The Subtle Serpent
(Note* - February 8, 2016 - I just added an addendum - BP)
This part
of the writing has been delayed by nearly a month. The spiritual battle that
has been going on in my life since the end of August is like nothing that I
have been through before. Yet the last two weeks has been surreal, which is
saying much! I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that many in the Body of Christ
are going through the same thing (intense
battles, challenging everything in them).
There is a
trying of the faith happening like never before, and many, just as I, have been
through many battles prior. Yet this would be as the granddaddy of them all.
Jesus warned His people that the last days would be so deceptive that if it
were possible even the elect would be deceived (key or operative word being if). [Mat 24:24] Daniel warned of
the wearing down of the saints.
[Dan 7:5]
We were
also warned in the Word of God that in the last days there would be a falling
away. So many unsaved people (especially
youth, and those hardened by cruelties in life) today avoid Christianity
due to the falsehoods and hypocrisy that they see within many of the mainstream
ministries and churches, as well as amongst those who call themselves
Christians.
Multitudes
into the millions of youth are turning to the Muslim/Islam faith, whilst hordes
are turning New Age and to witchcraft, thanks to Satan’s worshippers and
workers in the entertainment industry (not
to mention other industries etc).
We do well to
note those who author books such as the Harry Potter books, which interestingly
enough are included in the curriculum as mandatory in untold grade schools. I
have even heard that judges are now being sworn in on the Qu’ran, rather than
the Bible. God is being pushed away and other ‘gods’ are honoured.
What about
the falsehoods, false Christs and abominations that too many believers in
Christ have allowed themselves to readily accept? They embrace doctrines of
devils (visualization techniques,
vibrations/sound waves), traditions of men and all the signs and wonders that
come with it (gems, gold dust, apparitions,
jerking, drunkenness in the Spirit, portals etc). Sin, such as
homosexuality, is being downplayed, even coddled. People are hungry for
prophecy and signs.
Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying,
Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seek after a sign; and
there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's
belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of
the earth. [Mat 12:38-40]
In other
words, Jesus was saying the sign they seek would be His death, burial and
resurrection. Just as the whale released Jonah after three days in its belly,
so would the grave release Jesus when the (Holy) Spirit of God Himself raised
Jesus up alive. Countless would witness that He was resurrected from the dead.
It would be the greatest sign that God is all-powerful and the victory belongs
to Jesus Christ!
Satan began
his subtle approach in the Garden of Eden and he has not stopped since. We can
read about the countless ‘gods’ and ‘goddesses’ that he introduced to mankind
not long after the temptation and ultimate deception in the Garden.
He brought
in confusion, division (Satan loves to divide God's people) and rebellion (your will, not God's) against God, the Creator. He successfully
influenced mankind to the point of such evil, sins, corruption and perversion
that God destroyed all but eight souls in a great flood.
In our
personal battles, indeed, the serpent is most subtle and so crafty that more
often than not, we do not even recognize it as coming from the enemy. How often
do we blame God for what man, by his choices (sin) or Satan with his temptations, deceptions and illusions, does?
Indeed the serpent is subtle and if we can but remember that we are in a bloody
spiritual war, then we also have to realize that it can and does get very ugly.
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And
he said unto the woman, Yea, has God
said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
For God
does know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and
evil. [Gen 3:1; 5]
But I
fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity
that is in Christ.
[2Cor 3:11]
If we look again
at the meaning of the word subtle in
the dictionary, we may well read the above scriptures with a greater
understanding. Yes, most believers who have read the Bible have read these
scriptures before, more than once. Please allow me to refresh the memory. It
certainly helped me in doing so.
We know the
meaning of the word, yet do we not often skim over the understanding of the
word without allowing it to truly illuminate or rather permeate the serious warning
within the scripture and what it is truly revealing to us? More importantly, do we see how that serious
warning pertains to these times also and what multitudes are going through now…in
these times, in these days, in this hour?
I myself
looked up the meaning of the word again, even though I fully understand its
meaning. When I did so, it was as if God
Himself were saying to me, “Now do you fully
understand your present battle?” Truly,
it was as if He shone brightly the light and I give Him glory.
Emphasis on
words below is mine, just as it is when I post scripture. The purpose is to
make one pay attention and ponder that emphasis more deeply, rather than just
skim over it.
Subtle: (especially
of a change or distinction) so delicate, so slight or precise as to be difficult
to detect, analyze or describe; delicately complex and understated; making clever use and indirect methods to achieve something; difficult to perceive and
understand; subtle irony; hard to notice or see, not obvious; abstruse
When we are
going through a crisis, whether it is our health (physical or mental) or the health of loved ones, finances, careers,
personal relationships, a death, injustices (abuse, rape, torture, accusations, lies, accidents etc), spiritual
anguish, is it not so complex that we have great difficulty in understanding it
all, let alone try and describe it to anyone or even figure it out (analyze, makes sense of it all)?
Who cannot
say that they have gone through very trying times and tribulations (very few, if any); or that they have not
already endured some very heavy battles? All of us go through some tough times
one way or another, whether a believer or not.
We live in a sinful, fallen and
corrupted world. Yet as a believer, we have an adversary (Satan) with his great
armies (in both spiritual and physical realms) that do all they can do to
steal, kill and destroy.
As real as
the physical realm is and as devastating as it can be, we must not negate or
lose our focus on the spiritual. We must keep our eyes upon Jesus. How
difficult is that? It can be very difficult at times. It is hard
not to look at the circumstances when they loom before you as great giants or
immovable mountains.
It is hard
not to blame God, especially as a Christian, when all we hear is how God is
Sovereign; how nothing happens that God does not allow; that God protects His
people. One only has to read the Word of God to see how His people throughout
the millenniums had to look to Him despite the horrific circumstances that were
surrounding them. It is not an easy task. God knows this.
The Onslaught
For me, the
past half year (five months plus a bit,
since the very end of August) has presented battles like never before. Like
many, I have experienced a ‘dark night of
the soul’ before, perhaps four or so years ago. I wrote about it.
I have also
written about other battles that came my way. However, the past two battles
have been the most intense in my entire walk with the Lord, and that is saying
a lot! In fact, I called it a crisis of faith, which I will explain shortly.
Difficult
to describe/explain? Oh, yes! Difficult to analyze? Indeed! There are many of
you who know exactly what I am saying because you too have come up against this
very thing, or in fact are going through such a trial right now! It is not just the onslaught of negative
thoughts that can overwhelm, or all the negativity present in circumstances,
but there can even be doubts about one’s walk, purpose and faith.
When we go
through these things, it is almost as if all else is put on hold, just so we
can deal with the battle at hand. Does it not seem that way? It is as though
all our energy, all our focus, every part of our being is enveloped in the
crisis and all we can do is get up each day and go through.
So intense
have been the circumstances, the distractions, the suspicious coincidences, the
distractions and hindrances, the disappointments, the lack of understanding,
the silent moments from God, the crises over the past month, and particularly
the past two weeks, that I have not even been able to blog.
I had been sincerely
praying over this treatise on false prophecies that come forth from false
teachings. It is very important to me that I myself do not lead any astray with
incorrect information, as I surely do not know it all, and I myself, continue
to learn.
It is a
great responsibility (at least to my way
of thinking) that if we are going to voice what we believe to be truth, we
better be absolutely certain. God has to say. Yet, even still, all of us can
make mistakes. I surely have, but the key is to learn from them and to tread
more carefully, trying the spirit to see if it is of God.
