Radical Disciples – A Remnant Revolution

KINGDOM GROWTH GUIDES
Maturing in the gospel of the kingdom

KINGDOM LIBERATION 1 (#048)

The price of freedom is often war. If an alien force occupies a land and will not relinquish control to the true government of the land, the people of the land will not be set free until the enemy forces are defeated and forced to release the land and its captives.

As a young boy I can clearly remember seeing newsreel films of the liberation of prisoners of war from concentration camps during World War II. I remember the pitiful, starved, skin-and-bone bodies of the men who had survived the ordeal and managed to stay alive long enough to be set free. Those who had any strength left had large smiles upon their bony faces as they embraced their liberators with great joy. Others were too far gone, too near death to get up and could barely manage a smile of gratitude. Many others were already dead from starvation and disease. The liberation had come too late for them.

Everyone wept and jumped for joy. It seemed to me the whole United States of America was weeping either for their pain and loss or for the great joy of seeing husbands, sons, and fathers set free from cruel bondage. When the war was finally over, there was great rejoicing with dancing, singing, shouting and jumping up and down for joy. Everyone wanted to hug someone, anyone. Yet, many moms went to their private place and wept for the sons that would never come home. Widows bitterly wept for a season and then usually were married again. However, the moms could never fill the empty place created by the loss of their son. They could only find solace in the fact that their sons had died for a good cause, the cause of freedom.

God gave His Son for the same cause, our freedom. Jesus died for our freedom from all the cruel bondage’s of the enemy, freedom to live in abundance of righteousness, peace, and joy. He purchased our freedom to live eternally with God forever delivered from the pain of being separated from Him by our sin. Jesus endured the cross to purchase our freedom to come into God’s presence to fully know His love that can overcome all evil in the world. Through Christ we have freedom to overcome fear, remorse, hate, anger, rage, greed, lust, and every evil that would beset us. We have freedom to experience the beauties of holiness and the lack of the frustration in our daily lives caused by evil. In Christ we have freedom to live in peace no matter what our circumstances and freedom to die to our old self life in order that Christ might fully live within us to do all He desires with our lives on earth.

The Blessings of the Lord drives out the enemy.

The presence of the Spirit of the Lord brings powerful love that drives out the enemy and destroys bondage’s. Christ Jesus has fully redeemed us from the curse and set us free. The primary work in assisting others in getting free from bondage’s is to assist them into the presence of the pure love of Jesus. Our warfare for them is from a place of rest in the victory already provided by Christ Jesus. Our primary focus is on the blessings of Christ Jesus and not the work of the enemy. There are individual cases where the Lord would have us to speak to the enemy strongholds in power.

Not every case requires specific attention. Where God is not speaking or showing us to speak deliverance we need not speak against the enemy or the stronghold. We should see and hear what God is doing and follow His leading. Most people will be set free in the presence of God by the blessings of Christ in Spirit led worship, prayer, and preaching of the Word in the Holy Spirit.

Yet, there still are many held in the cruel bondage of the enemy. They live in evil bondage’s of drugs, immorality, sexual perversions, pornography, alcohol, money, carnal pleasure-seeking, evil carousing, strife, hatred, fear, jealousy, insecurity, inferiority, gambling, pride, arrogance, religion, religious sects, cults, occult torments, blood lust, and demonic bondage of every sort. It is too late for many mothers’ sons and daughters who are already dead from their evil bondage. There is no consolation for their loss. Their children did not die for a good cause. They did not die for freedom; they died from the lack of freedom.

The Body of Christ is changing from a defensive mode to an offensive mode.

The victory is already won at the cross and now the resurrected Christ by the Holy Spirit is rising up within believers set free by the power and Spirit of God. Christ in His people is attacking the strongholds of the enemy setting the captives free. There is a new generation of children born of parents who are set free. These children will walk in a greater level of spiritual power. The power and potential of God is coming forth on earth in the purified children of God to destroy every stronghold of the enemy and set every captive free. The revivals of the past will seem small compared to demonstrations of spiritual power brought forth by the Spirit of Christ through a new generation of spiritual children with holy angels working with them.

