August 31 -- Adventures -- Kara, Togo

Good Morning,  sadly, no coffee this morning.  We drove and drove yesterday.  We left Lomé about 7:30 AM and drove to Wahala, Togo.  Ken stayed in Lomé to solve a problem with getting his Benin visa.  Christophe, Winner and I with our driver arrived Wahala a bit before 10:00.  We shared with the people { Whoa, interrupted writing to watch Christophe kill a cobra snake just outside our room.} As I was saying we shared with the people about the changing purposes of God.  We emphasized the importance of our finding the purposes of God for our own generation and of preparing our children for the purposes of God for their generation.  Afterward we had a question and answer time that made the meeting which was supposed to end at noon last until about 1:30 PM.  After that we took about a half hour to get the car moving out of the soft mud and then drove a friend go Christophe and his grandson to the town where they live about 40 km away.  Finally we were ready to find lunch.  We stopped at a very fine hotel dining room. With white table cloths and nice wine glasses I was very hopeful.  Alas, I learned once again that the African concept of a fine beef steak is very very different from the American concept.  Note to self:  NEVER order beef in Africa.

We drove on.  Second note to self:  When driving in Africa try to arrive before dark.  We arrived in Kara close to 9:00 PM and were led to the compound operated by Roman Catholics.  We soon settled in to sleep.  Winner and Christophe in the double bed and myself in the twin size one.  We did not let the lack of sheets or pillow cases bother us.  We put down the mosquito nets and crawled into bed.  I went quickly to sleep.  One of the others took a shower.  Thus, when I was up during the night I discovered the bathroom was flooded with water.  Apparently the builders forgot to put a slope in the floor so it would drain properly.  

We have discovered that this huge compound has no place to eat.  So we have decided that we will skip breakfast and go to a restaurant for lunch and after lunch go on to the meeting place for the 3:00 PM meeting.

His, thus Yours,

 Stuart

August 29 -- This is War -- Lomé

There is a very real spiritual battle raging for the future of Togo right now.

His, thus Yours,

 Stuart

August 28 -- Sounds of the City -- Lomé

Good Morning, it is a beautiful Sunday morning in Lomé.  As we sit in the hotel dining room we are reminded that last evening as we were sitting here the islamic calls to prayer were echoing annoyingly through the neighborhood.  This morning it is the churchianity drumming, singing and shouting that assaults our ears.  We have had a pleasant breakfast.  At lunch time one of our friends will come and join us.  It will be such a joy to hear what Holy Spirit will speak to us through him and to him through us.  It is such fun to watch the transforming grace of the Lord working in us and through us.  Here some people hunger and thirst to know Jesus better.

From time to time I hear people talking about what they will have to offer to Jesus when they stand before His throne.  I hear them talk a bit about their accomplishments that they will be able to show and receive the reward of the Lord.  I find myself realizing that I will simply have nothing to offer.  I just hope I have enough presence of mind to speak the truth.  "Jesus, I do not deserve to be here.  If you do not extend your grace once again, I have no hope.  You already know of every good thing people say I did because you were the one who did them.  I simply ask you for grace that I might be close to you."

Lord, I am blind.  I am so blind I do not even know what I am missing.  If you do not heal my blindness I have no hope. Please heal me.

His, thus Yours,

 Stuart

Matthew 7: 15 - 23  (NASB) 

Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from ME, you who practice lawlessness.’

August 27 -- Let's Get Wet -- Lomé

I trust you also are having a beautiful Saturday morning.  It is about 9:30 AM here in Lomé, Togo.  Ken has gone with some of the local brothers to visit a village not far from here.  The four of them are having fun and enjoying each other.  In America we would call this a male bonding experience or some such thing.  In the Kingdom of God, it is simply how brothers are.  I am sitting in the hotel dining room.  I chuckle to myself a bit every time I call this a hotel dining room.  When I think that phrase I think of a grand, elegant place with white table cloths and polished silver featuring uniformed waiters and fine cuisine.  In fact this is more like large second floor porch.  It has a series of pillars separating 10 windows each about 6 feet square going around the curved wall that forms 2 1/2 sides of the room.  The windows each have imitation leather flaps hanging in them to fend off the hot African sun.  This morning several of those flaps are folded up and held by clothes pins to permit the breezes to pass through.  In the only corner of the room there is a small bar like counter that I have never seen in use.  The furnishings of the area are 8 wooden tables each about 30 by 42 inches and about 30 sturdy simple straight back wooden chairs.  We have pulled 3 of the tables together to form an area where the local brothers can sit and chat with us.

So far in the entire time we have been here we have only once seen any one else use the dining room.  We think that it was the owner of the hotel talking with a business associate.  We are not sure. There is a lovely gracious young mother, Viviane, who comes and cooks for us.  We specify the time and the menu for each meal that we eat.  She prepares the food simply and seasons every dish perfectly.  We mostly have vegetable omelets for breakfast.  She would serve them with fresh baguettes but Ken and I are trying to eat fewer carbohydrates in the morning.  When we did try the baguettes they were wonderful and fresh.  For a couple days Viviane convinced us to try sausage instead of omelets.  She served it with croissants and pain au chocolate.  Although delicious it was hard on my figure so we went back to omelets.  Both Ken and I need to eat breakfast because the antibiotics we take to prevent malaria (and food poisoning coincidently) tend to upset an empty stomach.  

Our lunches most frequently are salads.  We make an exception and ask for a larger meal when we know local brothers will be eating with us.  Perhaps the best meal we have had so far was one evening when Viviane prepared turkey for us with fries and vegetables.  Sadly, the next day we were told that there is an out break of Avian Flu in the area and thus we should not eat and turkey or chicken for the rest of our time here.  That is a shame.  My mouth still waters when I think of that turkey the way Viviane fixed it.  Our other dinners have been chicken (no more of that) and fish.  The fish is one I cannot identify but it has an excellent flavor and lots of omega  fatty acids I am sure.

We have been told the ocean port here in Lomé is the deepest water port in West Africa.  It has been well developed.  It serves the entire region.  I am sure it would become even more profitable if the country would develope railroads to carry freight north to Mali and Burkina Faso and east and west to serve the coastal countries.  Sadly such infra-structure development has not yet taken place. 

