Chapter 1

What Is Deliverance?

 
 What is Deliverance?  This question needs to be considered very carefully since deliverance is referred to many times, both in the Old and New Testaments.  The term "deliver" comes from the Greek word "Rhuomai," meaning, "Deliverer, to rescue from, to preserve from, to save, to deliver to one's self, deliver to."

 The general subject of deliverance covers a very broad spectrum.  The Israelites were delivered out of Egypt where they were in bondage for over four hundred years.  God called Moses to deliver them, and he did so by the mighty hand of God.  God sent His Angels to deliver Lot and his family out of Sodom (Genesis 19:1).  The three Hebrew children were delivered from the fiery furnace.  Their faith stood the test and God's Angel was with them, even in the furnace (Daniel 3:24).  Daniel was delivered from the mouths of the lions because he trusted the Lord whom he loved (Daniel 6:22).  Paul the apostle was delivered from those who sought to kill him (Acts 9:25).  Peter was delivered from prison by an Angel (Acts 12:7).  Paul cast a devil out of a woman who had followed him for many days.  This woman brought much gain to her master by fortune-telling (Acts 16).  Jesus cast devils out of many people and gave authority to His disciples to do likewise.

  Usually, an individual tormented with depression or oppression is tormented by spirits that attack the mind, in attempts to actually gain entrance into the person.  When this happens, the person being attacked requires deliverance from the spirits, for they are not in the individual.  This can be accomplished through prayer and resistance.  If this doesn't bring relief, other believers are required to join in prayer.  There is strength in unity.

 If the spirits are within an individual, the person will need to be delivered of the spirits.  This may require someone to cast them out, unless the person understands how to administer deliverance to him or herself.  This self-deliverance can happen, but not in every case.

 There is, also, the deliverance that takes place at conversion.  Often we hear Christians testifying about the habits and addictions from which they were delivered when they were first saved.  I, myself, experienced just such a wonderful deliverance when I was converted.  Unfortunately, there are many who do not experience total deliverance at conversion.  These precious people often struggle for long periods of time, and some even fall by the wayside.  These are the people whom I greatly desire to help.

 Since there are many kinds of deliverance, and many different ways to receive it, we must understand how to deal with each individual situation, otherwise we will not be very successful.  We already mentioned the deliverance that takes place at conversion, self-deliverance that can take place after conversion, and the act of casting out devils from individuals.  I am convinced that the most neglected aspect of the deliverance ministry is the latter; that of actually casting out devils.  For this reason I wish to en
 courage every believer to become involved.  Don't be afraid to take authority over the unclean spirits.  You have the power in Jesus' name if you are a child of God.

FALSE RELIGION

     There are many wonderful people who are in bondage to false religion.  Many of these individuals love God, but because of erring religious background, they don't understand how to be truly free.  Likewise if the Spirit of God, itself, moves upon them, they may not understand how to react.  They are often afraid of doing something wrong.  Consequently, they quench the Holy Spirit without realizing it.  These are the ones who need a deliverer — someone who will bring the true Word of God to them.  Often these precious people are rejected because of the frustration and anguish with which they are trying to cope.  Compassion and love are the forces that will lead them out of bondage.  These must come to them in the person of someone who is totally committed to Christ.

 A great friend of mine was converted about three years after my conversion.  We went to the same Church and spent a considerable amount of time together.  This man had a marvelous experience in the Lord.  God delivered him from many things that bound him.  He loved God and was faithful in  serving Him.  Although he was marvelously saved, he experienced a terrible bondage in one area of his life.  My Christian brother was bound with fear.  He could not publicly worship in the Church meetings, nor could he testify publicly.  Occasionally, the young people were asked to speak in the youth services.  When it was his turn, he would decline.

 Once, when I prepared to speak at such a youth service.  God gave me a specific message for that particular night.  My friend was there and the message was exactly what he needed to hear.  It set him free.  This man is preaching the Gospel today because he received deliverance from that terrible fear.

 Evangelical Preachers and others use this word "deliverance" very freely these days.  Church announcements may appear like this:

COME TO THE GREAT
DELIVERANCE SERVICE
SALVATION, HEALING AND
DELIVERANCE SERVICE

 Could it be that we are missing something important due to constant exposure to the word "deliver?"  Have we, as labourers, become too passive toward it?  Until the year 1976, I was not aware of the importance of deliverance to my ministry.  I preached a pseudo-deliverance and prayed so-called deliverance prayers, not fully realizing the word's true meaning and importance.