Why is it a
great responsibility? Consider this. We
can influence people and not even realize that we are. We can either point a
person in the right direction or lead them over a precipice. We can help a
person to see, or we can literally become the proverbial (and prophetic) “blind leading
the blind” that Jesus (Yeshua) spoke of.
Let
them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the
blind, both shall fall into the ditch. [Mat 15:14]
In my heart
and in the writing of this treatise, my intent has not been to point to
someone and say, “they are a false prophet”,
but rather to point out the error in the prophecy due to false teaching. How can I say a person is false if I do not
personally know them? How would I know
if they are a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a deceiver or if they themselves have
been deceived by false teaching if I do not know them personally?
Well, I can
not
know which it is if I do not know them; only God Himself knows. However, we can
discern a doctrine of devils, a false teaching, and a deception by knowing the
Word of God, and holding fast to the Lord.
He
certainly can reveal things to us, and He does. He is ever faithful, but there
are times we have to wait for things to play out. We have to wait on God’s
timing and that is never easy – never easy. We truly do have to learn
patience, which does teach us endurance, just as the Bible says. Yet
even still, waiting is hard.
The task I
have been given is to be yet one more vessel amidst the multitudes that the
Lord already uses to warn His people. The delay in the writing initially began due to much prayer going up
continually to be sure that I myself am not going to put something forth in
error.
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| hill drive |
Then, about
three weeks ago, the weather took a turn and we had a heavy downfall of snow. I
lost precious hours when my vehicle got stuck in a bank when my car literally
slid at the crest of the small hill of the driveway that exits the parking lot.
It was nerve-wracking as a small mountain cliff is on the one side of the hill
drive. Then, after so much time and effort being lost in getting free from the
snow trap, days later, the snow began quickly melting and grass was beginning
to appear.
 |
| snow - Jan 6 2016 |
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| snow melt |
 |
| late Jan 2016 |
 |
| Feb 6.2016 |
During the
melt, the snow became heavy and wet, causing ruts in the parking lot, and once
again, I became stuck. More precious time lost. The weather has been so
unstable, as if torn between two extremes over the past month that it has been
surreal, especially for Canada which is known for its harsh and cold winters.
I had
mentioned to a friend that the unstable weather (globally) is actually a sign of how unstable everything is around
the globe today. Events are unpredictable, either sudden and extreme, or quiet
and mellow. Things are indeed chaotic everywhere. It as if the whole earth is
in great travail. It is as if the enemy wants all of mankind to be gripped in
fear and void of trust in anything, especially God.
Yet, it is
not just the weather that has presented challenges. If that was all it was,
then that would be nothing except a part of life in this climate-changing,
turbulent, dubious world today. No, there has been much more to it, and oh yes,
it was ever so subtle, meaning I did not see it coming.
Even the
laptop that I use to do my work of writing has been having serious issues. The
display driver fails at times. My screen will black out completely and nothing
can be done until it corrects itself. It is not a blue screen, but a totally
black one, where not even the arrow for the mouse shows up. When it corrects, a
small window pops up to alert me that the display driver crashed but has
recovered.
Other
times, my computer goes into a very slow mode, where even the typing of letters
takes seconds before the letters actually appear on the screen. When I try to
bring up a web page, or click on a link, it is slower than dial-up and it can
be as long as a minute before the page or link opens up. It can take up to
twenty minutes to half an hour just to write a simple paragraph or two.
I have
cleaned up files, defragged, done scans for viruses etc and all seems well.
Perhaps the laptop has been used too much and is too old. It is only four years
old, but in “computer land” that is antique. It’s a dinosaur! If that is the case,
then I am truly in trouble because I do not have the means to purchase another.
My car has
also been acting up. I will spare you the details, but I am very cautious when
I go out driving. I pray the Lord will keep the old mare on the road. Every
area of my life seems to have been targeted and hit, but the hardest part of
all has been matters of the heart. Satan does come against us body, soul and
spirit.
Battle is On
During this
time period, I forgot something the Holy Spirit told me once. I have blogged it
several times over the past years. There is a cliché, in fact, books have been
written by the title, which is: The
battlefield is the mind.
The Holy
Spirit added to it. He said, “The
battlefield is the mind, but the target is the heart and reins, for therein
lies your faith, hope and love, which all influence your will (power to
make choices; our decisions and course of actions).
When your
faith and trust are in God, it pleases Him and we can rest in Him. Oh, but how
our faith and trust are challenged in very difficult situations! When your hope
is in Christ, He is glorified by your trust. When you love as God commanded,
there is no fear. Where there is no fear, you will trust Him. The desire is to
follow (obey) His leading (His will). [Prov 3:4, 5]
There was
such an onslaught of negative thoughts – poisonous or fiery arrows, so numerous
that it had been near impossible to counter all of them. It is enough to make one question their
sanity, shake the walls of trust and threaten the very foundation of
faith. It was a merciless, relentless
onslaught. We can even wonder, “Will I stand?”
“Has my house been built by God?”
Except
the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD
keep the city, the watchman wakes but
in vain. [Ps 127:1]
And through
all this could I write? I think not. Over the past two months, I have noticed
that fifteen (15) subscribers have left. Only one wrote to me, asking me to
remove them from my mailing list.
I wrote a short,
but sincere email to thank the person and expressed the best to them. I meant
it; I appreciated the time she did stay. She believes in the reconciliation of
all things (including the reconciling of
Satan and his unholy angels) back to God, which is Universalism. I do not,
so I understood why she left.
I
understand that the reason in part regarding those who left because I am writing
about things others may not agree with me on. However, I believe that for the
most part, it is because for the past while, the posts have not been frequent enough. In today’s
fast-paced, digital, technological world, people want a daily feed, or at least
see some kind of schedule. It is perfectly understandable, but not a reality
when one is in battle.
No man
that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who has chosen him to be a
soldier. [2Tim 2:4]
Yet, it is
not as in decades ago when people would wait anxiously for the next release
from an author that they enjoyed. No! Today there is such a plethora of
writers, videos, talk show hosts and more, that people do not need
to wait around, nor will they wait.
Who can
blame them? It is very understandable. Be
that as it may, we have become a very impatient world of people. There is a
statement that has become so well-used and repeated that you could say that it
has become an adage or cliché now. That saying is, “If I can only reach one, then it has all been worth it.”
Recently, I
had jokingly said to a friend, “I don’t
want to reach that proverbial one. If we are to do the greater works as
Jesus said, then I want to reach three!” We both laughed at the
silliness of it. Truly, it is not about how many followers or subscribers we
have. It is about being molded into Christ’s image, doing the will of God and
sharing the good news of the gospel, which is Jesus Christ.
If it were all
about subscribers or followers, then we are no different than most of the
mega-churches who would rather have “positive-thinking”,
“seeker-friendly, “motivational”, “self-help” messages, rather than the harder messages that prick
people’s hearts and expose sins, revealing their need for a Saviour, and their
need for repentance.
Yes, as
stated and acknowledged, many of us have gone through crises in life where it
seemed like more than we could bear at the time. Yet, by the grace of God, we
got (and get) through it. Yet I know
for a fact that there is a “granddaddy”
of onslaughts that is presenting itself these days.
This has
been what I myself have been going through. I do believe faith is being tried
to prove us, as well as a preparing and positioning of God’s people for that
which is soon upon the whole earth, as foretold in the Holy Scriptures.
Yet from
the beginning, God’s people have been tested, tried. We make choices. We can
trust in God and obey His commands to us or we can go our own way. It began in
the Garden of Eden – a simple command, a simple test.
