Category: Spirit-Led Counseling

Part 4: The Table Has Four Legs

A strong and stable table needs to have at least four legs. Remove one leg and the table will fall over, spilling all its contents on the floor. Shorten one or more legs, and the table will lean. Experiencing spiritual freedom depends on four essentials being in place in the believer’s life. Remove one, and the process gets short circuited and will produce less than desirable results. The four “legs,” so to speak, are the following:

  • Understanding, believing, and obeying God’s Truth found in the Bible,
  • Relying on the power of God’s Spirit in our lives,
  • Having a genuine fear of the Lord, and
  • Developing a heartfelt love for God.

Believing and Obeying God’s Truth Found in the Bible

Jesus told his disciples:

…“If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NET1)

To continue in Christ’s teaching means that we study, meditate upon, and obey. When we do this, freedom is an automatic by-product. Freedom, according to the Bible, is not doing what we please, but doing God’s will. Doing what we please, if it is out of line with God’s will, always leads to bondage. Sin always produces slavery. Obedience to God through the power of the Spirit always yields liberty.

Unless a person commits himself to learning, meditating upon, and obeying God’s Word, he or she will never experience true and lasting freedom.

Prayer and ministry from others may temporarily liberate us, but remaining free depends to a great extent upon our willingness to pursue God with all our hearts. If we do not commit to reading the Scriptures on a regular basis, we are not serious disciples. If we do not read the Bible devotionally, that is, asking the Spirit to show us what he wants us to get from our reading, we are missing out on something wonderful. If we do not ask God to help us to put his truth into practice, we are only playing at being Christ’s follower. We cannot be free while persisting in behavior that produces bondage and without embracing what God says will make us free.

Living by the Power of God’s Spirit

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NET1)

God’s Spirit is in complete unity with God’s Word, just as Jesus is one with the Holy Spirit. The Word of God was inspired by the Spirit of God. For the written word to have any transforming impact upon a person’s life, the Holy Spirit must “breathe” upon it to make it “come alive” via faith, causing it to become the Living Word for us.

The Holy Spirit causes information (the written Word) to become revelation (the Living Word) that produces life and transformation (the obeyed Word).

A person must know, trust, and rely upon the inner working of God’s Spirit to experience true freedom. The Spirit lives His life through us as we trust in His indwelling power. This is a huge secret of the Christian life.

The Fear of the Lord

Thirdly, for a person to experience freedom in Christ, he or she must have a deep and abiding fear of God. Proverbs says:

The fear of the Lord is like a life-giving fountain, to turn people from deadly snares. Proverbs 14:27 (NET1)

We can have understanding of God’s Word and the reality of the Spirit in our lives, but unless we fear God, there may be little heartfelt motivation to turn away from evil. Repentance means to “change our mind”. When this happens, we acknowledge that God is right and we are wrong. True repentance produces an emotional component of heartfelt sorrow and alarm, which motivates us to change.

For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 2 Corinthians 7:11 (NET1)

While we acknowledge that our heavenly Father’s love for us is unchanging, we also realize that this same love is what provokes him to discipline us as needed when we sin. Every small child who is truly loved by his or her natural father nevertheless sincerely fears that father’s discipline, if his father is doing his duty. So we should fear God not only because he will discipline us, but also because of the law of sowing and reaping. Sin has consequences, and all of them are bad. Without the fear of the Lord, sinners go on sinning.

The fear of the Lord is our motivation to depart from evil. Without it we will never be truly free.

It is important to realize that the fear of the Lord is a work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We cannot gin it up on our own, but we can ask God to develop it in our lives. Wise people cherish the fear of the Lord. Foolish people do not really care.

A Heartfelt Love for God

The fourth leg of the table I mention here is perhaps the most important one. Fear is a good motivation to avoid evil and its consequences, but fear will not suffice as a proper motivation to serve God. Fear-based service is akin to slavery, and sometimes develops grudging obedience. But God has made us beloved sons (and daughters). His Spirit resides in us. We are one with Him, and consequently the Spirit of God’s Son motivates us to serve God out of a heartfelt love for him.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ) — if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:14-17 (NET1)

We are to serve God as a son serves his father, out of love, respect and a vision for the future. The son knows that one day he will inherit from his father; so, everything he does to build with his father will one day result in his own enrichment. So it is in God’s kingdom. God allows us to serve out of love and gratitude, out of our respect for Him, and because he has made us co-heirs with Christ.

Love is the only pure motivation to serve God.

Freedom always has a purpose. One reason the United States is in such trouble today is because we have separated freedom from its purpose and have used it to pursue sinful and selfish ends. The reason God brought us into his kingdom is so that we can serve him, bring glory to his name, be used as ambassadors of the gospel of freedom, and rule and reign with Him forever in the new creation. Unless we understand and embrace this heavenly purpose for our lives, we will be deficient in our motivation to serve God, with a resulting lack of freedom. All of this should motivate us to love him more and more.

If we desire to experience all the freedom that Jesus died to give us, we should carefully consider the four legs of the table. If one of them is missing or not very strong, ask God to do whatever is necessary to give us strength in that area. Our future depends on it. And be sure that God is more interested in helping us than we are in getting his help. He is waiting for us to ask and move toward him, expecting his participation.

For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 (NET1)
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Part 3: The Basis of Our Freedom

This is the third article in a series entitled Spirit-Led Counseling.

We got ourselves into the current terrible situation by turning our backs on God, as I explained in my previous article, and we can only escape with God’s help. In fact, our deliverance, healing, and restoration depend entirely upon the graciousness or grace of God; although, we do have a part to play. Without his initiative and intervention, we would be hopelessly and eternally lost. Without his continual sustaining power through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we cannot keep ourselves free. But through him, we are able to experience all that Jesus died to provide for us.

Jesus came to restore us to God’s intended way of living in complete harmony and partnership with God. It is a gloriously freeing way to live!

All things begin, continue, and end with God. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. It is crucial for us to understand that each Person of the triune Godhead contributes to what the Bible calls our “great salvation.” (Hebrews 2:3) Our heavenly Father, the first Person of the Godhead, is the One who has loved us from before the creation of the world and who planned our salvation before we ever took our first breath.

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. 4 For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love. Ephesians 1:3-4 (NET1)

Abba Father is the kindest and most loving Person we will ever know.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you are saved! — 6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 (NET1)

But He is also completely just, holy, and righteous, and our sin created a huge obstacle to our ever being able to enjoy the fellowship and intimacy that Father God originally planned for us to share with Him. We distanced ourselves from Abba through our sinful breach of his righteousness, as I described in my previous article. His desire to show mercy to us stood opposed to the requirements of his truth and righteousness. How could God’s righteous anger at our sin ever be reconciled with his tender mercies?

Abba’s amazing plan manifested wisdom which is beyond human. It is…

...the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (NET1)

Abba’s solution was for His only begotten Son, the eternal Word of God, to become a human being and offer Himself as a perfect substitutionary sacrifice in our behalf.

Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We] saw his glory — the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. John 1:14 (NET1) 

But when this priest [Jesus] had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. Hebrews 10:12-14 (NET1)

In addition, by the genius of what theologians call “identification,” God caused us to participate in Christ’s death and resurrection, having placed us “in Christ”, in whom we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings.

God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NET1)

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 (NET1)

To make the solution perfect, our heavenly Father sent His Holy Spirit to indwell each believer. God’s Spirit lives Christ’s life in and through everyone who is born again. He is the Great Helper and Enabler. He is our life and power source. He is the One who transforms us into the people God always wanted us to be. He is our guarantee that God will complete what he began.

Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever — 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17 (NET1)

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (ESV)

Every great team has unity, clearly defined job descriptions, and superlative abilities. The Trinity is no exception. In fact, the very concept of team originates in God. The Father is the planner. The Son is the executor who carries out the Father’s plan. The Holy Spirit is the administrator who works behind the scenes to assure the success of Father’s plan and the Son’s execution of that plan. Another way to put it is that the Father chose us to be his very own. The Son died and rose again to ensure the outcome, and the Spirit draws us to faith in Christ through the Gospel and applies the benefits of the finished work of Christ to our lives, bringing the Father’s plan to fruition. This plan will be completed at the Second Coming of Christ, when we will experience the final installment of our great salvation, the resurrection from the dead.