     Since Christ is our deliverer, and included this subject in His model prayer (St.  Luke 11:4 "...deliver us from evil"), it has been my desire to take a serious look at deliverance and explore it's various aspects.  In this chapter, we will consider three avenues:
 

•  Deliverance from SELF.
•  Deliverance from OTHERS.
•  Deliverance for OTHERS.

 I plead with you to read this book with an open, unbiased mind, and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you the reality of deliverance and its importance to the ministry.  To the Pastors, this can mean revelation and revival for your people.  Do not allow the enemy to intimidate you, as this is the tactic he often uses to keep God's people away from this ministry.  Satan knows that the various churches of our towns and cities are his most effective places in which to kill and destroy people.  He will fight relentlessly to hold his position in our midst.  Pretending to be absent, he will hide in many of God's children, while they struggle with problems they cannot overcome.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

Psalm  34:19

DELIVERANCE FROM SELF

 Two of the Christian's worst enemies are the Devil and the Flesh, or Self.  We can never defeat the Devil until we have defeated self, for he who conquers self, conquers all.  The greatest battles ever fought are fought in the hearts of Christians who enter spiritual warfare.  Of course, when these battles are won, the spoils will be great.  And those who gather, shall gather an abundance; but He will only divide it with the strong (Isaiah 53).

For the carnal (natural) mind is enmity with God; and is not subject unto the laws of God, neither indeed can be.

Romans 8:7

 Human reasoning is a mighty tool in the hand of the enemy and one that he often uses to hinder us in the ministry.  This is the reason God warned us to not lean upon our own understanding.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

 Since our walks with Christ are walks of faith, we dare not trust in our reason. Reason alone can cause confusion and frustration and will defeat God's purpose in our faith endeavour.

 Moses was called of God to deliver His people out of Egypt, which was a type of deliverance from spiritual bondage and slavery.  Moses understood God's call upon his life and attempted to deliver His people in his own ingenuity, but failed in his first attempt because he trusted not in God.  He relied upon his own reasoning and might.  It was because of this failure that he fled into the desert away from the presence of God, -- so he thought.  One can never really run away from God, as Moses learned forty years later.  This was exactly where God wanted him.  God was then able to work on him and prepare him for the task He called him to fulfill.

 We must understand that Moses was raised in Pharaoh's house, and was educated by the wisest and most skilled men of all Egypt.  I am certain that he was also well trained in combat. When he visited his brethren and came upon an Egyptian and Israelite fighting, he slew the Egyptian and buried him, supposing his brethren would understand.  But they turned against him, not realizing that God had called him to be their deliverer.

 Moses wasn't ready, though.  He had to die to all of his fleshly abilities and his self-centredness.  So God took him aside, away from the place of his calling, and from the people he would eventually deliver.  Oh yes, it looked like Moses was a failure.  I am sure he considered himself a total disaster.  Nevertheless, God's hand was upon him, and that made the difference.  Moses had to learn, "It is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord."  Zech.  4:6

 When God allows us to exhaust all of our fleshly efforts, He brings us to the realization that we, alone and in our own human strength, are complete failures when it comes to God's work.  It is then that He will go to work on us and do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

 John 12:24

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Galatians 6:7

 If we sow to the flesh we shall reap what it produces; but on the other hand if we will sow to the spirit, we will reap a spiritual harvest — only in a greater abundance.  Paul the Apostle said he "died daily", 1 Corinthians 15:31.

PRAYER AND FASTING

 I want to deal with a very important aspect of deliverance from self, and that involves prayer and fasting.

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Romans 8:13

 The word "Mortify" means "to discipline, deny, sacrifice, humble."  How do we accomplish mortification?  The first step is to experience a thorough examination of our lives, making certain that we have repented of all sins.  Once this is completed, we are ready to humble ourselves through prayer and fasting.  This is the price we will pay to have God's power at our disposal.  There are no shortcuts.  The flesh will strongly oppose this process, for it doesn't want to die.  It will cry for food, beg for rest, and plead for comfort, but we dare not yield to our reasoning.  Reasoning often speaks and up and tells us that everything we are doing by faith makes no sense.  Therefore, we must lose dependence upon our minds' guidance and gain the mind of Christ (Philippians.  2:5).

For to be carnally minded is death...

Romans 8:6

 Since the natural mind is death, and hostile against God, is it any wonder we have such problems trying to do His service?

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man (spiritual man) is renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians.  4:16

 A spiritual walk with Christ comes when we die to self.
 