I wonder if
sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking that if we had of been Adam or Eve,
we would not have fallen for the serpent’s lies. But our test will not be as their
test. Will we pass the individual tests given to us? Only if we love Jesus can
we truly obey Him is what I believe.
Why the Crisis?
When
everything that could possibly go wrong seems to do just that, what do we do?
Do we wonder where God is in the midst of it? Do we wonder why He is allowing it?
Do we even know how to sort out our thoughts, or are they coming at us so fast
and so furious that we wonder if we have gone mad, bipolar or some other
imbalance?
Do we
search our heart and life for sins to see what has brought about the oppression
or depression or whatever it is you are feeling? It is guaranteed that when
this is happening, when it seems like all hell has broken loose and is coming
against you, it is an attack of the enemy.
Satan likes
to mirror God, but his work is in direct opposition. His ways and means are
evil and intended for evil results. We are told in the Bible to be sober and
vigilant, for he goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and
that he comes to steal, kill and destroy. [1Pet 5:8; Jn 10:10]
However, we
need to differentiate between an attack from Satan (including witchcraft against us); or if we are in a trial, a
testing of our faith; or if there is sin in our life, or if we are suffering
the consequences of sin or just plain bad choices, either our own or those of
others. Life itself can dish out
horrible things to just and unjust people alike.
There were present at that season some that told him of the
Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus
answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans
were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? [Lk 13:1, 2]
Yet, those
who mentioned the Galileans believed that the deaths they suffered were due to their
sins. Jesus even asked the Jews if they considered the Galileans to be the
worst of sinners because of the way Pilate, almost as a mockery, had mingled their
blood in with their sacrifices, which had been prepared as part of their
worship to God, according to the laws of Moses.
Perhaps by
mentioning it, the Jews felt that the Galileans’ guilt was greater than the
sacrifices could cover. Jesus assured them that it was not the reason at all,
but if they themselves did not repent, they would likewise perish. Then, He
mentioned another incident.
Or
those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye
that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay:
but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. [Lk
13:4, 5]
Again, Jesus mentioned another scenario where eighteen people were
killed when a tower fell (a calamity, an
accident, a faulty tower) and crushed them. His point was that those who
died were not killed because they were great sinners. They were no different
than any of Jews that stood before Jesus that day.
Instead of questioning why these things happened (including to those who were in the midst of worshipping God when evil
struck), Jesus let it be known that the Jews should be more concerned with
acknowledging that they too were sinners and needed to come to repentance.
Bad things can happen to anyone, to believers and unbelievers alike, not
just to those who are considered the worst of sinners. Two different scenes
were presented. With one situation, the people were murdered by an evil leader
(his sinful choice/decision/action),
and in the other situation, a calamity (accident)
happened, a tower fell killing many.
However, there are also times that situations or circumstances are
allowed because God fully intends to perform a miracle through which He shall
be glorified.
And as Jesus passed
by, he saw a man which was blind from his
birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was
born blind? Jesus answered, Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents: but
that the works of God should be made
manifest in him.
[Jn 9:1-3]
When You are Weak, Satan Sends in His Armies
Yes, this has
been a very dark season for me and I am not through it yet. But this one thing
I know, I am going to trust God no matter what, and may every devil take
notice. For greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!
At the same
time, I understand the enemy has power. He was once a holy angel of God, as
were the devils that work with him. Yet, God is greater and He lives in me; His
Holy Spirit resides in me. I cannot do this (nor would I want to) without Jesus!
We
understand that when the Bible speaks of fiery darts, these can affect our
thoughts, emotions/feelings or flesh/body. When we are going through a severe
trial or tribulation (crisis), it is
true that we must press into the Lord even more so. The truth is that sometimes
these battles are short, and other times, it seems as though it is never-ending.
It is hard to wait on the Lord, but wait we must.
Yet, we are
part of a Body, the Body of Christ, made up of fellow believers. We are not
meant to be “islands unto ourselves”,
as the saying goes. It takes great humility to go to another believer and
confide in them that you are having a very difficult time and need prayer.
The
believer (whether a brother or a sister
in Christ) who loves the Lord and walks in obedience to Him may even
discern the source of the problem (sin,
consequences, test of faith or attack from the enemy).
As
previously mentioned, the cause that precipitated the event could be the
suffering or death of a loved one, extreme physical pain or mental anguish. Perhaps it is an ended career or financial
ruin, great debt, or a strained or broken relationship that has a person at
their wit’s end.
Perhaps it
was the lies or betrayal of someone trusted, or perhaps it was some violence
that another perpetrated against you. The list goes on. These are very real
trials and tribulations, undoubtedly, and can shake the very foundation of our
faith, rocking our world in a negative way.
Yet, the
crisis of faith I am speaking of is when one has gone through much of the
above, has already had many tests (trials)
of faith, has suffered loss and pain, who has gone through life’s troubles and
even spiritual attacks before.
I speak of
the end times and the “increased”
trying of our faith. Those who have walked with the Lord for awhile, whether it
is two years, five, ten or more, have you not noticed that the testing of the
faith and the attacks of the enemy have intensified, increased?
Have you
noticed that the tests of our faith have become distinctively harder? Have you
been pushed to the brink? Have you wondered about your sanity, or how much more
you can bear? Have you wondered where is God?
I have
heard it said that the higher the calling, the more fierce the attacks of the
enemy in order to stop a person from reaching their destiny. I have also heard
it stated that each time you pass a testing of the faith victoriously the next
test is more intense and harder. I have personally witnessed the latter. It
would seem that from a biblical perspective, this is true.
When
everything seems to be going along as well as can be expected in these dark
days, then suddenly, you wake up one day and everything is wrong, in every possible
area and everything you attempt to accomplish seems to fail, one could say they
are having a bad day. That happens to everyone.
However, if
it continues on and on, where a day turns into a week and a week into a month
or months, and still continues onward with no end in sight, with circumstances
increasing in pressure against you, one surely acknowledges that this is more
than just having a ‘bad hair day’.
Does it not
seem to come at a time when we are doing all we know to do, the will of God, in
order to reveal good fruit, and to grow and walk in faith and in obedience to
the Lord, or when we are believing Him for incredible promises?
It goes
beyond the physical and into the soul realm, with a barrage of arrows pelting your
mind, injecting negative thoughts that seem against everything you are or
things you never even thought of before.
Finally it
targets the spiritual. Our spiritual realm is invaded, trying every area that
you were confident that you were strong in. The onslaught is aggressive, hostile
and relentless. I daily put my armour on.
I verbalize it and mentally envision it, understanding full well what each
piece represents (Christ) and the
purpose of it.
Humility
Prayer has
been constant, resisting, casting down thoughts as fast as they came, but they began
coming faster than I could cast them down. In my heart, I came to understand
that I needed backup. As hard as it would be to try and explain any of this to
anyone, I had to reach out to a fellow believer in great humility.
I called a
friend to confide in her and to humbly ask for backup in prayer. It was not
easy to make the call. It took several days before I could do so. Why? When we
look back at the word “subtle” which describes the serpent,
Satan, we are reminded that it means that it is “difficult to detect, analyze or describe”;
“difficult to understand”, “precise”.
I had no
idea how I was going to describe or explain what was going on to my friend when
firstly I did not know where to begin.
Secondly, how much should I share…is it not risky? Thirdly, and really the hardest part, how do
I explain that which I did not understand, something that made me question my very
sanity, as well as where I was with my faith, doubting myself?
