What exactly is a stronghold?
A stronghold is an incorrect thinking pattern that has molded itself into our way of thinking. These strongholds have the capability to affect our feelings how we respond to various situations in life and they play a large role in our spiritual freedom.
Where do strongholds come from?
Strongholds are built upon deception and error. These errors and deceptions which form strongholds can come from a wide variety of sources, including our environment, those around us, our parents or even demon spirits. I have seen where people have picked up a demon, then the demon quickly builds one or more strongholds in their mind that must be later torn down.
How do you tear down strongholds?
Since strongholds are built upon error and deception it is through the truth that you tear down such faulty thinking patterns. Strongholds are built when we accept and receive error and begin to meditate on them. It forms in our minds what is known as an imagination, a false concept that we believe to be true, but in reality is not. The Bible speaks about these imaginations clearly, and shows us how they can be torn down:
2 Corinthians 10:4, "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) <span>Casting down imaginations</span>, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
The renewing of our minds and strongholds
We know that strongholds and imaginations must be cast down, but how? By being transformed through the renewing of our minds:
Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
As our minds are renewed, we may prove (discern) what is good, acceptable and perfect, and the will of God. These things are some of the very things that strongholds rise themselves against! Their minds need to be renewed, and as those strongholds come down they will be able to see God's will and respond.
How are our minds renewed and cleansed? Through the washing of the Word our minds are transformed and strongholds are torn down. Spending time and meditating on the Word of God washes our minds and corrects our false thinking patters (strongholds).
Ephesians 5:26-27, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
As we meditate and wash our minds with God's Word, we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds, and we will come to know the will of God, and discern what is right, perfect and good. Our strongholds, which are based upon error and deception will not stand a chance as the light of God's Word (truth) is shed upon those areas of our minds.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
How God See's Us!
How God sees us: An important key to faith!
This is another big key to positioning ourselves to trust God with the issues of our life. It is very important to know how God sees us, what He thinks about us, and what His desires for us are. How can you trust somebody who you aren't really sure is looking out for your best interest? How can you freely put your life in the hands of somebody who you perceive may use you and not be trustworthy? That is one of the fundamental reasons why Christians today have a hard time trusting God. They know little about Him and how He sees and has good things in mind for them! Therefore, studying up how God sees us, and getting it down into our spirits that He really does love us, desires good things for us, and cares for us, is vital to our ability to trust Him.
Far too many times, sincere followers of Christ are seeing their heavenly Father in a terrible, and twisted way. Satan has many believing that their cancer is something that God's given them so that they can become a better person. Yet when you look at the fruit of cancer, the fruit is hospital bills, dangerous treatment, and ultimately the grave! Besides, cancer is known to be a spiritually rooted disease, and involves infirmity spirits (demons). Why on earth would a loving and caring Father, give His child an evil spirit to make them a better person? Do you see the terrible picture that is painted of God when we think this way... all due to lack of knowledge on our behalf? Just because your prayer for healing doesn't work, does not mean that it's God's will... there are a lot of factors that can be involved in the healing process. Many times, there are spiritual roots to sicknesses and diseases, other times there's faith required, and if Jesus told His own disciples that they lacked faith, then how much more does the average Christian today!
The truth is that there are a lot of things which take place on this earth which are not the will of God. Just because something happens here on earth, does not mean that it was God's will that it happened that way. If it were, then it means that every time a woman is raped, or a child is molested, or a father is murdered... then it would have to be the will of God. That kind of thinking is absolutely absurd! If God willed such things, it would make Him out to be a terrible god who has no love in his heart! The Bible tells us to pray that God's will will take place here on earth, as it does in heaven:
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-10
What happens in heaven? Is there sickness, disease, and poverty in heaven? Then what makes us think that
those things are God's will here on earth then?
One of the biggest keys to Christian faith, is to get it down into your spirit that God truly loves and cares for you. I believe that God's Word makes it clear that unless we know the height and depth of the love of God, we cannot be filled with His fullness:
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.