Togo is a fascinating country of contrasts, as I look out the window behind me I see a very large (almost palatial) home.  It is surrounded, almost visually hidden, by small tinned roofed homes typical of poverty zones.  And yet, scattered among all of that are tall beautiful coconut palms waving in the breeze.

The people of Togo are a gracious, gentle, hospitable people.

Today we are scheduled to attend an ocean side time of baptizing believers.  I will leave you now and go for that soon.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

August 25 - 26 -- Evil Days -- Lomé.

Good Morning, This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice in it.  Do not think about tomorrow; today has sufficient evils of its own.  From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same the Name of the Lord is to be praised. There was evening and morning and the first day.  Do not let the sun go down on your upsetness.  Over and over the Scriptures teach us to live one day at a time.  There will come a great and terrible day of the Lord.  But we are to live today.

We are told to put on our spiritual armor.  The armor is complete from head to toe and includes shield and sword.  Why do we need to don this armor ?  It is heavy and uncomfortable to wear around all the time.  We are told that it is our armor that enables us to remain standing on an evil day.  Notice that !  All that fantastic and powerful armor and yet on an evil day we merely remain standing.  That is victory on the evil day when we get to the end of the day and simply are still standing.

I have been reading emails and text messages and Facebook messages from far and wide around the world.  Many of my friends have been encountering evil days.  Homes are being broken up, sickness is ravaging bodies, brothers are being set against brothers, homes are being threatened by floods and by fires, pets are sick, finances are being eaten up.  We are seeing evil days.

Sadly, many of us actually work to make our evil days more evil.  When we are under stress we lash out with anger and vile accusations at the ones who would support us.  The very ones God has sent to help us, we push them away.  

Rather than my writing at great length about these matters, let me shift the responsibility to hear Holy Spirit to you.  Please take a few minutes to go through the list of concepts from the Scripture below and meditate and listen to Holy Spirit about each one.  I know He will gladly speak to you about them.  If you find a new bit of revelation feel free to share it in a comment below.

Be Strong

Against Schemes of Devil

Not Against Flesh and Blood

Against Spiritual Forces in Heavenlies

Full Armor

Resist in Evil Day and Stand

Loins with TRUTH

Breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS

Shoes Preparation of Good News of PEACE

Shield of FAITH

Helmet of SALVATION

Sword of Spirit -- WORD of God

Pray at ALL TIMES in Spirit

ALERT

Petition for Saints and for LEADERS

******************************

I love you and believe in you.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

Ephesians 6: 10-20. (NASB)  

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 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. 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. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 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. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

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, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

August 21 -- Where Is the Bride Going -- Lomé

A new season is upon us. Since 1990 the leaders have been saying that a change in the season of God was coming and that we were in a period of transition. In 1990, the season was still the Charismatic Season. The emphasis of that season was on the gifts of the spirit. The most asked question of that season was “what is your gift?”

With the approaching of the year 2000 or Y2K, as it was famously called, a near panic ensued. The predictions of a global catastrophe caused by computer glitches, exposed the weakness and immaturity of the Church. These facts were dramatically highlighted by the reactions of the church community following the events of September 11, 2001. In the United States, a Christian influenced government retreated to the supposed safety of strict laws and wars on two fronts. And the Church continued to speak about change while yet pursuing a continuing agenda of numerical growth, financial prosperity, and political influence.

During that time, there were some, mainly cosmetic, changes. Post-modernism made its appearance, primarily in the form of the “emergent church” movement. This movement attempted to remedy what it considers the exclusionary and socially reprehensible practices of the modern institutional religious system. Other cosmetic changes were assertions of purpose, defined by the requirements of the local institution; or user-friendly, market sensitive churches. As an example, the 100th anniversary of the Pentecostal movement that began at Azusa Street in Los Angeles, came and went, confirming the ministries of motivational speakers as its current manifestation.

Meanwhile, on the world stage, change has been the order of the day. The Soviet Unioncollapsed, releasing many nations to find their destinies. National policies of Apartheid ended in South Africa. Dictators died or were overthrown. Japan collapsed as an economic power, and both India and China rose in economic prominence. Nations were suddenly adrift and struggling to find their way.

In this environment of global change, a new season in God was ushered in. God has stirred the hearts of leaders in the Body of Christ to move away from the current preoccupations of the institutional systems, to the more serious consideration of representing the nature and character of God himself. This is a shift from the narcissism of management to the maturity of responsible sons of God.

The restoration of community, based in divinely ordained relationships, as opposed to membership in an institution, is the new reality. These relationships have replaced membership.

Discipleship is no longer for the purpose of consolidating church membership. In this new season, those in leadership serve for the benefit of those under their care. The goal of discipleship is to release the disciple into his or her divine purpose and to assist him or her to find and follow a God ordained unique destiny. Loving older brothers are replacing titular pastors, and spiritual children are being released to come to maturity.

Recognition is dawning that our purpose for being on the earth is not to work to leave the earth a better place than when we entered it, but to be conformed to the very image of Christ in our time here. Seeing all things through spiritual lenses is replacing a rationalistic view of reality.  A life of hearing and trusting God is replacing an intellect based decision making process.  Divine wisdom is replacing secularism. The realities of heaven and earth meet in the Body of Christ, and define earthly existence as being to show the glory of Christ in the way the community of the Body of Christ governs itself and demonstrates the compassionate love of the Father.

God’s character, not merely choice of style, has become the substance of the current season. The Holy Spirit has moved our focus from the administration of gifts of ministry to our seeing ourselves as sent sons of God empowered to come to maturity.  The evidence of the changed season is that there is a new level of enablement by the Holy Spirit to match the hunger in the hearts of believers, many of whom are not content with being spectators, but want to engage the reality of being an expression of the character and reality of God himself. They want to walk as mature sons of God, sons who do only what Father is doing and say only what Father is saying.

God himself has prepared this answer for the times that have come upon the Earth. In this season of global uncertainty and growing distress among nations.  The sons of God will govern themselves so righteously the nations of mankind shall either seek the wisdom and counsel of the Body of Christ or they shall seek to destroy each and every son of God who walks upon the Earth.

