Heaven Fest and Lite the Fire kicked off a solid year of 24-7 intercession, prayer and worship at Rez.  And more tragedy struck Colorado.

It is up to us – those called by His Name.

These are notes I took from some teaching (and revelation) I got back in mid-June.  I didn’t know if I would ever actually share them “out loud,” but I think I need to just in case anyone else is like me and needed to be reminded of how terribly divisive the enemy will be if we don’t resist him fully.  I LOVED getting the devil’s number on this and warning:  I end this blog by telling him to go to hell.  Haha!

Most of the work of the enemy is subtle and unknown, uncontested.

We just meander along thinking that weird things are just normal and acceptable, possibly personality conflicts or oddnesses on some one else’s part.  But there may be something hidden at work, a demonic force.

Ever had your words twisted or your intentions misunderstood?

In Isaiah 27, God smacks down on the Leviathan, a sea monster that threatens human life, twisting along in the sea.  Some believe this is the same creature now sometimes known as the Nile crocodile.

Where the water flows…

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of our God.   Ps. 46.4

The move of God throughout history and in the Word  is often referred to as a river, streams of living water.  That river speaks of life and refreshment.  It signifies revival, the flow of God’s work, the power of the Holy Spirit, a washing of the water of the Word, the exalting of Jesus Christ and the movement (like a mighty river) of His gospel just flowing through parched places.

“Whoever believes in Me,” Jesus told His disciples, “out of them will flow rivers of living water.”

In the Book of Ezekiel, we see the  ever-increasing, deepening river, representing the movement of God.  And life is promised wherever that water flows.

“And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.”  Ezekiel 47.9 NKJV

Hard to believe, but true

And right there, in the middle of the flow of God, there is an enemy getting ready to strike.  The Leviathan, the sea-serpent (spoken of in Job chapters 3 and 41 and in the Psalms and the Book of Isaiah), that vicious creature that cannot be trusted nor tamed with physical force as it glides and twists through the waters, is looking for opportunity to strike.

The Nile Crocodile is known to lie in the water looking, eyes just above the surface, waiting for the waters to be stirred – watching for schools of fish and the swarms of every living thing.  On the river banks, there are trees planted firmly, well-rooted, established.  But it waits.  Because when the wind begins to blow and the waters begin to move, when life is being unleashed, it will ready itself to pounce.

The spiritual Leviathan operates in much the same way.  In the river, where the move of God is about to take place, this twisted/twisting serpent will watch, eyes above the surface, staying very still until it senses a wave of God descending on the waters, and it will manifest itself right then – when God is moving in a powerful way in the flow of the river.

We’ve. got. your. number.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

This Leviathan spirit wakes up when there is cursing (Job 3.8).  Those who curse instead of bless rouse the Leviathan, and when he wakes up – can you control him?  The scriptures tell us we can’t win with our usual strength.  We can’t penetrate its’ armor, we can’t tie it down and control it. It has to be dealt with, called out, and killed.

Leviathan literally means to twist.

The twisting serpent.  Cruel enemy.  A dragon not unlike a dinosaur, a crusher, and spiritually – a beast that is hostile to God’s people.

If the Nile Crocodile gives us a glimpse in the natural of a creature hostile to the life and flow of natural waters, we can understand how a large, but hidden enemy IN the church (in the flow) might also be at work against the life Jesus said He came to bring.  He taught us that there is an enemy out to destroy.  And we keep blaming each other.  That is twisted.

John 10:10 NIV   “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ”

 

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water ~

A sea-monster or crocodile, something that threatens you is in the water

What the heck has been happening in our relationships, our churches, our families, our business associations?  Right on the verge of breakthrough, at the shoreline of a mighty wave of the Holy Spirit being poured out – breakdowns, meltdowns, finger-pointing, self-righteousness, judgements, idle talk or worse yet: mean-enemy talk against each other.  MIS-understandings and shattered expectations cause a ruckus – where life was flowing just a few minutes ago.

A twisting, twisted, twister of a Leviathan-spirit, set free by cursing-instead-of-blessing is awakened so that right when revival and transformation are breaking out, right when there is breakthrough happening, with life and abundance springing up, the Holy Spirit is ready to take us (the Body of Christ) to the next level, when all things are about to be made new – it rises up

It is formidable and operates in extreme strength and power.  We have underestimated our enemy.  It isn’t a pet, and you can’t just hope for the best.  This spirit must  be put to death and driven from the flow.