Paul tells us that:

When all things are subjected to him [Abba Father], then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15:28 (ESV)

God is our final destiny, the goal or end of salvation. To Him belongs all glory forever and ever.

It is extremely important to understand and believe that our salvation begins and ends with God.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 (NASB) 

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34  For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35  Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36 (NASB)

Our salvation began with Father’s plan to bring us into his family. The conclusion will be when we receive our resurrected bodies and heavenly reward. The in-between, the time in which we now live, is also dependent on God’s graciousness; although, as I said before, we play a vital role. The coming of our Lord, his death, burial and resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit were all accomplished before we were born. None of us had any “say” in that plan or the accomplishment of it.

As Paul wrote,

So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. Romans 9:16 (NET1)

Our part arises when we hear the gospel and respond. If we are among those who believe, something happened in our hearts when we heard the gospel message. The Bible tells us that it was a result of the inner work of God’s Spirit combined with the outer call of the gospel that produced in us the desire to surrender our lives to Christ. Jesus made it clear that God is the initiator, not us.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44 (NET1)

Yes, we indeed must make the choice to believe in and serve Christ, but the mystery of God is at work beneath the surface of things, so that we can all agree that God deserves all the glory.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NET1)

The reason I have gone to such great lengths to show God’s integral involvement with every aspect of our salvation is to give us a solid foundation for hope.

If our salvation rests on our shoulders and faithfulness and depends on our abilities, our will power, our holiness, or our goodness, we are in big trouble. But if our salvation rests upon the Father’s choice to love us, the Son’s finished work, and the power of the indwelling Spirit, we are in good shape.

If we are going to experience true freedom, we will need to come to terms with acknowledging and relying on the God who works through his freely given grace. We cannot approach him through our own goodness or performance. Likewise, neither our lack of goodness (apart from Christ) nor our poor performance thus far, is any deterrent to our being able to experience God’s ability to set us free. We come to God solely on the basis of Christ’s righteousness. We have none of our own. We must make it our goal to..

.. be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness — a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness. Philippians 3:9 (NET1)

Only when we learn to rely on God’s love, kindness, righteousness, grace, power and authority can we experience all that Christ died and rose again to give us. We dare not short change ourselves and “frustrate the grace of God” by trying to save ourselves. It will never work and will only leave us confused and frustrated.

Jesus did not come to help the religious and the self-sufficient. He came to save sinners who acknowledge their spiritual poverty. (Matthew 5:3)

We must answer Christ’s call and come to Him with no pretended ability to save or liberate ourselves, but with full confidence that freedom can be experienced by grace alone. Jesus said:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry. Matthew 11:28-30 (NET1)

God’s promise is that when we learn to live by faith in the power of the Spirit, believing what the Bible says is true, we will be able to live in a way that brings glory to God.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4 (ESV)

If we will make it your goal to rely on God’s grace, believe his truth, operate in Christ’s authority, and live by the power of the Spirit, we too can experience freedom in Christ. That is the basis of our freedom.

 

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Part 2: Understanding the Components of Bondage

I believe any sane person would agree that the world is in a seemingly hopeless situation. We cannot even agree on the nature or root of the main problem, and we fight over how to solve it, believing that the other side’s “solution” is actually making matters worse. Human “fixes” generally have side effects that introduce a whole new set of unintended consequences. Individuals, families, corporations, people groups, and nations pursue selfish agendas at the expense of the less fortunate and less powerful. Ignorance, poverty, sickness and disease ravage the human race. Wars, genocide, infanticide, and general inhumanity to others abound. Much evil is done by ignorant perhaps well meaning people, but the worst sort is done intentionally by the worst sort of people. Religions vie for “top dog” status, their adherents often being willing to kill and oppress “non-believers”. Prisons are filled with those who flaunt the laws of civilized society, and those who believe in Biblical values find themselves in a “Twilight Zone” world where what was considered vile a generation ago is now paraded and applauded as good and normal. How did we get here? Is there a way out, either corporately or individually?

The Bible teaches us that God created a world in which there was order and goodness. He placed the first couple in a ideal situation where all their needs were supplied with a minimum of work. They were commanded to increase and multiply. Those first humans enjoyed the privilege of walking and talking with God. They were naked and unashamed, apparently clothed with a sort of aura of glory. They “had it made”, but since they had nothing with which to compare their situation, they were prone to think something might be wrong. God gave them amazing freedom and only one prohibition: they were forbidden to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God created us to be dependent beings who only need to know what God reveals to us. If we could be satisfied to know him, be with him, and depend on his continual grace and loving kindness, we would be happy and thrive.

You probably know the story. Satan cleverly deceived them into doubting God’s goodness and motives and to desire more than God had given them, which set them up to do the unthinkable. They did the one thing that could bring down the whole system of blessing and life. They turned away from God, choosing to try to live independently from him by relying on their own wits, discernment, and strength.

That rebellious act of disobedience set in motion what we see today. It opened the door to the horrific consequences of living apart from God and gave the keys of authority to our archenemy, Satan.

Instead of being under God’s protection, mankind was now victim and prey, contributing to his own demise by continuing to be deceived and cooperate with our new tyrannical master.

Romans 5:12-21 teaches us that Adam’s sin opened the door to death, condemnation, and the reign of sin in the human race. Let’s examine this in more detail.

God built within humanity the ability to procreate, that is, to reproduce after our own kind.

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27  God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28  God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:26-28 (NASB)

We are much more than physical beings. The Bible teaches that we are a unique and marvelous combination of spirit and flesh, the joining of which produces the soul (translated “living being”) and personality.

The Lord God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 (NET1)

Not only do we pass on our physical DNA when we have children, we also pass on spiritual “genetics” – the sin nature and proclivities toward evil that were “encoded” into Adam and Eve when they first transgressed. That sin nature has been passed to each successive generation since the Fall.

This inherited indwelling propensity to sin is the root of most of our problems.

This means that people who have never been born again by the Spirit of God have for their “default” mode to live counter to what produces goodness, life, and order. No one has to teach a baby how to be self-centered. It comes naturally. No two-year-old needs a course in how to be defiant. It comes naturally. No adult needs to learn how to be tempted to do all manner of evil things. It just comes with the package.

In addition to this huge problem is the additional compounding effect that sin has upon people, families, people groups and nations.

Just as a stone thrown into a perfectly calm pool causes ripples that spread outwardly and eventually destroy the tranquility of the entire pool, sin also has a ripple effect.

To get a better idea, imagine throwing two rocks into the pool simultaneously and watch what happens. The ripples will go to the edge of the pool and then rebound back causing an intersection with other ripples. Now throw several more rocks into the pool in different places, including a couple of really big ones. Now imagine that the number of rocks thrown into the pool increases geometrically in size and number. I hope you get the picture. Sin’s ripple effect eventually produces a turbulent, choppy, and disordered world where once there was serenity and peace.

When people are born, they come into this confusion that sin has created, fully equipped with a sin nature. They are impacted by sin from within and from without.

The sin within propels us to do our own part to contribute to the already existing mess. The impact of sin from the outside further exacerbates things, often doing incredible damage to our already marred personalities. It is as if, in many cases, that little ones are born into a virtual landslide of evil that carries them right over the cliff into the abyss.

For example, children from broken homes never get the chance to experience family life the way God intended. They have missing or broken pieces in their personalities and flawed ideas about how to be a man or woman, a husband or wife, or even a child. Think of the little girls and boys born into families where generations of sexual abuse and incest have been the norm. What are their chances of growing up with any sense of normalcy? What about the little babies born in war ravaged and poverty stricken areas of the world? What about those born into political and religious systems to resist and prohibit the true gospel from even being heard? What are their chances to experience the life that God desired for us at creation? The list of examples goes on. Some people call this progression of evil generational sin. Regardless of the label, it is real.

