Binding and Loosing

Intercessors united:  3-27-24 

Greetings faithful intercessors.  Be encouraged in your assignment to advance the Kingdom of our God and King Jesus.

This morning as I meet with the Holy One, my "emotions" press me to inquire about many things I see in our world and how each factors into the battle I am called to fight. Perspective is one vitally important key to victory.  Jesus told Peter, "I will give you the keys OF the kingdom; Whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."  Matthew 16:19-20

In doing this, Jesus was giving Peter the authority to bind and loose (prohibit and permit) the activities of His newly formed community of followers.  This was going to be a departure from what the Rabbis of that day required of Torah observant Jews that Jesus called "misunderstanding" of the spirit of the law (Torah) or worse, outright defiance or even manipulation of the known principles that Torah taught.

When we take claim to that verse, it's important to understand the fullness of what that meant to Peter and the Messianic Jews of that day.  Jesus was giving him and by extension, us, an understanding of our authority to permit or prohibit activities of the followers of Jesus and how we are to influence the world.  For Peter it was Jesus authorizing him to permit things the religious rulers had or were prohibiting, like the controversy of Levitical laws of circumcision as a necessary requirement for Gentiles to join the Messianic community.  Or to permit the activities on the Sabbath that had been and were prohibited like deliverance from the power of Satan or physical healing like the "works" of the Kingdom as Jesus Himself modelled. 

Points to Ponder:

1. Since our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the darkness and the governors OF the darkness in the world that touches our lives. (Ephesian 6:10) we can take our authority to permit and prohibit the "works of darkness" that we see.               I John 3:8b, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil." 
2.  How do we "destroy the works of the devil?  As we come against the devil's works and know that "the gates of hell will NOT prevail against us", by and through our powerful words and proclamations of God's truth (His power, His Sovereignty, His authority delegated to us), we pierce the darkness and set captives free.  In order to defeat the darkness we must declare the LIGHT!  We must never give up nor give in. Those who are victims of Satan's lies and cooperate with the evil agenda to enslave the whole world, can be brought into the Kingdom of light by our discerning declarations and worthy words of truth spoken over them, leading to a Divine encounter with God's only Son, our Savior, Jesus.
3. Always remember it is the SPOKEN word that is the true power. Our thoughts are the beginning but it's the spoken word in declarations and proclamations that move the Kingdom of Heaven forward and destroy all the illusions of the devil's power.  

Prayer for Today:

Abba Father, thank you for Your word and instructions to Your people. Thank You that Your Word is Your will for us and the "how-to" align with Your ways of co-governing the world that touches our personal and corporate lives.  It is no doubt that we have an enemy and that this "enemy" was permitted not to destroy us but to challenge us to become strong as Your imagers and well-trained in our future role to rule and reign with Jesus in the age to come. 

We humble ourselves before You, with thanksgiving that we are not the victims of evil but have, by Your design, the weapons to defeat all that comes against us.  Grant us, Abba, the wisdom and understanding to be victorious in the battles brought on by this enemy of Your Kingdom, and righteously apply the principles of binding and loosing, permitting and prohibiting that You have provided in Your Word.   We appeal to Your mercy for justice to become righteous again and people to be held accountable for sin unto their redemption not destruction. 

Scriptural references:

1. Matthew 16:19-20
2. Ephesians 6:10
3. 1 John 3:8b
4. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 

Declarations:

We declare:  2 Corinthians 10:4-5 "The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world, on the contrary, they have Divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We declare: this is the authority we have been given and we now speak against the lies and illusions of the enemy that have brought a blanket of confusion and chaos over our world at large, our nation, our states, our communities, our churches, our families and our own minds.  We declare: we, your people have the mind of Christ and His delegated authority that we purpose to use to bring Our Kingdom of Heaven's good will that offsets the evil of the kingdom of darkness. We declare: the power of evil acts done by the wicked leveled against the innocent and the weaker vessels in our society is broken and their power overruled .  We declare:  Those guilty of such abuses will be speedily brought to accountability: exposed and penalized according to the Vengeance that is our Sovereign Lord's right to exercise and we commit them into Your Hands, Adonai. We declare: freedom this day, for the captives caught behind enemy lines like Rahab back in the day of Joshua at Jericho, that they be brought into the camp of the saved.  All declared in Jesus Name and for His glory!   