Confusion
enveloped it all. What was happening and why? I had to humble myself to my
friend, in admitting that I was in a weakened state. She already knew it had
begun at the very end of August, but I was not giving up. Yet, to still be
going through was a hard one to admit to one’s own self, let alone another.
One thing I
did speak forth to my friend was that no matter what, I was not going to let go
of the Lord. He would have to let go of me, and He would have to pry my nails
out from His garment because I am clinging to Him that much.
The one
thing that is true is that if one has already been weakened by a
circumstance that has gripped them in life, Satan will often come at that
person when they are already weary and tired from fighting another battle. When
an onslaught begins, it is as though the warrior is facing many opponents at
one time.
Reinforcements – The Body of Christ
This is
when that warrior needs reinforcements to show up. This is precisely when one
must call upon the members of the Body of Christ. We cannot be too proud in
thinking that we can go it alone when surrounded, no matter how skilled in
battle. There comes a time when a warrior can be outnumbered or overwhelmed.
My friend assured
me that God will never leave me (He does
not leave or forsake His people). Back in 2009, the Lord had me write: “I Am with You Always”. Is it not strange
how even though we know certain things, a timely reminder brings it forth from
the dungeons of our memories, and back into the Light?
Every
member of the Body is important and needed, and how I thank God for His wise
ways. When I told my friend that I was praying and reading the Word, she agreed
that was the right thing to do. My friend also discerned that it was an attack
from the enemy, and possibly a testing of the faith. She committed herself to
pray.
We talked a
bit more and she continued to encourage me. After we hung up, I laid down for
awhile because through all of this my sleep has been interrupted. The searching
of my own heart had been intense, with prayers to the Lord to purge me of
anything not of Him…and more, much more in private prayer.
One
scripture that I had mentioned to her that I have gone over since (in fact, reading the entire chapter) was
this:
For
every battle of the warrior is
with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. [Is 9:5]
There has
definitely been confusion and indeed, it has been a bloody battle. I know that
my friend prayed because when I awoke there was a peace in the spirit. Now mind
you, before I had lain down, I was upon my knees once again, repenting of fear
and unbelief, and even for the negative thoughts.
I had
fought with all my strength to continue to cast down the thoughts, but it
seemed never-ending, even relentless. After I awoke and noticed that the “arrows/fiery darts” had stopped, I began
to thank the Lord.
When I
awoke from my nap (from sheer exhaustion due to sleep interruptions), as
previously stated, the thoughts settled. I believe that the prayers of my
friend were a powerful weapon at that time. I pray God blesses the vessel unto
honour for her faithfulness in trusting Him to hear her and to mercifully move
on my behalf.
Choosing to Use the Shield and the
Sword of the Lord
A choice
had been made and it is inspired by the Word of God. Outside of the onslaught
of thoughts dissipating and ceasing, all outward circumstances remain the same.
The battle is not over; I am still in the midst of it.
The battle
is not over, so now what? I choose to take God at His word; He is for me and not against. [Rom 8:31]
For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, and
are the called according to His purpose. [Rom 8:28] I know that I must trust in the Lord with all [my] heart, and lean not on [my] own understanding. In all [my] ways, [I shall] acknowledge Him and He shall direct [my] paths. [Prov 3:4,5]
I know that
in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him
that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor thing to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Rom 8:37-39]
Now the
peace that passes all understanding is upon me. Is it still a battle? Yes. Do I
have a part to do? Yes. How do I get through a battle? I choose to trust God!
As tough as it is, I wait upon Him.
We shield ourselves
by our faith in Him. God is our shield. [Gen 15:1; Ps 18:2] Without faith, it is impossible to please
God. [Heb 11:16] Our soul waits for
the Lord; He is our help and shield. [Ps 33:20]
It also
came to me what I had written in the last part of this treatise. I will put the
part below. The highlights are added for this portion, but it was not
highlighted at all when I first wrote it.
The last thing I saw where hundreds
of arrows up in the sky and falling upon a target on the ground. So
numerous were the arrows that the target upon the ground was
blackened, covered in them. Two times I saw the hundreds of
arrows in the sky. There was nothing
to indicate ‘where’ in the world this was.
What I understood was that a powerful
attack was going to completely wipe some area out. It would be ruins. It
will be done in one successful attack, obviously with ‘weapons’ from
the sky.
When I
wrote it, I was sharing many scenarios that I had seen when I had laid down
some time back. The scenes replayed in the exact same order when I had lain
down a second time.
I still cannot say that this attack that I am under was
given to me prophetically from the Lord in the above writing, as I had thought
and understood that all the scenes that had flashed through my mind pertained
to the physical realm, since war is going on in Syria, Yemen and many other
places.
Perhaps it
is two-fold, as the Lord often speaks that way, even in His Word. As I said the
first heavy onslaught began the end of August, the beginning of September. It
settled for awhile, then it came upon me again as previously stated.
A scripture
can speak for the present time and what was happening at that time, and it can
also pertain to the future. We see this
within certain writings of the prophets, as well as in the words of Jesus
(Yeshua). The same is true of prophetic words, dreams or visions. We must
remember, God is not caught up in the space/time continuum. He is eternal.
I admit
that at the time I called my friend, I did feel “completely wiped out”, in “ruins”.
Where was my strength? What were all the thoughts and where were they coming
from? Did I have no good fruit or was I a bad tree? Have I even grown in my
walk? To what purpose am I here?
I searched
my heart for bitterness, to see if there were any I had not forgiven; searched
for impurities; repenting, repenting of anything I could think of, even
repenting of things that were actually sins of another.
It felt
like madness. I kept crying out to God. His silence at times was deafening, yet
I could not, would not let go. As I said to my friend, He would have to remove
my fingernails from His garment because I was clutching that desperately to
Him.
The Adversary
Some people
do not believe in a devil or Satan. Some worship him as their own personal god.
Others make light of him, even saying that if Christians are walking right with
God, Satan and his hordes cannot or will not bother us. Still others see Satan
or demons in everything, behind every bush, in every bad action people do and
blame all negative things on him. Not one of these perspectives is accurate.
Satan is indeed
a very real adversary. There are times that we can immediately tell if Satan is
hindering or coming against us, just as Paul discerned the spirit of divination
in the woman following them around, saying all the “right words”.
The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the
way of salvation.
(How many people, if they heard the woman speak those
same words today, would think the woman was a disciple of Jesus Christ, a
Christian? Probably, many would.)
And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said
to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.
And he came out the same hour. [Acts
16:17-18]
Interesting
to note also, that the spirit did not leave ‘immediately’,
as stated in other cases in the Bible, but rather that he came out the ‘same hour’. Sometimes, the demons do not
want to leave, if they have resided in a host for a long while.
Other
times, we may not be so sure. We may wonder if it is a test, just life itself
in a corrupt and fallen world, people making wrong or sinful choices,
consequences of some sin in our lives, or what the heck is happening. Finding
the source or the cause of what we are going through means seeking God and yes,
waiting upon Him for His truthful answers.
Then, we have Job, who did
not have a clue what was going on. He lost thousands and hundreds of livestock
(camels, sheep, oxen, asses/donkeys).
A great number of his servants were killed, and if that were not enough, his
seven sons were in their houses with their three sisters, and a great wind (probably like a tornado) destroyed their
houses and killed all ten of Job’s children. Everything was taken from Job.
Yet, his integrity was still intact. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and
shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I
return there: the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. [Job 1:20, 21]
Without
getting into it too much, we can see that over time, as the trouble persisted,
Job began to complain. He did not understand why everything had befallen him,
and he felt that he was in the right and God was in the wrong.