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the  bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the  oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Isaiah 58:6

 Jesus practiced prayer and fasting (Matthew  4:2).  Paul said that he was in fastings often  (2 Corinthians  11:27).  Prayer and fasting is God's way for us to appropriate spiritual circumcision of the heart and bring the flesh under submission.  The more we die, the more He lives in us.  Our walks with God are walks of faith .

But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God, must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews  11:6

 Everything we can hope to accomplish must be done by faith.

 When the Disciples failed to deliver a boy from evil spirits, Jesus cast the spirits out.  When they saw that Jesus delivered him, they asked why they were not able to do so.  Jesus said it was due to their unbelief that they failed.

Howbeit, this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Matthew 17:21

 If it took prayer and fasting for the Disciples to have power over the enemy, how can we get by with less?  Prayer and fasting brings us into an intimate relationship with our Lord, whereby He is able to speak to us by the Rhema of His Word and make known the things that are lacking in our lives.  He will also reveal those things that are hindering our spiritual progress.  He alone can enable us to overcome carnality and free our minds from every hindering thought.  When this happens, we will have the mind of Christ. We will then be led by His Spirit.  This is what He is longing for.

 Our carnal minds are capable of being filled with all manner of hindering thoughts such as pride, fear, lustful desires, unbelief and many other things.  We need our minds renewed by the "washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" Titus 3:5.  Satan uses our minds as his battleground.  The more time that we spend in prayer and in studying God's Word, the less opportunity the Devil will have to take advantage of our thoughts.

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God; to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down  imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God; and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

2 Corinthians  10:4-5

 All of us have been crucified with Christ if we are saved today.  However, when we have been delivered from self, we will be able to understand another blessing that was always available to us, also, since we were saved — that of living a life by the very faith of Jesus Christ:

I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God...

Galatians  2:20

 After Moses spent forty years in the desert, having supposed that God gave up on him, he received a visit from the Lord.  God told Moses to get ready, "For you will deliver my people.  Since you tried by your own efforts and failed, I will show you what I can do with a person who puts their trust in me."

 Moses was then ready to listen and witness God’s mighty acts.  It will also happen to us if we will allow Him to shape us into the vessels He alone can make, by delivering us from self.

 Christian workers, Pastors and Evangelists often become too involved with secular affairs.  They fail to spend the time in prayer that is necessary to accomplish His perfect will.  It reminds us of Mary and Martha.  Mary took time to sit at Jesus' feet and learn, while Martha, although doing a good work, failed to recognize the opportunity to sup with Him.  We as Pastors and workers are often so busy with our daily duties that we fail to spend the time with Him that is necessary to receive instruction and direction.  We pursue our plans that are not always in harmony with His will.  The result is that we are doing good things, but failing to do the better thing.

  Jesus took time out from His busy schedule to pray.  It was after a forty-day period of prayer and fasting that He was confronted by Satan.  There, He won a mighty victory when He refused to listen to the enemy and bow to his own fleshly desires.

  When Jesus went to the cross, we were in his loins, therefore we died.  When He was buried, we were buried with Him,

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:11

 When He arose, we arose with Him, victorious over sin to walk in newness of life.  And when He accomplished a forty-day prayer and fast, when  Satan confronted Him, praise God, Jesus defeated him!  Through that defeat, we were given power over Satan.  Why should we allow him to rob us of victories that Jesus has provided?

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15

 Christians assume that since Jesus was God manifest in flesh, He could never be tempted like us.  But that is not true.  He endured every temptation that we face.  Thank God, He never yielded to it!  Once we permit God to begin the process of deliverance from self, He will allow the enemy access to try us.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James 1:2-4

 "Oh," you say, "I didn't know God would allow us to go through all the uncomfortable temptations.  I thought the devil caused us all the trouble."  Not really.  Our own flesh is the greatest problem.  Jesus already defeated the devil and He now uses him to accomplish His will in bringing the flesh under submission.

 Job was tried and proven when God gave Satan access to try him.  After Job endured the attacks of Satan and lost all of his possessions, he was given twice as many possessions as he had in the beginning.  God will not allow Satan to confront us without a purpose.  When He does allow Satan the liberty to tempt us, we will be the benefactors.
 

There hath no temptation taken you  but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians  10:13

 Always remember that God knows what He is doing.  Even when we are in our worst trials, He will not allow Satan to put more upon us than we are able to endure.  He will allow the temptation to come so that we may have the opportunity to overcome, and to prove our sincerity  to our Lord.  Many Christians do not believe that God will allow us to suffer.  Yet when you have asked Him to make you a vessel unto honor, He will put you upon the potter's wheel.