 We are being privileged in this generation to experience new depths to the revelation written by the Apostle Peter nearly 2000 years ago:  

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. {1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB}

His, thus Yours,  

  Stuart

August 20 -- Blind -- Lomé

Good Morning !  The birds are singing and excited.  It is Saturday morning in Togo.  This morning I have accumulated all that I need to make coffee for myself.  Thus, I am sipping the second cup and thinking of you.  When all my plans for travel around West Africa were suddenly wiped out by Holy Spirit, I knew that we would only be in Togo and Benin.  So, I "thought" I had communicated to the two brothers in those two nations the idea that I would spend about half the time in each country.  Alas, I failed to communicate as clearly as I should have.  So, the 2 brothers working separately developed overlapping plans.  But God ...

God is using my blunder to force the two brothers to communicate with each other and forging a deeper bond of relationship between them.  Even our mistakes can become blessings if we let Father work.

As my Beloved Brother and good friend Christophe and I were discussing some of the plans for our first few days, we encountered a recurring difficulty.  We repeatedly found Christophe saying, "No, we cannot change that the brothers there have made a plan." I found myself pondering this morning whether Jesus ran into this same difficulty.

I realized after a while that Jesus was very comfortable operating without an advance plan.  Remember when He was walking into Jericho ?  (See Scriptures below.). He was so totally without a plan that when Holy Spirit pointed out a man in a tree, Jesus turned to him and made an appointment to eat dinner with him that day.  Jesus walked and lived completely free of other people's plans, paradigms, traditions, customs, and culture.  It was not that He was unloving and thoughtless about His impact on their lives.  He was simply never bound by their ideas of how things are supposed to be done.

From Jesus's point of view, the cultural traditions of His day and time were barriers that kept men from following God.  This was especially and pointedly true about the religious cultural traditions.  He did not spend His time trying to flaunt these traditions.  He did not spend much effort to fight these traditions except when He saw people being hurt by them.  But, never did He allow the traditions to ensnare or imprison Him.  He simply walked right through and continued to do what Father set before Him to do.

Some of the religious leaders of Jesus's day wanted to follow Him.  Sadly, the social pressure of their peers kept them bound by their cultural traditions and Jesus walked on leaving them behind.  More people today are kept from following Jesus by religious traditions than by any other barrier.  Perhaps most tragic, because religion becomes for men a counterfeit for real relationship with Jesus, religion is the MOST difficult barrier to overcome.  How can a man consent to be set free from the thing he has been taught all his life is what makes God accept him ?  Jesus spoke of disasterous consequences for the ones who lead God's little children astray.  

But Jesus also spoke the redemptive truth to the religious leaders.  If you were blind I could heal you.  And He balanced that with the warning: Because you say you can see, your sin remains with you (See John 9).  Moreover, He pointed out that those of us who choose to follow men blinded by religious traditions are doomed to fall into the ditch with them.

Please, never let the way things have been done in the past keep you from following Jesus in the present.  Please, stop following religious ideas and doctrines and turn to follow your own personal relationship with Jesus.  It was for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Do not abuse it.  But, NEVER give it up.  Your freedom belongs to you.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

Matthew 15:  1 - 14  (NASB). 

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘HE who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:

‘This people honors ME with their lips,

But their heart is far away from ME.

‘But in vain do they worship ME,

Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’”

After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand. It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”

Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Luke  19:  1 - 10  (NASB). 

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

August 19 -- Safe and Rested -- Lomé, Togo

Good Morning, I am sitting in the hotel dining room without any coffee.  I have a glass of a bottled drink that Mariusz left in my suitcase.  He did not intend to leave it but that is the way it worked out.  I did not intend to drink it but I am glad I have it this morning.  Papa is taking care of me even when it is not our plan.  The hotel is a small African hotel; it is not part of any international chain.  There are only about 10 rooms.  The primary business is a bar at ground level.  This dining room is on top of the bar and the rooms are spread out around this main structure on 3 levels.  There is no coffee yet because Vivian, the cook, only comes to open the kitchen when we need her for a meal.  This morning she will come and prepare breakfast about 8:00 (90 minutes from now).  Ken and I arrived safely mid-day yesterday.  We came through customs and immigration smoothly, praise God!  We got a SIM card for my phone at the airport.  We tried to buy one that would give this iPad internet access but the card the seller tried simply would not work so I do not yet have Internet access.  Perhaps we will have grace to solve that problem today.  After the drive in from the airport, we were both ready to clean off the travel grime, have a light supper, and sleep.  Ah, the bed was a big improvement over airplane seats.  Poor Ken, on all his flights he was sitting next to wiggling noisy children, he got no rest at all on the planes.  Even his lovely wife, Erin, at home with their 4 children, will feel some compassion for him.  Ironically, breakfast time this morning is just about the time his body clock will be telling him it is time to go to sleep.  But I suspect, after those plane rides, he probably slept at least a little through the night.  I do not expect him to be early for breakfast today.  So, perhaps the title should have been "Safe and Somewhat Rested".

How about you ?  Are you resting well ?  There are very few things about which the Bible tells us to be diligent.  One is: we are to be diligent to enter into Father's rest.  In a world of religion it is almost impossible to enter into Father's rest.  Religious leaders are continually exhorting us to do, do, do.  We are urged to attend meetings, witness to our neighbors, maintain worship rituals at home, etc.,etc.  Betwen the demands of employment, family, and religion we are all squeezed into nothing left for our selves or for healthy relationships.  

The wife of a dear friend of mine lived through his hyper-religious days.  She is the mother of six children and was at the time homeschooling the ones she was not nursing and changing.  He was leading the prophetic ministry teams, traveling on mission trips, spending weekends teaching in other groups, he was a star player in their congregation whether the games were away or in the home building.  The wife went to talk with the "senior pastor" saying, "I am not a football widow; I am a ministry widow.  He is never home with me."  The "pastor's" response, "You just need to develop a hobby to keep your mind off it."  Really, you cannot make stuff up that sounds that strange.  Her response was to go home knowing that the "church" has no answers for her.  So she turned to God in prayer.  It was not long before Holy Spirit confronted her husband with a simple revelation:  "Any thing that will not serve your bride and your children in your home will not serve Jesus's Bride or the Father's children in the House of the Lord." 

