Your Strongholds
by Pam Clark
How strong are your strongholds? Do you have strongholds in the Lord? Are they strong enough for evil times should they approach?
We don't have to read the news for very long to know that there are adverse circumstances in life. I don't think there is anyone who really wants to be out of their certain comfort zone, but sadly, events happen that will take us there! And those events can be unexpected.
This Y2K scare is interesting along with the millineum change-over that is telling everyone that change, change, change is coming! Add to that the scandal of the American Presidency, turmoil in the Mid East, and some feel like they are walking on air. Their feet do not seem to be on sure ground. They are not sure what is going on.
Some try to be strong and bluff it. They prophesy, "Bad times are coming!" but they often can't give you much word of the Lord beyond that. Some prophesy that way for attention and look for approval from others by being "right" but I think after hearing "Bad news!" for a while I want to say, "So you are right, now what? You think I like you any better?"
I laugh because some of these doomsayers will be like the dog chasing the car. What is he going to do with it if he catches it? He can make a great show and run and even catch up with it, but then what? If you do not have the word of the Lord after that, then you are no true prophet of the Lord.
Some of the doomsayers have words of judgment for everyone but themselves. Often they will say the Lord "changed" them, but will not often say that the Lord corrected them. Let that be a pride test. Is there a walk of humility in the word or is there a spirit that desires superiority?
Jesus prayed that we would be one, as He and His Father were one. What is that one-ness? Is it not a common purpose for the common good? Is it not a certain order for the best for all, for who so ever will? People had and still have a difficult time understanding Jesus. He did not do things according to the status quo of the day.
One day He seemed to be on their side with these fabulous miracles and the next day He did not by His harsh words. He was confusing and this was to a people who grew up with Scriptures! People were looking for strongholds to get their agendas and consignments across. But would they submit to Him?
Is it any different today? Not every agenda and transaction is evil, some may be good as far as the human flesh goes, but still miss the action and activity that God desires and requires for interaction with Him.
Do other people do exactly as you want? Can you go into a store and just say to the clerk, I want this, and not pay? Most likely not. But does that mean that you cannot have that item? Often no, you can have it with a blessing, if you just pay with honest money. Then all is well.
But if you don't pay the money required and try to walk out with it, it is called stealing, going against the will of the governing authority, and wrath is incurred. Not only is there anger but there are agents (which can be also angels in the spiritual realm) who are trained for dealing with rebellion. If the rebellion is strong enough, then the punishment will justify the crime (and I have found that the enemy will try to help!).
God seeks for a people who desire Him, who sense Him and who even miss Him from the Garden days. Inside, they know that something is just not right. It's a longing for Him, and is what many have described as that God-shaped vacuum that is in every man for which we must invite His Presence.
God is about love and desire, but it's pure and clean and given to health. In that love, there is decency and order and proper manners and protocol. It's not meant to be difficult but sometimes is, as the revelation of the soul of man and the soul of God is deep and to be explored and discovered. In that, there are sensitivities that must be honored.
Not only are the sensitivities of others to be respected, but your own as well. We are to discern that which is precious from that which is vile. We may even have opinions as to what that is, but the blessing and anointing of God is our witness.
Again we have a challenge because what is the blessing and anointing of God to one may be different to another. I have seen this in holding meetings. But here is where maturity comes in. The higher the order, the greater the blessing for all concerned.
When there is a corporate gathering in a unified spirit, there is a great power in that multiplied agreement. This can be a stronghold for good or evil or course changing. In this environment, many adverse strongholds can be broken. This can work either way.
Many problems in the Godly corporate gatherings can be overcome by proper training. One thing I noticed as I have ministered the prophetic to people in this city (Houston) is that very often it would be the teachers who came to our meetings. The beautiful thing is that they took the understanding and instruction and carried it back to their churches and ministry groups and taught the Body.
And here is where we have to depend on the Spirit of the Lord. God imparts His Spirit in two ways. He does it by parenting and mentoring, and He also does it by our seeking.
Anything sought of by the Lord and received must have a witness. The witness will be by elders in the Lord confirming it. And by the word "elder" I have used here is not meant to indicate a person with an elected position and title, but one who has walked with the Lord over time with proven success. In other words, it is a mature saint in the Lord.
Again we are back to speaking of strongholds. I am referring to people who have strongholds in God that are established and can stand in the face of adversities. Scripture teaches that promotion does not come from the east or the west but by God. It also teaches that there are some (Ephesians 4:11-12, Romans 12, and I Corinthians 12) who have ministry gift callings. These callings are enabling anointings to establish the order of God for the well being of many.
The five fold ministry is especially important to understand because the five fold ministry is God's governmental anointing to guard and protect and raise up the Flock. These are leadership anointings that work with other leadership anointings to minister Kingdom-of-God growth and influence.
A proof of this can be given in that the spiritual gifts of giving and administrations support these gifts rather than the other way around. Just because someone has money or expertise does not mean that they can effectively do a Kingdom work! While the ministry leadership gifts may be hindered by a lack of support, they are not demolished.
In the corporate anointing, often the dormant spiritual gifts will rise to the surface and people who have not been taught the basic principles of Godly living will come into confusion. In their well intentioned zeal, they will become competitive or disrespectful, not even realizing that they are offensive. This can happen on many different levels if the focus is not made plain.
In God's heart, there is no divided Church. The enemy will sow strife and division and play on the ignorance of many to take advantage, yet those with a true heart for God will strive to understand His ways. Nature itself teaches respect for authority. A child is born and is helpless and must be cared for and disciplined by more mature people until the child can learn to take care of himself and others.
It is not enough to take care only of one's self; in the Kingdom of God, ministry to others is required. We are called to be productive, to be fruitful and multipy the Kingdom. This is not just reproducing physical forms. We must be about our Father's business, building a kingdom community and government whose peace and increase knows no end. Selah!
What a test! The witness of God will testify of order. The sun and moon and stars are in their place. The oceans will not cross their boundaries. The animals know their seasons. Even in humanity there are cycles of growth. We live in a fallen world that must be overcome. The seed must be planted and nourished to raise up more seed for planting.
The plowers must plow, the planters must plant, the waterers must water and the tenders must tend so that God may give the increase and the harvesters can reap. And who is all this for? You, if you so desire.
The ultimate test in God that has been given by Script from God to man is the order of the Trinity of God. The Father is the Source, the Law-giver, the Ultimate in authority. It was His Hand who wrote the Ten Commandments and gave them to man to prosper by.
The problem was, in our flesh we could not live up to them. That was still no excuse to not make the effort, but provision was provided through leadership and training and then ultimately the work of the Son of God who lived on the earth as a perfect example amidst persecution.
The work of Christ Jesus gave us our Centerpiece - a God pleasing man without sin - and was One who was able to make atonement for the sins and failures of mankind through the Cross by the sacrifice of His Life for the sake of others by His Love, thus making peace with God the Father.
In doing that, Jesus was able to send the promise of the gift of the Father, the Holy Spirit, who encourages us and strengthens us to live a life through His Spirit which is manifest and evidenced by the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, and against this, there is no law.
In balancing the authority with the lifestyle through the work of the Cross received into us, we have a reason to be grateful and find a stronghold for which the gates of hell cannot prevail. We will even find the strength we need to leave this life as we know it into a better one and Plan, with a new body and new heaven and earth where no evil can enter in.
Make Jesus your Savior today, if He is not already. You will not be sorry. He will see you through the things you understand and the things you do not with a peace that passes all understanding. He will receive you into His everlasting arms and rejoice over you with His song. He is a good God.