For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son... If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons...
Hebrews 12:6-7

 Chastening is not a pleasant process; but it is necessary if we are to become effective for the Kingdom of God.

For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Hebrews 2:10

 If Jesus was made perfect through suffering, are we better than He?  Romans 8:17  reads that if we suffer with Him we shall be glorified together with Him.  When we have been delivered from self, the next step will be...

DELIVERANCE FROM OTHERS

 It is a known fact that our Christian lives are affected by the influence of others.  Some of it is good influence, and some of it is not so good.  My ministry is partly the product of other men of God who played an important role in my spiritual development.  It is because of this that I encourage everyone who has the call of God upon their lives to be careful of the kind of people you associate with.  You will take upon you some of their traits and characteristics.

 If we want to be His servants, we must allow Him to fashion us.  This is not always easy, especially if we have been involved in His work for many years.  Don't get discouraged, however.  Remember Moses.  It took God forty years to work him over, and prepare him for the greatest deliverance ever recorded in God's Word!  After God delivered Israel out of Egypt and started them on their journey to the Promised Land, He had great difficulty with them.  Although they were delivered from Egypt, they were filled with the ways of the Egyptians and murmured and complained, always looking back when things became rough.

 They complained on the banks of the Red Sea, and murmured against Moses after God took them across on dry land.  They said, "Would to God we were back in Egypt, eating the garlic and onions.  It was much better there."  But their complaining didn't end with that.  They lusted for flesh and God sent quail to them by the tons.  While the flesh was between their teeth, He caused His wrath to fall upon them.  Hebrews 4:6 reads that they failed to enter into the land of rest because of their unbelief.  We, therefore, should give the more earnest heed, lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

 I had a difficult time for many years.  I got involved with other jobs and neglected the ministry.  Oh, I suppose some ministers would not consider me as being negligent, mainly because they were involved in the secular world, also.  Nevertheless, God dealt with me and let me know that He wanted me to be separate from all of that.  It was keeping me from spending time in His presence.

Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

I Corinthians 9:13-14

 This was difficult, because I loved to work with my hands.  However, much of what I was doing was to please others.  I enjoyed carpentry.  When I built cabinets for someone I would take great satisfaction when they would comment on how nice they looked.

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of [this] life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

2 Timothy 2:4

 As we humble ourselves through prayer and fasting, God will initiate the deliverance process that will free us from all the ways of men, that are not pleasing to Him.  We will then begin taking His character upon ourselves.
 

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.

Galatians 4:19

 It is His will that we be conformed to the image of His likeness.  This is so that He will be glorified in us, and we will project Him to others.

Not with eyeservice, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

Ephesians 6:6

 I have learned that no man can serve two masters.  Christ must be Lord of our lives, or the flesh will dominate us.  Whether it be a desire to please men or to fulfill our lustful desires, both are disastrous.

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other...

Matthew 6:24

 If we become servants of men, we cannot be true servants of God.  Yes, we are to serve one another in love, but it is only when we have totally committed our lives to Him that this will occur.

 It is within the nature of man to seek the approval of men.  This causes many problems in the lives of those who are called of God and who are separated unto the Gospel of Christ. Revivals have been aborted by menpleasers.  Churches have fallen into apostasy.  Great men have been silenced from speaking the truth because of their desire to please men rather than God.

 The three Hebrew Children wouldn't bow down before the golden image, even though it was the king's command.  Nevertheless, God delivered them from the furnace, and that ungodly king's heart was so touched by God's delivering power that he made a proclamation of faith to the God of Israel.

 In Daniel 3:28, a conspiracy was planned against Daniel by the princes of Babylon.  They desired the king to declare that no man should ask a petition from anyone other than the king for a period of thirty days.  This petition was brought to the king for his signature.  He, being ignorant of their plot to annihilate Daniel, signed it.  The thing was made known to Daniel and he understood what the consequences would be if the petition was disobeyed.  Nevertheless, he opened his window and prayed as usual.  When the spies made this known to the king, guards took Daniel before to him and cast him into the Lions' den.  But God delivered him, and his enemies were destroyed.

 Moses overcame his self-relying fear and delivered God's people out of Egypt.  Nevertheless, Moses did not complete the journey to the Promised Land because he had not been delivered from people.  Their continual murmuring and limitation upon God when circumstances didn't suit them, caused him so much frustration that he disobeyed God in a fit of anger.  He smote the rock when God told him to speak to it (Numbers 20:10).

