Breaking Down Strongholds Archives

July 17, 2024July 16, 2024

Let The Message Change You

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also. ⁵² Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. ⁵³ You received the law under the direction of angels and yet have not kept it.” ⁵⁴ When they heard these things, they were enraged and gnashed their teeth at him. ~ Acts 7:51-54^CSB

The people stayed silent and listened to Stephen’s message. He started with Abraham and made his way to Moses. The people didn’t contest anything he said, but when Stephen mentioned that they were the problem. That they killed the Messiah. That they were in the wrong, they were enraged. They were angered. Stephen had struck a nerve.

See, people are okay with hearing the historical references of the Bible. They’re even okay with hearing a moral story from the Bible. People only have a problem when you personalize the Bible. When the Scriptures are used to convict the conscience and change lives, that’s when people have a problem. That’s when people become angry because they’ve become attached to their flesh. The flesh becomes addictive. It becomes a stronghold that keeps you bound.

The message of Christ isn’t just to feel good and tickle our ears. The message of Christ is to lighten the darkness and change the lives of those who hear it. It’s not to make you feel comfortable in your sin; it’s to convict you of your past sins and change your life.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Let The Message Change You.

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Learn The Word

³³A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, ³⁴and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. ~ Proverbs 24:33

Please understand that poverty is a state or condition of lacking what is needed, below what is normal in society. When you lack what is needed, you are rendered powerless, lacking the condition or the state to fight the good fight at AI.

I’m talking about spiritual poverty. And a lot of people suffer from spiritual poverty. Temptation is always deceptive, but Jesus said you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

Therefore, cling to the Scriptures. Learn the Word of God. Allow the Spirit of the LORD to guide you and lead you so that you might dwell in the Truth of God. So that no temptation or deception can lead you astray.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Learn The Word.

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No Bounds

⁶Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! ⁷All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. ⁸Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” ⁹Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. ~ Daniel 6:6-9

The Scriptures said that it pleased King Darius to set over the whole kingdom, 120 satraps. A satrap was a governor of a province or a ruler. So, the kingdom was probably divided into 120 provinces, and each province had a governor, or some high-ranking official called a satrap over each one.

Then the king was pleased to set three top officials over the 120 satraps Daniel 6:1-2. Everything was working out just fine until envy set in. You see, Daniel began to distinguish himself from the others by his work ethic and his honesty. So, the king was further pleased to set Daniel over them all.

That’s when they had enough of Mr. Goody Two Shoes, and that green-eyed giant of envy raised his nasty head. And they began to plot. They tried to find some kind of dirt on Daniel, anything, anything at all. But try as they may, they could not find anything because Daniel was an honest, hardworking, squeaky-clean man. Righteous in all of his ways.

They came to the conclusion that they would never find anything illegal against him. So, they would have to invent something. But that is nothing new; it still happens today.

Envy is a terrible slave master. It will make you do some despicable things, not excluding lying with the intent to cause murder, as these men did.

It knows no bounds. It knows no limits. It has no friends. It has no loyalty. Envy is a cunning emotion, and these men were caught in its vice grip.

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Tear ‘Em Down

²⁸ Jehu eliminated Baal worship from Israel, ²⁹but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit — worshiping the gold calves that were in Bethel and Dan. ³⁰ Nevertheless, the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my sight and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in my heart, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.” ³¹Yet Jehu was not careful to follow the instruction of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. ³² In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory ³³ from the Jordan eastward: the whole land of Gilead — the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites — from Aroer which is by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan. ~ 2 Kings 10:28-33^CSB

Jehu did good in certain areas but not in all. He removed the house of Ahab and the high places, but he allowed for other idolatry to remain. Jehu, though he corrected one aspect of his kingdom, didn’t clean his full house. The LORD honored the good job he did when he obeyed the LORD and removed the house of Ahab, but he continued in sin, forcing the LORD to punish him.

Many of us believe that we can live our lives however we want as long as we go to church, give thanks for our food and day, and occasionally read our Bibles, but that’s not the desire of the LORD. He desires us to remove all sin from our lives. We are expected to be perfect like God is perfect. We have to tear down all strongholds, not just the ones written out blatantly for us but the ones we have to seek God to find. The ones deep within us that we don’t even realize.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Tear ‘Em Down.

