Miracles and Victory: November 2006

Matthew 4: The Temptation of Jesus
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'[a]" 5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'[b]"
7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'[c]" 8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'[d]" 11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Footnotes:
Matthew 4:4 Deut. 8:3
Matthew 4:6 Psalm 91:11,12
Matthew 4:7 Deut. 6:16
Matthew 4:10 Deut. 6:13
Pasted from <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%204:1-11&version=31>

Satan disguises himself as an angel of light and his followers pretend to be servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11;14-15). Satan offers sugar-coated temptations, but we can see through and resist this enemy's clever strategy.

Why do you think you find defeat when you expect a victory because you are feeling spiritually strong and elated?
Pride can give you a false sense of security. When we come to know defeat we have not carefully prepared ourselves for the battle. We have open doors. We have to examine ourselves, ask the Holy Spirit to examine us to reveal open doors that we may have that is allowing the enemy the right to enter us.

Satan used Jesus' title as the Son of God (Matthew 3:17) as a way of attacking him through an open door, questioning his power and authority, trying to raise doubts and fears and apprehensions. This is representative of the fact that God's calling must be tested. The Spirit empowers us for our mission by leading us into a place that is dangerous and inhospitable (the wilderness) where we are tested (4:1, 3, 6). Restrained by God's favor, Jesus provides the perfect model for triumph during testing.

When God calls and empowers us to do something for him, we can expect to be tested commensurate with the seriousness of your call. Satan may not show up in person but you will be tested at a supernatural level and your hardships may seem unbearable apart form the grace of God.

Testing is good: it matures us that we know the depth of God's grace that sustains us. Truly triumphant and humble servants, boast not in success but in God's empowerment without which we cannot overcome. Jesus proceeded into the dessert only after the Father had empowered him in the Spirit.

Satan used three distinct attack tactics to tempt Jesus:
Hunger vs Authority: Jesus was not to demonstrate his power over nature to turn stones into bread. Jesus did not use his spiritual power as a formula for personal pleasure or gain. He acted from an intimate, obedient personal relationship with his Father. Humbled, Jesus knew that God provides bread in the wilderness and he accepted his Father's call in the wilderness and waited for his Father to act for him.

Authority vs Faith, Trust and Obedience; Satan wants Jesus to presume on his relationship with God, to act as if God were there to serve his Son rather than the reverse. This is also echoed later in the Bible of the Pharisee theology "if Jesus is God's Son, let God rescue him from the cross." When people become so arrogant as to think we have God figured out, we can easily miss God's true purposes and become Satan's mouthpieces. "Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?" (Lam 3:37)

Power vs Authority: abuse of his power and calling for selfish ends. God identifies Jesus as his Son and now the devil tries to redefine the nature of Jesus' sonship "(…) if you are the Son of God (…). Satan invites Jesus not to deny his sonship but to act according to worldly expectations for that role. This is a warning to all of us from God who has called not to let the world define the content of our call. We must acknowledge God's right not only to determine what to label our calling but also to define what that label means. We can begin our mission only once we have demonstrated that our commitment is to God who called us and that we will let him righter than human honor define the nature of our call.

Carnal versus spiritual battles.
It is important to note that not everything that happens to us is a spiritual battle. We can mess up our own lives very well and often do while blaming it upon the enemy. We do this so that we don't have to take responsibility for something or be held accountable for our own deliberate acts or incompetence. Whether we have messed up our finances, relationships, defied the law and are punished with imprisonment, etc., it's easier to blame the enemy than to face what we have done. We make excuses so that we do not have to grow. The truth of the matter is that if we believe we walk in faith and experience a carnal or spiritual battle, we have an open door someplace and we need to ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit to repent and close the door. Anything not done in faith is sin - if you think you are without sin you lie!
○ Pride is deadly whether spiritual or carnal! It is important that YOU take ALL battles to the Lord whether spiritual or carnal - in fact you are suppose to (Psalm 139:23).
○ He can AND WILL turn any carnal battle into a spiritual victory! (Genesis 50:20.) You have to give it ALL to Him and ask him to search you to reveal the open doors to you (Psalm 139:23).
○ We are called to walk in love and to submit to the leaders that God has placed in authority including those within government and we are called to abide in the laws of the land KNOWING our confidence and love is with the Lord (Romans 13).

Recognizing healthy God-ordained relationships.
It takes work to maintain any healthy relationship. We monitor the health of our spiritual relationships in faith through fear and trembling. To build relationships we are constantly getting to know one another, the same is true of God. Although God does not change, as we grow in relationship with Him, we change and as we do, our relationship deepens with Him as He constantly reveals more of Himself and His character to us-we learn to trust Him in the little things just as He learns to trust us in the small things. As this trust grows, we are willing to trust Him in greater areas of our life and He is also able to trust us with larger tasks. Therefore, we must be constantly in prayer and in the Word asking Him to guide us and to reveal himself to us, and to conform and to transform us into His perfect will for His greater glory. The amouont of glory we give to God during this process mirrors our amount of trust through humility and thus the extent of our own surrender to His plan. We cannot fool God, he sees our heart - our deepest intentions.