 Men of God who are tethered to an organization that inhibits them, and takes away their freedom to be led by God, will never excel to a spiritual position of authority.  These people will never be leaders but will always need someone to lean upon.

 If we become puppets to men, we will never be true servants of God.  The desire to please men, or the fear of men, dominates the  ministries of such people.  I am not against organization.  Thank God for those that manage and assist in the extension of the Gospel!  However, let us never become a servant to organizations.  Flesh loves to lean upon flesh.  And unless Christians allow God to help them mortify their flesh, they will never be free from its hindering force.  They will continually seek the approval of others, even at the expense of a richer, fuller ministry.  Are we fully aware that God is a jealous God? Do we understand that He will not give His glory to another (Exodus 34:14)?

 King Saul was anointed to rule over God's people.  He was a valiant man and was admired by the people, but became very jealous when they  gave more praise to David than to him.  No, Saul never received deliverance from people, and this became his ruin.  He grew afraid of the Philistines, and took it upon himself to offer a sacrifice unto the Lord without God's direction.  He was rejected by God.  He never became a deliverer to God's people, but died a disgrace in the battlefield.  Saul could have been the one whom God used as Israel's deliverer, and the Messiah would have come through his bloodline.  Yet he failed to allow God's delivering power to free him from self.

 David was God's choice to succeed Saul.  Before he ascended to the throne of Israel, he was tried and tested.  In those interim years, David experienced deliverance from self and from men, and became a mighty deliverer of the people.

 His first real test came while herding his father's sheep.  When a bear attacked one of the sheep, he defeated all the reasoning of his own mind.  He overcame fear, and when he slew the bear, doubt began to wane.  But, it wasn't over yet.  A lion appeared, and he slew it, too.  Then his confidence was solid in God.

 David's next real test came when he was sent to his brothers in battle with provisions.  They were with Saul's army and had already faced the enemy.  David entered the scene about the time when Goliath roared, "Send me a man, and we will fight!  If he defeats me we will surrender to you; but if I defeat him, you will surrender to us!"

 When David heard this, saw that no one accepted the challenge and that Saul and his army were afraid, he accepted the challenge.  By the hand of God he delivered Israel out of the hand of their enemies.

 David was delivered from the negative influence of people that day, for even his brothers rebuked him when he offered to fight the enemy and he stood firm.  He listened to cowardly Saul who offered him his armour.  But David overcame the reasoning, and, having put his trust in God, he won the victory.

 Human reasoning has defeated God's purpose for many potentially powerful ministries.  We must be delivered from all reasoning, whether it be our own or that of others.  Either source of reasoning can be very detrimental when it comes to fulfilling God's will.

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:9

 Carnality can only produce more carnality.  When we listen for the voice of God to speak, then we shall know what the will of God is for any situation, regardless of what our reasoning tells us.  It doesn't matter how good the advice of others might be.  We must recognize God's will and obey it alone.  We have people in our churches who could be greatly used of God if they would only learn to depend on the Lord, instead of looking to man.

 I know certain Christians who run to every evangelist that comes to town, hoping they will get another blessing or a word of prophecy informing them that they are going to do great and mighty works for God.  They need to realize that God can speak to them, themselves, if they will spend time in prayer.  Of course, spending time in prayer is a bit more difficult than running to an evangelist, and such people are not willing to put forth the effort.

 I Thank God for the Evangelists who speak the Word of the Lord.  But let us learn to hear from Him in prayer, ourselves.  It will prove more beneficial.

 In 1 Kings 19, we read that there was a famine in Israel.  No rain fell for over three years.  The situation was desperate.  Cattle were dying.  And there was no water or food.  King Ahab mobilized all the armies of Israel to hunt for Elijah, since he blamed this prophet of God for the terrible crisis they faced.

 Elijah appeared to Ahab, and told him to gather all Israel and the prophets of Baal, the prophets of the grove, eight hundred and fifty in all, and come to Mount Carmel.  There he would wait.  This was done, and Elijah said, "We will prove this day who is Lord."

 They provided two bullocks, one for Elijah and one for the prophets of Baal.  Elijah said, "The God that answers by fire, let him be God."

 The worshipers of Baal placed their offering upon the altar, and the wood beneath it, and called upon their gods from morning until night.  There was no answer.

