Shadowing – part-1

and the title of what we'll be doing today and tomorrow is called

shadowing. Shadowing is basically when someone follows you

in the role that you play so that they can learn from you

and then one day begin to do that so I really like this picture that I found in

that

kind of summarizes what we'll be talking about the next two days.

So what kind of shadow do I cast

is a question that I want us to keep asking over the next couple of days

and

if you go to Isaiah 60 verse 22, Isaiah 60

Isaiah 60:22

22, Isaiah 60 22

it says there that the least of you will become a thousand the smallest

mighty nation I am the Lord in the time I will do this

in its time I'll do this swiftly. He's talking about how

someone as tiny as a runt that's how the

message puts it. Hey I'm getting a boom and an echo

is that because something else is on or

is it just me?

So Isaiah 60 verse 22

Isaiah 60:22

regardless of how small we are the shadow we cast is what should matter

and so like it shows in that picture

doesn't matter that you're a pawn doesn't matter that you're the

the runt in the litter you're the smallest of the clan like Gideon was

the hope is the intent is that can I now

even though I'm the least amongst a thousand

become a mighty nation the least of you will become a thousand

the smallest mighty nation I'm the Lord in its time I will do this swiftly

that is where we are heading but what is sometimes a true condition

a true condition is sometimes what we see in Isaiah

Isaiah 42:22

42 verse 22 I think

Isaiah 42 verse 22 and

Isaiah 42:22

I'm hoping that we can put an end to this condition

that we find ourselves in quite often or find other people that we know

in quite often. Isaiah 42 verse 22

Isaiah 42:22

this is what it says. But this is a people plundered and looted

all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons

they have become plunder with no one to rescue them they have been made loot

with no one to say send them back or restore

one more time this is as people plundered and looted

all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons they have become plunder

with no one to rescue them. They have been made loot with no one to save. Send them back.

My hope is that Axe Van Anan can get to a place where we not only set ourselves free

from demonic oppression, demonic harassment, but that we then are able to set others free

from demonic oppression, demonic possession, demonic harassment. Because the one thing

the church seems to be relatively docile at is setting people free from the harassment

of the devil. We are not able to do it for ourselves, we are not able to do it for others.

And yet this was such a part and parcel of Jesus' ministry and the ministry of the apostles

and the ministry of the early church. And yet either we don't attempt it or we are not skilled

at it or we are not getting good results at it. I was asking a few people in different

parts of the world that I'm connected with about some of the areas where they aren't

doing as well as they should be. And one of the areas they kept bringing up is this area

of spiritual warfare where the term itself I dislike because it brings up so many different

images and it's sometimes so flaky. But what I found out speaking to different people in

different parts of the world that I'm connected with is that most of them do not know how

to deal with the demonic even though we preached a lot about it. When it comes to practical

aspects of it there hasn't been much growth, much skill, much practice nor experience and

therefore very few testimonies. I'm hoping that will change. It should change. Because

one of the reasons Jesus came down to the earth was to destroy the works of the devil.

And if you're going around praying for 49 days, thus far the prayers have been not deliberately

docile but it's almost a set up where God is hoping that we'll have enough muscle to

now do a little more than pray relatively tame prayers. How about again praying for

exerting a little more strength? The thing is he's got a list of things that we have

to first, requirements that we have to meet so that we can pray those kind of prayers.

So that's where I'm hoping we can go today. The fact is, according to 1 Samuel 17, the

fact is that we have an enemy who is a man of war. As much as God is a man of war, we

have an enemy who is a man of war. In 1 Samuel 17 when Saul is talking to David about Goliath,

he says of Goliath that that man is a man of war. He has learned war from when he was

young. He's a champion. So there are some pitfalls we need to avoid and one of them is to take

stock of the fact that we are dealing with an enemy who is a man of war. Secondly, we

need to understand that there is a shout in the enemy's camp. There is a shout in the

enemy's camp. Everything that happens in God's camp is also happening in the enemy's camp.

It's just that God wins, which is a big deal. He is a man of war. It is also said of Lord

Sabaoth that he is a man of war and guess who wins? There is no contest. But unfortunately

when we don't understand this, then the contest becomes intensive and there is collateral

damage. So he is a man of war. There is a shout in the enemy's camp. Just as there is

a shout in God's camp, in Numbers 23 we read about it, there is a shout in God's camp.

Balaam is prophesying and he talks about it. There is the shout of a king is in their midst.

But there is a shout in the enemy's camp too. And then the third thing that we see from

1 Samuel 17 is that the enemy is relentless and the intent of relentlessness is to see

if he can veery you down to a place where relentlessness in assault brings you to a

place of veeriness. The enemy is relentless in assault with the intent of bringing about

veeriness. So if I don't become cognizant of these facts, then I don't know what the

enemy is. It just doesn't serve me well when I go to find an enemy that I underestimate

or I overestimate. I overestimate the enemy by underestimating God and I overestimate myself

by underestimating the enemy. I overestimate the enemy by underestimating God and I overestimate

myself by underestimating the enemy. As in thinking of him as someone who is not a man

of war, is not someone who has a shout in his camp, is not relentless in his assault.