Discernment.
Remember that the truth is completely portable and complete in and of itself. It does not need the understanding of this world or of men to be whole, complete, accurate, or true.
○ If what you are hearing cannot be preached in any pulpit anywhere in the world independent of culture and tradition, it is NOT biblical truth - it is a distortion of the truth blended with the understanding of this world, logic, or is laced with the understanding of men! God is not a respector of persons. His ways are NOT our ways!
○ If what you are hearing is not built upon the solid foundation of relationship through faith, it is a distortion of the truth! You must take ALL thoughts captive and DISCERN all spirits whether they appear to be from God or of God - the Pharisees were religious leaders and appeared to be the true men of God or God ordained. They lacked God-fidence by preaching tradition and culture, leaning upon their own knowledge and understanding rather than divine inspiration through relationship.
○ God-fidence is knowing the character of God better than you know yourself and TRUSTING that MORE than you can trust yourself AND others!
○ You discern by researching Biblical truths yourself. In prayer for guidance through the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the truth, look up the Biblical references offered and read what the Father is truly trying to say. Read the entire chapter or even the entire book of the bible to get the context the scripture is actually referring to. Cross reference words in the original Greek and Hebrew scriptures to find their true meaning. Do NOT lean upon your own or the understanding of others - you cannot build a relationship with anyone to whom you do not address personally and the same is true of God. Get the perspective of others, find how the Spirit moves in their lives; but ask for the Spirit of Truth to be revealed to you.

Spiritual battles.
A spiritual battle can be anything that displays or destroys anything that which is not consistent with the character and truth of the Father demonstrated through His son, Christ Jesus. It is IMPORTANT to know that NO ONE is immune from the attacks of the enemy! Jesus sustained many attacks from the enemy - he was not immune as the Son of God and neither are we! We need to be able to recognize not only attacks against ourselves, but also attacks against other believers, especially those in authority.
○ How do we recognize attacks from other believers? Because we are charged with the duty of exhortation and rebuking, often times believers are used by the enemy (and sometimes just knowingly because of spiritual pride, etc.) use the authority of exhortation and rebuking as reasons to accuse or to condemn. When other believers speak what they contend is prophecy, or accuse, or condemn, the enemy is using them to speak through. The open door lies with the accuser and condemner and is often spiritual pride.
○ When God speaks through others, he does so in love with the intent of His greater glory for His will to be done (not the will of the church or of our friends). His perspective is world-wide - universally true. His love is for everyone and reflects in true believers. If the decision is NOT for the good of the greater whole or will not give glory to the Lord, if it is inconsistent with His TRUE character (not the character often preached - look everything up!) it is not from God! Since we often cannot discern what God's plan truly is because we cannot fathom the depth, width, and breadth of His love, we have to take what is spoken to the Lord who will either confirm or deny. It is important that WE DO take ALL matters to the Lord, not our friends in body, but to the Father for guidance. He is the final and Most High authority and your relationship with Him is the MOST IMPORTANT, not relationship in the church or with other believers or even the authority structure within the church - but with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
○ This is not meant to discredit the church, church leadership, or other believers - remember that NO ONE is exempt from attacks of the enemy!

§ Not everyone who prophesizes is of God and not every "prophecy" is from God. This is why we need to take every thought captive and to weigh and discern ALL spirits - without respect from their source.
§ God will NEVER accuse or condemn. If someone is exhorting and it is not truth, that person is not acting under the authority from Christ or from the Father.
□ Exhortation and rebuking is done through love and in accordance with the character of the Father as displayed through His Son. If what you are hearing from an individual is not out of love, it is not from the Father.
□ If the person exhorts and rebukes and says that they love you, you must weigh their words with their actions and discern the truth. You must discern true believers by their fruits!
□ You know it's an accusation because they are speaking something that isn't true about you.
□ They are condemning if what they are speaking is not true or they fail to note that repentance is required for forgiveness.
□ People who are gossiping within a church, are NEVER of God and it doesn't matter what their position is within the church. There is nothing godly or holy about gossip!

In individual believers, assaults have the intent to destroy our faith and undermine our relationship with the Lord. They can harm you physically, emotionally, physiologically, mentally, and materially with the ultimate goal of destroying you or others spiritually. An attack on a believer can be masked, he is the great deceiver. The enemy can use you as a weapon to assault others as well. In this instance, you are both under attack.
○ Individual strongholds are reoccurring and consistent thoughts and beliefs that appear to be from God or holy, but lack a measure of consistency with biblical truths either in character, thought, faith, or deed. They are often passed from one generation to another and thus become what appears to be a 'generational curse.'

§ These are prevalent in individuals who have studied the Word without the guidance of the Holy Spirit but have rather leaned upon their own understanding, logic of the world, or the understanding of others.
§ Often times these people are avid church goers. They attend church regularly and are under the authority of church leadership.
§ These individuals can be in authority within a church! Often church leadership will preach tradition and culture rather than the truth - this creates strategic regional strongholds while impairing the entire body of Christ.
§ These individuals often appear to have a strong knowledge of the Word, but lack relationship in one or more area or facet. The enemy knows the word also and he knows the areas in which we do not have a strong relationship or faith (open door). Believing that we know the truth with our own mind rather than through our heart in total relationship and faith is an attack!