The Bible tells us to enter into REST.  How is that possible ?  Well, the Creator is our example.  When He entered His Rest, how did He do it ? In Genesis (see Scripture below) we are told that God rested because He saw that everything was done.  In Ephesians we are told, the purpose for our creation was not for our own work but to walk in the works which God already did.  You recall that Jesus never did anything except first He saw the Father doing it.  So we see the Creator rested because everything was complete.  There is NOTHING left to do.  We enter His rest by doing the same thing.  We believe there is nothing left to do.  We then stop all our good ideas and simply walk in the things the creator has already completed in the eternal realm.  Nothing depends on my activity.  God has already done everything that needs to be done.  Relax and rest in Him.  Just walk through with Him the things He has already completed.

Life is as simple as a child walking across a field holding His Father's hand.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

Genesis 1:26 - 2:2. (NASB). 

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.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 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.” Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

Ephesians 2:10  (NASB)

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

August 17 -- Leaving on a Jet Plane -- Kraków Airport

Good Evening, today and yesterday seem to have come and gone in a rush.  We had some fantastic times sharing hope and encouragement with Saints in Kraków.  We also packed and replaced and sorted and bought missing items to get ready for Africa.  We got a SIM card for a very simple old cell phone so I can communicate a little and so I could be sure about things working when I get to Africa. And perhaps most important, Mariusz and I took some time for ourselves and some time to rehearse with each other the awesome things we have seen God do while we have been together.

At this moment I am sitting in the airport in Kraków waiting for the first of 3 flights that will take me from Kraków to Frankfurt, Germany; to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; to Lome, Togo.  Ken Wingrove and I will meet up in Frankfurt and fly the other 2 flights together (if all goes according to plan).  Again many Thanks to Gretchen the travel agent who loves Jesus.

The Africa portion of this adventure has been shortened and simplified.  We will spend about 2 weeks in Togo and then 2 weeks in Benin.  We will leave Africa on September 15 and arrive on September 16.  Ken arrives at his home in Amarillo, Texas and I arrive in London, England.

A heads-up to all:  Electronic communications in Africa are sporadic and dubious at the very best of times.  So neither Ken nor I are foolish enough to make promises about how often you will hear from us while we are on that Continent.  We will communicate when the Lord leads and gives us internet access. 

As always, your prayers and blessings are deeply appreciated.

On days, like yesterday, when I do not for whatever reason write a blog entry, I encourage you to go back to some of the earlier entries and chew on them a little to see what you have missed.  In case you did not notice, in that right column of the blog page you can find a link to every page that is available on the blog.  Fascination is only a click or two away.

I pray that the Lord Jesus will personally bless each of you this week with a deeper revelation of the intimate relationship He desires with you.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

August 15 -- I Like To ... -- Kraków

Good Morning,  surprise, surprise, I do not have a cup of coffee with me.  I had some earlier.  Now, however, I am having a caffein free mint tea.  It is delightful.  I smile again just thinking about the last sip.  Mmmmmm, so nice.  Whether you are having coffee or tea or something else, I hope you are also having a delightful and relaxing moment in your day.  Mariusz went for a swim earlier in the day.  Now he is out for a walk because he, like myself, enjoys walking on a pleasant day while he is making telephone calls to the people God has entrusted to him.

Thinking of communications - My iPhone will not be restored to me until sometime after I return to the USA. So, while iMessages still reach my iPad, other forms of text messaging seem to not work to reach me.  But, Faceook messenger and Skype both work fine. They work for both messenges and for calls.  Viber is phone dependent so it will not work.  I am working on ways to solve this problem but today is a national bank holiday in Poland so all businesses except restaurants and the like are closed today.

I was awake a couple times during the night and then up at about 6:30 this morning.  This gave me opportunities to pray with and for some folks in North America as they were still up on Sunday night.  One young mother was feeling ill.  It was a great opportunity for her to allow her apostolic husband to lay hands on her and pray for her healing.  She tells me today that Holy Spirit revealed the source of the problem and she is taking care of it.  Another young mother I was praying for recently thinks her family has found answers to the problems they were facing.  Our God is so amazing and gracious !

Yesterday, I drafted an email to Gretchen, my amazing travel agent who takes such good care of me.  (If you ever need an absolutely excellent travel agent  for either International or Domestic travel call her: +1 (954) 947-2514).   In the email I gave her my best guess of what Holy Spirit wants for the rest of the itinerary for this trip.  Even as I type that I am wondering about other things that He might want me to do before I return home.  But, the email contained my best guesses and will allow me to visit in Canada (east and west), Texas, New Mexico, California, Oregon, Utah, and Colorado and return to the Washington, DC region in time for New Years celebrations.  I will let people who need details know them as details become available.

I have been thinking this morning about how much I am enthralled when I get the opportunity to be in the midst of a large group who are singing and swaying to the powerful worship music of great musicians.  I imagine Michael W. Smith, Kari Jobe, and Matt Redman in concert together.  Wow Wow Wow ! ! !  My emotions get to stirring and swaying just imagining such a time.  I have a very dear friend who leads a group here in Poland who told me just a few weeks ago how much he likes such powerful emotional experiences.  He would like to lead a group of ten thousand people and have those kinds of experiences with them on a regular basis.  Wouldn't that just thrill your emotions too.  

I have another friend of many years who is thrilled with the idea of ministry in Africa, specifically in Zambia.  He is ready to sell everything he owns and go to Zambia to be a minister.  While he waits for that ministry to open up, he is fully engaged in building a ministry in his home town.  He is thrilled with what he is doing.  He is sure and clear and he has no questions except about why God does not give him more money more quickly.

I have another friend.  She loves her babies.  She is excited about the opportunity to sit and rock them and nurse them and devote all her energy to her infants.  The problem is only that the older children interrupt and her husband cannot come home from his job enough to take care of all the cleaning and dishes and older children supervision to give her the time she needs for her beloved infants.