I've got to be cognizant of that. It makes me alert, it makes me aware, it makes me trust

God, rely on God, depend on God, seek my strategy from God and not on my own. The thing is we

need David's. One of the things David says to Saul after Saul tells him who Goliath is,

David says to him in 1 Samuel 17 verse 32, let no man's heart fail because of him. Your

1 Samuel 17:32

servant will go and fight. Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go

and fight. We need David's. We need people who can say this and we don't have them. We

don't not have them because they're not available. We don't not have, we don't have, I don't

know, I have too many negatives. We don't have David's who can say these lines in 1

1 Samuel 17:32

Samuel 17 verse 32. Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight

and say restore. That line is not a line that we hear very often at Acts 29 or in many of

the churches that I'm connected with or associated with and it isn't good enough to have one

or two people do this. We need more who can go say this line, prove it and come back unscathed.

That is a catch. It is one thing to say it, another thing to prove it, another thing to

prove it and come back unscathed. That is what I'm hoping will happen. Because if we

don't do this, then there's no question of restoring people because you cannot restore

them till you rescue them. Our desire is to restore but there is no restoring without

rescuing. This is what Jesus had to do. Jesus had to rescue us off the ransom block where

we were captive to the enemy, he rescued us and having rescued us, he restored us. And

to rescue you have to have the ability to bind up the strongman, enter his house, plunder

him, strip him off his armor and everything else he depends on and plunder his house and

rescue. The Spirit of God is good at this but we somehow haven't been able to practice

this for many different reasons. Some of the reasons being perhaps my inability to get

you to a place like that. But if we begin to do that, rescue involves taking back what

is stolen, rescue involves taking back what is stolen, taking back what is stolen, rescue

involves securing what is recovered, securing what is recovered and rescue involves punishing

the one who stole or sentencing the one who stole. Rescue involves taking back what is

stolen, rescue involves securing what is recovered, rescue involves punishing the one who stole

so that he doesn't keep stealing again. It's a very short teaching guys, we'll continue

it tomorrow. But these are some of the prerequisites. It's almost like if you want to go any further,

if these conditions are not met, there is no going any further. And because we are not

ready, this is not something that can be tried out by just really nearly going out and trying

to cast out demons or trying to tear down things that perhaps exist or perhaps don't

exist. It becomes flaky and that is the problem with spiritual warfare. The prerequisites

are not met. It doesn't matter whether it's YVAM, it doesn't matter whether it's Campus

Crusade, it doesn't matter whether it's those wonderful missionary organizations that have

done tremendous good. But there are so many of them that take young people that have not

met the basic requirements that we are talking about here and therefore they go into enemy

territory, have sufficient adventure and even do damage but come back never the same.

Sometimes damage for years on end. I've met too many of them. It's a catch 22. On one

hand you don't want people to be harmed that way, on the other hand you can't keep them

at home. You can't keep them at home. They have to be sent out. If they're not sent out,

the widow's son dies. If they're not sent out, the people follow Baal. If they're not

sent out, the oil and the flour does not multiply. If you're not sent out, Jehu is not anointed.

If you're not sent out, Elisha is not found. Those things happen only when someone is sent

out but sent out prepared. I just want to pause for a second and just briefly mention

something. Sometimes at Acts 29, because of the number of things that are happening every

week, like a teaching on Saturday, a teaching on Sunday, which in itself is weighty because

these are topics that are weighty, and then you've got these daily praying things that

are happening for the next 49 days and then some of you have teaching sessions that happen

on a particular day. Some of you are doing house church. It seems like so much. How do

you even keep up with it? I've received just a couple of messages from people who are doing

house church. How do you even keep up with it? I've received quite a few texts and emails

over the last couple of weeks saying, how do I even keep track? I don't even know how

to finish one before the next one starts. I would take you to Acts chapter 4, verse

Acts 4:13

13. In Acts chapter 4, verse 13, you see what is really required at the end of the day.

Acts 4:13

I was just thinking of it. That 12 men and others with them hung out on the roof of the

house, hung out with the son of the living God, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent,

though in his humanness he did not know everything, absolutely knowledgeable. They hang out with

him not for two hours on a Saturday, two hours on a Sunday, not on eight minute videos, but

they're hanging out with him 24-7 for three and a half years. He has to prepare them to

completely change the world and shift the balance of power where the kingdom of God

now begins to grow and the kingdom of the devil keeps reducing. That's what he has to

do. You can imagine the conversations he's having on a daily basis. Just nuggets here,

teaching here, saying this, showing them how to do things and they're continuously exposed

to them. I'm thinking to myself, those guys must have been swimming, man, not in water,

like in conversations. How do you handle it? And yet in Acts 4, verse 13, you see what

Acts 4:13

happens. In Acts 4, 13 it says that now Jesus is left, Peter and John are in front of the

Sanhedrin and it says there, when they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized

that they were unschooled ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these

men had been with Jesus. At the end of the day, it's not whether I track with the teaching

or not. It is at the end of the day, does that teaching make me look more like Jesus?

When people have conversations with me, am I able to pull like a trained scribe, old

and new and can they hear God speaking even through simple conversations? Can they know

that as much as these guys are unschooled, there's a courage in them, as much as these

guys are ordinary, that there's an astonishment because it looks like these people have spent

time with Jesus. How do you spend time with Jesus now? You spend time with Jesus through

the Word and with the people of God. Two places where Jesus is always found. And then if you

go and look at Matthew 13, 51 and 52, you get the other side of the story. Matthew 13,

51 and 52. Matthew 13, 51 and 52. And it says there, have you understood all these things?