Have an awesome day and lead up to the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord. Hallelujah Our God REIGNS!

 

   

        

     

Time to Re-Read Romans Chapter 13

Back in 2020, we in America got caught up in an extraordinary situation and a move by the Federal government that took us into uncharted territory with the imposition of a lock down, mask mandates, and pressure to take part in an experimental Vaccine.   

As a Follower of Christ and a conservative who greatly respects the rule of law, the steps that the Federal government took to control the citizens were deeply concerning, and the divisions that were created as we were forced to comply with a nationwide shutdown and restriction of our freedoms were unprecedented in my lifetime.  Fear became a motivating factor that determined what side of the great chasm we would ultimately find our stand. 

As a result of the tyranny that was pushed upon us by our own government, we investigated and researched and came to find out that the threat to our freedom was not from without as in past aggression by foreign nations, but rather from within by those we thought we could trust.

I began praying about the rules government imposed upon us, and in listening to some of our Christian leaders, we were pointed us to Romans 13 as the directive for proper submission to "governing authorities". What does it look like to "conscientiously" object to mandates that shut down our protected right to assemble and exercise our religious freedom?  Or make our own decisions to manage our family and health issues amid a plague of questionable origins and sketchy treatment options?

Time has passed and we are more aware now of a concerted effort by world globalist power players to depopulate and move us to a one world government of their order and design. That is a discussion for another day.  Today I wanted to share what I hear from the Lord regarding His Word from Romans 13.

Whenever I have questions about how to respond in a Christian way to the circumstances I am facing in life, I inquire of the Lord.  He says if any of you lack wisdom, ask and it will be given to you.  But once you ask, knowing (trusting) you have it do not doubt and I would say nor 2nd guess yourself. 

With the pressure by some leaders and Christian friends who did not question the government mandates, I wanted to hear directly from Yahweh. 

I found it quite interesting as He directed me to re-read Romans 13.   His revelation and application of that chapter completely flipped the script I had been hearing from some prominent Christian leaders. 

He reminded me that this was written to Messianic Jews and Gentile Christians in Rome. Rome was THE government at the time and submission to Rome was required by the very text of the letter.  Romans 13 spoke of the necessity to submit to the governing authorities.

Then He reminded me that we in America are a "Constitutional Republic".  Who is the government?  America is governed by a constitution and "we the people" are the governing authorities with elected officers who are (supposed) to act in our behalf, not a corporation, not a king, not a dictatorship, not a committee or a department.  

We have well established freedoms that a "department" of unelected officials in 2020 sought to cancel and deprive we the people thereof. We are a collective of States and citizens to whom our elected officials must account and represent the will of the people. 

Freedom is the foundation of our Republic, and self-reliance allows for personal choices to be honored and respected and protected by government, not over-ruled by bureaucrats in an overreach of their self-determined "best interests" of others. 

When I read Romans 13, I realize that these verses apply to nefarious evil actors who have infiltrated, usurped and corrupted the role and constitutionally assigned function of our Great Republic, having become an enemy of we, the people, not a guardian of our system of government.  

Romans 13:1, "Everyone is to obey the governing authorities.  For there is no authority that is not from God, and the existing authorities have been placed where they are by God."

We are One Nation Under God.  The constitution is His ruling authority, based on Biblical freedoms and rules for a peaceful law and order society to function.  The "Federal Government" has the task to defend us from outside threats and inside tyranny (treason) as in the attempt to overthrow our government.   As we discovered, fraud was reportedly found in many of the state's election processes, and yet in violation of constitutional remedies, we were unable to right the wrong or investigate the reports. 

We have endured and seen an invasion of our Republic by foreign actors and allowed by disloyal treasonous politicians.  Yet our republic is still a government by We, the people and under the ruling authority of the One True God who ordained us. It is Yahweh who will restore and reclaim His America. 

Romans 13 says: "whoever resists the authority (We the People) is resisting what God has instituted, and those who resist will bring judgement upon themselves."    It is time for we, the people to rise up and take back the land that Yahweh has given us.  "The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous." Psalm 125:3

"It is not for nothing that the ruler(s) hold the power of the sword, for he is God's servant(s), there is an avenger to punish wrong doers".

