Taking it By Force Part 1

What a great scripture that we can all identify with. We have all suffered rejection and been harassed or made fun of because we are a Jesus follower. We do suffer the violence of the prince of the power of the air and the people that love this world and its ways.  On the flip side, “the violent take it by force.” That’s us.  To be violent in the Kingdom of God is talking about the relentless child of the highest God that will not give up winning their lost family and friends, calling healing in for those who are sick, bringing peace back to a broken marriage or family. Taking it by force may mean in part, losing sleep as you intercede for that one who is so tied up in spiritual blindness, praying for needs and situations of all forms. It is hard, it takes time, energy, emotions, and commitment. It is a lifestyle.

I started out this month with an emphasis on starting my year with the goal of more prayer, more Bible study. and more reading. I have been crying out to God for the lost in my family and know that many of you share the same heartfelt cry. I have also been crying out for myself to be more like Jesus as the devil has used various situations and people to bring that sting of rejection that many of us battle.  It has been hard to comprehend why we have not had the answers to prayer that we need to be the whole, healthy and dynamic family that God called us to be. I have to be transparent in my weakness and pain and say that my particular situation has felt almost hopeless. 

As I have been on my face seeking the Lord this New Year of 2020, my heart and mind have gone deep and centered in on the one that is lost. I seem to have this prayer under my breathe nearly continually that God will put the right discerning individual(s) in their path. Deception can be mastered with enough practice, and it takes someone directly connected to the spirit of God to “know” when you are standing before a person that has given themself over to the dark side. We all think we know certain facts, but I assure you that unless we were directly involved, and physically present chances are high we don’t know truth and facts in ANY SITUATION that involves others.

1. Stay in the Word (The Bible) daily. It IS a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path. The Word will show us the way to navigate this painful path.
2. Stay in prayer. I don’t know about you, but I pray while cleaning the house, doing yard work, doing my hair and getting ready for the day; I pray while I am driving my car and doing grocery shopping. The attitude of constant prayer is essential. Countless times God has interrupted me and given me needed instruction.
3. Keep praise before your lips, and in your ears. Personally, I have had Hillsong playing on my devices at home almost 24/7. I want my physical house permeated with the presence of God.
4. Find one or two spiritually mature people that you can talk to. It is essential. If they are mature AND have the spirit of truth in them, they will listen, and always turn your heart back to that person in your family that is so lost. They won’t get in agreement with your hopelessness. The Bible says that it is the LOVE of God that leads a man to repentance. Sometimes love is mushy and sometimes love is hard and confronting. Loves motive is ALWAYS to bring unity and healing. ALWAYS AND IN ALL CASES. Setting aside time away from the abuse and lies may be necessary for God’s intervention.   The sum total of what a  “pretending person” does,  when their whole life is bound up by the devil is BEYOND description. God may have us step back and release that person to be dealt with as HE sees fit. As “Mothers” that’s one of the hardest things in the world to do.  It is Gods’ nature, therefore ours also, to huddle over, love and protect our chicks.
5. Forgive yourself. No mother or father is perfect. Many of us came out of homes where there was little to no teaching. Many of us really messed up life early on. We cannot love others or even forgive others until we realize that God loves us the same way that He loves them.  There is another false doctrine about judging that is rampant in the church world today.  It is a good idea to know the whole counsel of God, not just use a scripture at our convenience. The Bible does NOT say, not to judge.  It gives parameters of judgment.  (Read my next blog on “judging).” The Bible says we are not supposed to judge the world, because it has already judged itself. To see the wrongdoing in another person’s life who claims to be a Christian is necessary.  (Matthew 18:15….. If your brother sins against you, go to him…. (read the whole chapter) We cannot go to our brother if we are not supposed to see his actions as sin. People call that “judging). We are to simply judge them no differently than we judge our self.  God wants the scales of judgment balanced, not blind to sin. We are called to forgive them and forgive ourselves. We live in a crazy upside-down world, and there are all kinds of OPINIONS out there that can justify anything we WANT to believe.  Make no mistake that the heart of God is to bring love, unity, and healing in all cases. God’s WILL is to draw all men/women in, not separate and have division. There has been so much damage in the church and by the church for their non-biblical counsel. (ie: we the people are “the church.”)
6. There are times when we have to have an unpleasant conversation, discussing unpleasant FACTS. Remember earthly facts are subject to change and we DO have a God of miracles; in the end, we must trust God’s final result. It makes no sense when someone that loves the Lord dies; when someone that loves the Lord gets breast cancer or gets dementia.  BUT…the bottom line is trusting God and knowing He sees the big picture. Its simply time to sink into HIM, not abandon Him because He didn’t do things the way we thought He should.  He is a good God all the time and we cannot know all the factors involved with any person. The Bible even says ONLY the spirit of the man, knows the man. (I Cor. 2: 11-13).  God is God and there is no greater than He. It is impossible to please God without faith. Hope is the substance of things hoped for, but Faith is the action(s) behind our hope. When you feel like your chest is going to burst open with the pain, grab onto Hope and Faith. They WILL CARRY YOU THROUGH this storm.

I want to pray for you and your family, and I humbly ask that you would pray for me and my family. I believe that we can make a mighty force if joined together as one in agreement. The one that this message will speak to is the one that has a similar situation in their family. You may be the mother or father. You may be the son, or daughter, or grandparent, sister or brother.  We understand the pain. We understand the deception that is almost mastered to the point that only the truly connected to the spirit of the living God will see.  The Bible says that Jesus left the whole flock to find one that is lost. I for one, am praying that daily and thanking God that He is doing that now. Do I get discouraged? Oh yes. But in the end, we must acknowledge that our children were entrusted to us, and they really are HIS anyway. God’s heart is to restore, my job is to stay aligned. Will you pray with me?