Binding and Loosing

"Whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, 'I am there in their midst'."   Matthew 18:18-20

Since last week's Sunday School lesson, I have been going over my notes and thinking on the meaning of these verses. Lee was talking about that when the church gathered for prayer, as it says in Acts 2, they were "of one mind" or "in one accord."

He said that, in this gathering, someone sees  what God is wanting to do  - what He wants to be bound on earth as it is being bound in heaven. In the prayer meeting that person speaks. Here in the seeing and the speaking we see the gifts of the Spirit operating in the body.  Then immediately, we go to God in prayer and bind it on earth.

We may not  realize it or call it "gifts of the Spirit" or "binding and loosing", but I believe we see this in operation at times in our little group. 

I have a long way to go in understanding all this , but, Ralph and I had an opportunity to grow in understanding this week. We were leaving our son's house where we babysat his four children. One of them had told us about the fear he experiences when he goes to bed at night. I  shared with him 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind." I wrote it down for him on a card for him to keep. He began to quote back to me his school memory verse that he said was "for his heart".  Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  We talked and prayed for him.

In the car on the way home, I remembered the Sunday School lesson.  I saw what the need was - what God was wanting to bind on earth, as it is bound in heaven. I spoke it to Ralph and talked about how I was beginning to understand some of the things Lee taught.  So we joined hands in the car and bound the spirit of fear in our grandson's life.

I do believe the "seeing" -the "discerning" - is a vital step. It is the same as what Lee has recently talked about  - having a "thought of God." Actually, before this, the "of one mind" --the unity-- is crucial. Then we speak out. Too often, we only consider certain "manifestations" to be gifts of the Spirit -- prophecies spoken out in church or words prefaced with "I have a word", but this is the operation of the gifts as well!  Then, we respond in prayer. Let's continue to allow the Lord to teach us , use us and to grow us into operating as the body of Christ was meant to operate!

The Lord - our stronghold - our strong tower!

These images are from the internet - wish I had some DeDe or Toni photos to share!

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and is safe." Prov. 18:10

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock in whom I take refuge. My shield and he horn or my salvation, my stronghold."  Ps. 18:2

"He only is my rock and my salvation. My stronghold. I shall not be shaken." Ps. 62:2

"The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright." Pr. 21:22

"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God in him will I trust." Ps. 91:9

"The God of my rock, in Him will I trust; he is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior."   2 Sam. 22:3

Our Weapons of Warfare

In Linda's post about deception, doubt and distraction that the enemy uses against us as Christians, she mentions that we are soldiers and must use our weapons to fight the enemy.  As we gather in our War Room to plot our strategy, we must know what weapons God has given us and how to use them so that we are prepared for the battle.  Here is a teaching by Adrian Rogers on our weapons.

The Weapons Of Christian Warfare 

People are continually discussing what is happening in this country, the Middle East, and in every corner of the globe. What many may not realize is that we are already at war, an invisible and unseen war between light and darkness, good and evil. And Satan is our adversary.
In Ephesians 6:10-17a, we learn about the defensive weapons of our warfare – the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace and the helmet of salvation. These pieces of armor are to defend us from Satan’s fiery arsenal. But, we also need offensive weapons to defeat the enemy – the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God and the prayer of the Spirit.

The Sharpness of your Sword
"The Word Of God"

Hebrews 4:12 teaches: “For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
The trouble with many of us is that we are not using the one weapon that God has given us to grant us a sure victory. Many of us study the Bible, but it’s not enough just to study the Bible, we must learn how to employ it.
Years ago, when young men went into the service, the military issued them an M1 rifle. They were taught how to take it apart and reassemble it. But they had to do more than just learn about their weapon; they had to learn to use it. The Word of God is a sword and it is meant to be used.
How do we use this sword? Let’s look at how our Lord Jesus Christ used the Word when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness after forty days and nights of fasting (see Luke 4:1-13).
First, Satan tempted Jesus with the lust of the flesh (“command that these stones be made bread”), then the lust of the eyes (“if Thou therefore will worship me, all shall be Thine”), and finally the pride of life (“if Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down from [the pinnacle of the temple]”).
How did Jesus deal with the devil? He took the sword of the Word of God – that sharp two-edged sword and ran Satan through. Jesus said, “It is written, it is written, it is written…” Jesus overcame every temptation by one weapon – the Word of God.
The Word of God is all-powerful. Satan fears the Word of God. He knows its overcoming power.

The Source of Your Supply
"Prayer"

Some Christians fail to understand that prayer is the second offensive weapon in our warfare. They get all dressed up in their armor, pick up their sword, and think they are ready to fight. But Ephesians 6:18 tells us that there’s one more weapon – prayer: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
A soldier needs to stay in contact with headquarters and have at his disposal a constant source of supply. Without a constant source of supply and a system of communications, a soldier is destined for defeat. Thank God we have the Holy Spirit who gives us constant communication with our Commander-in-Chief.
Before we go to the battlefield, we must get on our knees. The battle is not won in the pulpit or in the Sunday school class. The battle is won in the prayer closet. Prayer is warfare.
You probably have never thought of yourself as a soldier. But, when you are sitting in your bedroom or in your den, you can wage a mighty battle of intercessory prayer. Isn’t it wonderful that those who are sick or shut-in, on a hospital bed or in a wheelchair can fight because they can pray? What an awesome weapon is prayer!
I challenge you today to take the mighty weapons God has given you and get into the battle! Begin today to offer lingering, loving, laboring prayer on behalf of others. for when you use the weapons of the Word of God and prayer.
John 15:7 says, “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” You can have the victory you long for, when you use the weapons of the Word of God and prayer.