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Crucified With The Christ

²⁰I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. ~ Galatians 2:20-21

Righteousness is not through the law, but through Jesus. Paul explained that if he continued to seek righteousness through keeping the law, then he would nullify, or render void, the grace of God. But instead, he says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

What he is saying here is, he no longer lives for himself, the things he now does is not for his own self benefit, but he is totally and completely led by the Holy Spirit. He lives his life as a sacrifice to Jesus so that others may benefit and see his good deeds and glorify the Father who is in heaven. Paul realizes the greatness of the love of Jesus, and because of that love, he confidently puts his trust and hope in Jesus, the Son of God.

As for us, whenever we become angry when someone insults us, or say some manner of evil against us, we are not living a crucified life. Road rage is not of God, it is not characteristic of being crucified with Christ. Whenever we want to return lashing for lashing, hit for hit, and insult for insult, we have not been crucified with Christ. When we are crucified with Christ, we do not live to fulfill our own lusts, or greeds, but rather we live to please Jesus.

Let us turn our lives over to Jesus, and live a Crucified life with Him, so that when the trials of this life comes they do not knock us off track, or blow us off course.

Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to live a crucified life and not try to fulfill my own selfish desires, in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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It Takes Love

³²Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. ~Ephesians 4:32

This is a very tall order when you couple that command, be kind and tenderhearted to one another, with forgiving them just like God forgave us. We have to remember that after those Roman soldiers nailed Jesus’ hands and feet, and after the Jews turned on Him and asked for a murdering thief to be set free and for Jesus to be crucified for literally nothing that He had done wrong, He had done only good, He cried out, “Father forgive them…” And that is what we are asked to do. That is what we are expected to do.

Sometimes, it is hard to overlook someone who has hurt us deeply with just words, much less with physical abuse or who has sexually abused us. Now, we are being commanded to be kind and tenderhearted to each other, even to those who have abused us, and not only that but to forgive each other our faults and trespasses. It doesn’t say that they have to change, feel remorse, or repay our jester; we must be kind, tenderhearted, and forgive even though we have been hurt so deeply. It doesn’t sound fair, but it will be worth your while in eternity. There is so much stored up for us in eternity that this now big thing will seem like a little thing.

I know that it is hard now, but not impossible. Once you have the love of God in your spirit, it will be easier. Stephen, the first recorded martyr of the Church, was being stoned to death, and just before he died, he cried out to God to please forgive those who were stoning him. It takes the love of God in you to do something like that. Because all of our God-given primal instincts scream the opposite, they scream, “Survival at all cost.” But again, it takes love to overlook, to put someone else first, and to forgive those who have deeply hurt us. It takes love to be kind to those who hate you for no good reason. It takes love to be tenderhearted to those who are closed-fisted toward you and others. It takes love to forgive those who have grievously caused you harm.

I read a story about a mother whose only son was killed by another young man. She visited him in prison and forgave him. She began to pray for him and when he got out of prison, she got him an apartment right next to hers. In essence, he became her son. That is true forgiveness. That is what we are asked to do here, be kind, be tenderhearted, and forgive. And because of her forgiveness, the young man’s life was radically changed. He is now serving the LORD. A soul saved is the main goal.

Heavenly Father, please give us the strength to be kind and tenderhearted towards others, even those who are rude and unkind to us. To forgive those who have deeply hurt us. It is not easy, but with You all things are possible. Thank you, LORD, in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Keep Marching On

¹⁷And as they [the two angels] brought them [Lot and his family] out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” ~ Genesis 19:17

Do Not Look Back! Do Not Stop! Under no circumstances were they to look back. Under no circumstances were they to stop! They had their marching orders, so to speak.

I mean, I understand that the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah; therefore, there was probably a whole lot of noise, possible explosions, and even a shaking of the ground. It had to be tempting to look back to see what was going on, but remember, curiosity killed the cat. It is better to obey than … anything else. Our obedience is what God expects.

