Back in August of this year, GOD was calling a fast.
8-19 blog post
It wasn't just me, others in the church were being called too. I was kind of hit and miss and didn't do very well. With the exception of my wife, I don't have any evidence that anybody else did anything either. Actually, quite the contrary, all evidence shows that we did NOT fast as GOD said.
[Side note: my wife's fasting ushered in the beginning of Children's Church, and we saw a soul saved.]
Meanwhile, the pastor's health has been failing, one of the elders had colon cancer, a stroke, and is still suffering through chemo. Another elder has gone from a cane to a walker.
I prayed, prayed, prayed some more. So many things coming at me...
Joel 1:12b LITV ...
joy has dried up from the sons of men
Joel 1:16 LITV Is not the food cut off before our eyes,
joy and gladness from the house of our God?
Some of the new church members are not what they portray themselves to be.
GOD said "pray without ceasing" [1Thessalonians 5:17] and "wait" [Isaiah 40:31].
I put the pastor on GOD's altar and took my hands off. His health got worse.
I asked GOD if I could stand between HIM and HIS altar and move the hindrance that was preventing the pastor from being healed.
GOD showed me a stronghold, a demonic stronghold.
My question is,
"How do we 'invite people to church' without inviting unwanted spirits and other evil things into the church too?"
Seeking GODly, wise council [Proverbs 1:2-5, Psalm 1:1], I was advised to fast, pray, and seek GOD for names to the spirits occupying the stronghold.
Here's the WORD of GOD-
"Strongholds"
2 Corinthians 10:4 LITV (4) for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful to God to the demolishion of strongholds,
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"Infirmity"
Luke 13:11 LITV And, behold, there was a woman having a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent together and was not able to be completely erect.
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"Fornication"
Romans 1:28-32 LITV And even as they did not think fit to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do the things not right, (29) having been filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, iniquity, covetousness, malice, being full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, evil habits, becoming whisperers, (30) slanderers, God-haters, insolent, proud, braggarts, devisers of evil things, disobedient to parents, (31) without discernment, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful, (32) who knowing the righteous order of God, that those practicing such things are worthy of death, not only do them, but also approve those practicing them.
1 Corinthians 5:1-13 LITV (1) Everywhere it is heard that fornication is among you, and such fornication which is not named among the heathen, so as for one to have his father's wife. (2) And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that did this deed might be taken from your midst. (3) For as being absent in body, but being present in spirit, I have already judged the one who has worked out this thing, as if I were present: (4) In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together with my spirit also, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, (5) to deliver such a one to Satan for destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (6) Your boast is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens all the lump? (7) Then purge out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For also Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. (8) So let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of malice and of evil, but with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (9) I wrote to you in the letter not to associate with fornicators; (10) and not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or with plunderers, or with idolaters, since then you must go out of the world. (11) But now I wrote to you not to associate intimately; if anyone is called a brother and is either a fornicator, or a covetous one, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a plunderer, with such a one not to eat. (12) For what is it to me also to judge the ones outside? Do you not judge those inside? (13) But God will judge the ones outside. "And you shall put out from yourselves the evil one." Deut. 17:7
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 LITV (9) Or do you not know that unjust ones will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be led astray, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, (10) nor thieves, nor covetous ones, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor plunderers shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:13-20 LITV (13) Foods for the belly, and the belly for foods, but God will destroy both this and these. But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. (14) And God both raised up the Lord, and He will raise us up through His power. (15) Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Then taking the members of Christ, shall I make them members of a harlot? Let it not be! (16) Or do you not know that he being joined to a harlot is one body? For He says, "The two shall be into one flesh." Gen. 2:24 (17) But the one being joined to the Lord is one spirit. (18) Flee fornication. Every sin which a man may do is outside the body, but he doing fornication sins against his own body. (19) Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit in you, which you have from God, and you are not of yourselves? (20) You were bought with a price; then glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are of God.
1 Corinthians 10:8 LITV (8) Nor should we commit fornication, as some of them fornicated, and twenty three thousand fell in one day.
2 Corinthians 12:20-21 LITV (20) For I fear lest somehow, coming, I not find you as I wish, and I be found by you such as you do not wish; lest somehow there be strifes, envyings, angers, rivalries, evil speakings, whisperings, puffings up, disturbances; (21) that it not be, in my having come again my God may humble me with you, and I shall mourn many of those having previously sinned and not having repented over the uncleanness and fornication and lustful acts which they have practiced.