And Jesus asked, probably expecting the answer, no, not really, but instead the disciples

said yes. And then he said to them, therefore every teacher of the law or every scribe who

has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out

office storeroom, new treasures as well as old. So let me read from say another version.

Matthew 13, 51 and 52. Reading from the message. Jesus asked, have you understood all these

things? And Jesus asked, are you starting to get a handle on all this? That is so typical

of us. Like we sometimes don't have a handle on all of it. Are you starting to get a handle

on all this? They surprisingly answered yes. He said, then you see how every student, well

trained in God's kingdom, is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on

anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it. You've got to trust the Holy

Spirit. At the end of the day it's not tracking with, have I finished every teaching or not,

but in what I listen does it go down to the marrow of my spiritual bones so that when

I speak it comes up automatically. So that's just a diversion on the side. I probably will

say it again tomorrow. I haven't had coffee but I'm speaking really fast. What would happen

if I had some cold coffee right now? Had David said those words, I would have been in a situation

where three of his men would have gotten up and gone to Starbucks and gotten a cold coffee.

But unfortunately that's not how it's working right now. So. And Evan said and then David

would have poured it out. That's where I'd be different from David. So I'll just stick

with water since the game's up. Thanks Evan, you're no help.

But at least you read the word. Good for you. Here's another requirement if you want to

go out and fight. You can only go and fight if you've been going out and fighting. You

can only go and fight. Sounds like a silly sentence. You can only go and fight. You can

only go and fight if you have been, if you have been, if you have been, if you have been

going out and fighting. You can only go and fight if you have been going out and fighting.

That's kind of what David says to Saul in 1 Samuel 1734. That do not worry, I know you're

concerned about me and you think Goliath is a champion but I want you to know that I've

fought the lion and the bear and I've dealt with them well and therefore having gone out

and fought I can go out and fight. And that is where Acts 29 is falling short. A part

of the responsibility is mine and I feel like Saul suddenly because we haven't, most of

us haven't gone out and fought. We haven't even learned how to fight for ourselves sometimes,

leave alone fight for others. When it comes to actual confrontation with demonic powers,

with principalities and powers, we really don't know too much. And a few of us go and

do it and we come back sometimes and report all of it or a little bit of it because it

sounds absurd what sometimes happens in these realms. But unfortunately because we haven't

talked, we haven't attempted it, we're pretty unskilled at it. We have head knowledge but

we have no hands and feet to take us in and out of situations. And I'm praying that that

will change because this 49 day of prayer has to at some point step into these areas.

At the same time the church has to be kept safe. It's an odd dilemma to be caught in.

I'm not saying it has to happen in the next 49 days. I'm saying when we do 98 days it

better happen. Don't worry, don't get afraid. Nobody has more pressure on them than me coming

up with something every day and thank God, God's been kind.

Okay, so here are some prerequisites to train your fingers for battle. Here are some prerequisites

to train your fingers for battle. The starting point is 2 Timothy 2 verse 4 and 5. The starting

2 Timothy 2:4

point is 2 Timothy 2 verse 4 and 5. And it basically says that a soldier does not get

2 Timothy 2:4

entangled in civilian affairs and that an athlete competes according to the rules. Two

simple things. A soldier does not get entangled in civilian affairs and an athlete competes

according to the rules. So here are the prerequisites. First, do you want to? Do you have a desire

to? Will you actually train for it? After you meet the requirements, after you meet

the prerequisites? Because in every story in the New Testament and the Old Testament,

there are always people who are trained for it. And that is the reason why I'm saying

that. And I'm not saying that you should be trained for it. I'm saying that you should

be trained for it. I'm saying that you should be trained for it. I'm saying that you should

not be trained for it. It's only for people who don't think that's something they want

to do. It is just the nature of the kingdom. It is a sorry thing to say about the kingdom

because it's not the nature of the king but it is the nature of us humans in the kingdom

that not everybody wants to go out into harm's way to deal with an active real enemy, to

high cost of training to be ready for it. Not everybody has a desire. Many of us

will sit back and it is the nature of the kingdom of God when it comes to

humans and there's nothing we can do about it. And so I need to ask you the

question. I see 10, 11 people here and I'm asking you, do you have the desire, do

you want to and if you say you have the desire and you want to, do you have the

aggression required to pay a high cost of training after you meet the

prerequisites. If you don't meet the prerequisites you don't even get

invited to boot camp. That's how it is. This is, yeah. There'll be pastors who say,

oh no, just use the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus is the most powerful name

and you just use it and demons flee. That is true but the prerequisites must

be met and we'll talk about that. So the first question is do you have the desire

and I want to say that not everyone at Act 29 has a desire. I want to say to the

ones sitting here you need to ask yourself if you have the desire and then

if you have the ability to pay the cost to train. Because this is what actually

sets you free and this is what actually sets people free from the works of the

enemy and there are plenty. I mean go through the Gospels. Do you know how

many times Jesus went about doing this on a daily basis?