Romans 13 is a very encouraging chapter to apply to the government of the USA and to interpret as our (We, the people) right to rule.  We can and must declare it's the "establishment" in America who are the ones resisting authority and it is the "establishment's (by legal or illegitimate means) elected politicians in betrayal of their responsibility to their constituents who elected them that are subject to punishment (judgement) upon themselves.

As we move into the election season 2024, it might be a great time to re-think our privilege and responsibility as We, the People, who, by our vote, are entrusting our nation's future into the hands of our fellow citizens running to represent us in the governmental role of our nation and states. Time to think about the constitutional foundation of our government, designed, and ordained to provide safety, and freedom to live and operate in respect for each other and the rule of law; a time for We, the people, to once again engage and fight for this our One Nation under God, and for our Divinely ordained destiny to go forth again.  Just sayin'!

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him? 

     

      

God's Warning: "Time's Up"

These are the days that try men's souls, and it seems that all we know as "good" is being challenged and turned upside down. Among the many prophetic promises we find in God's Word, there are those that speak of a time of accountability and judgement for the choices and decisions we have made to rebel against the knowledge of God and His commands. The problem for humanity is that no one knows the day or hour when that day will arrive.

I have been taught that the great white throne Judgement is the place when we will all be judged and that judgement by The God of all creation will be final. Yet, when I read the history of man's days upon the earth according to the Biblical record, I find ancient prophecies that have been fulfilled over and over, of a judgment here on earth that God, in His Divine Justice, will execute against evil deeds and those who commit them. Because His ways are not our ways, we wonder why not now, considering all the corruption we see around us.

I read in the Word, that when the chosen of God violated His commands and took on other gods, committing gross act of idolatry and immorality, time passed for them to course correct before they suffered a Divine judgement. Even the enemies of God were given time to turn from their wicked ways before the destruction came. God is patient and not content that any should perish in the ignorance of rejecting Him but that all should come to the knowledge of His Son, Jesus, the One He sent to save the world of humanity from eternal extinction, separated from Him which is the ultimate penalty for sin. (the violation of His Holiness).

However, there comes a day on the calendar when God's patience is over, and He will act if the warnings are not heeded, and corrections are not made. His word speaks to the theme of His justice as well as His mercy. It speaks of a "day" in which the evil acts and wicked people will come under a Holy accountability and pay a penalty here on earth (and beyond).

There will be a day when we will realize in God's economy, "Time's Up" for evil doers to turn from their wicked ways. In the last few weeks, I seem to be finding all the verses that speak to that end. That said, I'm not one who focuses on doom and gloom but the heaviness of Holiness in this season is pressing in. There is much to be concerned about in the world that touches our lives, yet there is nothing new under the sun.

We live in a time of great revelation and also great deception. When we look at the totality of God's Word and commands, it's apparent that there is structure, order and organized functioning in the best interests of a civilized society that He rules over and commands. To violate His commands is to invite chaos and a diminished social order. The author of confusion and chaos is none other than the arch enemy of our Kingdom and our King, the one who deceived Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden: Lucifer himself.

For those who understand the structure of Divine authority and fight each day against the chaos of the enemy, we say "How long oh Lord, until you act?" We read in various books like the Isaiah, Ezekiel, Psalm, Nahum, Malachi, even Revelation, where the believers wonder why evil is not obliterated and good people are not rescued, and God speaks to their hearts.

Isaiah 26:20-21, Ezekiel 12:22-28, Psalm 2 and 94, Malachi 3:14- 4:3, Nahum 1:1-6 and Rev 2:20-29

History repeats itself and yet as believers in the One true God of eternity and the Son He sent to redeem us, Jesus the Christ, we trust that there will be one last cycle; one last generation of humanity to suffer the chaos and receive from the enemy, for the one last time, all the knowledge of evil needed as the how-to destroy those who were created in God's image. They never realize they are fulfilling a suicide mission for their own life and eternity as well.

Warnings have been given throughout the Word of God that there will come a day and time for earthly consequences for evil behavior (as defined by our Creator). The standard for "evil behavior" is that which rejects God and His ruling authority over all He created. Humanity's ruling authority as delegated by God to us, is to mirror and align with His Written Word.

