot allow ourselves to be deceived into thinking that evil is less threatening just because it takes the form of something familiar.

Many are in a cycle of warfare with the enemy, attempting to function spiritually, appearing to be bold and fearless as they engage him. However, they can never win unless they completely cancel their agreement with evil.

Both the enemy and whatever vehicle it uses to entice us must be eradicated from our lives. Now.

“You have heard that it was said by the ancients, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. For it is profitable that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body be thrown into hell” (Matthew. 5:27-30).

I have heard pastors, leaders and seemingly solid Christians tell me that cursing and violence in movies doesn’t bother them. Occasional nudity doesn’t either. However, they refuse to watch sexual situations, that’s where they draw the line.

They wonder why they can’t live free from lust. They can’t imagine living a life with no unrighteous sexual images (which would be anybody real or imagined other than their spouse) dancing through their minds.

The enemy is manifesting through all unrighteous forms of media, something that seems so common, so familiar, so innocent, playful, something that’s now a part of Western culture.

Others continually wrestle with anger and hatred while playing violent video games. The spirit of hatred is nicely packaged: the video game, a familiar part of most people’s lives.

The truth is clear. We can’t watch nudity in media and stay free from lust. We can’t watch violence and expect it to have no effect on us. It’s more than cause and effect. The enemy chooses certain vehicles and methods to anoint as he works to facilitate his plan of destruction in our lives.

We need to cast the spirit completely out of our lives and never allow ourselves to be deceived into enjoying what they have to offer again.

“For freedom Christ freed us. Stand fast therefore and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts” (Romans 13:14).

Keep an eternal focus, Jesus is coming back soon, be prepared, be the temple of the Holy Spirit, then discernment will increase, holiness will increase, only then will you find true freedom.

Extract from Hounds of Hell Aren’t Family Pets: A Prophetic Dream About Radical Freedom by John Burton