Strongholds of the enemy must be destroyed on an individual basis. Strongholds are holds that the enemy has on individuals. They are primarily in the soul (the mind, will, and the emotions) of a person. A network of evil beliefs has grown into a stronghold from seeds of ideas planted in the soul. The stronghold enforced by evil spirits controls the person’s soul. The spirits first entice the person and then hook them into addictions and patterns of destructive behavior. The network is a tangle of lies that allows the powers of darkness to torment the soul and blind the spiritual eyes to truth. Those in bondage are prisoners of a spiritual war that most of the past generations of Christians did not even know was going on. In the past, the church did not show up for the war and the enemy won by default. Multitudes of precious lives have been wasted and many are held in bondage.

The weapons of our warfare are spiritual and must be fought in the spiritual realm and from a perspective of victory in Jesus.

2 Cor 10:3-5: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Eph 6:12: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

All that we need to attack and destroy strongholds of the enemy is in the Spirit of Christ and His words. The weapons of our warfare are spiritual prayer, speaking the words of God, praise, worship, and thanksgiving unto God. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Faith activates the power of the Word of God to destroy lies and establish truth. The all-powerful love of God flowing through the Spirit of Christ within the believer and out to those in need is the power of God to destroy the work of the enemy and tear down networks of lies, thoughts and beliefs planted by the enemy. The work of the Spirit destroys the yoke of bondage. The truth of the gospel of the kingdom of God brings abundant life and freedom.

The Lord does not use any one particular formula for destroying strongholds and setting His people free from the enemy’s bondage’s. Jesus healed and brought deliverance in different ways. He continues today to work through believers to heal and deliver in different ways. God’s Spirit uniquely ministers to different needs of different personalities who have different mixtures and degrees of wounds and bondage’s. In the past ministers unskilled in hearing and moving with the Holy Spirit often used a “shotgun” type of approach. In general they used a formula-type approach toward binding and casting out evil spirits. Formula prayers designed to hit a broad spectrum of possible needs were blasted out in the hope that some would hit the target. In some instances, additional wounds were caused by the portions of the blast that missed the mark and instead hit the person or others who were close to the person. The Holy Spirit is a much better marksman. Like a skilled surgeon, He can carefully discern the need, removes that which needs removing, and heals that which needs healing, without creating additional damage.

The Holy Spirit knows the type and level of ministry required in each situation. God does not send a bulldozer to remove a splinter from the finger. Nor does He send a pair of tweezers to move tons of dirt. People’s needs for healing and deliverance are extremely varied. They range from the demon-controlled serial murderer and the drug-addicted Satan worshiper to the naive, young Christian who has been painfully rejected or who made a regrettable wrong choice. God loves them all and Jesus is the answer for them all. The method and the degree of ministry God will use are as varied as the persons and their needs.

In recent church history, there has been such a focus on being born again in order to go to heaven when one dies, that the powerful ministry of Jesus to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in this present life has been largely ignored. God is in the business of redeeming mankind’s spirit, soul, and body. One’s spirit is made alive, made a new creation, in an instant upon receiving the redemption of Christ by the Holy Spirit. The soul (mind, will, and emotions) is being saved by the process of the resurrected Christ by the Holy Spirit and the renewing of one’s mind.

One’s mind must be renewed, old patterns torn down, and new patterns established that conform to the words and ways of God. One’s self-will must be broken and conformed to the will of God and emotions healed by the Spirit of Christ. The process of salvation of one’s soul follows the instantaneous rebirth of one’s spirit. Healing for the body will often follow the salvation of one’s mind, will, and emotions.

1 Th 5:23-24: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming (or presence) of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Rom 12:2: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Eph 4:22-23: That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

Heb 8:10b: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

1 Th 5:24: He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

What God tells us to do He will empower us to do by the power of His Spirit within us.

Phil 2:13: For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Eph 3:16-20: That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

Luke 24:49: Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.

Assisting others to be healed and set free.

Power from on high indwelling the believer is the source of deliverance and healing first for one’s self and then in assistance to others. The power of the indwelling, resurrected Christ is more than enough to break every addiction, all bondage, every evil habit, and to drive off every evil spirit. No stronghold can stand in the face of the empowerment of the Spirit of God released in prayer by faith in God. God’s grace has provided unlimited power from heaven to restore, renew, heal, and deliver.

The Spirit of God can enable us to see below the surface of evil and destructive behavior to the root causes. He can also enable us to deal with the causes through specific prayer and speaking to the condition. Only in the anointing of the Spirit of God will these words be empowered and fruitful in one’s life. There are many conditions common to many people and methods of speaking to the conditions. As the anointing of the presence of God is present to minister, one may receive healing and deliverance by knowing how to speak to some of these conditions common to many.