Galatians 5:19-21 LITV Now the works of the flesh are clearly revealed, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lustfulness, (20) idolatry, sorcery, enmities, fightings, jealousies, angers, rivalries, divisions, heresies, (21) envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and things like these; of which I tell you beforehand, as I also said before, that the ones practicing such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:3-8 LITV But let not fornication, and all uncleanness, or greediness, be named among you, as is fitting for saints; (4) also baseness, and foolish talking, or joking (the things not becoming), but rather thanksgiving. (5) For be knowing this, that every fornicator, or unclean one, or covetous one, who is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (6) Let no one deceive you with empty words, for through these things the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience. (7) Then do not become partakers with them; (8) for you then were darkness, but are now light in the Lord; walk as children of light.
Colossians 3:5-10 LITV Then put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil lust, and covetousness, which is idolatry; (6) on account of which things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience, (7) among whom you also walked at one time, when you were living in these. (8) But now, you also, put off all these things: wrath, anger, malice, evil-speaking, shameful speech out of your mouth. (9) Do not lie to one another, having put off the old man with his practices, (10) and having put on the new, having been renewed in full knowledge according to the image of the One creating him,
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 LITV (3) For this is God's will, your sanctification, for you to abstain from fornication, (4) each one of you to know to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, (5) not in passion of lust, even as also the nations do, not knowing God; (6) not to go beyond and to overreach his brother in the matter, because the avenger concerning all these is the Lord, even as we told you before, and solemnly testified. (7) For God did not call us to impurity, but in purity. (8) Therefore, the one that despises does not despise man, but God, even He giving His Holy Spirit to us.
Jude 1:7-8 LITV as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, in like manner to these, committing fornication, and going away after other flesh, laid down an example before-times, undergoing vengeance of everlasting fire. (8) Likewise, indeed, also these dreaming ones even defile flesh, and despise rulership, and speak evil of glories.
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"Silent", as opposed to a talkative spirit
1 Corinthians 14:33-35 LITV (33) For God is not of confusion, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints. (34) Let your women be silent in the assemblies, for it is not allowed to them to speak, but to be in subjection, as also the Law says. (35) But if they desire to learn anything, let them question their husbands at home; for it is a shame for a woman to speak in an assembly.
1 Corinthians 14:28 LITV (28) And if there is no interpreter, let him be silent in the assembly, and let him speak to himself and to God.
1 Corinthians 14:30 LITV (30) But if a revelation is revealed to another sitting by, let the first be silent.
1 Corinthians 14:40 LITV (40) And let all things come to be done decently and according to order.
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"spirit of heaviness", depression, misery
Isaiah 61:3 KJV To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
(a curious distinction between the KJV and Green's Literal)
Isaiah 61:3 LITV to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of the spirit of infirmity, so that one calls them trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, in order to beautify Himself.
Romans 3:10-18 LITV according as it has been written, "There is not a righteous one, not even one!" (11) "There is not one understanding; there is not one seeking God." (12) All turned away, they became worthless together, not one is doing goodness, not so much as one!" (13) "Their throat is a tomb being opened;" "they used deceit with their tongues; the poison of asps is under their lips; (14) whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. (15) Their feet are swift to shed blood; (16) ruin and misery are in their way; (17) and they did not know a way of peace; (18) there is no fear of God before their eyes."
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Jealousy, Envy
Numbers 5:14 LITV and a spirit of jealousy has passed over him, and he has become jealous of his wife, and she has been defiled. Or, a spirit of jealousy has passed over him, and he has become jealous of his wife, and she has not become defiled:
Proverbs 14:29-30 LITV One slow to anger is of great understanding, but he who is short of spirit exalts folly. (30) A healthy heart is the life of the flesh, but envy is the rottenness of the bones.
Proverbs 27:4 LITV Fury is fierce, and anger overflows, but who can stand before jealousy?
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Ecclesiastes 4:1 LITV So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter! And at the hand of those who oppressed them was power; but there was no comforter to them.
GOD said,
"I will thoroughly purge my floor..." [Luke 3:17]
And GOD said,
"I'm going to lay the axe to the root of bitterness..." [Luke 3:9, Hebrews 12:15]
The good news: GOD has remained steadfast and faithful. As we seek HIM, HE reveals HIS plans to us. The "annointing", fire, and mantles have been shown to us.
The fire is being held back...
The annointing will come when the mantles are given by GOD for HIS work...
Pray...
Wait...
John 16:33 LITV I have spoken these things to you that you may have peace in Me. You have distress in the world; but be encouraged, I have overcome the world.
1 John 4:4 LITV Little children, you are of God and have overcome them, because He in you is greater than he in the world.
HALLELUJAH!!!
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