If I’ve seen it once…

Omygoodness, raised in the church, I have seen it a  million times, though I haven’t always been able to pin it down or name it.  And indeed, it has done great damage in and through me over the course of years. I have watched churches impacting their communities with the love of God destroyed almost overnight needlessly, hearts broken and people running as far from the river as they can in its’ wake.  We are out there fishing for men and suddenly, something comes up and twists and turns and destroys what God is trying to do.  Something is about to be beautiful and powerful and it gets twisted and turned upside down.  And all the living creatures run for cover, pointing fingers and dying in isolation, away from the water of life.

Leviathan is 1/ formidable  2/ hidden  3/ It twists the truth.

Job 41.4  “You can recognize a demonic force in the form of a person in your ministry: [they] won’t live in the covenant of the life of the flow, or under the authority of the pastor and leadership, won’t live in unity to fulfill the vision to support the  mission; [they are] always against, always in opposition, always undermining, [might say] “Well I appreciate our pastor, but...”  [This spirit]  destroys relationships, breaks up marriages, breaks up business partners, church and ministry relationships, family relationships, it breaks up unity.” – Ron Phillips

 

How to kill the twisting spirit of Leviathan.

Understand that a crocodile doesn’t kill with its teeth, it takes its prey, goes under water and goes around and around and around and drowns it – the prey cannot get a breath of life.  Then it moves on to do it again.  The twisting has happened and lifelessness is left in its’ wake.

The twisted, hateful, hidden spirit can be defeated.  The sword of the Lord will put it to death.

Recognize the spirit.  There is a monster in your midst.  Always against, always undermining, can’t get along, full of negativity.  Truth is twisted.  Thoughts are twisted.

In that day,  the Lord will punish with his sword —

his fierce, great and powerful sword—

Leviathan the gliding serpent,

Leviathan the coiling serpent;

he will slay the monster of the sea.  Isaiah 27.1

This spirit attacks and then flees, causing us to flee, too.  It will attack and then move on to the next person.  Twisting and lying.  And we flee each other rather than resisting it and defeating it.  The Word of God defeats this spirit. The Word of God can renew and heal and restore truth.  When the unity and blessing returns, the revival will come.

Our answer is the Word of God!

The above:

These are just my notes from a teaching by Pastor Ron Phillips from Abba’s House in Chattanooga, TN.  His recent book, Everyone’s Guide to demons and Spiritual Warfare,  is available.  You can actually listen to free podcasts here http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/centerpoint/listen/#Hidden%2c+Hindering+Spirits (drop down box, October 2011, “Hidden Hindering Spirits,” 6 podcasts in the series, the 1st two dealing with Leviathan).

I don’t get everything about spiritual battles and how they affect our lives.  I know the Word says to resist the devil and he will flee.  And I know there are things unseen that affect us and come against the work of God through us.  I sometimes let that go on far too long before I finally wise up, usually because of arrow-blackened skies, and say, “Enough.  To hell with the devil.”  I am saying it now.

To hell with the foul-twisting-spirit that has suffocated the life-breath of God from my family (both physical and spiritual), ministries and the people I love who are leading them, marriages, renewal, revival, flowing waters-of-life in my path and pouring out through me. 

To hell with a hidden spirit that has twisted my intentions and words and heart towards others or theirs toward me. If it can isolate us, it can take us out.  Hey, Leviathan – yeah you: You have been identified and are on notice to leave the waters where life flows and to get out as another wave of the Spirit of God is getting ready to be stirred.

If this valley and these shadows stay
If broken wings can bring you praise

A promise made but never came

Can show me Your unfailing grace

Can light the dark to find my way

If ground and grave can steal my heart
Yet when You save, a new song starts
And just Your name can move me near
Can change my hope, cast out my fear
I need more of Your breath here

You are my Hall—e—lu–jah

When silence falls and then remains
When worn and bruised, I still can raise
My voice to make You famous still
All of these tears, upon your feet
Become the wine You taste in me

You are my Hall—e—lu–jah

 

You are my Hallelujah

You are my ‘Yes and Amen”

You are my revelation

You are my consolation

You are my vindication

You are my hallelujah

Hallelujah // Noun: An expression of worship or rejoicing.  Exclamation: God be praised!  Instruction:  Praise Yah, you people!  Boast joyfully in God!  Understanding: Not just a joyful expression or word to praise God, but an injunction to praise Him.

