War for Those Imprisoned by Lies

On Sunday August 25, 2019 I had a very troubling dream.  I could not shake it all day.  Later in the morning God reminded me of three dreams I had had in 2002 and 2003, which were related to this current one.  Thankfully, there was time on Monday to really seek the Lord regarding the dream(s) and I believe He gave me some understanding.   I am not going to give details of the dreams themselves but will share with you the understanding I have gained.

Let me say that I do believe the Lord to be so gracious that He always warns us about the things He wants changed in our own lives, as well sometimes showing us things  beyond ourselves, so we can pray.  

Obviously, I do not have a wide sphere of influence or authority, but I do have a sphere, as do you.  And it is vital for me to obey His nudging to share things at certain times.  (I have to frequently remind myself that outcomes are never within my control.  I can pray, and do pray that those who are to able to “hear” will hear and heed.)

I am going to share the “bottom line” take aways from the dreams.

• There is wide spread adultery and spiritual adultery (bowing down to other “gods”) within leadership and congregation alike  the body of Christ
• The light is dim, grey.  Those who pray need to reach a higher place (by going lower) in order to release more light into church matters, leadership, practices, and  revelation of true holiness.  When the bright light comes it will reveal things that have not been seen or have been overlooked in the dim light.
• The prayer closet is cluttered and in need of cleaning up.
• It is a season when the Father Himself is going to bring His sons to the place of crucifying fleshly ways IF the sons will not do it on their own.
• His discipline will be public and severe, but will lead to the peaceable fruit of righteousness IF there is humility with true repentance.

I want to share some thoughts from Luke 22:31-34.  Before Jesus  went to the cross He warned Peter that Satan had asked permission to sift him like wheat.  And Jesus, who had the authority to grant permission, obviously did so. Not only did He grant it, but He also prayed for the outcome – that Peter’s faith would not fail in the process. This aspect of the Lord’s dealings must not be overlooked or minimized. Jesus prayed for Peter to come out on the other side victorious – strong in faith. He wants that for us all.  

Please know that every time God allows a testing, a sifting, or a severe trial that His goal is not to harm us but rather to perfect us, purify us, and strengthen our faith and character.  Everything our God allows is redemptive in nature, IF we yield in humility.

The trial, the sifting, that visited Peter was only a tool God used to show him upon what he was relying.  Peter had to see what was really going on inside of himself.  See, he was proud and self-sufficient.  Everybody knew it but him.  Peter needed to be brought down “a notch” or two so he could truly be useful in the hands of God.

Please take note that during Peter’s day, wheat was sifted by beating or violently striking the wheat with a flail (a rather crude instrument) to remove the outer husk from the grain.  Peter could have and should have quickly acknowledged this warning from Jesus, instead of protesting.  But he didn’t believe it possible.  Wouldn’t it  have been great if he could have responded to the warning in humility. Perhaps he could have avoided the huge failure, sorrow and the  humiliation.  (But no,  flesh can rarely see it’s own inadequacy or smell its own stench.) 

The threshing, the sifting,  provided  Peter with exposure, a diagnosis, of his own heart condition.  Now it was in full view – he had failed terribly.  He was not all that he thought he was or proclaimed himself to be.   His inflated opinion of himself was brought low.  Painful, yes.  But in reality a good thing.  Look what he became.

Now all of that brings me to the present.  I  believe we are already in a season for a public SIFTING, exposure of sin in the camp, if we will not heed the warnings.  Whoever will not  honestly and humbly repent will have a public fall.   This will occur among the congregation and leadership alike.

Hear me.  There are leaders who teach and preach one way, yet live in a much different way.   It is possible for anyone to go through the motions of serving the Lord, being in ministry, of behaving like we love God with our whole heart, while yet we in hidden ways are bowing down to other gods….motivated by our own image, ambitions, performances,  or need for popularity and power.   The bible calls this spiritual adultery.  

God is already coming to His own house.  He is wanting change. He always sends out a warning first.  Do we hear? Do we believe? Do we care?  Often what other people believe or say about us carries much more weight with us than what God says about us. This must change.

God has good outcomes in mind for everyone who is currently trapped, ensnared by wrong thoughts, words, or habits.  And because of this I believe He wants us to ask Him sincerely  to search all areas of our heart and life. 

If we truly want to be holy and to be all that He has planned, we will welcome His searchlight.  We will not try to avoid it.  We will gladly repent and renounce the other “gods”, other lovers, in our life.

I heard someone just today say that the statistics are staggering related to sexual abuse within the church. Plus there is widespread adultery, fornication, perversion, greed, deception etc. that is being overlooked or celebrated within the body of Christ.  This ought not to be.  

Take heed to the warning.  It is time, actually past time, for personal repentance, change, holiness. 

• Take personal inventory. 
• Study the scriptures about adultery; about spiritual adultery, about mixing truth with deception.
• Spend and hour or two in prayer for a deep cleansing to come to the church.
• Remember the Father, our Father, wants us to worship in Spirit and in Truth.

I can assure you that no one will escape the sifting, the disciplinary actions that are upon us.   And teachers and leaders will incur a stricter sifting or discipline.   My prayer is that all will turn away from error and darkness before it is too late and things become public. 

In His Great Love,

Gay Bissell