The words of warning are to both the church and the "world". If we read God's Word as an academic exercise, the possibility of a Holy God providing a way to reconcile with humans is presented. If we read God's Word with a spiritual understanding, in trust we know the "way" was, is and will only ever be in the person of Jesus, God in flesh, who came to pay the blood price for humanity's willful rebellion of our Sovereign Creator.

As to the timing, and given the world is spiraling out of (our) control, by the deliberate acts of ancient immortals, who we have come to understand and identify as demonic fallen beings, it seems that the scales of Divine justice are about to tip and provide accountability. Those who are serving evil will not escape when accountability is demanded.

Amos 3:7, "Adonai God does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets." In our day and time, I have come to understand that a Prophet is a person who is in a personal deep intimate relationship with the Lord. One who knows His voice and His Word, the Bible, which is His will. Are we paying attention to the "signs" and words Yahweh is giving and speaking to us?

Since the epic day on the earth calendar when Yeshua (Jesus) the exact representation of God in flesh form, invaded the earth, paid the price for human rebellion, returned to His rightful place at the right hand of God, the Father, and then sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within those who believe, we can fulfill that definition of a "prophet". As His intimate "friend" we can "know" what Yahweh is about to do and recognize the times, because He reveals such things to His people.

Many in our day are saying, "what we see has been going on for ages and nothing changes. Why should we believe today will be any different? All your "prophetic warnings are for a future time".

To that, the Lord has taken me to different verses and over the course of history, revealing that accountability did come, not in the ultimate Great White Throne judgement that admittedly does happen in the future, (Revelation 20:11-15) but on an earthly scale that we, in our flesh, can and will experience. Then, He asks me if I will stand firm on His word that this is the "day" and warn that there is judgment (consequences) coming that will not be postponed.

Let us be diligent to heed the warnings, allow Him to show us our sin if we don't already know what it is, repent and course correct before the temporal boom is lowered.

Consequences for ungodly acts and attitudes are for the purpose of course correction and not annihilation. God loves and just as a Father disciplines, our Sovereign Creator does as well. This word is for the saved to return to the Lord in surrender and obedience to His ruling authority. For the unsaved, untoward life circumstances are to cause you to look for and find, the One who holds eternity and the future in His hands.

The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Calling all Intercessors!

"The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?" is the theme I have written about for many years. In this season of great turmoil and the desperate need to hear the voice of our Savior, there is a poignant call to intercede for our nation and the Body of Yeshua. Adonai has taken me to the book of Ezekiel 22:30 expressing the grief of His heart over humanity. "I looked for a man who would stand in the gap (intercede) between the land and My hand so that I would not destroy it, but I found NONE!"

In response, I say "here we are Lord, ready to stand in the gap and intercede"! Show us how to align with Your desires for our land and people.

This blog is now part of the strategy to encourage more Yeshua followers to join in intercession. Our personal relationship with the Holy Spirit of Christ is the very foundation of wisdom, understanding, discernment and discretion in our battle against the darkness that covers the hearts and minds of God's Imagers.

I will be posting from out of my personal prayer journal like in the past but with the updated directive to use our spoken words to speak what we desire to see come to fruition in our nation and the world that touches our lives. God's Word is His will. His Word is the revelation of His ways as He has operated over the course of history. The precedents He established and operated by in the past recorded Biblical history, form the basis of our prayers and proclamations of His operational control in our days. All the mighty "works" Jesus did when He walked this earth were precedents established in the Old Testament. Jesus told us we would do even "greater things" than He did when He walked among His people.

As we "settle" into our intimate relationship with Yeshua, being filled with His Holy Spirit, we can begin to grasp the much more He is willing to do through us. Knowing the Word is how we understand His will and His ways. Taking claim to the precedents of Biblical history and asking Him to reenact them in our day is the way we collaborate and co-govern with Him in our lives. He NEVER changes and He is the same Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Culture and customs and doctrines of men may change but He does not.

I encourage all of us to "inquire" of the Lord. Seek and keep on seeking as He has conveyed to me "I have a lot to say to My people!" May we be like Samuel, "Speak Lord, Your servant is listening". I will be posting and sharing in this bog, things I hear Him saying to me and then how I am led to respond.

Have a blessed day.