Individuals and families pass on problems and proclivities to their offspring without the intervention of God.

Things are actually much worse because there is also a being, who commands hoards of like-minded beings, who has a master plan and insatiable desire to ravage and destroy humanity. As you know, his biblical name is Satan.

The devil has a plan for your life – to kill, steal, and destroy you. He is a master deceiver, accuser, and intimidator. He does not play fair and uses any and all means to oppress and harm human beings.

When Adam sinned in the garden, the authority God gave to humans was effectively transferred to Satan. For centuries Satan has used his rule to drag multitudes into hell with him and make life here on earth intolerable for countless people. Although, Jesus dealt Satan a death blow on the cross, he is still being allowed to  deceive those who will listen to him. He is still leading people astray. He is still stealing, killing, and destroying, and, if you are a follower of Christ, he hates you and is working against you.

As a result of his activity and the inner workings of sin and our sin-impaired ability to think, we end up afflicting ourselves by choosing to believe lies which are a form of idolatry. They are more important to us than the Truth, whose name is Jesus. They propel us to disobedience and keep us locked up in spiritual prisons of our own making.

The Bible calls these self-inflicted inner prisons of lies “strongholds.”

I call them lie-based strongholds, and Paul teaches us that they keep us from knowing, believing, and acting upon the truth about God and life.

For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments 5 and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NET1)

These strongholds stand between us and the freedom that could be ours through Christ via the gospel. Notice that here for the first time I mention that there is a way out of this mess!

The gospel is all about Jesus Christ, who is the Truth, and what He did to accomplish our deliverance.

Satan operates in the milieu of the Lie. If we are going to get out of this quagmire of death and deception, we must allow God to tear down any lie-based strongholds that we have embraced. And, believe me, everyone has them.

Working in tandem with these deeply held lies, many people have experienced enormous hurts in their lives, which have deeply traumatized them and, in many cases, produced a fertile seedbed for growing lies about God.

For example, if a young girl was sexually abused by her grandfather over several years, as an adult she will most likely question the goodness of her heavenly Father. After all, could not He have prevented this horrible evil? And if He did not protect her then, how can she know that He is worthy of her trust now? So, we see that the pain inflicted by evil can easily set us up to believe lies about God, which in turn can block us from believing the truth which is able to set us free.

and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 (NET1)

The good news is that Jesus is the great Healer and is well able to heal those deeply wounded areas of our souls, but usually it requires us to pursue him for that healing.

Lastly, many individuals are harassed and oppressed by demons.

The Bible is unclear regarding the origin and exact nature of these malevolent beings, but makes it clear that they are real and, when relevant, their oppression must be removed for people to experience complete freedom. Jesus continually encountered and removed these pests from those to whom He ministered while He walked the roads of Israel.

you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him. Acts 10:37-38 (NET1)

Demons gain access by various means. Often we open the door through participation in some sin, especially sexual sin and occult practices. Sometimes demons seem to be passed on through families, which somewhere along the line opened the door to them. Sometimes they gain access when people undergo trauma.

In other words, sometimes it is our own fault that we are demonized and sometimes we are victims of collateral damage resulting from the sins of others. The devil does not care. He will jump through any open door he can find.

Many are tormented today because of these creatures and don’t even know it.

You may have noticed that I began this paragraph describing the worldwide mess sin has produced and have concluded by focusing on the problems that individuals face. This is because I want you to see that people’s problems and issues are bigger than their own situation. However, the gospel focuses largely on the individual.

Jesus came to set the human race free one person at a time. When enough people experience the liberation found in Christ through the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit, families, communities, and nations will be transformed.

The following articles in this series will be an attempt to explain how Jesus can and will set us free from every layer of bondage.

You can personally experience freedom in Christ, and you can move from being part of the problem to being part of the solution.

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Part 1: Introduction to Spirit-Led Counseling

This is the first article in a series entitled Spirit-Led Counseling. I sometimes use other names for this ministry, such as Personal Prayer Ministry, Wonderful Counseling, and Biblical Healing and Deliverance. Jesus is the "wonderful Counselor" of Isaiah 9:6. This ministry attempts to make room for Jesus to personally counsel people by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit with human ministers acting as facilitators. This makes it different from most counseling. It is highly effective at teaching the recipient how to hear the voice of the Spirit and to receive his life giving words.

Almighty God sent his Son Jesus to the earth on a mission to set people free from the awful tyranny and hopelessness of sin and its consequences. Human bondage began when Adam and Eve opened the floodgates of evil by abandoning and betraying their Creator and Sustainer, having been duped by the lying serpent into suspecting that God was an untrustworthy liar. Their decision to make a go at living independently from God proved to be the downfall of the entire creation.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:20-21 (ESV)

Adam and Eve separated themselves from the life of God when they sinned. They were still physically alive, but the death process had begun to work. Their spirits were cut off from the Holy Spirit, their minds and hearts were darkened, and their bodies began to die through what we call the aging process. Sickness – physical, societal, emotional, and spiritual – entered the picture. Satan’s promise of their becoming like God turned out to be a horrendous lie.

One of the things we learn from their fall is that we humans, even the newly created version, did not possess any innate immunity to Satan’s deception.

Now, because our minds have been darkened by sin, we are even more easily deceived by Satan’s lies.

As bad as that day was, it is important that we see that God offered hope to Adam and his offspring from the very beginning of his judgment upon our sin. God’s judgment included restoration, but, for that to happen, his Son would have to die and rise again.

When the Law was introduced later at Mt. Sinai, it exposed how deep our sinfulness is. It also brought us a new problem, what the Bible calls the “curse” of the Law, which is God’s judgment upon sin. The Law clearly defined sin and proves that we are incapable of overcoming it on our own. In our pride, this is a hard pill for us to swallow; yet, a necessary one, if we are to be open to God’s solution in the gospel.

Protection against evil spirits also was removed as a result of our rejecting God in the garden. Evil spirits take advantage of our defenselessness and oppress people mercilessly. The ripples of our lawlessness and rebellion escalated into a mad torrent of crashing waves of destruction and judgment. When Jesus arrived on the earth as a baby, things had been spiraling into a deepening darkness for centuries because generation after generation drank deeply from the poisoned cup of sin and deception.

After growing to manhood and patiently waiting thirty years for God’s appointed time, Jesus launched his public ministry with these words.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to tell them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.” Luke 4:18-21 (NET1)

The above passage is the closest thing to a “mission statement” that Jesus gave us. For the next three years, Jesus went about “doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.” (Acts 10:38 NET1)

During his public ministry years Jesus made withdrawals upon a future deposit he would make into heaven’s bank.The authority and power to he used to heal, release people from demons, and forgive sins derived from what he would accomplish later through his death and resurrection.

Each time he set a person free, it drove the nails a little deeper into his hands and feet. Once he began to draw upon that future event called the crucifixion, there was no way out for him. He had to pay the price, having made himself a debtor to God’s system of justice, something he did obediently and without complaint. When he as the innocent Lamb of God gave himself over to death, he defeated Satan on our behalf, the one who had previously held the keys of bondage and death.

When our Lord rose from the dead, the power of sin, Satan, sickness, and death was effectively smashed. And yet we see people, even followers of Christ, still living in all sorts of sin and bondage. What gives?

God’s plan was always for his people to rule and reign alongside the Lord Jesus. After he ascended into heaven where he now sits at God the Father’s right hand, Jesus delegated his authority to us who represent him to the world. He has given us his Holy Spirit to indwell and empower us. Now those who make up the church have the privilege and responsibility to proclaim his message of redemption and reconciliation to the Father and to release people from what holds them prisoner.

Jesus’ mission statement is now our mission statement. What he did on the earth during the short period of his public ministry, we are to continue until he comes again to wrap things up.

The Great Commission involves more than simply telling people about what Jesus did for them and asking them to put their faith and allegiance in him as Lord and Savior.

Christ’s followers are to demonstrate the power of the Kingdom of God as well as proclaim the words of the Gospel.