As the bride of Christ, we are not to look back. We are not to stop! We are not to dwell in our past. We are to keep moving! We are to keep climbing one step higher every hour of every day. It does not matter what we hear behind us. It does not matter how exciting it sounds; we are not to participate in ungodly events. Do not let this world deceive you into lingering.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Keep Marching On.

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Start Abundant Living

³²Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ³⁴They said to Him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” ³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. ³⁶But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. ³⁷All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. ³⁸For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of Him who sent me. ³⁹And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the last day. ⁴⁰For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” ~ John 6:32-40

Jesus claims here to be the true bread that came down from heaven. In verse 35, He actually says, “I am the bread of life …”

When Jesus refers to the bread that Moses gave the Israelites in the desert, He is actually talking about the Manna that God fed them with, in the desert after bringing them out of Egypt, the land of slavery. Did you notice that in verse 35, Jesus said, “³³For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world?”

Four times in the passage, that we read, Jesus refers to Himself as bread. And bread in some form is mentioned 97 times in the New Testament. In those times, bread is a metaphorical symbol of spiritual nourishment.

In the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus refers to healing as the Children’s bread (Mark 7:27). Healing and casting out demons are the children’s bread, and Jesus is that bread. He is the Living Water and the Bread of Life.

Jesus didn’t just come down from Heaven to die for our sins; He came to bring life and life more abundantly. Jesus came to give us life with freedom. Freedom from sin, disease, oppression, illness, stress, addiction, psychological issues, etc. He came to free us from any and everything that tries to hold us back.

Therefore, confidently approach the throne of grace through the precious blood of Jesus and give it to God. Jesus paid for your healing with His own flesh. He paid for your peace with His own chastisement. Jesus purchased us not so that we could remain oppressed by the enemy and the cares of this world but so that we might be free in Him. So that we might live life more abundantly. So, take every stronghold in your life and begin to tear them down in the name of Jesus because it is through Him that we overcome because He first overcame.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Start Abundant Living.

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Remove The Illusion

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. ¹⁸ The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit. ¹⁹ One who is righteous has many adversities, but the Lord rescues him from them all. ~ Psalms 34:17-19^CSB

All of us have experienced losing a loved one. We’ve all suffered some form of loss. Many of us, when we lose someone we love, we lose part of ourselves, but we try to hide it. We try to convert it up by wearing a mask that we’re all okay. That everything’s fine. Our outside is okay, but inside, we’re falling apart.

It makes me think of a scene from one of the marvelous movies when Thor and Loki’s mother dies. Thor goes to speak to Loki in prison, and Loki is fine. He’s relaxing. Enjoying reading a book in his cell, but Thor knows better. He forces Loki to remove the illusion he’s created so that Thor can see his true self. And he does. He shows his brother how distraught and broken he is over his mother’s death. His cell isn’t neat, and neither is he. Books are destroyed. His hair is disheveled. His soul is aching.

Many of us hide our hurt deep down within us, refusing to show it to anyone. Maybe it’s because we don’t feel we have anyone to go to. But even if we have no one to go to in this physical world, we have someone to go to. Jesus told us to lay our burdens on Him. We can go to God. We don’t have to figure it out on our own. We don’t have to hide it from God because He already knows. He isn’t angry at our hurt or our pain. It doesn’t make Him uncomfortable or want distance from us. He embraces us in our filth when we come to Him, so how much more would He embrace us because of our hurt if we go to Him?

God’s arms are wide open. He’s waiting for you. Cry in His arms. Mourn in His presence. Give Him your burdens, and He will take them from you. He will comfort you. He will give you peace. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen if you remain faithful.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Remove The Illusion.

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Be Unleavened

⁷Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. ⁸Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. ~ 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

Paul tells us to clean out the old leaven so that we might be a new lump because that is who we really are. So often, we allow our past sins and/or sins we struggle with to label us and define who we are and who we will always be. Paul tells us to clean out the old leaven (fight and overcome our sins) because that leaven, that sin, isn’t who we are. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed, and the Holy Spirit now dwells inside of us. We no longer have to be slaves to our sin. We can be transformed by the renewal of our mind and the blood of the lamb.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Unleavened.

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Category: Breaking Down Strongholds

Let The Message Change You

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