In the end,
Job repented of his self-righteous attitude and complaining before he prayed
for his friends, who had basically accused Job of landing in all his troubles
due to some sin that Job was not confessing. The Lord ended up not only healing
Job, and fully reversing everything, but He restored all Job lost and doubled
it.
We have to
be careful not to do as Job did, complaining and blaming God for allowing it
all when we have done ‘everything right’.
The Lord has always been faithful and true, always. In retrospect,
throughout other trials and tribulations, He brought me through victoriously.
Each time
was horrible at the time, and indeed uncomfortable, but He was training me all
the way through, teaching me, purifying, purging the dross. He has never let me
down and He never will, nor will He let YOU down if you are going through a
horrific time in your life right now.
Darkness Swirls Around
I had also
had a visit from a woman (I will give no
more details than this, so as to protect her identity) that I have been
witnessing to, as opportunity arose. She and her husband are New Age; even have
a ‘Book of Shadows’ (spells, rituals and other secret information
on magic/witchcraft). She claims to be Wiccan and to ‘love Jesus’, but she clearly knows only ‘of’ Him and does not ‘know’
Him.
She came to
my house, and long story short, she visited for quite a time. She shared much,
which I am not free to divulge here. Whether she is sincerely searching for
truth or not, only God knows. I remember 2 Peter 3:9, in that it is God’s
desire that none should perish and that all
should come to repentance.
The days
blur as to the timing of certain things, but one morning whilst it was still dark,
yet close to dawn, as I looked out my kitchen window, I saw something that I
have not seen since perhaps 2009? There are two trees a short distance apart
when I look out my window.
I saw what
appeared to be someone running in-between the two trees. The person disappeared
from sight because from the window, the side of my home ends where I saw the
shadow run. As my brain acknowledged that someone ran past, at the same time (perhaps a nano-second later), I realized
that as they ran past, I could see the tree right through their body.
Immediately
I understood that it was not a physical person I was seeing, but a spirit.
There is an open field that the trees face. A small drop-off (small cliff) skirts the one side of the
field (the building was constructed upon
the side of a mountain). Below is
the main highway that runs through town and even through a good part of the
province.
It was
around this time, the visit, the manifestation of the spirit, my open vision (as mentioned in the last part of this writing)
– all of it happened quickly and within close proximity to each other. That is
why it all blurs, but it was also the time period that the great onslaught
began, and everything that could go wrong began.
Physical
problems (headaches, stiff muscles, numbness, pains
out of nowhere and more), problems with my car and my laptop, finances,
personal relationships, the bombardment of fast-moving thoughts (like a hundred times one hundred pelting
arrows) that left my head spinning; 15 people unsubscribing from the blog…anything
and everything went afoul.
We are Accountable and Responsible
People say
that everything that happens, God allows. Some use God’s Sovereignty to excuse
their actions, always ready to lay the responsibility of what we say, do or
think, or even at times, what others say, do or think, right at the feet of
God. God allowed it, so we are not responsible. Say what?
Adam blamed
God and
Eve: And the man said, The woman whom You
gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I
did eat.
Eve blamed
the serpent: And the
woman said, The serpent beguiled me,
and I did eat. [Gen
3:12, 13]
Did God
intervene in the temptation of Eve? He could have. Some even blame God for
putting the tree in the Garden in the first place. Think about this. A father set
up a beautiful buffet outdoors in a backyard garden, and adjacent to the garden
was a garage, and in the garage was a brand-new car with several gifts on a
table nearby.
The father intended
to leave for awhile and instructed his child, “If you are hungry, go ahead and eat. There are presents for you in the
garage. If you cannot wait until I return, you may open the gifts. However, stay
away from the car, or you will regret it for life.”
A friend came
over and the son told him what his father had said. The friend laughed and tempted
the son, saying, “You won’t regret it for
life. Your father knows that if you get in that car, you will see how cool it
is. You will be like him, an adult, able to drive anywhere.”
The friend
hot-wired the car and both of them went joyriding. The friend told the son that
he was going to be in a lot of trouble when he got home, and he began laughing.
The son became distracted by his friend’s laughter and turned to say something,
when suddenly, he crashed the car.
The son
panicked, exited the car and ran home as fast as he could, thinking his friend was
hightailing it behind him or running to his own house. When the son heard his
father driving up, he raced to his bedroom and shut the door. After awhile, the father knocked on his door,
asking why he was in his room. His son told him that he knew that he was in
trouble, so he hid in his room.
The father
asked him, “Who told you that you were in
trouble? Did you take the car out to drive? The police were here. They traced
the license plate. Your friend was in the passenger seat of the car and was pronounced
dead at the scene of an accident.”
The son was
horrified by the news. He remembered the words of his father. His father told
him he could eat what he wanted, and even open his gifts, but he was not to
touch the car. Little did the son know that the father had one gift wrapped up
that held a key to the car, along with a gift certificate for a ‘Driver’s Education’ course, a manual on
learning to drive and money to cover the cost of a ‘learner’s’ or ‘beginners’
license.
Now the son
would never have the car or the other gifts that came with it. Now there was
death involved and his good friend was dead. His father knew that by telling
his son to stay away from the car, he would be all the more curious, but he was
testing his son’s obedience.
If he could
trust his son with a simple request of not touching the car, he could trust his
son to drive that car. If his son obeyed, great was his reward. If he
disobeyed, it would be his ruin. Indeed, just as his father forewarned, the son
reaped the consequences of his disobedience and regretted it for life.
Perhaps
that is not the strongest parable, but it does demonstrate how a parent may
test a child’s obedience, to see if he is trustworthy. The parent has every
right to test the child’s obedience, but what a wonderful surprise would in
store if the child obeys.
But sadly,
his son was tempted by his friend and chose to disobey his father’s
command. Both the son and his friend who
tempted him reaped horrific and serious consequences for the choice to disobey
the father’s command.
The
decision to disobey his father resulted in the loss of his father’s trust, charges
by the police, a criminal record and a jail sentence or probation. Yet worse,
he lost his best friend and there was nothing he could do to bring him back to
life again.
Not
everything that happens to us is condoned by God either, nor does it mean
people have slipped one over on Him. He sees and knows all. Yet, how do we know
whether or not an onslaught or great trial or tribulation is part of a bigger
purpose or plan which we do not yet realize?
Is it possible that what we are going through is perhaps for grander purpose?
He is for
us, not against, remember? He works all things together for good – works it all
together! Nothing is without rhyme or reason with the Lord. It is just that we may
not understand at the moment. It may seem cruel and meaningless.
As I’ve frequently
said, oftentimes, we get angry at God when bad things happen, yet if He
interfered in all we do, we would then accuse Him of creating us as puppets or reneging
on His gift of the power to make our own choices.
So which is
it? Shall He intervene and stop every single wrong thing that humankind does? Or
shall we trust that when or if He does intervene, He is Sovereign; and
when or if He does not intervene, is He not still Sovereign?
Only He
knows the end from the beginning. His plans are for good and not for evil. We
must also remember that He is not caught up in the continuum of time and space,
we are. He sees all; we do not.
After calling
my friend, I know she prayed. Is it not true? Can we not just sense when a
child of God is praying? She reminded me of something that is true, the Body of
Christ have need of one another. We are to
be there for each other, all of us. That is how it was intended to be. We do know
these things (unless you are a new
believer), yet, we are in constant need of reminders. As it is written:
Confess
your faults one to another, and
pray one for another, that ye may be
healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. [Jam
5:16]
Our Forerunners Despaired Also
Well, I
took comfort again in the scriptures. Elijah shouted to the heavens, “It’s
enough! Now Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my
fathers!”