A couple days ago I was writing to a young disciple.  He had made a commitment to me that he would do a minor task once each day.  But, it was not getting done.  I asked him if he had changed his commitmen.  He replied no, but he was not feeling well and so the task was very hard.  It was then that I said to him, "I can explain why the task is so hard.  It is because Father knows that in your Apostolic Ministry in the years ahead, it will be necessary for you to continue to love and serve people through all sorts of discomfort:  Sometimes physical like the present;  Sometimes social like when you have a nasty boss or a neighbor who acts ugly toward you;  Sometimes emotional like when satan starts messing with your mind to keep you distracted.  But, Father is teaching you now that when you persevere and remain faithful in the small details, then, and only then, can He set you in charge over larger more important matters.  This is a test that I have had to go through many times in my life.  I am sorry you do not feel well.  Now get up and do what God gave you to do."

Over and over I find that my friends fall into the trap of satan.  The trap is the deception that what feels good must be God; and, what feels bad must be not God.  Just because I feel good when I sing worship music with 10,000 people does not mean that God has anything to do with what I am doing.  Just because I feel good when I travel in ministry does not mean this is what God called me to do.  Just because I deeply enjoy holding babies (especially my grandchildren) does not mean that is God's purpose for my life.  Just because I hate sitting down and writing or typing does not mean God wants me to stop.  Just because I like Ice Cream, Pasta, Fresh Baked Breads and Pastries, and Sour Cream Filled Baked Potatoes does not mean that should be my diet.  My feelings are perhaps the most deceptive thing in the whole world to me.  I need to take control over my feelings and require them to operate in submission to my spirit and to Holy Spirit.  "If it feels good, do it."   That is a lie.  That is a deception straight from the pit of hell.  It resonates in the soul of every self centered person.  It is a high form of satan worship.

Beloved, please, stop following your feelings.  

Stop leading others on the basis of appealing to their feelings.  

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

 

 

 

August 14 -- Spiritual Common Sense -- Kraków

Good morning, while I was having my first cup of coffee a few weeks ago, I stepped out on the porch to look up at the mountain that towers over Zakopane.  I was surprised to discover that during the night the entire mountain completely disappeared.  It simply cannot be seen.  Instead I only see a vast grey expanse of empty cloudy sky.  However, even though I am confident in my eyesight, I still would not send my son flying his airplane in that direction.  Why not ?  Because most of us have learned that seeing something with our natural vision is a sure indication that something exists.  However, not seeing the thing with our natural vision does not mean it does not exist.  

Ah, but, my son is an excellent pilot.  Most frequently now he is flying a Blackhawk Helicopter.  It is equipped with computerized mapping systems, global positioning satellite equipment, radar altimeter, and all manner of sophisticated navigation equipment.  So, if my son were to choose to take off from here and fly in the direction of the mountain, I would be glad to fly with him.  I would have no fear of crashing into the mountain, because I know that he can "see" things that I cannot.  And I know, he knows exactly what the dangers are and how to deal with them appropriately.

Sadly, I have noticed that for many of my church friends, when a few clouds drift in, they are not only afraid of the mountains.  They have begun to doubt even the existence of the sun which evaporated the water to form the clouds.  Friends let us keep our spiritual common sense.  Just because you do not see things clearly at the moment, what sense does it make to doubt the God who created the whole universe.  Jesus, His Son, has everything He needs to find a safe path for you.  Get in with Him, sit back and relax and follow His guidance.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

Bible Study App

I have been asked about a Bible Study app or program.

Below is a link to the site about the one I use.  I am content with it.

It is not necessarily the cheapest or from your perspective the best.  But, I use it.

https://www.olivetree.com/

August 13 -- Afraid, Pushed Around -- Kraków, Poland

Good Morning, I just fixed my third cup of coffee and have it set close at hand beside the keyboard.  It is a cool and cloudy morning here in Kraków.  Mariusz has left to go for his morning swim. In the quiet of the morning I have been thinking of you and listening to Holy Spirit about some concepts.

Those of you who know me well know that as I read the Scriptures I understand quite clearly that many things I learned in my religious upbringing were nothing more than popular myths that sounded good for getting people excited.  Sounds good but is false -- that is a fair definition of deception.  For example: "Pray for revival."  That sounds so spiritual.  Sadly it is a concept that does not appear anywhere in the New Testament.  "The Rapture" that will take us up into Heaven before all the trouble and persecution starts -- That sounds so wonderful.  I think it would be delightful.  If true, we do not need to get the Bride matured so she can overcome Satan because she is not afraid to die.  But, the Truth is we have been warned. During the great tribulation, if Father God does not shorten the time, even we, the saints of God, will be among the ones who are deceived.  I do not know how that is possible if we are safely tucked away in Heaven.  Other scholars have published books demonstrating that almost all of what is done in a typical Sunday morning worship service has no basis in the Scriptures.  Some of what is commonly practiced is plainly in violation of what the Scriptures teach. Understand, I am not saying here that all religious organizations are evil.  Any organization is simply a man made tool.  Some tools are useful and helpful.  Some are destructive and not helpful.  I would never recommend doing brain surgery with an axe.  Neither would I make a scalpel my first choice for cutting down a tree.  But, I do urge us to re-examine all we are doing in light of what the Scriptures actually say not by what traditions say.

I encourage each of you to read your Bible with two thoughts in mind:  1.  Be suspicious of every traditional practice or teaching you have ever heard.  Examine every one of them and look to see what the Scriptures actually say.  2.  Every major translation of the Bible was made by men who had a deeply developed set of cultural and religious traditions.  As such every translation necessarily contains some institutional and some personal biases.  I recommend for those who have never studied Hebrew and/or New Testament Greek, get a computer based Bible program that directly links the translated words with the Strong's Concordance .  That concordance enables you to see the root meanings of the Greek or Hebrew words.  It also enables you to see how those same words were used other places in the Bible.  Let me show you what I mean by an example.  