It just bothers me as I speak because this is not spoken of and if you speak

about it it sounds almost flaky. I was listening to a sermon recently by

someone in another church, much bigger, much larger and the line

that people use it really bothers me. Oh we shouldn't see a demon behind every

bush but we should be aware that the devil is real. Really? That gets you

anywhere? That's how the entire thing is dismissed. Oh we shouldn't get too hyper

but we should be aware that he's real. How does that help?

Hiya. I wish I had a real audience without masks that would actually speak

back. I'm not talking about you guys I'm talking about like in the good old days

when you'd have 50-60 people and I'd ask questions and someone would ask a

question back.

Yeah so Evan's question is when people go with organizations and they're sent

out into nations that have certain spiritual powers or places that you're

not just to walk into without forethought and strategy what happens to

them and why do they come back harmed? Why can't someone cover them like Boaz

covered Ruth? That's the question. So the answer is most of them go under the

banner of an organization not under the banner of a person. They volunteer to an

organization and they go. This idea of sentness is so critical to our existence

but because why am campus crusaders and people like that do a tremendous job

because they open the avenue for people who would otherwise rot in churches

because they will not be sent anywhere because of the clergy lady divide where

the pastor does everything. So there's no question of people going unless there's

a mission organization that helps them go. So these mission organizations are

actually filling a gap that the church is not stepping into but having sent

having invited them to go into a nation who is the sender? It's not it's an

organization it's not it's not someone who watches over you it's not someone

who's sending you as a church sending you the name of Christ and it's not the

organizations fault they're doing a service.

Sentness is so critical. Wentness is not and a cause doesn't prepare you. The

Spirit of God and people prepare you. A cause doesn't prepare you. Going through

a program doesn't prepare you. Understanding a nation's culture doesn't

prepare you but it's the best that can be done in a very difficult situation. So

Acts 29 I'm pleading with you suit up for this. Put your fists up suit up for

this. We need to do this otherwise our lives will always be stumbling and

stammering through these phases and there'll be no deliverance for others.

Please don't doubt me when I say that almost everything is

spiritual. Please don't doubt me when I say that behind most things that are

happening that are supposedly accidental and evil and circumstantial and oppressed

and harassed there are actually evil powers that do harm to people. Sure there

is sin and there are consequences of sin. Sure there's a fallen world where

things happen but we need to know there are the thousands and thousands and

thousands of demonic spirits whose only work is to try and keep those that are

blind under the sway of the devil and to keep those that can see dull and

harassed. This is the truth. Please don't doubt it. Give me credit for 32 years of

being a believer. Give me credit for the Word of God that talks about this. Acts

10 38 really grabs me and God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with power and the

Holy Spirit so that he could set free those that were harassed by the devil.

Harassment is real. It's a daily thing. It's in every life like I've said over

the last two weeks and that line really gets me that unless he is forced Satan

does not let go of flesh. It happens with you. It happens with your family. It

happens with circumstances. It happens every day.

If I don't train my fingers for battle then I postpone my commission and

postpone the time of my engagement. If I don't train my fingers for battle by

being a soldier enlisted not engaging and disengaging in the work of God from

this perspective. If I'm an athlete that does not run by the rules what happens

is my commission is postponed and my engaging in assignments with God that

set people free that rescue people is shifted to another time frame because

God is protective of me and doesn't want me to come to harm. So here are the

prerequisites. One cheap grace cheap grace that licenses sin cheap grace that

licenses sin cheap grace that licenses sin makes casualties out of Christians

makes casualties out of Christians makes casualties out of Christians. The more we

hear the cheap grace message the more people begin to sin. Why? Because where

grace abounds unfortunately sin abounds nowadays. Instead of grace causing us to

turn towards God the cheap grace message is so saturating the world that it has

almost taken away the fear of God and cheap grace that licenses sin makes

casualties out of Christians because they don't realize how damaging sin is in

this war of attrition. They don't realize.

I listen to guys like Joel Osteen or Joseph Prince it bothers me. There might

be nuggets of truth in what they're saying but the way it is being swallowed

by thousands and thousands and thousands across the earth brings them to a place

where they may make it to heaven. They may make it to heaven at least in Joel

Osteen's case but my god they will not be able to stand and fight because cheap

grace allows sin to be a normal part of life.

So here's the word for Acts 29 if you haven't been able to display a lifestyle

that is consistent if you haven't been able and you know it and I know it about

my life and sometimes others know it too but if you haven't been able to display

a lifestyle that is consistent then before you decide to take on adventures

take on assignments go battling go prophesying go praying against things

first train yourself in righteousness over a period of six months show that

your God is not your belly that your glory is not your shame and that your

mind is not set on earthly things Philippians 3 verse 17 19 says that they

Philippians 3:17

bring disrepute to the cross their God is their belly their glory is their

shame and they have their mind set on earthly things if you cannot give

yourself and God and the people that you now belong to six consistent months of a

lifestyle that displays the victory of the cross then what you need to do is

train in righteousness not in training your fingers for battle Philippians 3

17 to 19

and you know if your life matches up nobody else needs to examine it but

please don't even volunteer to train for battle if you haven't trained yourself

in righteousness because I certainly will not pick you if I am the pastor and

I am oh yeah I am and I will not pick you but what if God tells you then I'd

argue with God and find out why he still wants to pick you

habitual sin you know because I've been fat is that a politically correct word

but it's about me so what does it matter because I've been fat most of my life my