Paul made it clear that the Good News is meant to be delivered in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 in that our gospel did not come to you merely in words, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction … 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 (NET1)

God has given his church the authority, power, and the tools to accomplish this mission. In the following articles I will present an overview of the process I call Spirit-Led Counseling, which depends on the ongoing ministry of Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor. (Isaiah 9:6)

Spirit-Led Counseling integrates the truth of God’s Word, the presence, power, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the basic principles of repentance and faith to help people experience a growing freedom from sin and bitterness, deliverance from what I call lie-based strongholds, healing for inner hurts, and release from demonization, when needed.

I will do my best to base all of this solidly on God’s Word and give practical applications based on what I have seen work. I have watched God do some amazing things through this ministry, and I hope you will be encouraged that the Lord cares deeply about you and wants you to be free, too. The best revenge we can get on the devil for all he has done to us is to allow God to set us free and use us to help others walk free from his clutches.

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How God Moves Us from Fear to Faith

 

This is the eleventh article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling. I sometimes use other names for this ministry, such as Personal Prayer Ministry and Biblical Healing and Deliverance. The adjective "wonderful" is used because Jesus is the "wonderful Counselor" of Isaiah 9:6. This ministry attempts to make room for Jesus to personally counsel people by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit, with human ministers acting as facilitators. This makes it different from most counseling. It is highly effective at teaching the recipient how to hear the voice of the Spirit and to receive his life giving words.

 

The opening scene in Judges 6 shows Gideon threshing wheat in a wine press. Wine presses were located in valleys which made them generally less visible to prying eyes. Wheat was usually threshed on top of hills where there likely would be more of a breeze to separate the heavy wheat from the lighter chaff, when the mixture was thrown into the air. Gideon chose to work in the less efficient wine press for fear that Israel’s enemies, the invading Midianites, might see him, steal his crops, and perhaps even injure or kill him. He was a fearful and oppressed person who was intimidated by his oppressor – not a likely candidate for being a hero.

The angel of the Lord stood under a tree watching all this, most likely a little amused because he knew what was coming. God’s sense of humor can be found throughout the Bible. If we need more proof, consider that he made you and me.

God loves to choose unlikely people to accomplish the seemingly impossible because it gives him pleasure, fulfillment to us, and brings glory to his name.

God selected Gideon to lead Israel to victory over apparently insurmountable odds. The Lord picked a man who was fearful, insecure, and small in his own eyes, a man who at the time had very little faith in God because he believed some very big lies.

Imagine Gideon’s surprise when he heard the angel’s greeting.

The LORD’s messenger appeared and said to him, “The LORD is with you, courageous warrior!” Judges 6:12 (NET1)

Gideon must have been taken aback by this announcement because he believed neither of these things. He saw no evidence that God was with him and certainly did not believe he was a courageous warrior. When God starts to work on destroying the lies in which we trust, he doesn’t beat around the bush. By addressing Gideon in this way, the Lord prompted Gideon to state what he believed on a heart level.

Exposing the Lie

Getting the lie into the open is a great first step toward freedom.

Gideon said to him, “Pardon me, but if the LORD is with us, why has such disaster overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said, ‘Did the LORD not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” Judges 6:13 (NET1)

Let’s look at some of the key words: if, why, where, and but. We often reveal the lies we believe when we use these words.

Satan loves to insert an “if” into the equation to inspire doubt in God’s character, God’s promise, and God’s plan.

The “if” was derived from the why and where. Gideon showed that he depended on his own powers of deduction rather than on God’s character and promises. Paul called this a “stronghold” – a logical speculation or argument derived from our experience or observations that prevents us from knowing and trusting in God. (2 Corinthians 10:4-6) Gideon saw that disaster had overcome Israel and that no known miracles had taken place in his day. This led him to conclude or speculate that God was no longer on Israel’s side and that he was not doing anything powerful at all. This logical argument stood between him and the experience of deliverance and freedom. It blocked him initially from simply believing God’s word to him.

The “but” surfaced the lie in which Gideon trusted: God had abandoned Israel, he thought, leaving them powerless against their enemies.

In Gideon’s lie-based worldview, God was not present and Israel had no hope, thereby providing Gideon with no basis for faith from which to derive courage.

The lie was now out in the open, as was Gideon’s unbelief. Gideon had been paralyzed by lies of abandonment and powerlessness, two of the most prevalent lies we all must face and conquer.

Once the embedded lie is exposed, the Lord desires to speak his truth into our lives, which will demolish the stronghold, if we hear, receive, believe, and act on it.

The devil loves to hide in the darkness, and he wants our lie-based arguments and speculations to swirl around in our minds pulling us deeper into the abyss of unbelief, fear, and confusion. Once these lies are exposed to the light of God’s truth, they tend to dissipate like the morning mist.

Lies cannot coexist with truth, just as darkness and light cannot exist side by side.

The Power of a Personal Word from God

God’s answer to Gideon was a “rhema” word to him. I use the Greek word for “word,” “rhema,” to describe the experience of God’s revealing himself and his eternally true logos Word to us by the Spirit. In other words, a “rhema” word makes the eternally true “logos” Word found in the Bible both personal and faith inspiring.

A personal “rhema” revelation of truth has the power to destroy lies and transform us.

God’s rhema word to Gideon invited him to see things as God did and to believe the truth that the Lord was still with him and is much bigger than any fear or enemy.

Then the LORD himself turned to him and said, “You have the strength. Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! Have I not sent you?” Judges 6:14 (NET1)

We should pay close attention to what happened in this verse. Suddenly it was no longer God’s messenger speaking: now it was the Lord himself. My next sentence is one of the biggest keys to being set free. This truth is able to unlock some of the strongest prison doors.

In order for us to be delivered from deeply embedded lies, we must hear the Lord himself speak his truth to our hearts.

This is called revelation in the Bible and comes via the Holy Spirit.

God can speak through another person, a Bible verse or passage, or by his Spirit in the inner recesses of our hearts. In this case, it was through a pre-incarnational appearance of the Lord. God’s rhema to Gideon smashed both of the lies in which Gideon trusted: God had not abandoned him or Israel, and Gideon was not powerless because God was with him.

When the Light of the world, Jesus, enters our hearts, darkness is dispelled.

God himself told Gideon that he had the strength to deliver Israel and gave him the command to go do it. Gideon still has his doubts, however, because there were yet more lies to be confronted.

Gideon said to him, “But Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.” 16 The LORD said to him, “Ah, but I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.” Judges 6:15-16 (NET1)

“But Lord!” How contradictory are these two words when used side by side! Here Gideon revealed that his calculations did not include God at all. He still saw things through the lens of his own inadequacies and failed to factor in God’s ability and power. (Don’t we all tend to do this?) When we make excuses for not doing what God commands us, it reveals that we believe that God is either not with us or not up to the task of enabling us.

Our unbelief clearly indicates we doubt either God’s trustworthiness, power, or his love – or maybe all three.

In other words, unbelief impugns God’s character and negates his power; whereas, faith upholds both.

Only faith glorifies God. Peter Block wrote in his book, The Answer to How Is Yes, that when we commit to do something, negativity evaporates and we begin to use our faith to become creative problem solvers.  The “how” of unbelief does not calculate on God and makes excuses for disobedience; whereas, the “yes” of faith moves forward in obedience trusting that God will somehow come through.

When the Lord reaffirmed that he would be with Gideon, he revealed the key to living the faith life – God is always with us.

Jesus is Immanuel – God with us. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this truth.

The root of many deeply embedded lies is a deep sense of abandonment by God.

This derives from humanity’s actual separation from him in the Garden of Eden because of our sin. But Genesis 3:15 reveals that God never actually abandoned us at all. He promised Adam and Eve that one of their descendants would crush the head of the serpent – Satan. This is the Bible’s first messianic promise.

Because Jesus, our Messiah and Immanuel, died and rose again, no one who believes in him needs to experience life apart from God any longer. (John 14:16)

When we imagine that we do, it reveals how far we still have to go in our understanding of grace and how sinfully independent our thinking still is.