In one of Jesus's earliest teachings, the Sermon on the Mount (a traditional title), He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." {Matthew 5: 3 (NASB)}  One of the traditions that has been drawn from this verse (among others) is that there is some virtue in being impoverished.  This tradition has been strengthened by groups in the church organizations who have taken vows of poverty.  Even though this tradition plainly contradicts the Scriptural teaching that righteous men will prosper financially and that God provides for us out of His abundance.  The traditions continue and so influence our society that in many parts of western civilization wealthy people are thought to be inherently evil and poor people are thought to be worthy of our admiration and support.  In each case just because of the financial condition.  But, when we look at that word "poor" it is actually a Greek word that means "cowering" as in afraid or pushed around because they have no power to defend themselves.  Later when Jesus describes His ministry by reading the opening verses of Isaiah 61, again the word poor appears (the same Greek word).  If you go back to Isaiah, you see the concept again in the Hebrew describes people who are afflicted, people who feel socially unable to defend themselves.  When we look at this we begin to grasp the bigger concept that was so important to Jesus that it was almost His first significant statement in His ministry.  It was also His continuing theme.  There is a blessing for us when we recognize we are spiritually unable to defend our selves. We are spiritually powerless and blind.  When, unlike the Pharisees, we are able to admit our blindness and powerlessness, then God in His grace and mercy becomes our rescuer and defender.  He shows us the true nature of His Kingdom.  But, so long as we insist we can see, and we can make it by our own strength and power, we remain stuck in our sin and miss out on the blessing of entering into His Kingdom.

There is a wealth of revelation from Holy Spirit available to us when we let go of our traditions and allow Him to show us what He means as He shows us the Scripture unburdened by our myths and traditions.  Let me give you a fun exercise.  Go read I Corinthians 14:26.  Then ask yourself what does it mean for you when you come together with your Christian brother: at your son's football game; or at the end of the aisle in Walmart; or at his home eating a meal together.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

August 12 -- How Does Jesus Love -- Kraków

Years ago a young woman I know was once again being attacked by people who believe women are somehow second class citizens in the Kingdom of God.  She sent me a quotation that had been presented to her as doctrine.  She asked for my views.

Your quote contains 3 sentences I will address each separately:

1. THE MALE IS THE ONE TO BE HELD IN HIGH ESTEEM.

This statement is false as it is written. It contains a correct but partial concept. But it is mis-stated. 

Many males are despicable and not to be esteemed. If we were to limit the Males to just a woman's husband, the statement is still false. 

The husband is to be respected by his wife. That is very different than esteemed.  One can respect a person even when he is despicable.

The husband is a not "THE ONE" to be respected. The wife is also to be respected. But much more than respected she is to be loved by her husband in the same selfless self-sacrificing way that Jesus loves the true Church, His Bride. Far more responsibility is placed on the husband than on the wife. Tragically few husbands "man-up" to the responsibility.

What does it mean to love as Christ loves?

First and foremost Christ gave up every thing He had a right to; He sacrificed even His own life to wash away all the blame we the Church deserve. 

He took the blame on Himself while we were still insulting Him and willing to crucify Him. 

Second, Christ gives to His Bride not only His life but also His own Spirit; thereby He empowers His Bride to do everything the Father asks her to do. 

Third, Christ provides for His Bride abundantly; He gives her all that she needs and far more. He pours out for her until she has so much she can freely share with others and even let some go to waste. 

Fourth, Christ extends undeserved grace to His Bride such that every mistake she makes, every wrong she commits toward Him or toward others, He takes on as His own responsibility refusing to let any blame be placed on His Bride. Then, He gently cleanses her from all the guilt splashed on her by the enemy. He does this so carefully that even He can not see any fault in His Bride at all. Christ makes Himself a servant to His Bride.

Husbands, please be honest with your selves, if I watched a video of life in your home when no one is looking, would these four things be a fair description of how you are loving your wife ?  Remember, how you treat your wife is actually a statement of how you expect Jesus to treat you.

2. The woman is to submit to him if she has ANY hope of having a well established home.

The home is established by God through the husband. The wife joyously joins herself with both God and her husband as the home is maintained. However, it remains the husband's responsibility to seek to conform himself to the Lord and model Jesus in the home regardless of how the wife may or may not respond. In fact, whether the husband is living in a proper set of relationships, submitting and receiving submission, has far greater effect on there being peace and good order in the home. It gets better when the wife joins with Him in Godly relationship, but it primarily depends on the husband.

The concept of submission has been grossly distorted by selfish men for their own self-glorification. In its fundamental sense it has to do with willingly receiving that which is being freely given by the one submitted to. Thus, a child receives from his loving parents. A worker receives from his employer. And, a healthy well cared for wife, joyously receives all that is being poured out for her from her husband. Please note, only a fool receives what is being poured out by someone he/she does not trust.

In my sixty years of observation, reading and listening I have never found a woman who does not joyously receive all that her husband offers, if he has first selflessly loved her as Christ loves the Church. It is surprising how few men realize that the reason their homes and sex lives are suffering is because they have not learned to love their wives as Christ loves.

3. It is through the woman that the male gains his castle.

This is completely FALSE. Rather it is through God that man is empowered to build a strong complete and fully furnished castle wherein he can serve and protect, first, his wife; second, his children; third, any members of the body of Christ; and fourth, all the strangers God may send to rest within his gates.

As you read this and marvel at the tremendous responsibilities God has placed on each husband, never forget that the wife only enjoys the fruit of her husband/caretaker to the extent she is willing to open herself allowing his life to touch her. The wife who responds to her loving husband with respect and receptivity in the very deepest parts of her soul will find that her life is beautiful and her husband is being transformed because he is touching God in her.  

But the wives who are not loved, the many who are treated with accusations, contempt, and neglect.  The ones with husbands who have proven themselves to be selfish and untrustworthy.  Only a fool would expect them to make themselves vulnerable to further abuse because of religious doctrines produced by self-serving men.

Husbands, love your wives as Christ has loved His Bride, the Church.

His, thus Yours, 

Stuart

Oh, one more thought, please remember that each of us, husband or wife, has only one Lord.  His name is Jesus.  The husband's job is to empower his wife to hear God.  It is not to take God's place trying to be a lord over his wife.
sbm

August 12 -- The Choice -- Kraków

The Choice

When we are confronted with Christianity we are faced with a choice.  

The most frequently chosen option is to keep living a self-centered life and do nothing.  

Narcissism is the world's most popular religion.

The second most common choice is a religious response.  

In this we believe ourselves entitled to enter heaven and to have God's help with whatever we ask.