Psalm 94.18-19 NIV

When I said, “My foot is slipping, ”

your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.

When anxiety was great within me,

your consolation brought me joy.

True confessions.  Sometimes I just pray:

Lord, don’t You just think I deserve a break or something?  I don’t get this.  I am doing every single thing I know to do.  Is this really what I deserve?…I guess I feel disappointed that You have not answered like I was wanting You to, even though I know You could.  Don’t You realize how this looks, don’t You care about Your reputation here?

He is just like:

Oh Jeanie.  Let Me handle it.  I am at work to set you free.  The breaking-off of chains and bondages will always flip you out.  There is more than meets the eye.  I am not late.  I am not silent.  I am not ignoring you.  Let Me do what needs done.  Don’t worry about My reputation.

He knows that is not me, right?  Circumstances, and life, and devastation and loss (sometimes so much loss) cause me to pray that prayer, “Lord, I believe.  Help my unbelief.”  A more accurate prayer, I can’t imagine.

If activity and doing the right stuff in the midst of confusion and despair could actually fix everything, I would get the Martha-award (the Bible-Martha, not the Martha-Stewart-empire one…although there have been seasons of my life I feel I could have been a contender for that one, too)

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”  John 11.5

I like that He knows that even when I forget to sit in abandonement to Him (like Mary), that even when I am leaning forward and mentally trying to figure things out and do whatever has to be done to make what I think has to happen actually happen (like Martha) –  that when circumstances are devastating and my dreams are dead in the grave (see John 11), He loves even me.

Now Jesus loved Martha…

For all the times I have prayed to be more like Mary and hated how Martha-like I usually am, I love that Jesus loved Martha, too, and that when when she was in a houseful of mourners, but heard Jesus was coming, she left the house and ran to the tomb.  Mary stayed home, abandoned to her grief.  But Martha took off down the road and met Jesus at the place of despair and loss.

And she was honest about her disappointment in the way He had handled things

Lord, if You had been here my brother would not have died…

She knew He was still the answer, even if it was mixed with trepidation, wondering if He would come through just because He could.

But I know even now God will give You whatever You ask.

Jesus assured her, “You brother will rise again.”  She begins to resign herself to understanding it by a lofty, spiritual or sciptural notion.  The good girl in her not wanting to disrespect Jesus in unbelief…

I know he will rise again at the resurrection in the last day.

Then Jesus speaks those words I still hear in thunderous vividity in my mind from the Carmen song, “Lazarus”:

“I am   the resurrection and the life.   The one who believes   in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing  in me will never die.   Do you believe this?”

Yes.  She did.  She did believe.  That is why in the worst of circumstance, she still ran to meet Him.

I believe that You are Messiah, the Son of God who has come ito the world.

Jesus sent Martha to get Mary and the mourners followed and many there wondered why the One who had opened blinded eyes couldn’t have stopped Lazerus from dying.  Maybe this is why Jesus wept.  Because no one could understand who He really was and that the miraculous that happened or didn’t couldn’t change that.

He called for the stone to be rolled away.  Martha, true to form, true to who she was created to be, worried over the details: but wait – it is over, it is destroyed nothing can come of this now…it is too late…

But Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been dead for four days.

Jesus (probably shaking His head) reminded her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you wiill see the glory of God?”!

Pretty sure we would call her the “negative person” on the team.  How come we never say it out loud: I am disappointed in the way God is choosing to handle this situation?…  But Jesus loved Martha.  There is hope for me yet.

We are not forsaken.  We are not forgotten.  He will complete the work He has begun in us.  Mary or Martha, doesn’t matter.  Believe Him…

And I know, I will SEE the glory of God.

Being right.

Being first.

Being haughty.

Being prideful.

Knowledge – just knowing too much.  Tiresome.

Fearing people’s opinions.

Trying to please people.

Being anything or anyone different than God had in mind when He created you, the real you.

*Yawn…

Kill pride.  Be you.

James 4.6 The Message: “It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.”

Jeremiah 1.5 The Message: “Before I shaped you in the womb,    I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day,    I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations—    that’s what I had in mind for you.”