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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-----
I believe the woman above is filled with joy having just destroyed, with the Helper Holy Spirit, an old lie of the enemy, a stronghold. She then replaced that old lie with the Truth of God's Word, and is now in His Kingdom, having received the indwelling Holy Spirit. The lie had blocked for years the fullness of God's love towards her.
Today, the stronghold to "chew-- to dine on" [Revelation 3:20] with the Holy Spirit, our Teacher, is love, including failure to love even our enemies.
An excellent brief statement of how a stronghold can block God's love for each of us on His planet, is given by Mike and Sue Dowgiewicz, Demolishing Strongholds, God's Way to Spiritual Freedom, p46:
" If you've entered into your relationship with Jesus based on a faulty understanding of Who He Is, you can't grasp how high and wide and deep is His love for you. [please put your name there!]. He is LORD, and as such desires Lordship in your life. If you're focusing more on the adverse circumstances in your life than on the One Who can free you, you're listening to the spirit of confusion [James 1:5-8]. When you truly comprehend just how great a sinner you are and the vastness of Jesus' atonement on your behalf, you're better able to persevere in the "area of suffering" that your earthly life calls for. When you're assured of His plan, you can be confident that His purpose and His presence will continue without fail."
This series, going through Passover, God willing, is intended for you and me to remove strongholds as did this woman 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 love even enemies." The Risen Christ could not be more clear: " You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect [spiritually mature] , just as your Father in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5: 43-48. The footnote in the New Spirit-Filled Life Bible to this verse says". "The emphasis in the command to be perfect is not on a flawless moral nature but on an all-inclusive love that seeks the good of all. Instead of following the example of sinners who love only those who love them, we are to be like the Father in also loving those who do not love us."
But being candid with yourself and the Holy Spirit, is there an old issue needing to be confessed, being reluctant to love even your enemies? is loving others regardless of circumstances an issue ? do you think the Word is only for the disciples 2,000 years ago? do you have any residue of not loving others in your upbringing as a child? was it a family pattern in any way?
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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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 a 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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