Geographic strongholds.
Strongholds: Regions, cities, public events, and common areas can fall under the attack of the enemy as well. This is evident when you enter a town, city, state, geographical region, etc., and notice that most individuals within the town practice the same unholy behaviors or share the same mindset concerning distorted biblical truths. Begin reading in Acts 17 verse 16 through to the end to find out how Paul recognized a regional idolatry and how it stirred in his spirit and what he did about it. Read also Acts 16 beginning in verse 6 if you think it always the will of the Father that you go into anywhere you like without the annointing and authority to do so!
○ The enemy has blocked the gift of Spirit in discernment over the area and this affects the hearts of the people.
○ These people can APPEAR to be walking with the Lord (and believe they are walking with the Lord) but are in fact practicing rituals, engaging in behaviors, or believing in truths that ARE NOT consistent with biblical principles but are in fact part of a culture or tradition - the ways of men (the world) rather than the true ways of the Father.

§ Remember the enemy knows and believes in God the Father as well as Christ Jesus and ALL the disciples both in the Bible and walking today. The enemy doesn't worship the Father or acknowledge, accept, or respect the authority of Christ or the Holy Spirit. The enemy however does know that believers do in fact worship the Father AND acknowledge the authority of Christ and the Holy Spirit.
§ The enemy knows the truth - knows the Word - and knows you very well, your weaknesses and desperations.
§ The enemy has no need to exalt God and wants nothing eternal from Him including salvation. The enemy has nothing to lose, hell was prepared for him and his angels as well as those who choose to follow the enemy. The enemy knows their destiny just as well as true believers know their destiny. AND the enemy knows the destiny of believers also and the enemy knows it is NOT with him.

○ This is truly a desperate situation because these individuals believe they are truly saved while they uphold the beliefs of men (tradition or culture) more avidly than the truths of the Father. This is idolatry and spiritual pride.
○ Twisting truth is the first tactic of the enemy because it is so easy to do. The enemy knows our weaknesses and knows that we breed our weaknesses into our offspring.
○ This stronghold is built up over time making it very difficult to both recognize by believers and thus to bring down.
○ It takes a specially trained spiritual warrior (God ordained and heavily anointed) to recognize the symptoms, signs, and distortion and then to pray accordingly the will of the Father - not our own will!
○ The Father reveals that there are false and foolish shepherds and how we can recognize them: "For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hoofs" (Zechariah 11:15-17). We these false leaders in authority by their selfish ambitions and personal agendas: they do not care for the lost sheep or seek to sanctify the young (newly saved believers), or to heal the wounds, or even to feed the healthy believers proper spiritual nutrition - but instead will often be brutal to the choice of the believers - those who walk the most holy paths.
○ When the Spirit of the Lord begins to pour out over an area, then His process of healing can begin: "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2Ch 7:14). The process is simply that believers must humble (repent) themselves, seek His face, turn from their ways - ONLY then will the Father hear from Heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land! Read and discern this entire chapter in 2 Chronicles.
Choosing battles.
You fight carnal battles with carnal weapons after consulting with the Father and following His guidance and processes in obedience, faith, and in truth.

You fight spiritual battles with spiritual weapons after consulting with the Father acting under the authority of Christ Jesus, using spiritual weaponry AFTER repenting, forgiving, cleansing, and putting on your spiritual armor AND then being sent into the battle under the annoiting of the Holy Spirit. Do not go into battle that you have NOT been ordained to fight (even if you feel you are ready!). Read Acts 19:13-16 if you think it is up to you fight ANY spiritual battle in the name of Jesus if you have NOT been annoited to do so! Acts 6:16-17 "Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not." The Father prepares the heart of the inhabitants to receive the word and if the Father has not completed His work then YOU cannot just enter into anywhere you believe you should go. YOU MUST BE ORDAINED to do so!

Only through Christ can you know victory!
○ Exercising spiritual authority over carnal battles doesn't work. You have to recognize the spiritual nature of the battle, admit that the battle is the Lords, consult with the Lord concerning the victory, and then fight the battle (as directed by the Holy Spirit in the absence of flesh and personal will) through direction of the Holy Spirit.
○ Fighting battles without asking the Lord to search your heart and mind and to show you what to do and how to do won't work.
○ Using carnal weapons to fight carnal battles without knowing who you are in Christ and consulting with the Father won't work.
○ Fighting spiritual battles without repenting causes unnecessary casualties of spiritual war.
○ Fighting spiritual battles and strongholds in yourself, others, or over geographic regions won't work if you don't follow God-ordained processes.
○ Praying your own will rather than the will of Father is witchcraft. Learn how to pray and when to pray AND never lay hands on anyone until you get the matter cleared up!
○ If you think you know the mind of the Father and the perfect will of God, stop thinking! (Romans 8:26-27, Romans 11:34, 1 Chronicles 28:9, Job 38:36, Psalm 7:9, Jeremiah 19:5)

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Friday, November 17, 2006

God-fidence

Know Your Enemy

Spiritual Battles