[1Kin 19:4]
Paul the
apostle wrote: “For we
would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia,
that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:” [1Cor 1:8]
How long
can the battles last before God’s personal promise manifests? Sometimes, it can
be a long time. The Bible is silent about how long Job’s trial lasted. When
Joshua and the Israelites were promised they would be given a land. Then, all
the kings of the surrounding lands came together as one unit to fight the
Israelites.
Joshua had
his part to do to see the promise fulfilled. He had to trust God despite the
outward appearance of the armies facing him. The Bible says the armies were
numbered as the sands upon the seashore. They had horses and chariots which the
Israelites did not.
That would
be frightening to any man, to be so greatly outnumbered. The Lord understands
our tendency to fear when the odds are stacked against us, when everything
seems so impossible.
Do Not Be Afraid
I’m not the
first to speak forth these things nor shall I be the last, but sometimes in the
sharing of a thing, we inadvertently help others. It can be confirmation or a
ray of hope, a safety net below a tightrope, or a lifejacket amidst turbulent
waters; an aid in bringing things back into balance, to help us refocus. Keep
our eyes upon Christ Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords. Praise be to God!
Yet, what
does God tell us, time and time again? “Do not fear. Trust Me.” Will we take Him
at His word? Will we set aside fear and trust Him? Even Joshua must have had
his moments of fear as he saw the multitudes and greatness of the armies and analyzed
the situation. Yet, it is written:
And the
LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid
because of them (because of the outward circumstances and what
you see and hear): for tomorrow about
this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: you shall hough (hock/hamstring)
their horses, and burn their chariots
with fire. [Josh 11:6]
Hough is an
archaic expression (old English). It means to hamstring the horses, or to
render them useless for war by cutting the lower back legs of the captured
horses, the “tendon of Achilles”. Why
would God command Joshua to do that? Perhaps the answer lies in a verse written
in the book of Psalms.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses:
but we will remember [trust] the name of the LORD our God. [Ps
20:7]
Joshua and the Israelites had their
part to do in order to attain God’s promise. They had to trust God and they had
to go to battle. How long did they have to battle? Unlike Job, we have a little
bit more knowledge. Although we still do not know how long the battles raged,
we do know that it was a long time.
Joshua
made war a long time with all those
kings. [Josh 11:18]
Some things
in life are just distractions; some things are sent to try our faith. We have
to choose our battles wisely. Yet, not everything negative should be taken on
as a battle – sometimes it is just a rustling in the grass of a field by a
brisk breeze, just to keep us alert (watching
and praying).
Yet, when
we have no choice but to go into battle, we then must choose to lay aside fear
and trust God. Our battles may be for a short time or they may be for a long
time. Either way, we must choose to trust God and obey His instructions. Faith
quenches unbelief and our obedience will not be hindered.
God does
know that a sudden crisis will result in fear that washes over us. That is
normal. God is patient with us, fully understanding the frailties of flesh. Yet
He will cause us to hear or see: Do not
be afraid. Trust Me. Be patient for yet awhile longer. Do your part and I shall
surely do Mine.
If you are
not sure what to do, then put on your
armour that you may be able to stand in that evil day, and having done all, to
stand. [Eph 6:13] Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the
Lord […].
When Moses
and the Israelites were up against the Red Sea and the Egyptians were charging after
them, what did Moses say to the people?
And Moses said unto the people, Fear
ye not, stand still, and see the
salvation of the LORD, which He will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom
ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more forever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall
hold your peace. [Ex 14:13, 14]
Even if our
Egyptians (circumstances or Satan and his armies) have placed you in a seemingly
impossible situation, remember how God has delivered you before. Know that He
will be faithful to deliver you out of your present situation too.
He
understands your fears, but choose to trust Him. Do not allow fear to cause
your mouth to get in alignment with Satan’s plans and lies. Our God is a good
and faithful God, fully Sovereign. He knows our fears, treasures our honesty
and truthfulness in our prayers, but He treasures our faith more.
Do not let
Satan steal your hope, kill your trust or destroy your faith in God.
Inspiration from Other Believers
When I was a young preacher, I didn't give much
thought to spiritual warfare. I thought anyone who walked in victory shouldn't
have any problems at all against the devil. To me, it was simply a matter of
resisting him. But soon I found a roaring lion pouncing on my weaknesses with
all his might - and I felt helpless to do battle with him.
All too often I see the devil doing the same
thing to other sincere Christians. I know multitudes of godly servants - people
pure in heart, walking in grace - who have suddenly been overwhelmed by demonic
floods of confusion and despair.
Such Christians can labor diligently for the
Lord for years. Then, one day, Satan injects accusing thoughts into their
minds. And overnight they are overcome with awful troubles - unexpected
temptations, covetousness, depression. Their trials are so deep, strange and mysterious,
these saints have no idea where they came from.
I believe there is only one explanation: Their
troubles are a demonic onslaught. Time after time I have seen this happen to
Christians who are growing by leaps and bounds. At the very peak of their spiritual
growth, Satan puts an old seduction in their path. It may be an old lust -
something they thought they had overcome years before. But now, after years of
living in victory, they're walking a tightrope - teetering on the brink of a
lustful indulgence that could lead them back into terrible bondage.
I received a heart-wrenching letter some time
ago from a dear senior pastor. He wrote, "I'm sixty-five years old, and
the people in my congregation know me as man of prayer. But now, out of
nowhere, evil thoughts have begun to plague me. A lust has come upon me that I
have never experienced in my life.
"I have not succumbed to the temptation.
But I have been in a constant tailspin for months. I know it is an attack from
the enemy. He wants to destroy the ministry God has allowed to prosper here.
Please pray for me." This, I believe, was Satan's attempt to devour that
dear saint of God.
Christian marriages are now under attack like
never before. A couple can love each other for years and then suddenly get mired
in a horrible struggle they don't understand. One minute a faithful spouse
says, "I love my mate" - but the next she shouts, "I can't stand
that man. I don't even want to be around him." What can this be but a
satanic attempt to devour and destroy a godly marriage?
Day after day, these couples grow more
discouraged, tempted and despairing. And soon Satan floods them with other
accusing thoughts: “You can't do anything right. And you don't know God
intimately. You're a phony, a hypocrite. You aren't what people think you are.
You are a poor example of what a Christian mate ought to be."
Beloved, what is happening in that relationship
can't be diagnosed by a counselor, pastor or psychologist. No one can fathom
the destructive spirit that has gripped that marriage. Why? It is supernatural,
demonic - an attack straight from hell. Satan is on the attack against every
home where Jesus is Lord. And he won't rest until he exhausts every device to
devour and bring ruin and chaos.
All of these trials, troubles and temptations
are known as the devil's flood. John writes, "The serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman,
[that she might be] swallowed up which
the dragon cast out of his mouth" (Revelation 12:15-16). Isaiah also warns
that Satan will bring a flood against all who "fear the name of the
Lord...the enemy shall come in like a flood" (Isaiah 59:19).
I have experienced this flood. And multitudes of
believers are being caught up in it right now. They're being flooded with
persecutions, physical attacks, mental harassment, fiery temptations and lusts
out of hell, friends turning against them as enemies. Satan has aimed an
all-out, last-days assault meant to sweep us away in utter despair.
Satan isn't interested in turning you into a
reprobate. All he wants is for you to rebel in just one area of your life. That
will allow him enough room to gain a foothold.
