It is not very difficult to see that numbers of God's children are slaves to various kinds of sin, but it is more difficult to understand that we are often in bondage to a hidden enemy that may be strengthened by the teachings and government of the Church. The enemy I am talking about is so subtle and hidden that even some of our strongest and most insightful leaders are often blind to it.
What we need as never before are true Prophets. The nature of the prophetic ministry is that it must not have any hidden agenda or political ties. The true Prophet must know that he is called to represent the heart of the Lord and His heart only. He must be free from political motivation, financial considerations, and absolutely free from the fear of man. It has taken some time for the present prophetic ministry to begin to be purified enough to do this. Yet even God's most renowned Prophet was subject to the enslaving spirit I am writing about.
If the Prophet Elijah could be affected to such a degree by the power of this spirit, what about you and I? The manifestation of this enslavement leads to confusion, depression, loss of vision and a feeling of deep insignificance.
1 Kings 19:4 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" NKJV
Remember this, Elijah was not a novice. He had won some major battles and had been used by God to begin to break the prevailing religious spirit of his day. Indeed, we will need experienced and deeply insightful prophetic ministry to guide us in this hour. May God grant us to recognize them when He sends them to us.
When Jesus was instructing his disciples about the last days he made a statement that for the moment sounded a bit confusing. Yet today we are able to see clearly what He was stating.
Matt 17:11-12 11 Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.
12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, NIV
Restore NT:600 from NT:575 and NT:2525; to reconstitute (in health, home or organization)L (emphasis mine) KJV - restore (again). (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance
When we look at the context of these words we realize that the Lord is telling His disciples that there is an Elijah anointing that is coming in the last days that will "restore all things." He goes on to say that John the Baptist was a type of Elijah and that the religious people of the day rejected and ultimately killed him.
Matt 17:12-13 but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. NIV
While seeking the Lord about the end time Elijah anointing I asked the following question. "Lord, what will the Elijah anointing accomplish?" Here was His reply "the Prophetic anointing will confront and destroy strongholds that will not yield to anything else." Dear one, to reject the Lord's end time Prophets is to condemn ourselves to the enslavement of strongholds. Truly, the worst kind of stronghold is the one that we do not see or recognize. Still, if we find ourselves weary, confused, depressed, or discouraged it is very likely that a stronghold is working very powerfully behind the scenes.
Someone has said that a stronghold is "a mindset impregnated with hopelessness that accepts as unchangeable those things that we know are contrary to God's will." Although that is an excellent definition it needs further insight. The stronghold that is even more destructive and dangerous is the one that we have come to believe is the will of God and is protecting us.
Countless believers find themselves depressed, confused, discouraged and fearful. This will eventually lead to a lack in almost every area of our life, including finances, vision, and hope. Yet they have no idea what is causing or creating these debilitating feelings. This is where the true Prophetic ministry must come in.
Jesus made another profound statement when He said:
Matt 10:41 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. NKJV
What is the Prophets reward? Part of it is the ability to see, confront and destroy hidden strongholds. When Jesus gave the five-fold ministry to the Church each of the five-fold ministries was to equip the saints for the work the Lord has for them to do. The major role of the Prophet in equipping the saints is to empower them to "see". Many times the seeing must come through "dreams and visions." One of the reasons the Lord uses dreams and visions is so that our religious thinking cannot block His truth.
If you have found yourself discouraged, depressed, confused and a dwindling amount of resources, be prepared to cry out for "the Elijah prophets" with all of your heart. They are God's gift to the Church and they will begin to help us to see again.
Rev 3:18-22 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Emphasis mine)
We will begin to uncover and destroy the hidden strongholds in coming articles. Pray for God's prophets to see and speak with unprecedented clarity and power.
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