His will be done!
This is another big key to positioning ourselves to trust God with the issues of our life. It is very important to know how God sees us, what He thinks about us, and what His desires for us are. How can you trust somebody who you aren't really sure is looking out for your best interest? How can you freely put your life in the hands of somebody who you perceive may use you and not be trustworthy? That is one of the fundamental reasons why Christians today have a hard time trusting God. They know little about Him and how He sees and has good things in mind for them! Therefore, studying up how God sees us, and getting it down into our spirits that He really does love us, desires good things for us, and cares for us, is vital to our ability to trust Him.
Far too many times, sincere followers of Christ are seeing their heavenly Father in a terrible, and twisted way. Satan has many believing that their cancer is something that God's given them so that they can become a better person. Yet when you look at the fruit of cancer, the fruit is hospital bills, dangerous treatment, and ultimately the grave! Besides, cancer is known to be a spiritually rooted disease, and involves infirmity spirits (demons). Why on earth would a loving and caring Father, give His child an evil spirit to make them a better person? Do you see the terrible picture that is painted of God when we think this way... all due to lack of knowledge on our behalf? Just because your prayer for healing doesn't work, does not mean that it's God's will... there are a lot of factors that can be involved in the healing process. Many times, there are spiritual roots to sicknesses and diseases, other times there's faith required, and if Jesus told His own disciples that they lacked faith, then how much more does the average Christian today!
The truth is that there are a lot of things which take place on this earth which are not the will of God. Just because something happens here on earth, does not mean that it was God's will that it happened that way. If it were, then it means that every time a woman is raped, or a child is molested, or a father is murdered... then it would have to be the will of God. That kind of thinking is absolutely absurd! If God willed such things, it would make Him out to be a terrible god who has no love in his heart! The Bible tells us to pray that God's will will take place here on earth, as it does in heaven:
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-10
What happens in heaven? Is there sickness, disease, and poverty in heaven? Then what makes us think that
those things are God's will here on earth then?
One of the biggest keys to Christian faith, is to get it down into your spirit that God truly loves and cares for you. I believe that God's Word makes it clear that unless we know the height and depth of the love of God, we cannot be filled with His fullness:
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.
His will be done!
Gospel of The Kingdom!
What is the kingdom of God? I believe it is where God's will is done. Jesus prayed and asked that the Father's kingdom comes, and that His will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus said that if He casts out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon them (see Luke 11:20). The kingdom of God, therefore, is where the will of God is carried out here on earth! It involves doing the things that Jesus went about doing... liberating the captives (casting out demons), healing the sick, and raising the dead! Jesus directly connected healing the sick in with the kingdom of God coming upon the people:
And heal the sick ( not just pray for the sick) this makes many christians nervous..that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come unto you.
Luke 10:9
In another passage, Jesus sent forth the disciples to preach the kingdom of God. I believe you could safely replace kingdom with the words, "The will of God here on earth." Yes it is God's will for man to be saved, but the kingdom of God, as we can see in the passage above, is more than just forgiveness of sins, but also physical healing, and also deliverance! Therefore, I believe that the kingdom of God refers to where the will of God is being done on earth as it is in heaven
And heal the sick ( not just pray for the sick) this makes many christians nervous..that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come unto you.
Luke 10:9
In another passage, Jesus sent forth the disciples to preach the kingdom of God. I believe you could safely replace kingdom with the words, "The will of God here on earth." Yes it is God's will for man to be saved, but the kingdom of God, as we can see in the passage above, is more than just forgiveness of sins, but also physical healing, and also deliverance! Therefore, I believe that the kingdom of God refers to where the will of God is being done on earth as it is in heaven
DEVIL casting..DEAD person raising...SICK healing Christian!!
Did you know that Jesus didn't simply give instruction to go out and preach the gospel, but also to cast out demons and heal the sick while we're at it? God's Word makes it clear that we are to go fourth preaching the gospel... but we are to also be actively healing the sick and casting out demons as well!