 Elijah repaired the altar of the LORD, put the wood in order and placed the bullock upon it.  He then dug a trench around the altar, and had the people pour twelve barrels of water upon it.  Then he called upon the Lord, who answered by fire, consuming the sacrifice along with the wood, stones and the water.

 This turned the hearts of the people back to God, and Elijah commanded them to destroy all the false prophets of Baal and those of the groves.  Elijah did not allow the ungodly prophets of Baal to intimidate him.  Although he was outnumbered -- eight hundred and fifty to one -- he realized that the God he served would deliver Israel.  It was not a problem for Elijah since he was delivered from people.

 When God's servants have been delivered from people, God will become Organizer, and will fitly join us together.  This will eliminate politics, thus removing corrupt men from would-be positions, where they put on false masks and pretend to be doing the Lord's work.  But many of these people will continue to stoop to many unprincipled and unrighteous acts to secure their positions.  Why?  It is because they love authority, and would rather satisfy their pride than to please the Lord.  They forget that, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump."

 Once a person of this caliber becomes a leader, those under his leadership will become confused and frustrated, and often will be scattered like sheep without a shepherd.  The leaven that is in such a person will permeate the whole body.  God's grace is sufficient if we will allow Him to perform spiritual circumcision of our hearts, cutting away every fleshly desire that would bring us into bondage to self or others.

DELIVERANCE FOR THE PEOPLE

 Where are the Elijahs who will dare to stand alone and face the enemy when the opposing forces are so great?  Where are the Davids who refuse to avenge themselves, even when God places their enemies at their mercy, and the reasoning of others becomes so forceful?  When we have been delivered from self and people, we will be ready to deliver others (1 Samuel.  2:6-8).  There are only very few of His servants that I know who have attained this place in Him.  But it is possible for every true servant of God to receive the power and anointing to fulfill this kind of ministry.

 Consider the multitude of God's people who frequent our churches and profess to know the Lord, but are actually in bondage and torment.  These people are not free to worship the Lord, neither can they witness for Him.  Isn't it sad that so many of these wonderful, faithful saints, who support the ministry with their finances and faithful attendance, are bound and do not understand real freedom?  Some of these precious people have visited me.  I listened to their sad stories such as, "I don't know what to do.  I feel like a hypocrite.  I attend Church regularly and put on a good front, but inside I feel dead.  I am enduring instead of enjoying salvation."

 Is it any wonder this goes on when they attend churches that are operated by programs, controlled by carnal board members who never take time to pray and who only show any zeal when they decide to fire the Pastor?  When the Pastor steps on their toes, these ruling people are the kind that a Church is better off without.  Once they get control, it will take prayer and fasting to dislodge them.  That is often unlikely to happen, since many of the pastors are caught up with the cares of life, and a lot of other paraphernalia.  Such things rob men of God of the time needed to seek the Lord and receive a fresh and wholesome sermon for their congregations on Sunday morning.

 Some pastors have their sermons prepared for them by their superiors.  This makes it much easier for them, since they don't have to spend time in prayer and study, themselves.  It also gives the officials in their organizations much more control.

 When God spoke to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, He addressed the Pastors making them aware of the spiritual condition that existed in their churches.   His message to one of the churches was, "Repent, or else I will remove the candlestick from your midst."   And to four others, the message was basically the same -- a very sobering message indeed!  Now if this was His message to those early churches, what might be His message to us today? We must accept our responsibilities and stop hiding behind excuses, like blaming our members for failing to pray and worship, when God is looking to us to lead them.  May we be examples to the believer.

 He said to the Laodicaeans, "I know thy works, that thou art neither hot nor cold; and because you are neither hot or cold I will spew you out of my mouth...  You say that you are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing; but know ye not that you are poor, wretched, blind and naked?"  Let us not be overwhelmed with such complacency and indifference, but let us arise to the challenge, and be strong.  Jesus remains the same, yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), and He will vindicate your faithfulness as He did the men of integrity of old.

 Is there hope?  Absolutely!  We must lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us, and run to Him, in prayer and fasting.  Then we will bring deliverance to the people.  When we as spiritual leaders will enter our prayer closets and spend time in His presence, we will receive instructions from Him.  Then Pastors will bring God's message of deliverance to the people.  When the people indeed receive deliverance, in turn they will become fruitful and we will see our churches grow.  Once we have been delivered from "self" and people, we will  understand our positions in Him.

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians  2:6

 What are we?  We are new creatures in Christ Jesus.  Old things have passed away and all things have become new.

Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.

