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Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus, part of the growing repentance remnant, cleansing as His Bride, getting ready for His soon return as our Bridegroom-----
By now you've seen this picture many times; I believe the man above is filled with joy having just destroyed, with the Helper Holy Spirit, an old lie of the enemy, a stronghold. He then replaced that old lie with the Truth of God's Word. The lie had blocked for years the fullness of God's love towards him.
Thank God you are open to dealing with your strongholds, cleansing to get ready for the Bridegroom's soon return. Being in the process of repenting, you avoid this situation in Proverbs 20:4 (amplified version): The lazy man does not plow when the winter [planting] season arrives; So he begs at the [next] harvest and has nothing [to reap]. Another relevant verse is found in Jeremiah 4:3: " Break up your fallow [untilled] ground, And do not sow among thorns."
Your cleaning up by removing these sin strongholds, which we all have, is like plowing hard soil in a winter season. The flesh resists it! Instead of being lazy, you are removing old sin blocks to His love, planting holiness, more Holy Spirit in you, becoming that much more a clean vessel of His Holy Spirit.
This series, going through Passover, God willing, is intended for you and me to remove strongholds as did this man above. The process is: 1) repent, return to God, convert from the world and the flesh, die to that old rebellious spirit into which you and I were born (Ephesians 2:3), die to the old self, stop playing church, truly come into His Kingdom if you're not in already (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15; Acts 3:19); 2) receive the indwelling Holy Spirit; and 3) spend time with that Holy Spirit, the Helper (John 16:7-15), as often as possible, day after day if you can, asking Him if you have even a residue of the sin issue presented that day. The process is private, between you and Him. Again, there's no condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1). But old sin patterns blocking His Eternal Word have no place in a Holy Spirit-filled believer, now a "temple of the living God." ( 2 Corinthians 6:16). Given all His promises, including that He will be a Father to each of us believers, and we are His sons and daughters, we are called to " cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 1:15). The Risen Christ already sees us as His Bride. He will sanctify and cleanse us by the washing of water by the word (Ephesians 5:26). As each lying stronghold is demolished, the word of God replaces it, washing us in its Truth. In that repentance and cleansing process, the Lord is presenting us to Himself, "a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:27). He is the soon-coming Bridegroom (Matthew 24:36-51; Matthew 25:1-13).
The classic scripture to remove strongholds is in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Here it is in the amplified version: "For though we walk in the flesh [as mortal men], we are not carrying on our [spiritual] warfare according to the flesh and using the weapons of man. The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ...,"
Sin strongholds are false beliefs picked up at some point in our minds which, until removed by the Holy Spirit and our free will decision to repent, still govern our responses, still mute or cover up God's Truth in His Word. All your thoughts can be traced back to beliefs based on either the truth of Scripture or on satan's lies. If that thought is based on satan's lies, it will lead to fear. Fear will then lead to some form of idolatry. One commentator in the New Spirit Filled Life Bible says: " Idols are established wherever there exists a failure to trust in the provisions of God that are ours through Jesus Christ."
Strongholds are pulled down, and confronted bondage is broken, as spiritual weapons of our warfare, particularly the sword of the spirit, are employed.
here is a short teaching on strongholds on one of our Zoom calls:
https://youtu.be/ykQ90uy7evo
Today's issue is "failure to preach and become a disciple." The Risen Christ could not be more clear: each of us is called to preach and to make disciples, not just sit passively in a "church" under man's religion. Here are His words in Luke 24:46,47: " Then He said to them, ' Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
Perhaps you are not called to "preach" behind a pulpit, but you and I "preach" by our Godly or ungodly conduct. We are to bear fruit worthy of repentance, as a witness to others, to bring new disciples into His kingdom.
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The Lord says in Matthew 28: 18-20: " All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
But being candid with yourself and the Holy Spirit, is there an old issue needing to be confessed, with being reluctant to "preaching" and becoming a disciple? is failing to become a disciple an issue ? do you think the Word is only for the disciples 2,000 years ago? do you have any residue of opposing discipleship in your upbringing as a child? was it a family pattern in any way hostile to the Lord or His church?
God bless you as you seek His Holy Spirit Wisdom and Comfort on this issue. May you go forward on His path, "perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1).
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In the shaking that He promised [Hebrews 12:26-29] do you see that His Gift of repentance needs, all the more, from this time forward, to spread to all persons, everywhere? Doesn't it need to spread to all who don't yet know Him, and to a lukewarm "church," filled with many who have not ever even repented ? (Matthew 4:17; Acts 3:19)
Pastors preaching repentance are seeing amazing results. But at the same time they need support for food for their families and neighbors, for chlorine bottles to combat cholera, for gasoline and repairs for their old cars, etc. Whenever you sow into their work through NDR donations, you too receive their FRUIT! ( Matthew 3:8;Mark 6:12,13; Philippians 4:17)
God bless you,
Pastor Jeff Daly
National Day of Repentance
www.repentday.com
www.americankneels.com
www.globalrepent.com
pastorjeff@repentday.com
here is a copy of our most recent "Cleansing the Bride" zoom call every Wednesday. Please email for zoom info, and join us ! https://youtu.be/RVpOEvCQ_qU
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The Lord makes it clear: Luke 13:1-5, repent or perish. Here's a NDR video on this key scripture: https://youtu.be/oT15XrDvv9c
and this video on ETERNITY: https://youtu.be/evrL-H29908
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