Matthew 10:7-8, "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give."
This concept of casting out demons being integrated with our proclaiming the gospel is something that Jesus demonstrated to us in His own ministry:
Mark 1:21,23-25, "And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught... And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him."
Here's another example of how Jesus was teaching, and halted His sermon to set a person free from the grip of a demonic spirit:
Luke 13:10-12, "And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity."
God's Word tells us clearly that casting out devils was a very real and important part of Jesus' preaching the gospel!
Mark 1:39, "And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils."
Jesus' disciples followed this same pattern!
Not only did Jesus set the example, but His disciples were actively following in His footsteps...
Mark 3:14-15, "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:"
Here again, we see preaching followed up with casting out demons! So what happened in those disciples' ministries?
Mark 6:12-13, "And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them."
It didn't stop with the 12... Jesus also had the 70 going fourth preaching and driving out unclean spirits...
Luke 10:1, "After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come..."
Luke 10:17, "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name."
It didn't end there...
As Jesus' Heavenly Father hath sent Him fourth, so He also sends us fourth...
John 20:21, "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you"
In other words, we are to be carrying out the same work that Jesus was carrying out when He was here on earth! We are Christ's ambassadors; we are His representatives here on earth today...
2 Corinthians 5:20, "Now then we are ambassadors (that is, representatives) for Christ..."
Jesus made it clear that those who believe upon Him will be following in His footsteps, doing the same things that He was doing...
John 14:12, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
What works did Jesus go about doing? He went about healing the sick and casting out devils! If we believe upon Him, then we are quite capable of doing those same things! This concept is written in black and white when Jesus said...
Mark 16:15,17-18, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature... And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
You and I are fully capable of driving out demons today... and as we go fourth and preach the gospel, I encourage you to make yourself available as the Lord places people in your path who need deliverance.
IF WE ARE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST THEN THIS IS THE EXAMPLE THAT WAS SET!
Matthew 10:7-8, "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give."
This concept of casting out demons being integrated with our proclaiming the gospel is something that Jesus demonstrated to us in His own ministry:
Mark 1:21,23-25, "And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught... And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him."
Here's another example of how Jesus was teaching, and halted His sermon to set a person free from the grip of a demonic spirit:
Luke 13:10-12, "And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity."
God's Word tells us clearly that casting out devils was a very real and important part of Jesus' preaching the gospel!
Mark 1:39, "And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils."
Jesus' disciples followed this same pattern!
Not only did Jesus set the example, but His disciples were actively following in His footsteps...
Mark 3:14-15, "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:"
Here again, we see preaching followed up with casting out demons! So what happened in those disciples' ministries?
Mark 6:12-13, "And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them."
It didn't stop with the 12... Jesus also had the 70 going fourth preaching and driving out unclean spirits...
Luke 10:1, "After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come..."
Luke 10:17, "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name."
It didn't end there...
As Jesus' Heavenly Father hath sent Him fourth, so He also sends us fourth...
John 20:21, "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you"
In other words, we are to be carrying out the same work that Jesus was carrying out when He was here on earth! We are Christ's ambassadors; we are His representatives here on earth today...
2 Corinthians 5:20, "Now then we are ambassadors (that is, representatives) for Christ..."
Jesus made it clear that those who believe upon Him will be following in His footsteps, doing the same things that He was doing...
John 14:12, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
What works did Jesus go about doing? He went about healing the sick and casting out devils! If we believe upon Him, then we are quite capable of doing those same things! This concept is written in black and white when Jesus said...
Mark 16:15,17-18, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature... And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
You and I are fully capable of driving out demons today... and as we go fourth and preach the gospel, I encourage you to make yourself available as the Lord places people in your path who need deliverance.
IF WE ARE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST THEN THIS IS THE EXAMPLE THAT WAS SET!
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