Amazingly, God allows us to collaborate with him in life and when we face obstacles. This is one of the great joys of being a follower of Christ. We are not alone any longer! God delights to use us, even though, ultimately, all the glory will go to him, because he alone is able to pull off the miracle. What a joy for us to be his partner! When God allows us to participate, he shares his power, glory, and honor with us in a similar fashion as the moon shares the sun’s glorious radiance. The moon has no light of its own, yet it shines beautifully in the night sky. We have no power or glory of our own, yet we can win great victories when we obey God and trust him completely.

God’s grace shines through us, despite our weaknesses.

But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me. 10 Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NET1)

When God made Gideon a promise that he would be with him, it should have confirmed to him that God was loyal and loving toward him; but, he was still not convinced of where he stood with God. This is a common problem for many of us – yes, even with Bible-believing followers of Christ. Because we are at least partially aware of our own faults and shortcomings, we cannot imagine that God could be truly pleased with us or use us in any significant way.

This shows that we have negated God’s gracious promises with a lie-based argument, which causes us to miss a central point of the gospel of grace. No one can possibly be good enough to please God: that is why Jesus had to die for us.

The mindset that God cannot use us is sinful and must be repudiated.

When we receive the benefits of the finished work of Christ by faith, not only are we forgiven, but we are completely reconciled to God. We become members of God’s family and true friends. God provides the Spirit of his Son to indwell us. We have been given the Son of God’s relationship with the Father, minus the divinity part; therefore, when God looks at us, he is as pleased with us as he is with his Son.

Consequently, because of our relationship with God, our commission to be his representatives on the earth, and the  indwelling Spirit, we are able to do whatever he tells us.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:15-16 (NET1)

But Gideon did not know this, since he lived in a time before Christ’s death and resurrection. Even though God told him he was highly favored, he still wanted further proof.

So Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. Judges 6:17 (NASB)

If you are like me, you might be thinking that God was beginning to get a little impatient with Gideon, as he did with Moses when he made excuse after excuse. But that was not the case. God was calling and commissioning Gideon to do the impossible; so, he was willing to corroborate his word to him.

The greater the task the more willing is God to make it plain to us. He knows that our faith needs bolstering.

Gideon offered the Lord a sacrifice, which God accepted by consuming it on the spot with fire in which the angel disappeared from sight. Gideon promptly went from doubt that it was God to doubt as to whether he would continue to live after seeing God. You have to admit this is at least a little humorous. After receiving an assurance that he would not die, Gideon built an altar to the Lord there, naming it “Jehovah-Shalom” – the Lord is peace, security, wholeness, success, or prosperity. All of the these concepts are rolled up into one word – shalom. I like how the New English Translation translates Jehovah-Shalom: “The Lord is on friendly terms with me.”

God took Gideon from doubting his good intentions to worshiping him for showing shalom towards his servant.

By revealing himself as Jehovah-Shalom, God shattered the foundation of several strongholds at once.

Once again, God revealed himself personally with a “rhema” word. He nullified the lie that God did not favor Israel or Gideon. He broke the power of the lie that God is not able to give victory over his circumstances and fears. Shalom declared that God was the provider of financial well being, healing, success, victory, and peace. Gideon’s faith in these truths would later be tested even further; so, Gideon could come to know this amazing God of shalom better.

Faith grows when it is tested, just as muscles are strengthened by exertion.

The Lord moved quickly on the heels of Gideon’s breakthrough revelation. It is important for us to realize that God does not reveal himself to us just for fun. It is to prepare us for what he has called us to do. That same night God gave Gideon his first big job, one that confronted his remaining fears to the core. I find it ironic and intensely interesting that God would reveal himself as Gideon’s peace (shalom) just before commissioning him to fight.

Peace is not the absence of conflict. It is the presence of God that gives us the courage to fight the Lord’s battles.

That night the LORD said to him, “Take the bull from your father’s herd, as well as a second bull, one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole. 26 Then build an altar for the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold according to the proper pattern. Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt sacrifice on the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.” Judges 6:25-26 (NET1)

In the afterglow of finding out that God favored him and was with him, Gideon was told to provoke the anger of the local idol worshipers, which included members of his own family. This man who went out of his way to stay hidden from danger now was told to stir up trouble and bring down the wrath of the community upon his head. Gideon obeyed, but stuck to his old ways of trying to stay hidden. He did the deed at night with the help of ten associates.

The command to build an altar on top of the idolatrous stronghold is especially significant. Not only does God intend to smash our lie-based strongholds, but he plans to transform their rubble into a place of worship for us, building an altar faith and devotion to God upon which we can give ourselves unreservedly to him.

From the rubble of our smashed strongholds likely will emerge our ministry to the Lord and other people.

As expected, the local townspeople threatened Gideon, but God preserved his life. His name was changed to Jerub-Baal, meaning “let Baal contend with him.” In other words, he became known for his brave and confrontational act of destroying the idols that offended God. God insulated him from men’s threats and violence by personally defending him. His own father, a former idolater-in-chief, defended his son when an angry mob wanted to harm him. God was indeed his “shalom.”

But this test was only the “warm up.” Next God told him to confront and defeat a vast horde of Midianites which oppressed Israel. In a very short time God took Gideon from fearing those invaders to becoming the captain of the minuscule force that defeated them. What an amazing turn around! But this next task required that Gideon become even more convinced that God was with him.

Strongholds run deep. Even though Gideon had obtained some deliverance, he still battled unbelief and fear, as is often the case with us. How could he be sure that this command was really the Lord? When the Lord asks us to do things within our “comfort zone,” we may obey him fairly promptly; but, when he tells us to do something of which we are afraid, suddenly we are not sure if it’s really the Lord! That is probably why God “broke in” Gideon with a lesser task first before sending him against a huge army.

If we are predisposed to unbelief because of our fears, we may lack confidence that we really have heard the Lord or have difficulty accepting even the most obvious confirmations. Fear lacks the ability to think clearly.

Understanding this human frailty, the Lord was very patient with our reluctant hero. When Gideon asked him for a double reverse sign involving a fleece, God obliged both times. On top of that, God even came up with a further sign to help fortify Gideon’s faith. He told him to venture near the enemy’s camp, where he heard one of the enemy soldiers voice his interpretation of an ominous dream in which he predicted that Gideon and his army would prevail over them in battle. This was all Gideon needed. Gideon promptly marched back into camp and spoke rousing words of faith to his men.

When Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he praised God. Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, “Get up, for the LORD is handing the Midianite army over to you!” Judges 7:15 (NET1)

Isn’t it interesting that Gideon put more stock in a dream’s interpretation than he did in God’s direct promise? May God give us more reliance on his Word than in anything else!

But we get ahead of ourselves. God had previously reduced the size of Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 300, saying:

…“With the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver the whole army and I will hand Midian over to you. The rest of the men should go home.” Judges 7:7 (NET1)

God really does have a sense of humor, but I am sure it did not seem so at the time to Gideon. After thoroughly convincing Gideon that it was really He giving him the command to destroy the Midianites, God removed 99% of his army, giving the following reason:

… “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. Israel might brag, ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’’ Judges 7:2 (NET1)

This is one of the ways God operates. He convinces us to sign on to his program and then removes from us some of the resources we thought we could count on. He does this so that we can learn to trust in him alone.

Even before reducing the size of the army, Israel was hugely outnumbered, but now the odds were ridiculous from a human point of view. If God did not do a major miracle, Gideon would go down in history as one of the biggest fools who ever lived. This must have been why God obliged him with the two fleece confirmations and gave him the interpretation of the enemy’s dream. Gideon needed to know that this adventure with God was legitimate. His life and that of his men, as well as Israel’s freedom, depended on it.

Well, if you don’t know the rest of the story, it’s in Judges 7. As you might have guessed, Gideon, with God’s help, triumphed and became one of the great heroes of Israel.

When we cooperate with God by allowing him to help us conquer our fears by smashing our strongholds of lies and unbelief, it is no telling what great things can be accomplished in God’s kingdom.