Right now, he has his principalities and powers
on alert to provide him with intelligence reports on our lives. These demonic
entities read our actions and hear our conversation. And when they pick up on a
fleshly weakness in us, they aim all their hellish temptations at that weak
area.
Another excerpt:
We constantly give God deadlines and time limits.
We cry, "Lord, when are You going to do something about this? If You don't
act now, it will be too late!" But God is never too late. He always acts
according to His schedule, not ours.
Our God is always searching the earth for those who
will trust Him in every crisis, trial and hopeless situation. Indeed, He often
leads us into situations that are critical and difficult in order to test us.
He wants to see if we are willing to stand still and wait for Him to bring
supernatural deliverance.
God is absolutely faithful to His children, in
every crisis. He is always asking us, "Will you be one I've been searching
for, one who will not panic, who will not charge Me with forsaking, abandoning
and hurting My children? Will you stand still in your crisis and trust Me to
see you through?"
Excerpt:
Satan envies and fears most those
who have been with God in prayer and are determined to stand up and fight in faith. Satan fears even a small army of those who are girded up in faith for a fight. He cowers before those who are up on their feet and ready to resist. And because he fears you, his design is to neutralize your fighting spirit.
The devil does this by trying to flood your mind with defeating, distracting, hellish thoughts that breed mistrust and questions about God's power. He'll scream into your mind and spirit, "It's no use fighting any more. You are too weak from your personal struggles. You're never going to be an overcomer. The powers of hell are just too big to overcome. So, you might as well relax.
You don't need to be so intense about the battle anymore."
This is all a distraction! Satan's entire strategy is to get you to take your eyes off the victory of the Cross. He wants to turn your focus onto your weaknesses, your sins, your shortcomings - and that's why he turns up the heat of your present problems and sufferings. He wants to make you believe you aren't strong enough to go on. But your strength is not the point: Jesus' strength is!
The fact is, we're all going to be in a fight until we either die or Jesus comes back. We may be given seasons of calm, times of reprieve. But as long as we are on this earth, we are engaged in spiritual warfare. And there is simply no end to these battles. That's why Paul says Jesus has given us weapons that are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. We have been equipped with weapons that Satan cannot withstand: prayer, fasting and faith.
The time has come for us to get our focus unstuck from our current afflictions. We must take our eyes off our trials and fix them on the Captain of this war. Jesus holds the key to all victory and he has promised us: "I have supplied you with every weapon needed for battle. And I am ready and willing to give you strength in times of weakness."
Excerpt:
Dear saint, very soon you're going
to understand your present fiery trials. God is going to bring you into the
promise he gave you and suddenly it's all going to make sense. You'll
see that he has never forsaken you. He had to take you this way, for
he has been training you, preparing you, teaching you to trust him
for everything. He has planned a time for you to be used—and that time
is just ahead!
(Satan will also do his utmost to steer you off the path God has planned for you by finding just causes to send you to some place where God has not ordained for you to be.
You may be married or in a relationship that from the beginning you knew was blessed and ordained from God. You even thanked Him for the relationship, but step by step, Satan interfered. You did not know it was Satan though. You were taken things slow, to be sure.
As time passes, things happen. Satan hits full force and he sends out his best to turn you aside off the path God has ordained, to halt your destiny. His minions have you looking in another direction and convince you that it is God's will. So convincing it is that you get to the point where God or no God, it is what you must do. It would be your ruin. Turning from God and stepping out of His will for you, robbing you of faith, hope and love is always the work of the enemy.
Suddenly, temptations will beset you. You are lured in and pulled further from God's will and plan. Convincing ideas will plague your thoughts.
Satan can see how God is working things to bring you to your destiny. Lucifer (Satan) was at one time a holy angel, in high rank and very close to God. He knows God; however, Satan does not know God's thoughts or plans for you.
He can only speculate. Satan seeks to divide and sever godly relationships, steal your joy and happiness; bring you into unholy unions and rob you of your destiny. He will kill you if he can. All he can do is tempt and throw fiery darts (ideas, thoughts) into your mind. Only you can make the final decision. Beware! Do not give him the victory. Repent and turn back toward God. He will forgive and get you back upon the right path, the straight and narrow path. Eternity is forever. This life is temporal. The second death is real!
Beloved, there have been times
when God has shown me things he has wanted for me—ministry, service,
usefulness—yet every circumstance was the very opposite of that word.
At such times I thought, "Oh, God, this can't be you
speaking; it must be my flesh,"I was being tried by God's word to me but God
has given us his promises and we can trust them, all of them!
Excerpt:
The Lord allows trials to
come our way to test us, but that is not His primary purpose. Rather, our
afflictions are to teach us to walk rightly before Him. The Bible says:
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous . . ." (Psalm 34:19).
According to the psalmist, the point of all our afflictions is for us to learn
from them.
One of our missionary
couples wrote about the situation in the African nation where they are working.
One of the poorest on earth, its situation has been worsened by the long,
bloody civil war there.
The missionaries recently drove to this desperate
country in a truck with a group of Christians from a neighboring country. They
were delivering a load of supplies and were scheduled to attend a meeting that
night across the border. About five miles from the border, their truck started
slowing down. The driver floored the pedal, but the truck’s speed kept
dropping. The team was dejected as they watched the car in front of them pull
away into the distance.
Finally, the team arrived
at the border and instantly the truck’s engine died and simply would not move.
Everyone on the team wondered, "Lord, what is going on?" Suddenly,
the border guards started racing about, shouting excitedly, "There was an
explosion across the border not far from here! One of the warring factions blew
up a car that had just driven in." The missions team realized the car that
had been attacked was the one directly in front of them. If the missions truck
had been running properly, they also would have been attacked.
The next morning, the
driver from the missions team turned the key in the ignition—and the truck
started right up. In fact, it ran fine all the rest of the trip. They
recognized that God’s purposes had been accomplished through this seemingly
troublesome circumstance.
Excerpt:
One of Satan's most effective strategies--and one of a believer's
greatest dangers--is the delusion that no seriously threatening conflict
between good and evil is raging in the invisible and supernatural realm. But
that sort of thinking not only is naive but also leads to lethargy, indifference,
and spiritual stagnation. The war between God and Satan has not diminished but
intensified, and so has its front on this earth.
Our
struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces
of wickedness in the heavenly places."
Paul reminded his readers that the
Christian's struggle is against not only Satan himself, but also the host of
his demon subordinates--a vast army of adversaries, who, like the devil, are
not made of flesh and blood. Our greatest enemy is not the world we see,
corrupt and wicked as it is, but the world we cannot see.'
"Rulers...powers...world
forces of this darkness...spiritual forces of wickedness" describe the
different strata and rankings of those demons and the evil, supernatural empire
in which they operate. Human beings who promote paganism, the occult, and
various other ungodly and immoral movements and programs are but the dupes of
Satan and his demons. They are trapped by their sins and weaknesses into
unwittingly helping to fulfill his schemes.
Each
mention of those supernatural powers is preceded by "against," and each
seems to represent a particular category of demonic activity or hierarchy.
Paul's purpose, however, is not to explain the details of that hierarchy but to
give us some idea of its sophistication and power. We are pitted against an
incredibly evil, potent, and well-organized enemy. Our response should be to
turn to God, who is our source of protection and victory. Source: gty.org
Excerpt:
The life of Joseph began with great promise.
Earlier in his youth, the Lord gave him a dream that showed him that he would
be elevated to a position of great authority. He would rule over his brothers.