The Real War

This is the devotional from Dr. Charles Stanley for May 14, 2015. See what he says about deception, doubt and distraction. As soldiers, we certainly can't afford to lay down our weapons in the time of war! As we talked about a few weeks ago, the basis of our belief is the very character of God! It always comes back to that -- remembering who He is, what He has said and His past faithfulness to us. 

The Real War

Read | 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

The enemy’s primary strategy against the believer is deception. We learn from 2 Corinthians 11:14 that Satan often “disguises himself as an angel of light.” In fact, Jesus called him “the father of lies” (John 8:44). Thus, our best weapon is the truth, which sets us free from deception’s bondage (v. 32).

It is hard to avoid deception when you are not aware of the adversary’s schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11). One of his oldest deceptions, which goes back to Adam and Eve, is the temptation to doubt what the Lord has said. To do so means to doubt God’s heart and character, which is similar to a soldier on the front line setting down his weapon as the enemy approaches—mistrusting God sets you up to be knocked down repeatedly by the evil one. If you listen to this voice of doubt, you give Satan a foothold. That will weaken you so that he can gear up to bring about further destruction.

Another scheme of the devil is to distract the believer. A distraction is anything that drags you away from what is most important at the moment and makes you so busy that you lose focus. Satan doesn’t use just blatantly sinful or superficial things to divert us from abiding in Christ—he will even use good things to subtly build up a wall of “noise” around you so that you gradually stop listening to God’s voice.

Ask the Lord to reveal any area in your life where you may be susceptible to deception. He will give you power to claim the truth and walk in freedom.

Uncharted Territory

"I will lead the blind by a way they do not know,
In paths they do not know I will guide them.
I will make darkness into light before them." Is. 42:16

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Ps. 119:105

What a confirmation Pastor Lee's sermon was Sunday to the direction in which He is leading us!
He said that the United States is on a unfamiliar path because we are facing the consequences of decades of our country turning its back on God.. For decades the church hasn't prayed but protested and signed petitions. We have slept. There are no trailblazers for what we face here in the United States in this generation --not even the great men of God who went before us.

Lee said that broken men will walk into places of darkness and say "there's God." America will be given a revelation of the goodness of God through these broken people. Will they get it?

I believe we are called to pray that they will get it!

As we talked about, none of us knows how to do this. The lamp shines over our feet for only the first step. Let's pray for each other that we take that first step of obedience - and then the next and the next.

Scriptures for Praying for the Lost

I wanted to share a list of verses Lee gave about a year ago to use in praying for the lost.

Pray for an inclination or a drawing by God to Jesus - John 6:44 "No man can come to Me except the Father draw him; and I will raise him up on the last day."

It is Your responsibility, God! They won't be saved unless You draw them!

Pray that the eyes of their heart will understand (no matter what their mind thinks!) -

2 Cor. 4:4-5 "But if our gospel is hid, it is hid to them that are lost. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

All it takes is a flash of God's light in their heart for them to be convinced!

Pray that will be flooded with grace and faith - Eph. 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God."

If you brought me out, you will bring them out. Let them see every advancement of Your love to their life - don't let them be able to ignore it!

Pray that God would unite their hearts to fear Him. - Ps. 86:11 "Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth; unite my heart to fear They name."

Pray the person will begin to acknowledge God in their life, in their speech, in their walk; that they will desire to become accountable to Him. A kingdom divided will not stand, so Lord unite their heart.

Pray they will find satisfaction with God, that He will fill them up with His joy, love…

Eph 3:16-19 "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man: so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth: and to know the love of Christ, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

Nothing can live in a vacuum. Deliverance is not so much that something goes out but something goes in.  Fill them with the Holy Spirit, with power, with life, with peace that they be excited about living for Him. Keep them away from dead, boring legalistic people.

Pray that they will be filled with the Holy Spirit -

Eph 3:16 "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man."

Eph. 1:17-19 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His might power."

Pray that what they receive they will keep by the Holy Spirit. Pray they have an experiential knowledge of the love of God and the manifestation of His presence.

Pray that they would be fruitful - John 15:4-5 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing."

The physical measure of your abiding is your place in the body of Christ. There will be no fruit in your life to the depth God wants that does not come through fellowship - direct union with the body - Christian friends all up in your business! Pray that the body of Christ welcomes them in.

Pray that they would have the desire to glorify God's name and make their life count for Him -

2 Cor. 5:15 "And He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died and rose again in their behalf."

Pray that they would take up God's cause in their lives.