Maybe God has a Gideon-sized job for you? If so, you likely have a Gideon-sized set of embedded lies that need uprooting. Don’t be surprised if God requires you confront your fears head on. Draw near to him and let the Lord speak his loving truth into those hidden places in your heart. The truth will set you free.

Go back to Part 10.

Read Part 12: An Introduction to Overcoming Generational Devastation

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Part 29 – What to Expect during a PPM Session

This is the 29th article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling. You can access the rest of the articles by clicking here.

 

Many people are apprehensive prior to their first Personal Prayer Ministry session because they do not know what to expect. It is natural to fear the unknown, but thankfully we can trust Jesus to be kind, gracious, and patient with us. He is the safest person in the universe. Anyone who would voluntarily die for us is certainly not going to treat us poorly.

PPM likely is going to be different from any other kind of counseling or ministry you have ever received. The goal of PPM is to deliberately make room for Jesus to be the Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6).

In order to accomplish this, we emphasize the following principles.

  • Relax. No one is under any pressure to “perform.” If nothing comes out of these sessions except that we spend time in prayer and listening to the Lord, it will be time well spent. However, it has been my experience that Jesus is far more interested and committed to our being set free than we are.
  • Turn off your analytical brain and listen. Many people have trained themselves to analyze everything. This goes back to the Garden of Eden and Adam’s first sin. We try to figure out the reasons for our bondage and how we can get free. While there is certainly a time and place for that, it is not during the listening portion of PPM. As we “wait upon the Lord,” we want to hear what Jesus has to say to us. His words and insights will set us free, not our analysis.
  • Don’t filter anything. This one is difficult for analysts. As we wait on the Lord, he often brings to mind memories of past events. It is important that we not filter out anything, thinking it is irrelevant. We don’t yet know what is relevant. You will be asked to share everything that comes to mind – the good, bad, ugly, silly, and the seemingly irreverent or irrelevant. The PPM minister will help decide what is or is not from the Lord and the meaning. This is important. The part you may be tempted to ignore could be critical. If you think something is not from the Lord, share it anyway. Your minister will help judge such things and determine what to do with it. Before ministry, we always pray that the only voice we will hear is from the Lord. We trust him to oversee the entire process.
  • Be open to the Lord communicating in various ways. We never know how Jesus may communicate with us. First of all, it is perfectly okay to get nothing at all. However, when all obstacles have been removed, it is usual for the Lord to speak often and clearly. He communicates through memories, visions, Bible verses, thoughts, impressions, feelings, and bodily sensations. Do not discount anything. Feelings of confusion must be felt, likewise pain, fear, etc. You will be expected to be an open book to share everything you are receiving. Remember, we are holistic beings, not mere intellects.

Opening Prayer

I begin every PPM session with prayer, covering the following points.

  • Acknowledge that Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor. We turn over the entire process to him. We ask him to direct every facet of the ministry.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to fill us afresh and be Christ’s administrator of the session. We pray that he will inspire us and enable us in every area.
  • We proclaim Christ’s victory and authority over every form of bondage. We declare his authority over every demon, bondage, lie, generational issue, and sickness. We command any evil spirit that may be somehow involved to be bound and silent, unless directed by Jesus to manifest in some way that will contribute to the deliverance. We command every voice but that of the Lord to be still.
  • We “clothe” ourselves with Christ’s authority and righteousness, recognizing that we have none of our own. Our competency and authority to minister come from Christ.
  • We invoke Father God’s presence and love to permeate everything.
  • We thank Jesus what we can safely trust him to direct and protect every aspect of the ministry. We can be as little children in our confidence that nothing weird or harmful will take place as we depend on his guidance and oversight. We will only hear the Shepherd’s voice.

Jesus Directed

Deciding where to begin is important. The application form will likely give us clues, but we will pray asking Jesus to show us where he wants to start. This will be a continuing practice throughout the ministry times. We will always be going back to Jesus in prayer making sure we are on the same track as he. Sometimes we may need to back up and go in a different direction. This normal and to be expected. We are seeking to follow him, not direct the show.

Many Faceted

Bondage usually has many tentacles, and we want to make sure we leave no stone unturned. During the course of ministry, we will be covering bitterness issues, generational devastation, traumatic inner pain, embedded lies, and demonization, not necessarily in any specific order. We want the Spirit to lead us, but we will do our best to cover everything.

Session Duration

Sessions usually go for around two hours or until it seems like a good time to stop. The number of sessions depends on the person, but you can expect at least three or four, but perhaps more.  I have seen things go quickly, but sometimes there is a lot of work to do. We usually know when we have done all we can do. Remember: no one gets completely set free prior to the resurrection. We will

Between Sessions

In the gap between PPM sessions, the Holy Spirit does not stop his ministry. You will be asked to keep a journal of your interactions and conversations with the Lord and bring it to the next session. One of the great benefits of receiving PPM is developing your ability to hear the Lord for yourself. One goal of PPM is to help you learn to receive directly from Jesus without needing someone else to help you; although, from time to time we probably can all benefit from getting some outside help.

Conclusion

I hope this series of articles has helped you better understand PPM. If after reading it, you wish to receive ministry, please contact me, and we can discuss it. I am also open to helping train others to do this ministry.

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Part 28 – The Purpose of the Application Form

This is the 28th article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling. You can access the rest of the articles by clicking here.

 

The application form I use asks a number of questions that provide an array of potential areas and sources of bondage. Rather than discover things piecemeal during ministry sessions, I have found it is better to have a snapshot of your life up front. We will still need to rely on the Holy Spirit regarding how to use this information and how to proceed during our sessions.

After signing the previously mentioned waivers and reading the introductory information about commitment, etc., you will be asked to provide background information about yourself. This includes your family, educational, medical, marital, and spiritual background information, any of which may give insights into your current situation. Next, you will be asked to check off any of eighteen different possible areas of struggle that led you to seek ministry. The next sections ask you to identify any parental history that might be connected to your situation. Following that you will be asked to check off any areas of dysfunction that you can identify in your family. This may not sound like much fun, but it is interesting and enlightening. Following that, you will be asked three questions which will require more in depth answers, before moving on to fill in your family tree, as much as you know, going back to your great grandparents.

The next section may take you a while. It is an extensive list of potential bondage areas. You will be asked to circle any that apply to your family and indicate whether it refers to you personally or to some family member. All I need is the relationship, such as uncle on mother’s side, not a name. The purpose of this section is to help identify areas of generational devastation. Following that, there is a brief list of questions regarding your birth. Lastly, you will be asked to check off any of the listed personal belief statements that seem to fit. To properly complete this section, please rely on your heart level response, not a theological answer. Many times we believe lies at the heart level that we know intellectually to be false. This section will help me to identify deeply embedded lies that we may need to address.

In all there are twelve pages to this application form. This will be part of your upfront commitment to the process. If I am willing to commit to spending hours of my time working with you, it is reasonable for me to ask you to invest your time in preparation. When you complete the form, please email me either the MS Word or PDF version prior to our first session. You will need to obtain the form from me.

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Part 27: Safeguards for Those Receiving Personal Prayer Ministry

This is the 27th article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling. If you want to read the associated articles, please click here.

 

Why being a part of a local church is so important if you are receiving PPM…

PPM should be considered as an adjunct of your local church’s ministry. By that, I mean that it should only be done with the knowledge and consent of your pastor. Of course, all of us are free to pursue ministry on our own, but if you are serious about maintaining a proper relationship with your pastor, you should inform him of what you are doing. He or she has a responsibility for your welfare and would want to know. On my part, I would consider counseling a member of another church without the pastor’s consent and blessing to be a breach of etiquette and trust.

The last thing I or any minister wants to do is go against the grain of the counsel and care you already may be receiving.

If you are not an active part of a local church, or are in a church where you do not fully trust or engage with its leadership, we need to talk further before continuing. Although I have done PPM with people not solidly connected with a local church, experience has taught me that it is far from ideal and probably will not produce the greatest results.