back it hunches because this is the way I've always walked why am I showing you

this because habitual sin curves the soul it gives you a posture that becomes

very hard to straighten out now for me to walk straight with my shoulders back

I can do that for a while but after a while it begins to hurt because this is

not the posture that I've come to cultivated for the last hundreds of years

so so the back is kind of bent habitual sin curves your soul don't think that you

can straighten it out in two days so on one hand I'm saying this is a prerequisite

on the other hand I'm pleading with us that let's step up and meet the

requirements of God because it's important so habitual sin curves the soul

habitual sins habitual sin curves the soul it dulls your sight it dulls your sight to

majesty it dulls your sight to God's majesty it unleashes it unleashes the

beast of wantonness the beast of wantonness or craving or lust it unleashes

the beast of wantonness it awakens an appetite for more sin it awakens an

appetite for more sin it awakens an appetite for more sin it torpedoes

holiness and it triggers an avalanche of guilt how can you deal with the enemy if

you don't first train for righteousness how impossible this is the first

prerequisite do you understand why cheap grades then it's destructive it is

destructive now God will hold people who preach cheap grace accountable for

diluting and weakening the body any questions when I'm caught in habitual

sin I'm frequenting light and darkness one day I'm in the light two days I'm in

the darkness one day I'm in the light half a day I'm in the darkness it just

and it's impossible to then train to take on the enemy and rescue people it

is impossible you'll get beaten you cannot this is when using the name of

Jesus if it works will be the sheer grace of God any questions guys

next prerequisite individual Christianity individual Christianity

shapes you into a straggler ripe for the picking decide that if you really want

to be participating with God in what he is commissioning us as a church for to

go and do some harm like that song says that Jane sang that nations will come

bull kings and rises kings and rulers will rise and fall the demons will flee

if you really want to do this as a church then it is required that you do not

engage in isolated individual Christianity because individual

Christianity just renders your shape you into a straggler and in any heard a

straggler is always picked off by the enemy you will not survive a battle

without harm take up you're being so negative because it saves your life you

don't tell a child that socket put your hand in there you'll feel a shudder and

then perhaps you'll fall perhaps you won't that's a positive spin on putting

the socket next one it thing is producers

deceived warriors whose weapons are not loaded

it thing is it thing is is when you will believe anything said about the demonic

about this about how to war with powers principalities and spirits and it is one

of the most popular types of books after the end times and Israel the next

popular type of book that is sold most is spiritual warfare if you don't know

anything about Israel and if you don't know how to write about the end times

like this and this doesn't work then try prayer and a prayer doesn't work try

grace and if grace doesn't work right a song these are the usual hits but it

thing is when you want to hear something that will suit your fancy and the

charismatic world is full of this and what it does is it produces deceived

warriors deceived soldiers soldiers who think they know a method or a technique

and they go and then they realize that their guns are not loaded that the

weapons are blunt

half the reason why I do not mention people that I read or people that I may

have borrowed stuff from is because I'm so scared that you will Google them and

then read all their books and out of the 50 things they say maybe two are

brilliant and 48 are really crappy that may be not such a kosher word really

sucky that is not better either a really bad

next one zeal without knowledge of the word zeal without knowledge of the word

so the last one I mentioned if you want a scripture it's in second Timothy 4

3 but it says people have itching ears and they'll deceive themselves second

Zeal without knowledge of the word without knowledge of the word

I'm even writing fast as I talk zeal without knowledge of the word makes you

a worthless swordsman Proverbs 19 verse 1 if you read it from the NKJV

Proverbs 19:1

Zeal without knowledge of the word makes you a worthless swordsman how skilled

are you with the word not skilled in topics not skilled in what we have been taught but

skilled with the word so that when I said three of David's mighty men would have

run through enemy territory to get me Starbucks the responses and then you

would have poured it out so you know you have the knowledge of the word even

though it doesn't help me at all but the point is zeal without knowledge of the

word makes you a worthless swordsman this is when you have like Zorro or one of those

guys who has a few extra swords you pull out one from here pull out one from here

pull out one from here and then you pull out one from here and you got so many in