The narrow way that few choose is intimate relationship with Jesus.  

Here Jesus empowers us to be sons who delight Father and walk with Him continuously.

Father has already completed all the works that need to be done.  

As we walk through those works with Him we remain in His rest.

When we put this in words it sounds complex.  

In Truth, it is as simple as a child running across a meadow holding Papa's hand.

An old song said it well:

"We keep falling in love with Him,

Over and over and over again !"

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

August 11 -- A Guest Blog -- Kraków, Poland

Guest Blog by Dr. Kenneth Wingrove

I really love and enjoy invitations to deepen relationships. I pay careful attention to them because I value them so much. Its like noticing a new bloom in my flower garden in the morning. They are fragile and often fleeting things. There are some flowers I check on every morning and every evening on my way to and from work. I expect these flowers to continue to bloom, after all I am looking after them and nurturing them, but I am still delighted and surprised when they bloom. Other flowers just pop up on there own, maybe from a seed from last year. Those are always an especially fun surprise. And whether I expect new blooms or am surprised by them I really had no control over the process. I was just present and available to enjoy it. 

But I enjoy so much more the invitation to deepen a relationship. Invitation is so subtle and humble and it must be so or it stops being an invitation and becomes a form of guilt and control.

I have a dear friend who has moved away, but he and his family will be visiting my area this weekend. I value so much his friendship. He has shown me and my family an unusually abundant amount of humility and is a profound example of nurturing relationships. If I think back on our first meeting one another I believe it began with him complimenting my grass. Shortly after that he offered to help me with a project.

I am a fairly self sufficient sort of fellow, and often struggle to find a way of getting things accomplished on my own even when I really could use a helping hand. When I don't need a helping hand I almost never except invitations of offering to help. Thankfully Papa had mercy on me and has allowed me to see that turning down these kinds of invitations is a barrier to intimacy and deepening relationships. For many years I was unable to understand that humble and simple invitation is the open door of deeper relationships. Do I ever have to pass through that door, no I never do. Should I ever feel guilty If I do not, no I never should. I am completely free and free of guilt. I WANT to accept the invitation, as a matter of fact I want to be able to develop deep and trusting relationships because that is the basis and foundation for being able to speak love and life into the lives of my friends. I cannot at this moment think of any time when Papa has had me turn down an invitation to deepen or develop a relationship. I also cannot think of anytime when He has asked me to accept an invitation to be used, taken advantage of, or manipulated. Those kinds of invitations use guilt and fear as a way to gain control over another person. I shouldn't even call them invitations.  Some are carefully crafted demands. Some are plainly demands and threats. Both, if turned down, come with consequences of fear and guilt. They take the form of being told that if you don't do what I want you to do, I will throw a fit, or rage in anger. It will be plain that I am upset that you have not done or chosen what I wanted you to do, and you should be ashamed of yourself. Demands make slaves who serve out of duty, they destroy intimacy. We are called to freedom and servanthood because we love. Our Bridegroom will not have a Bride who serves Him out of fear and duty. And that is why He says it is for freedom that we have been set free, and His prayer for us was to experience intimacy with each other and with Him so profound that it becomes unity. 

Responding to Holy Spirit when He points out to you an invitation to deepen a relationship will enrich your life, surprise you, and set you up for adventure.

Also, there are invitations that are really a cry for rescue. I am careful not interfere with my brother or sister when Papa is teaching or disciplining them. I offer love and support when and how Holy Spirit lets me know it will truly be helpful, but Papa's mercy has taught me what a mess I make when I try to rescue someone while Papa is rescuing them. Rescuing is Papa's job, not mine.

So be on the lookout for invitations that lead to deeper and trusting relationships. They are often small and brief, and when they come from someone who truly loves us we may not even realize what we are turning down because there will be no reaction to our rejection but continued love and hope. 

My children cast invitations around like spreading seeds in a field. Do you want to play outside? Will you hold me? Will you tuck me in? Can I get you a drink? Do you want a cookie?

My friend from out of town invited me to help work on his car, eat with his family, he offered to help me with multiple projects, invitations for a deeper friendship I did not turn down. By recognizing simple and humble invitation I found a trusted friend who has proven that he loves me. My family and I have been invited to his new home this Christmas season, we plan to be there.

My amazing and beautiful wife (she is my dream girl) often invites me on small adventures, like asking if I would like to sit in the swing outside, or go for a walk, or watch a movie. 

I recently had the opportunity to help a woman I had just met at work. After a few days she asked me where I go to church. I am careful when I answer this question, generally careful to risk sounding foolish and to make myself a little vulnerable. I said, "That's an interesting question... There is only one Church and everywhere I go, I am there. It isn't a place, or a building or a meeting. The Church is the Bride of Christ connected in relationships as Jesus sees fit to build them." And she said, "That is exactly what I cannot find, I have been to church after church after church looking for friendship. Where can I find other people who have a personal relationship with Jesus?" I told her it was Jesus's job to connect her into the Bride, and to wait on Him. All this time I am carefully listening to Holy Spirit so after our brief but meaty chat Holy Spirit prompted me to get her email address and give it to a certain other person. She mentioned in frustration how she did not know how to find friends who love Jesus, and Holy Spirit and I laughed as we thought together, "I think you already have."

What an amazingly humble Father we have.

Filled with Love and Awe,

       Ken

August 10 -- Hmm, A Potpourri -- Last day in Budapest

Good Morning,  I went down for breakfast this morning thinking I would share a cup of coffee with you.  Alas, breakfast came and went and the time was all consumed in responding to various communications from other people.  So, back up to the room I went.  There I packed everything ready for our departure this afternoon enroute to Kraków, Poland.  As always, subject to change, I think I will spend my last week in Europe in that area.  Just one week from tomorrow I fly to Africa.  Somehow, I have the idea that the Africa time may be just as unpredictable as the Europe time has been.