 2 Corinthians 5:17

 In what position of authority does this put us?  We are in Christ and He is in us.  This gives us the same power and authority that He exercised while fulfilling His earthly ministry.

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come

Ephesians 1:20-21

 Consider where this puts us.

 Since He has been highly exalted above all, and we are in Him, then have we not also been exalted with Him?  It cannot be otherwise, since we are in Him.  When we understand that we have the same authority that He has, then the things He did shall we do also.  We will even do greater works!  He has given us power over all the works of the enemy.  We will cast them out, and tread upon them, and what we bind on earth will be bound in heaven.  That which we loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  What authority is ours!  Is there any reason why we cannot have revival in our churches?  If we fail to avail ourselves of all these provisions, how will we face Him on that day when we give account of the deeds done in the body?  (Romans  14:12)

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;...

Romans 8:17

 The Bible refers to two "Adams" (1 Corinthians 15:45).  The first Adam was a living soul.  The last Adam was a quickening spirit.  The first was of the Earth, earthy; the last from Heaven, heavenly.  Let us take a serious look at our positions in the body of Christ:

But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

Hebrews 2:6-7

 When an angel visited Cornelius, he told him to send for Peter.  Peter would tell him how he could be saved.  One might wonder why the angel could not tell him how to be saved, since angels were made higher than us?

 Hebrews 1:14 reads that angels are ministering spirits, sent to  minister for those who are heirs to salvation; not to preach the  gospel.  Since Jesus was highly exalted, and we are in Him, then we have been exalted also.  We have already been placed over the works of His hands.

 Before God could fulfill His perfect plan for man, He needed a medium through whom He could work.  He couldn't use angels, because they are spirits and cannot relate to the condition of fallen man since they never knew sin.  Therefore, they could never understand what it was like to be helplessly and hopelessly lost, bound by a force that held us captive, that separated us from our Lord.

 God created Adam a living soul.  Then He took upon Himself a body of flesh and He became the second Adam from heaven.  This produced one new man, thus bringing together humanity and Deity in a body that could know sin and it's dreadful effect.  He did this by cleansing this temple of clay with His own Blood, and making it a house in which He could dwell.  He manifested Himself in the Spirit as well as the flesh.

And without controversy, great is the mystery of Godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received into glory.

 1 Timothy 3:16

 Since we as Christians have been born into His family, and are His Sons, then we must also accept the fact that He (Christ, which is God manifested in flesh) dwells in us.

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery; which is Christ in you the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27

 As sons of God, we are able to enter the spiritual realm and combat the powers of the enemy.  We are therefore able to destroy his strongholds and bring deliverance to the captives.  Once we understand  who we are, and what authority we possess as sons of God, then He will speak to us and will perform His perfect will through us.

He that hath seem me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?  Believest thou not that I am in the  Father, and the Father in Me?  The words that I speak unto you I  speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth  the works.

John 14:9-10

 Yes, we were made a little lower than the angels, but in Christ we have been elevated to a position much higher than they.  They are spirits and are greatly confined to that realm.  On the other hand, we are sons, who have known the torment and bondage of sin, and have been born into His spiritual Kingdom.  Though we live in these fleshly bodies, we minister in the spirit and war in the spirit (Eph 6:12).

It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.

John 6:63

 What authority Jesus spoke with!  And we will speak with the same authority and see the same results when we understand our position in Him.  We are His voice in this sin-ridden world, to preach His gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out devils.  We are the ones through whom God has chosen to finish the work that He began.

 It will be easy to finish His work because He works with us, and through us, confirming His word with signs and wonders (Heb 2:4).  This is a momentous hour for the Church.  God is moving amongst His candlesticks and re-lighting them with the sacred love of His Spirit. Every one of us can receive this end-time outpouring if we will hunger and thirst for righteousness.  We will be the ones who will restore paths to dwell in, restore the breaches, and build up the foundations of many generations.  The need is great, and the time is short.  Let us arise and be about our Father's business, bringing deliverance to His Children, who are crying from within.

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away.

2 Timothy 3:5

 God's true Church was intended to be one of power and authority.  Is it not time that we realized our lack and did something about it?  Arise and take away the reproach that Satan has brought to God's cause.  Exercise authority over the enemy and bring deliverance to the children who sit in our churches, tormented and bound.  They will then be able to take the torch and carry it to others.

 I have longed for the day when the body of Christ will move forward as a mighty army against the forces of Hell, freeing God's people from Satan's influence.  And I believe that time has come.  But we must listen and hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches, and obey His voice.  This will allow us to see His glory.