your hand because you know where to pull out these swords from and they cut both

ways double-edged sword

these are things that are prerequisites if these are not met you don't even get

to train for war

next one dullness dullness is when you see and hear but you don't perceive or

understand dullness is when you see and hear but you don't perceive and

understand dullness is when you see and hear dullness is when you see and hear

but you don't perceive or understand

why does that happen usually because of a refusal to practice what you know or

have been taught

what you know or have been taught

see have a sharp knife don't use it it goes blunt

this is why Jesus says in the New Testament to whom much is given much is

expected and if you don't use it what you have will also be taken away from you

dullness is when I can see clearly and I can hear clearly but I'm not able to

perceive or understand because I do not sit under the word I go around the word

I don't go under it I don't practice it and when I don't practice it I develop

spiritual awareness and I don't practice it I don't practice it I don't practice

it I don't practice it I don't practice it I don't practice it I don't practice

it I develop spiritual sclerosis where there's a hardening of my heart it is

very strange how in Isaiah 6 verse 8 says who shall I send who will go for us

Isaiah 6:8

and Isaiah says send me and then you guess where he's being sent to I'm

sending you to people who hearing will not hear and listening will not perceive

I'm sending you to people who are dull what an assignment the first one that he

was chapter 5 verse 11 I wish I could tell you more but the reason I can't says

Paul is because you've gotten dull in hearing because you do not practice what

you're taught and therefore are losing the ability to discern guys these are

prerequisites and all of these prerequisites are absolutely changeable

absolutely changeable they don't even this might sound terrible they don't even

need God's help to change you can change them as in you can decide I'm going to

practice the word I'm not saying don't ask God for help I'm saying these are

things that you can do

and the last one the last one is solo soldiering solo soldiering where you will

win battles but you will lose the war will win battles but you will lose the

war solo soldiering happens to guys who actually have met the prerequisites and

are skilled at being a good soldier the last one is good at being a good soldier

skilled at fighting but at some point they decide that now I'll do this myself solo

soldiering solo soldiering will win battles but lose the war because here's the thing

about warfare guys according to Proverbs 20 is that the wrong thing to give her oh

sorry I thought you wanted to write I was trying

in Proverbs 24 verse 6 it says that if you want to wage war make sure you have a multitude

Proverbs 24:6

of counselors because guidance and strategy comes from counsel when guys who have met

the prerequisites and are skilled then begin to go and operate as solo mercenaries taking

down the enemy it is only a matter of time before the lack of counsel cripples them and

they come back to the same place that they used to be before where they are no longer

useful any questions we'll stop there continue tomorrow I want to say to you that if these

prerequisites are not met then I would definitely will not send you because I do not want to

expose you and if you go I will call you back and it's up to you whether you come back or

not but I will call you back saying you haven't earned your stripes to go and the only reason

I would say that is because you will get hurt because the enemy is real any questions

okay father it's not enough that acts 29 grows in every other area but then falls short in

the individuals that acts 29 as a collective dealing with the works of the enemy I just

want to read Lord from different passages in the New Testament

Luke chapter 8 verse 26 they sail to the region of jeresiens which is across the lake

Luke 8:26

from Galilee when Jesus stepped ashore he was met by a demon possessed man from the

town for a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house but had lived

in the tombs when he saw Jesus he cried out and fell at his feet shouting at the top of

his voice what do you want with me Jesus son of the most high God I beg you don't torment

me for Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man many times it would

seize him and throw and though he was chained hand and foot kept under guard he had broken

his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places Jesus asked him what

is your name legion he replied because many demons had gone into him they begged him repeatedly

not to order them out into the abyss then finally Jesus gives them permission and when

the demons come out of the man they went into the pigs and the herd drowns Jesus sends

out the 12th and once he sends out the 12th they came back and they reported to Jesus

what they had done they said demons obey us Matthew chapter 10 I'm just going through

Matthew 10 · chapter mention

different scriptures I can show you scripture after scripture after scripture where this

was common place for the disciples Matthew chapter 12 verse 22 then they brought him

Matthew 12:22

a demon possessed man who was blind and mute this was a person who couldn't speak and

who couldn't see then they brought him a demon possessed man who was blind and mute Jesus

healed him so that he could both talk and see all the people were astonished let me

pull out some more do you want to help me call out something

Matthew chapter 17 verse 14 when they came to the crowd when they came to the crowd

Matthew 17:14

a man approached Jesus and knelt before him Lord have mercy on my son he has seizures

and is suffering greatly he often falls into the fire or into the water I brought him to

your disciples but they could not heal him oh unbelieving and perverse generation Jesus

replied how long shall I stay with you how long shall I put up with you bring the boy

here to me Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of the boy and he was healed from

that very moment but that is Jesus Acts chapter 5 verse 12 the apostles perform many miraculous

Acts 5:12

signs and wonders among the people but let's go to dealing with the demonic let's go where

is that Paul in Acts 16 Acts 16 Paul casting out the spirit of divination once when we

were verse 16 16 16 once when we were going to the place of prayer we were met by a slave

girl who had a spirit by which he predicted the future you think this isn't happening

today every incident I'm reading is perhaps more today than it has ever been she earned

a great deal of money for her owners by fortune telling this girl followed Paul and the rest

of us shouting these men are the servants of the most high God who are telling you the

way to be saved she kept us up for many days finally Paul became so troubled that he turned

around and said to the spirit in the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out

of her at the moment the spirit left her Acts chapter 19 the spirit of divination was taken

Acts 19 · chapter mention

verse 11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul so that even handkerchiefs and aprons

that had touched him were taken to the sick and the illnesses were cured and the evil

spirits left them Acts chapter 10 verse 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the

Acts 10:38

Holy Spirit and power and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under

the power of the devil because God was with him Acts chapter 26 verse 17 and 18 I'm sending

Acts 26:17

you to them to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to the light from the power

of Satan to God so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified

by faith in me Acts chapter 8 now for some time a man named Simon had practiced the spirit