The local church will be in your life line after our PPM sessions are completed. It provides a loving atmosphere of support and counsel. The church (as a group of people following Jesus, not simply a building, formal organization, or denomination) is God’s invention for taking care of his sheep. Local churches have people called by God and committed to providing proper oversight and care for our souls. Also, people who are not under the care and protection of a local church usually do not make the best candidates for PPM, since what is often behind going it alone is either a deeply seated independence or wound from the church. PPM might help you get at the root of such a problem; so, I would not completely rule out the possibility of working with you. At some point, for the ministry to continue forward and to get the best long-term results, you would be strongly encouraged to connect with a local church.

Limited Confidentiality

Since we work with local church leadership, we reserve the right to share appropriately with that leadership, if need be.

This does not mean that we are in the habit of disclosing personal details of your history, but it does mean that if something comes up that local church leadership should know about, we will be free to inform them.

For example, if it comes out that sex abuse or other forms of abuse are taking place, the church leadership should know. Anything that would affect the church as a whole would be shared with church leadership. On a less serious level, if you are part of a good local church, whose leaders you love and trust, why would you not want them involved? The ideal situation is when the PPM minister can give the local church pastor a report of progress, with as much detail as would be a blessing. Details of past sins and abuse are not a blessing to share. Breakthroughs in healing are. When appropriate, sometimes the church pastor might sit in on the session. Everything would be done with the consent of the one receiving ministry. If you are not comfortable with your local church leadership knowing important aspects of your PPM sessions, this is probably not for you.

From our point of view as PPM ministers, we never want to be placed in a situation in which we know crucial information that could affect the health and well-being of the local church and not be able to share it. Therefore, before engaging in PPM, we require that you sign off on limited confidentiality.

Waiver of Liability

PPM is not “professional” counseling. It is a ministry of the church under the direction of the Holy Spirit in alignment with God’s Word. PPM ministers in good faith do the best they can and are not liable for the effects of the ministry.

If you want professional counseling by a board certified psychologist or psychiatrist, PPM is not for you. If you want Spirit-led ministry from a minister committed to adhering to the truths and principles in the Bible, we might be able to help.

Sometimes people receiving ministry actually take an initial emotional “downturn” as they begin to confront long suppressed pain and bitterness. This certainly is not usually the case, but can happen when dealing with buried traumatic inner hurts. It is possible, though not probable, that you may walk out of a PPM session with more questions and pain than you felt upon entering. This can happen when we fearlessly allow Jesus to enter into long buried pain and memories. It sometimes requires patience to get to the bottom of things. On a positive note, l have yet to see anyone experience long-term bad results from PPM. Once people get past any potential short-term pain and confusion, under a physician’s care if appropriate, the Lord will take you on to healing and deliverance, if you persevere. It takes courage to confront a painful past, which is why most never do. Even though most people do not experience anything very troubling or negative, we require a signed waiver of liability from everyone receiving ministry simply as a prudent course of action in a litigation happy culture.

The next article will discuss the application process.

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How to Maintain Our Spiritual Freedom

This is the 26th article in the series entitled Wonderful Counseling. You can access the rest of the articles by clicking here.

 

When Jesus sets us free from any kind of oppression, we have a responsibility to fight to keep that freedom.

Our Lord warned us that demons, which have been cast out, seek to reenter a person to bring them into worse bondage than before, which is the last thing any of us should want.

"Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44  "Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45  "Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation." Matthew 12:43-45 (NASB)

We learn several things from the above passage.

  • Evil spirits find “rest” in human bodies, which motivate them to seek entrance.
  • We should expect “counter attacks” after we are set free.
  • We have a responsibility to fill our hearts and minds with thoughts, words, and songs related to the Lord so that there is no room for a demonic “re-infestation”.

Paul gave us a wonderful way to “inoculate” ourselves against demonization.

...be filled with the Spirit, 19  speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20  always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; Ephesians 5:18-20 (NASB)

In other words, the best defense is often a great offense.

If we fill our minds, hearts,  mouths, and activities with God, there will be little room for the devil.

We should be careful to make no place for the devil. (Ephesians 4:27) We cannot afford to coddle sin. It is important for us to develop good habits, which include regular Bible reading and study, prayer, worship, fasting, and speaking God’s promises and truths out loud.

We also have a responsibility to put on the “spiritual armor” provided by God by faith.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13  Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14  Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15  and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17  And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18  With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, Ephesians 6:10-18 (NASB)

Here are the main points.

  • We can only stand in the power of God’s might, truth, and authority, not our own.
  • Don’t be naive. God has a plan for your life, but the devil has plenty of schemes to bring us down.
  • Even though the weakness of the “flesh” is a real enemy that must be resisted, our ultimate battle is against spiritual wickedness, which requires us to use spiritual weapons.
  • We must know and stand upon the truth of our imputed righteousness in Christ. Condemnation is one of the most insidious weapons of the enemy. He will use it to try to destroy our peace and confidence in God. There is no condemnation in Christ. (Romans 8:1, John 5:24)
  • Being active in sharing our faith is actually one of our best weapons against the enemy.
  • Faith in God and his promises shields us from enemy attacks.
  • God’s truth also guards our minds from deception and fear.
  • The sword of the Spirit is God’s truth found in the Bible. We can do great damage to Satan’s kingdom by proclaiming God’s Word.
  • Prayer is an important defense against Satan’s strategies. As we submit to God in prayer, we can effectively resist the enemy.
But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 7  Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:6-8 (NASB)

God encourages the grace of humility as a defense against the devil. Peter proudly announced his unfailing loyalty to Jesus before denying him three times. Don’t let pride open the door to the devil.

God wants us to be ruthless in defending our freedom. We must cut off those things that try to bring us into bondage, rather than be double-minded about it.

"If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. Matthew 5:30 (NASB)

This is a matter of our choice, as we rely on the motivation and power of the Holy Spirit to help us fight against evil.

Just as political liberty demands constant vigilance, it is a fight of faith to maintain our freedom in the spirit, too.

The are enslaving agents working relentlessly that must be warded off and defeated.

We also have to be vigilant against what the Bible calls the “flesh”. The “flesh” is that part of us still linked to the old creation in Adam because our bodies have not yet been resurrected. It lurks in the background, waiting for us to become tired, discouraged, disillusioned, or maybe overconfident; so, that it can try to rear its ugly head and lead us into sin. The flesh never reforms. It was crucified and rendered powerless to rule us by Christ, but we still can allow it to have power, if we like. This is a battle between flesh and spirit referred to by Paul.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. Galatians 5:16-17 (NASB)

(You can read more about this subject by clicking here.)

This is not to say that we should be afraid that our slightest failure will result in demonization. However, we should not assume that reengaging in old sinful patterns will not result in our going into bondage again, either. We should have a wholesome fear of the Lord.

Maintaining short accounts with the Lord is always a good idea, too. We should make it a practice to quickly repent when we do sin, knowing that, no matter what, we always have access to the throne of grace to find help from God, especially in our time of need. Don’t fall for the lie that we must earn our way back to God.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16  Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16 (NASB)

Finding a trusted and loving person with whom we can share our struggles can help immensely. This should be a person who will speak truthfully to us as a loving friend and confidant, with whom we can be honest about our struggles, defeats, and victories. This should be a person who will pray for us, ask us how we are doing, and be unafraid to ask pointed questions, and who will guard our confidences. Obviously, we should avoid using anyone who is a known gossip or who is so merciful that he or she would never confront. Except in the case of spouses, these persons should be of the same gender as we are.

To summarize, we should expect the devil to be a relentless enemy who will not easily give up. Be prepared for the battle and take proactive steps to defend what God has done to set us free. Always rely on God’s strength and power. Never allow condemnation to put a wedge between you and God. Keep short accounts and develop good spiritual habits. Put on God’s armor by faith and go on the offense.

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How to Cast Out Evil Spirits

This is the 25th article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling. You can access the rest of the articles by clicking here.