 Joshua was one of the men who left Egypt with Moses, and he was one of the original who crossed over Jordan into Canaan because he had another spirit.  When the heads of each tribe of Israel were chosen to go over Jordan and spy out the land, (Leviticus 13), Joshua and Caleb were two of the men chosen.  Twelve men went into Canaan and searched out the land.  They all returned after forty days with their reports.  Ten of these men brought a bad report, saying, "These countrymen are stronger than we, and we are as grasshoppers in their eyes.   The city is well fortified; so that we are not able to posses this land."

 But this fear was not applicable to Joshua and Caleb.   They were ready to go immediately and take possession.  They realized that God gave them a promise.  He would deliver the enemy into their hands.

 What made the difference?  These two men had been delivered from the fear of people.  They were leaders, fearless of the enemy, ready to prove God's ability to give them the land.

 Because of the doubting majority, God turned the children of Israel back into the wilderness where they wandered for forty years, until every doubting, complaining one of them was dead.  Then He called Joshua to take His people into the land of rest, which he did by the mighty hand of God.  Yes, Joshua delivered the people, because he had been delivered from people.

 Fear has torment.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear has torment.  He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18

 Whether we be afraid of our own inabilities to accomplish His will, or whether we be afraid of what others will think about us, we can never deliver His people with fear in our hearts.

 After I became involved in the deliverance ministry, I soon realized that I would need help.  It was at this time that I trained others to help in praying for deliverance.  It was an experience I shall never forget.  There were two men in particular that became very helpful to me, as they would very willingly pray for hours if necessary.  But these men had to learn that casting out devils required prayer and fasting, and that they were not able to cast them out by their own powers.  They first had to be delivered from lack of desire to pray and fast, and then the process of deliverance from the fear of others came.

 On one occasion, when I was forced to deal with a person in whom a spirit manifested during a Church service, there was a very large man sitting in the congregation.  He watched as we restrained the person in whom the spirit manifested.  He came to me after the service and asked what I would do if I had to deal with a man of his size? (He weighed over four hundred pounds!) I said that size meant nothing with God.

 This is what the enemy would like to use on us — the fear of people.  After a few sessions with the two brothers, allowing them to see how deliverance was administered, they became very effective and relieved me of many strenuous hours.  It gave me great satisfaction to see these men work, who longed to be involved in His work and operating in the Spirit of God and fulfilling His will, but previously didn't know how.  I thank God for those who have allowed Him to bring deliverance to their lives.  Such people shall deliver others.

 When we are ready to deliver God's people, we will have overcome the fear of people, and of the Devil.  However, until this happens, we will be intimidated by both.

 I have heard of pastors who warned their people to not talk about the Devil lest they stir him up to attack them by some means or other.  However, if we are not causing the Devil some concern, then we are not accomplishing much anyway!

 The early Church was one with power, and feared nothing, nor any person, but God alone.  Great victories were wrought by the hands of the ministry of that era.  If one will put a thousand to flight and two will put ten thousand to flight, what would happen if all of His true Church would seek Him by fasting and prayer, until God is allowed to raise us up and cause us to go forth as a mighty army with one cause at heart?  What a day it will be when we have no desire to seek positions or selfish gain, but to promote His cause!  And it could happen.  When it does, we won't worry what the Devil might do to us.  He will be the one that will be in trouble.

 When God calls a person to the ministry, He wants to mold and shape that individual into an honourable vessel — one whom He can use as He chooses.  But before this can happen, that person must be delivered from self and then from people.  Then such people will become deliverers for Him.

 Abraham manifested this might when he went into Sodom with a small group of men whom he trained, and he delivered Lot, who was taken captive by the enemy (Genesis  14).  How must the heart of God be grieved when He looks at His Church and sees us in such a state of powerlessness!  Satan continues sowing strife and bitterness among us, and  many of God's children remain needlessly sick and afflicted.  I feel a need for a fresh baptism of love that I might become more compassionate toward others.  It was His love and compassion that motivated our Saviour to reach out to others, by healing the sick, restoring the lepers, feeding the hungry, casting out devils, and raising the dead.  How greatly the name of Jesus will be exalted when these same signs follow our ministries!

 Will you make a new covenant with God and become one of the faithful ones who will allow Him to put a compassion and love in your heart?  Will you allow Him to put such a love in you that will motivate you to stand against the powers of darkness and bring deliverance to those precious ones that are imprisoned by Satan?
 
 
 
 

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