Acts 8 · chapter mention

practice sorcery in the city and amazed all people of Samaria you think it ain't happening

today he boasted that he was someone great and all the people both high and low gave

him the attention this man is divine known as a great power they followed him because

he had amazed him for a long time but when they believed Philip as he preached the good

news of the kingdom of God the name of Jesus Christ and they were baptized Simon himself

believed and was baptized Acts chapter 9 verse 10 the spirit of the

Acts 9:10

chapter 19 verse 17 when this became known to the Jews and the Greeks living in Ephesus

they were all seized with fear many of those who believe now came and openly confess their

evil deeds a number who had practiced sorcery brought out their scrolls together and burned

them publicly when they calculated the value of the scrolls the total came to 50,000 drachmas

in this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power

so many stories man

Sergius Paulus where is that story where Paul goes before him and there's a man who opposes

him and blindness falls on him anyways you get the point I feel so what is it when they

are hamstrung I feel that the church is so hamstrung when it comes to this part of Christianity

I'm reminded of Matthew 10

these 12 Jesus sent out with the following instruction do not go among the Matthew 10

5 do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans go rather to the lost

sheep of Israel as you go preach this message the kingdom of heaven is near heal the sick

raise the dead cleanses of leprosy drive out demons freely you have received freely give

mark 16

Mark 16:18

verse 18 and these signs will accompany those who believe me in my name they will drive

out demons they will speak in new tongues they will pick up snakes with their hands

they will drink deadly poison it will not hurt them they will place their hands on sick

people and they will get well

Matthew 8 verse 28 oh we've already read that

Matthew 8:28

I love this next scripture and we land with that Matthew 8 verse 14

Matthew 8:14

when Jesus came into Peter's house he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a

fever he touched her hand and the fever left and she came up and begged to wait on him

when evening came many who were demon possessed were brought to him and he drove out the spirits

with a word and healed all the sick this was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet

Isaiah he took up our infirmities and carried our diseases where is that Jesus where is

that Jesus what about the woman who was bent do you know where that story is the woman

who was bent for many years

Luke 13 11 on a Sabbath Jesus was teaching and a woman was there who had been crippled

by a spirit for 18 years even the ability to discern what is a disease and what is caused

by a demonic spirit how are we going to rescue and restore who had been crippled by a spirit

for 18 years she was bent over and could not straighten up at all when Jesus saw he called

her forward and said woman you are set free from your infirmity after having set her free

from the spirit that had caused her infirmity he put his hands on her and immediately she

straightened up and praised God

I said I would end

what does it say

Luke 7 7 there is another scripture I am looking for which you can check where everybody in

the town of Sharon or Liddah got healed Philip did amazing miracles guys at the end of the

let's just pray and then and then maybe Jane can come and lead us in a song that summarizes

everything we've been talking about father we feel hamstrung this is not our reality

this is not our reality but this is you you are real and you live in us this is your body

this is your people we don't want to be known we don't want anyone to know we just want

to go quietly about your business we want you to be known I won't peddle it I won't

magnify it I won't boast about it but you must give us this because this is part of

who your son is but to give us this you want us to be prepared so Holy Spirit help us meet

these prerequisites and then prepare because there are far too many far too many Holy Spirit

this is right up your alley remember Isaiah 61 Holy Spirit this is what you do you came

to set the captive free to open prison doors to heal the broken hearted and those that

this is your work Holy Spirit but you work through people we are your temple we are your

community we are the body of Christ so Spirit of God make this our reality as a church and

then once it becomes our reality let it spread right across right across every place we go let

it touch whoever we are connected with so that a people will arise here on earth that are anointed

with the Holy Spirit and with power to set free those that are harassed by the devil and to do

good we didn't name ourselves acts 29 just for the fun of it I want us to be acts 29 I want the

story to continue I want chapters to be written I want our children to write stories about their

parents I want this so God I want this for your sake for your namesake for your glory I really

don't care about actually and being known or me being known or any of us being known but Oh God

this is who your churches this is who your son is so father I am provoking you father saying bring

to pass who your son is in the body of your son Jesus Christ here but Oh God I asked that at acts

29 we meet these prerequisites that there be not a person who has listened to this and thinks oh

that's a rebuke no no no it's an invitation saying this is what I'm calling you to but if you want

this then you must meet these standards because I will not have you step into this and be harmed

I would rather you come to heaven whole anything else I should say or can I stop father father give

this church a hatred for sin give this church a hatred for sin give this church a hatred for sin

give this church a hatred for sin anybody who comes to this church even as a guest even as an

unbeliever even as someone stepping in for one service let them go away knowing that sin must

be hated give us a hatred for sin give me a hatred for sin so that there's no nibbling no

tolerance for that which is anti-god sin is anti-god give me a hatred for sin so that we will be able

to say with Jesus the prince of the dark the prince of darkness has come but he has nothing

in me

you

so we'll sing echo but what I was reminded by when I was listening is that who else gets

to utter the name of Jesus on this earth but us we have the opportunity Jesus is walking on

this earth through us we have the opportunity and the privilege and the command really to speak

his name and do what Jesus did today and that's exactly what this song talks about that we get

to do all these things in Jesus name that we stand in his authority that we walk in his authority

yeah so let's not I know this is a fast song and often we can get caught up in just singing it

with excitement but I've I really would encourage us to sing it also just really feeling and no

like really reading and knowing what we're singing and declaring

are you able to pull up echo I think it's in Jesus name

it was right

gave us power

mountain

now

in your name, give us power.

And the keys to do the same, hold redemption.

Made accusers from their foes, showed us mercy

with your mighty miracles.

Now there's breakthrough.

Now there's freedom in your name.

Give us power.

And the keys to do the same.

Now we proclaim in Jesus' name.