 

Evil spirits are master intimidators and inveterate liars. They will use every trick in the book to convince us that we have no ability or right to get rid of them. The usual shenanigans include telling us that they are too strong for us, are not going to do what we tell them, have a right to be there, or to try to convince us that we have some area of personal sin that disqualifies us from ministry. For t his reason, before every ministry session I spend time declaring aloud and reminding myself, the person(s) with whom I am working, the Lord, and any demons present that my righteousness is derived solely from Christ, not my own performance; my authority is Christ’s authority, and I am his personal representative; and Jesus is Lord over the ministry session (and everything else). I also invite the Holy Spirit to oversee everything and ask him to work in and through me to help the other person.

If setting people free from demonic oppression depended on my righteousness or my authority, I would fail, but since it solely depends on Christ, I will succeed, and so will you.

This means that evil spirits must do what we command them to do in Christ’s name. We don’t have to raise our voices or struggle in any fashion. We don’t need a band of strong men to hold down a demonized person. If we resort to such tactics, it reveals that we think that the battle is ours instead of the Lord’s and have been deceived from the very start.

The Theology of Deliverance

The theology of deliverance is simple. When Jesus died and rose again, he stripped Satan of his authority and right rule over humans.

He certainly removed the devil’s right to oppress people who are submitted to Christ.

When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14  having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15  When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. Colossians 2:13-15 (NASB)  

And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. Luke 9:1 (NASB) 

These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; Mark 16:17 (NASB)

Jesus defeated Satan when he died and rose again. Drawing upon that future victory, Jesus empowered his disciples to minister in his name even before he went to the cross. How much more can we who live in the aftermath of the resurrection do the same!

The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." 18  And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19  "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20  "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." Luke 10:17-20 (NASB)

Today, post-resurrection, we are in “mopping up” operations in which we are enforcing the victorious reality of Christ’s lordship. As representatives of Christ, we speak and minister in his name, releasing his authority. It is the Holy Spirit’s responsibility to back up our words with God’s power. Let me repeat this essential point.

We proclaim Christ’s victory over demonic oppression, thereby releasing his authority to set captives free. The Holy Spirit then enforces what we say and makes it happen. He is the power behind the authority.

But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Matthew 12:28 (NASB)

Casting out demons is a clear sign of the presence of God’s kingdom. Unless we understand that the Spirit is the power behind Christ’s authority, we may resort to using fleshly means to try to cast out spirits, much to the devil’s delight.

Getting Ready

During a ministry session, we should depend on the Holy Spirit to give us insight, wisdom, discernment, and whatever else may be needed. I recommend asking him to be in charge of the session. Next, bind any evil spirits in Christ’s name, commanding them aloud not to act out in any way that might hinder or distract from Christ’s work. I tell them to keep quiet and not manifest in any way, unless by permission of Christ. If we do this, we will eliminate any showy demonic displays that are intended to provoke fear and confusion. In addition, having prayed in such a way, if a demon manifests or is otherwise discerned or detected, I assume that it is God revealing to us that it is time to deal with it. Remember, demons are never the main attraction. Instead, we should be far more interested in discerning how they got there, what has kept them there, and in helping the people to whom we minister repent and renounce whatever opened the door to demonization in the first place.

Depending on the Spirit’s Guidance

Once a demon and its entry point have been discerned with the Holy Spirit’s help and any sinful behavior or beliefs renounced, it is time to cast out the evil spirit.

Jesus and Paul cast out spirits without going through these steps, but I am not usually in the marketplace when this ministry happens, as they were. I have the luxury of being able to take the necessary time to get to the root of the matter. I suppose this is another example of what the Bible calls a “variety” of ministries in the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians12:5) Once again, I believe we should never simply assume that we know what to do.

Always ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Thinking we know what to do, simply because our doctrine is correct or we have ministry experience is potentially harmful.

King David knew how to fight battles, but when he went up against the Philistine armies, he asked God for a specific strategy. (2 Samuel 5:22-25) We should do the same.

Steps to Deliverance

  1. Lead the person to confess and renounce any sin, wrong belief, generational sin, occult involvement, etc. that opened the door to demonic oppression.
  2. Ask the person to submit to Christ. Salvation is all about lordship. James wrote that the first step toward resisting the devil is to surrender to Christ the Lord. (James 4:7) We should lead the person who needs deliverance to pray a simple prayer of surrender to Jesus the Lord, especially in the area where the evil spirit has been oppressing him or her.
  3. Proclaim Christ’s victory over all the power of the enemy and over the particular spirit and area of oppression in focus. Remember: the gospel is a proclamation of Christ’s victory and Lordship which includes an invitation to be forgiven and set free from everything that has held us captive. (Acts 13:39) Saying it aloud is important. (Isaiah 61:1 and Colossians 2:15) We have no reason to think Satan can read our minds. Using our voice is crucial in gaining freedom. God uses the authority of the spoken word, enforced by the power of the Holy Spirit, to cast out evil spirits.
  4. Command any oppressive spirits to leave in Christ’s name and authority. Expect them to obey because they must.

Dealing with Obstacles

Occasionally we will encounter an obstinate demon, who apparently refuses to bend the knee to our command. There could be a couple of reasons. The first thing to do is ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Secondly, perhaps, there is yet some “hook” that we failed to discern and renounce, which the Holy Spirit wants us to address. Thirdly, ask the person receiving ministry if there is anything yet not covered. Fourthly, it might be profitable to bind the demon to speak the truth and and ask it why it thinks it can stay. The answer might be illuminating for further ministry. Always be aware that whatever a demon says, since there is no truth in the devil, has to be judged in light of God’s Word and the witness of God’s Spirit. If another layer of sin, pain, deception, or generational devastation is uncovered, address it as before. Then go through the deliverance process again. Here is a list of potential obstacles.

  • Unconfessed secret sin or vow
  • Undiscovered generational sin
  • Unconfessed or unrenounced occult involvement
  • Agreement with a lie
  • Pride – “My” demon is so strong that not just anyone can cast it out.

Remember: there is nothing a person may have done that can effectively block deliverance. It is all a smokescreen.

Always be aware that the demon simply is being obstinate and testing our faith and resolve. In this case, let us remember that the battle is the Lord’s, not ours. When I encounter this sort of thing, I use the approach of turning the evil spirit over to Jesus for him to deal with as he sees fit. I am not going to waste my time arguing or struggling with a disobedient demon.

How do we know when the evil spirit has departed?

The Holy Spirit operates in and through individuals in a variety of ways. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7) In my case, I often have an inner confirmation from the Holy Spirit when a spirit leaves. I don’t know how to describe it except that it seems to be a kind of inner “whoosh.” I am sure that this is not helpful to you at all, which is good, because the last thing we need to do is try to copy someone else. God can confirm that a spirit has been cast out in any number of ways. First of all, remember that we do not even need a confirmation. We operate by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) However, thankfully, God may give us an inner or external confirmation. Often the person receiving ministry feels deliverance happening or senses the result of a spirit having left, as in a sense of release, joy, freedom, peace, etc. A minister may “see” it leave through spiritual discernment. (1 Corinthians 12:10) The person being delivered might have some sort of physical manifestation, such as coughing, gagging, etc. Regardless, we base our faith in God’s Word, whether we see any evidence or not. Demons must obey our commands given in Christ’s name. Period.

I remember a case when a person who was delivered approached me a few days later to let me know how much “lighter” she felt. In the aftermath of deliverance, she realized how much the spirit had previously affected her, even though she had been oblivious to its presence. If there is no immediate outward or inward confirmation, ask the Holy Spirit if anything more needs to be done. If everything is clear on his end, simply move on, trusting God to confirm the deliverance in whatever way or time he sees fit.

Deliverance requires faith and is usually a partnership between the one receiving ministry, the minister, and the Holy Spirit.

That is why it is very important to do whatever teaching is required up front so that the person receiving ministry has faith in the efficacy of Christ’s triumph, our authority to speak in Christ’s name, and the Holy Spirit’s power. We want to leave no room for doubt or hesitancy.

My next article will conclude this section with talking about what to do after deliverance.

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