St. John 10:10 reveals, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Bishop Woods continued Bible Study last night on the attributes or the character of the mind of Christ. Philippians 2:5 admonishes to let this mind be in us that was also in Christ Jesus. With that mind God can expand our capacity to handle more--more blessings, more evangelism, etc. With the mind of Christ God will increase our ability and allow us to have room to prove our capability. With the mind of Christ we will do right because it's the right thing to do as we exercise our integrity. With the mind of Christ we will learn to be still and see the salvation of the Lord. We will be able to endure and to keep pressing toward the mark!
Toward the end of the Bible Study Bishop Woods introduced two internal forces that can and will quench your gift(s). These are the spirit of discouragement and the spirit of offense. Have you have been feeling down, like no one cares about you, or have you been stewing in a past hurt and you are right now in the middle of feeling like someone has harmed you in some way? Do you feel stuck like you can't make any forward progress? There's a reason for that and it's most likely because of these two internal forces.
Make no mistake that the enemy is less concerned about "what" distracts us and more pleased that we become distracted from expanding our capacity, maximizing our ability, utilizing our capabilities, exercising our integrity and standing in our stability. God wants to us to have greater room inside and outside. Therefore, you ought to take it personally, that the enemy wants to steal your joy, kill your gift and destroy your soul. He wants to remove your potency, your influence and your effectiveness. You ought to take it very personally, that he wants to run roughshod all up in and through your home. He wants to steal for your future and the hope that God has for you. He wants to silence your praise and hold up your blessings. He wants to block your healing and hinder your testimony. So yes you ought to take his attacks on your life very personally. You ought to take his attempts to keep you, your friends and your loved ones in bondage personally. It should make you want to fight your way out and through. It should make you want to break out and break through from the chains of bondage into the liberty that Jesus is calling us into!
I admonish and encourage you today to realize that there is an answer and it begins with you. We have to recognize when we are under siege. See some of us are unable to get out from under the blows of the enemy because we refuse to admit that he keeps knocking the mess out of us. We don't want to admit that we've succumb to his tricks--like the spirit of discouragement or offense. We don't want to be viewed as that Christian who fell for Satan's lies. But believe that the enemy will continue to whoop up on you as long as you allow him to.
I thank God for Bishop Woods' boldness in ousting the spirit of Jezebel and the spirit of Absolom! Those spirits were oppressive, binding and blinding. And I truly believe that anyone who spends a whole lot of time in hurt, offense, depression, discouragement or disappointment makes himself or herself vulnerable to an attack from the spirit of Jezebel or Abosolom. Read these scripture passages and get those Bible Studies! Jezebel and Absolom started out from a place of offense. That offense escalated in their minds and created a divide between them and those that they were offended by, but ultimately between them and God. These individuals decided that they could handle the situation themselves and by doing so invoked spirits that still thrive in our society today.
The Bible, in Matthew chapter 5, gives us clear instruction on what to do when we feel offended:
22But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
As Christians we want to keep up appearances. We want to show up taking our sacrifices to the alter like everybody else knowing good and well that before we got to church and as soon as we leave we are talking about what folks have done to us or how we feel hurt and wronged. Why is it that we want to look right but we don't actually want to get right? Until we learn to be right the enemy will keep on hitting us upside the head. We have got to learn to swallow our pride and apologize sincerely. We have got to learn that love covers a multitude of sins. We can do this! Relationships can be restored. We can get along. We can work together to build the kingdom and to run with the vision. Bishop and Pastor have enough capacity to love all of us. It is what they have been anointed to do. They can handle it! And we can handle all that God has promoted us to do. This about kingdom work and advancement. We have to change our focus and lose some pride.
Today's reading might be cumbersome, but please take to heart the message. We are not fighting with carnal weapons. In fact our weapons are so mighty that we can tear down and destroy strongholds as Bishop Woods has proven. Sometimes the easiest way to defeat the attach of the enemy is with an apology or with reaching out to explain to someone that they have offended you, reconciling with that person and moving forward. We cannot continue to allow the devil to rob us. We just don't have the time. It is time to mature, to get in order, to be discipled and to work.
Take it personally that the enemy wants to sift you as wheat. Once you recognize the enemy's games, his tricks and his intent you can come to the realization that perhaps you've been influenced by the spirits of discouragement or offence. When you realize this then you know how to fight. If that means fasting, praying, seeking assistance from Bishop and Pastor Woods, going to your brother or sister and reconciling and spending more focused time in the Word of God and in His presence with praise and worship then do what you have to do so that you can move forward. So that you can take back some things. So that you can influence and impact again. So that someone else can overcome by the word of your testimony. So that someone else can be reconciled to the Father. We have much work to do as the harvest is ripe.
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