Walls fall down in Jesus' name.

Strongholds break in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Now we are healed in Jesus' name.

Miracles in Jesus' name.

We'll pour it out in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Across the darkness,

made a pool of death.

Oh, King Jesus,

you've made royals out of state.

Now there's breakthrough.

Now there's freedom in your name.

You gave us power.

And the keys to do the same.

Across the darkness,

made a pool of death.

Oh, King Jesus,

you've made royals out of state.

Now there's breakthrough.

Now there's freedom in your name.

You gave us power.

And the keys to do the same.

Now there's breakthrough.

Now there's freedom in your name.

You gave us power.

And the keys to do the same.

Now there's breakthrough.

Now there's freedom in your name.

You gave us power.

And the keys to do the same.

Now there's breakthrough.

Now there's freedom in your name.

You gave us power.

And the keys to do the same.

Now we proclaim in Jesus' name.

Walls fall down in Jesus' name.

Strongholds break in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Now we are healed in Jesus' name.

Miracles in Jesus' name.

Pour it out in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Now we proclaim in Jesus' name.

Walls fall down in Jesus' name.

Strongholds break in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Now we are healed in Jesus' name.

Miracles in Jesus' name.

Pour it out in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Now we proclaim in Jesus' name.

Walls fall down in Jesus' name.

Strongholds break in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Now we are healed in Jesus' name.

Miracles in Jesus' name.

Pour it out in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Oh, oh, oh.

Oh, oh, oh.

God, we echo

your story.

Oh, oh, oh.

Oh, oh, oh.

God, we echo

Oh-oh-oh

Oh

I

be at your

authority

Oh

Oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh

Oh, God, we echo your victory.

Oh, God, we echo your victory.

Oh, God, we echo your victory.

Just pray with me, Church.

Father, if I am habitually sinning, I need your help.

And I want to turn from my habitual sin.

It's wrecking my life.

I'm swimming in a cesspool of guilt and I want you to kill the appetite I have for sin.

This allows me to live holy.

It just blinds me to your beauty and your majesty.

My heart longs, oh, God, longs, longs to be able to community with you the way others that I know do or that I've seen David and have read in your word.

I long for it, oh, God.

I want to be commissioned.

I want to be someone engaged with you in doing what the Holy Spirit was sent for.

To make me like Christ and then to use me like Christ to rescue and restore.

I want this.

I want to be a part of the body that does this.

I come, oh, God, pleading, oh, God, set me free.

Set me free again.

Set me free again.

Train me in righteousness so that one day, six months from now, having proven that I am free from habitual sin, I can train to war and you can train my fingers for battle.

Jesus, I surrender my individual Christianity.

I don't want to be an isolated straggler that the enemy picks out, just like lions pick out the straggler from a herd.

Help me get over the obstacles that prevent me from releasing my independence and joining and being part of the community of the Spirit, the people of God.

Take away from me those things that make it so hard for me to connect.

I want to surrender my individual Christianity because an army marches together.

Your army always follows you together.

Father, take away my tendency to read everything, listen to everything with itching ears and itching eyes, wanting every piece of information, every new Christian trend, every new thing on Facebook, every article that is sent to me to read it.

I surrender my thirst for that kind of knowledge.

I don't want that knowledge because it deceives me.

Oh God, I bring you my itching ears and my eyes that hunger like a leech for more information, more information, more information like the Greeks.

Paul said of them that they are like people who want the next new thing.

I don't want it anymore.

I surrender the multiple pastors, the multiple teachers I listen to, the multiple tables I eat at.

I end it now.

I don't want to continue like that.

I surrender the

That I may not be deceived, that my weaponry not be empty.

Father, I'm sorry that I've been operating like a solo soldier, a mercenary.

Off on his own assignments and trips, abandoning counselors and the multitude of counselors through whom warfare is made.

Father, I return right now.

I return right now.

I come back right now.

I'm sorry I stopped this foolishness.

Let this message be like the angel that stood with a sword and ended Balaam's mad rush into folly.

I come back now.

I abandoned this way of cutting off counselors and warring on my own.

Father, please give me a zeal that goes with the knowledge of the word.

I want the knowledge of the word.

What good is it if I'm a swordsman that doesn't know the word?

Reach for my sword and there's an empty sheath there but no sword.

Zeal without knowledge makes me a worthless swordsman.

Father, please, even on the 49-day thing, let me be able to read the chapters that are signed.

Let me increase in the word just by restarting an appetite, chewing, meditating so that I might be a tree planted by the rivers whose leaves shall not wither, whose fruit shall prosper in all seasons.

These are prerequisites that I pray, Father, that I might meet.

And finally, Father, take away the dullness that has come through years of listening around the word, not listening under the word.

Always being selective in what I will choose to practice and what I will choose not to practice.

I end my selectiveness today.

I come to listen under your word, under your word, receiving it and practicing it.

Oh God, take away the spiritual sclerosis that has hardened my heart where I find no pleasure in practice.

God, renew it, Father. These are prerequisites. Grant them.

Father, the only reason I've gone into this lengthy prayer is so that Acts 29 may once again be in a place

where we can be used as a battle axe, where we can be used as a straight arrow, where we can be used

as a spear and a bow at your disposal.

A king of kings who wears a sash across your bloodstained robes that