True repentance is always the first step toward complete healing and deliverance. It does not matter what the root causes were, what environmental conditions may have been a factor, or what kind of genes, family-line tendencies, or curses are passed down to the individual. The reality of the whole matter is that God gave His only Son for the redemption of mankind. He has by His mercy and grace provided in Jesus Christ all that is needed for one’s complete victory over all evil and every sinful condition. The only reason one remains in sin is one’s own choice.

John 15:22: “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

Imagine with me for a moment. If Jesus had not come and did all that He did, said all that He said and returned to earth in the Holy Spirit to do all that He does, and if He had not given us His Word, then one’s excuses would be valid. One could reasonably say the devil caused me to do it, or family-line genetics and predisposition toward sin coming from my family line made me like I am, or that the environment I grew up in caused me to be this way and I cannot help it. True, all these things may have caused us to be bent toward sin and evil. However, because Christ came and redeemed mankind with His own life, because He ever lives to intercede for us, and because He indwells believers to empower and bring about His righteous obedience within us, WE HAVE NO EXCUSE.

The real factor is neither how much one has sinned nor what the causes were. The real factor is: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH JESUS CHRIST? Have you sought Him with your whole heart? Have you met Him at the cross and received forgiveness of sin by His blood? Have you received Him by the Holy Spirit into your heart and life? Have you made Him the LORD of your life? Have you sought His presence in the Holy Spirit? Have you sought Him in His Word? Have you repented for your sin and for not doing all these things?

Dealing with Common Root Conditions That Cause Bondage

Repentance means a turning about, a turning from our “self-walk” to a walk toward God. It means beginning to seek God with our whole heart. It means seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first above all else in life. After true repentance is in place, we can begin to deal with some of the root conditions of need for healing and deliverance that are common to many people.

Two of these common root conditions are discussed in previous Kingdom Growth Guides #022 BEYOND REPENTANCE and #023 FORGIVENESS AND BEYOND. These guides deal with forgiveness, healing wounds of the heart, and binding and loosing. It would be a good idea to review these and be certain that these works are in place before going on to the consideration of other root conditions that are common to many people.

As ministers and warriors in the kingdom of God, we are to offensively attack the enemy and his work in others. The strongholds of the enemy must be destroyed, from the root conditions to the perverted behavior they have caused. The spirits of darkness and negative character qualities must be directly addressed and destroyed or removed.

Areas of bondage may exist within a person even after true repentance. A part of renewing one’s mind is to drive the enemy away, close any openings that may allow his return, and renew the patterns of thought and life. The anointed words spoken in prayer, in agreement with the Word and ways of God, can drive the enemy away, close all openings, and destroy wrong thought patterns. The Word and ways of God must be implanted into the life by the Spirit of Christ.

Disobedience and Iniquity of the Fathers

Two additional openings or root causes are disobedience and iniquity of the fathers. In addition to our own disobedience, there is much scripture to indicate that the children were often affected by the disobedience of their fathers. Though the sins of the fathers are the responsibility of the fathers only, the curse of the iniquity (tendency to sin) of the forefathers is passed on through the generations. We saw in the Heart-Trees and the Babylonian Family Pattern how children are affected by the iniquity of their forefathers. (See PART 2 Kingdom Growth Guides) This curse can especially be a problem when there is some history of blatant sin and/or demonic activity in one’s forefathers.

Deuteronomy 28:45-46: Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you.

Exodus 34:7: …keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.

Lamentations 5:7: Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their iniquities.

Numbers 14:33: And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.

Isaiah 14:21: “Prepare slaughter for his children because of the iniquity of their fathers, lest they rise up and possess the land, and fill the face of the world with cities.”

Nehemiah 9:2: Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

Pray With Me

Heavenly Father, I repent of all disobedience in my life. And I repent for the iniquity of my forefathers that is in any way affecting my life.

In the name of Jesus, I sever all affects of the iniquity of my forefathers from my life and say they no longer have any effect on my life. I say it is done. This curse is severed in Jesus’ name.

Satan and all powers of darkness, I command you, in the name of Jesus, this curse and all effects of the sins of my forefathers are severed from my life. You may never use them again to bring stress of any form to my life.

Thank You, Father, for the severance of this curse from my life. Thank You, Jesus, for freedom and liberty. Amen.

Keep on Pursuing Love
It Will Never Fail

Ron McGatlin

http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net