Even his father and mother would come bowing down before him. What happened
next? The very opposite of what God had promised. His brothers betrayed him,
sold him as a slave into Egypt, and, because he was faithful to his Egyptian
master, he eventually ended up in prison. He was in fetters, his soul was in iron.
How did Joseph respond to that situation? Did he say to himself, “Everything’s
gone wrong! The Lord’s promise will never come true”? No, I don’t believe that.
It says, “Until the time that the promise came, the word of the Lord tested
him.”
How important it is to see that when the Lord
gives us a promise, many times everything that happens next will seem to be the
very opposite of what God has promised. It’s so important that at times like
that we don’t give up on the promise, we don’t say, “God has forgotten; God has
failed.”
You see, that promise that God gave us is testing us. It’s testing our faith
and our constancy to see if we’ll hold on in the darkest hour. And when we pass
the test, then, like Joseph, the promise will be fulfilled. Source: Derek
Prince 
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of
the LORD in the land of the living. Wait
on the LORD: be of good courage, and
he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. [Ps 27:13, 14]
Sometimes the things we think we ought to do are not the things God planned, but is a diversion of the enemy. Take everything to the Lord, then wait on Him!
ADDENDUM - Feb 8.2016 - I corrected the date from the 7th to 8th.2016, today
As I was looking over the archives, it seems that I have written MUCH about trials of faith. It is true. The longer we walk with Christ Jesus (Yeshua), the more frequent the trials, and the harder it would appear.
It is like going from kindergarten to university - that is the difference in the intensity and the longevity of the trials it seems. I am going to post part of what I had written in March 2013.
There is a prophectic word given, as well as a piece and link from pastor David Wilkerson.
March 13, 2013 - [o3.13.2013]
A Trial like Never
Before
I know you seek answers. You will soon have them.
Fear not. Remember that you war not against flesh and blood. I
comfort My people when they look to Me. Believe Me for the things I speak
to you. You must trust Me. Keep looking to My promise, not swaying,
as surely as you believed in the past.
What I have promised, I AM well able to perform.
He [Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in
faith, giving glory to God;
And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform. [Rom 4:20,
21]
I will not fail you. Your obedience shall be rewarded. This fire
must be, this water of separation, most necessary. Fear not; neither be
dismayed. I have not lied to you. I AM not man that I should
lie. All is in My hands.
Every
thing that may abide the fire, you shall make it go through the fire, and it
shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation:
and all that abides not the fire you shall make go through the water. [Num 31:33]
God is
not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent:
has He said, and shall not do it? or has He spoken, and shall He not make it
good? [Num 23:19]
Each obedient step you take is one more step towards victory, and one step
further away from defeat. Continue to praise and worship.
I know and realize how difficult this is. Many of My people
are going through this difficult, sometimes painful process. The entire
body of Christ shall go through - this trial of your faith is to purify and
strengthen My people for that which is coming.
Evil of immeasurable
proportions is almost here, yet so are the long-awaited miracles. Hold
fast to Me, so you will not fall away! I will not work around
unbelief. Faith pleases Me.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except
there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition. [2Thess 2:3]
And
all wept, and bewailed her: but He said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleeps. And they laughed (unbelief) Him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
And He put them all out,
and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and He commanded to give
her meat. [Lk
8:52-55]
And He
did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. [Mat 13:58]
And He marveled because
of their unbelief. And He went around about the village teaching. [Mk 6:6]
It is a battle over you - against My true children (God's people); fear not for you will come
out and through victorious, as you cleave to My Son, as you trust in
Me.
Do not look around in and fear. See the fire in My eyes and know that I
AM walking with you, though the flames in this furnace of affliction are
intense.
Fear not. I AM not a cruel Father, yet this is a necessary
process - the perfecting of your faith. Trust Me. Know Me and rest
- knowing that all things work together for good, to those who love Me and are
the called, according to My purpose. Speak My word. Stand on it and
believe. Fear not.
I understand the challenges and struggles of the flesh. Trust Me. No
matter what report you see or hear, know that your victory is in My hand, as
you willingly obey and follow My instructions.
Continue on in the dying
to self, for after you have completed that which I ask of you, I shall call you
forth, just as Lazarus was called forth, and all shall marvel at My
resurrection power.
Go thru, go thru, go thru - it is almost time. Finish the
course - I AM with you. It is only for a little longer. Though the
vision seem to tarry, it shall not tarry. It shall be right on time and
as suddenly as things were in the past. You must have faith to believe
that you can overcome - overcome the enemy and the flesh. For if the
enemy overcomes you; you shall over come him at the last.
These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you might have peace.
In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world. For they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and loved not their lives unto death. [Jn 16:33;Rev 12:11]
Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he
shall overcome at the last. [Gen49:19]
You must come to the place where you truly believe the unbelievable and trust
Me for the impossible. Again I say, this trial is for the perfecting of
your faith - My people shall walk
by faith and not by sight.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walks about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in
the faith, knowing that the same
afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. [1Pet 5:9]
Against hope, believe in hope. I have been waiting for you to obey Me in all things, no matter how trivial it
may seem to be.
Who against hope believed
in hope, that he (Abraham) might become the father of many
nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall your descendants
be. [Rom 4:18]
Man always has so many
questions. When one question is answered, more present themselves.
all My people struggle within themselves in one way or another - even the
proud. [Gal 5:16, 17]
Are you willing to do
that which I ask of you? Will you take it from head knowledge, which
says, 'Not my will, but Your will be done...', to heart service, which does
perform that which I ask of you?
How many times have I told you that flesh will fight you?
When the adversary sees you walking in obedience, humbling your flesh, he will
come at you. If Satan came to My Son Jesus in the desert wilderness, as
He humbled himself with fasting, shall he ignore you in your moments of
humility and weakness?
When Satan spoke My
words, twisting them in order to cause My Son to sin, shall he not use My words
against you, to cause you to sin, to doubt, to fear? You must cling to
Christ Jesus, My Son and be grounded in My word. Fear not.
You are believing for a promise as impossible to you, as My
promise to Abraham seemed impossible to him. Yes, he struggled; yes, he
had doubts. Abraham and Sarah had no internet to research miracles and
testimonies. They could not pick up a phone and ask for prayer.
They did not have a book that contained My written word.
They had My spoken
word. They had each other - they looked to Me, yet they still went
through struggles. Ishmael was the result of struggle and doubt, as well
as impatience in waiting for Me to fulfill My promise.
Do what I ask of
you. Time is short - all know it. I desire to perfect your faith
and bring this chapter to a close with the fruition (manifestation) of My
promise to you.
Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from
evil.
It shall be health to
your navel, and marrow to your bones. [Prov 3;5-8]
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in
faith, giving glory to God. [Rom
4:20]
And Jesus looking upon
them said, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things
are possible. [Mk 10:27]
After I wrote the above,
I was looking for something and came across a sermon by David Wilkerson. Below,
David Wilkerson said: (emphasis is mine - BP)
We are facing in the
Church of Jesus Christ a crisis
of faith. The hardest part of faith is the last half hour and just
before the victory; we give up, turning away from God with a evil heart of
unbelief.
God will lead us into
places where we are shut up and nothing short of a miracle will get us out of the situation. It
is in these places of hopeless
crisis that God will come
through to glorify His name.
We must stand on the
promises of God with a heart full of faith declaring that God is faithful. Our
faith will be tried, as by fire.
Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in
the latter times some shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils [1Tim 1:1]
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to
be revealed in the last time. Wherein you greatly rejoice,
though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
for His glory
Bonita
dovesofthevalleys4@gmail.com