I am sitting in a sidewalk cafe on Calvin Square.  This is the core of a lovely area of restaurants and the like in the heart of Budapest.  The area is clean and pleasant.  The pedestrian traffic is non-stop.  It is a lovely spot for people watching and for listening to Holy Spirit about what is in Papa God's heart.  Earlier, just as I returned from breakfast, I was sharing with Mariusz my sense that Holy Spirit was very strongly emphasizing what I shared with you yesterday about the importance of each of us believing what Jesus is saying about our identity and our purposes.  As I was sharing that, Holy Spirit began speaking to me about His vision for the Bride of Christ.  That revelation has already started changing me.  It is not mature enough in me yet for me to even begin to share it with you.  But, I know I am on the edge of something dynamic.  I will be trying to stay tuned for the follow on revelations and explanations.  I hope you know me well enough by now to know that when it is ripe I will be happy to share with you.  

But, this brings me to a very specific concern that I do want to share with you.  I have been growing in my awareness that this blog is largely a one way communication system.  Oh, I know some of you comment to say "Oh wow!" or "That is powerful." or "I agree."  but, you almost never actually offer anything substantial that you yourself have heard from Holy Spirit.  I know that you hear God.  I crave the opportunity to hear from you about the things God is speaking to you.  Comments on the blog; or, FaceBook comments; or FaceBook private messages; or emails;  it does not matter to me how you communicate but I actually value you and your input.  When we come together, even electronically, each one brings something from Holy Spirit to share with the rest of us.  Remember my FaceBook page bills me as a professional listener.  I am listening to hear you and to hear God speak through you.

As we travel, I think of you often.  Sometimes it is because I come upon a striking beautiful scene that I wish you could be standing beside me to drink in the beauty.  Frequently, it is when I take that first taste of a wonderfully prepared meal and I wish you were here to share the taste.  Other times it is to face a difficult moment and I wish you could be sitting with me to intercede in prayer.  But, more often than any of those are the countless moments when I know one of you has the very specific anointing to serve the person sitting in front of me.  But, alas you are not here.  I encourage each of you to keep your travel documents and immunization shots up to date.  Be ready and expectant for Holy Spirit to send you to meet the needs of people around the world.  Do not think of this as "ministry".  Do not expect recognition for what you will do or what power lies within you.  Rather think in terms of traveling to visit with your friends and touching their lives with the life of Jesus that dwells in you and flows forth as a spring of living water.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

Weapons of Our Warfare -- Arresting and Freeing

Weapons of Our Warfare   

Arresting and Freeing

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. II Cor. 10:3-4 

Even though we deeply and passionately desire to set people free from the prisons they live in, our power to do so is limited.  The limitation is this:  We have no authority to change the person.  We, as sons of God, of course, have authority over demons.  But, we  do not have authority to change people who do not want to be changed.  Indeed, we should never try to change people who do not want to be changed.  Those people we must leave to God.  This, by the way, is why persons with religious demons are so difficult to help.  The religious demon has become the imposter God in the life of the victim.  So when we try to help that victim, the victim himself fights against the help because he believes we are coming against God Himself.

But what then are we to do for the people we meet who are so clearly influenced by or imprisoned by their fears, their failures, their sinful pasts and or their demons ?  Before I address that question let me bring one problem to light.  As I said we have no authority to change the person.  So even if we unlock the prison door and prop it wide open, we have no way to compel the prisoner to walk out of the cell he has resided in so comfortably.  You see, people often live in a world of believing it is better to live with the demon who is known than to venture out to be with the God they do not yet know.  This is one of the reasons relationship is so very important to effective ministry.  When a victim does not yet know and trust the God you know, perhaps he will trust you enough to venture forth and get to know Him.  Demons regularly give people a perverse kind of comfort (like addictive drugs) and they give various forms of power (for example: greed can give the power of wealth; or, sexual perversion can give the powers of seduction and popularity).  The demonized victims are often afraid to give up these forms of comfort and power.  They do not yet know the comfort of Holy Spirit or their power as sons of God.  But, when you build with the victim a friendship and relationship that is based in love and truth instead of fear and manipulation, you give him a hope that there is a better way.  But, notice this is the reason why various tactics of religious manipulation always will lead to a failure to actually set people free.  The best such tactics can produce is a change of the black prison paint scheme to a set of pink bars of religious rules.  This sometimes looks like a victory but actually is a more difficult prison than the prior one.

So, in this context of loving, non-manipulative relationships let us look at the simplicity of the process.  Remember Jesus gave us the role model for being sons of God.  He said He did not act except when He saw the Father acting and He did not speak except what He heard the Father speaking.  When we walk accordingly, then He tells us about our power and authority as sons of God.  He says we can bind or loose things on Earth and they are also bound or loosed in the spiritual realm.  (See Scripture below) This authority gives us an option to help people with a very special set of problems.

We are told we can evict demons from the lives of other people.  But, we are warned that if we cast out the demons before the person has developed the strength of faith and character to maintain his own freedom, the demons will come back and they will bring with them additional demons.  We have made the problem worse.  The victim ends up with more problems than he had before we tried to help.  At the same time, however, if we allow the demons to keep on manipulating and deceiving the victims, then the victims do not mature to a point where it is safe to cast the demons out.  This is especially a problem when the victim does not have any one to watch over his soul and help him when the enemy returns to repossess him.

In this situation, it is often a better approach to arrest the demon.  Command him to be quiet and permit the person to hear and experience the love of God and the ministry of Holy Spirit that will bring him to a level of maturity that enables him to defend himself.  Then, after he has matured, cast out the demon or demons.  During this same development period it is also important to encourage and help the victim to find friendships and relationships with other believers who will be supportive of his growth.

Notice, we not only are given authority and power to bind but also to release.  At the same time that we are arresting the demon and restricting its powers and influence, we may also free the victim from the prior influences of the demon.  Sometimes we do not even need to fuss with the demons.  Just release the person.  This is a particularly effective weapon when dealing with people whose life experiences have left them damaged and bound up emotionally or mentally.  I remember one young woman whose family life had left her bound up and unable to build healthy relationships with young men in her life.  When she was released, she quickly began to build a wide range of healthy wonderful friendships with both men and women.  There was no demon involved.  It was simply a lack of emotional freedom.

This process is extremely simple.  Just quietly speak to the demons and/or the victims by your authority as a son of God and representative of Jesus.  For example:  "You demon of deception and false intellectualism, be quiet and do not deceive or speak to George again for the next 90 days.  I release his mind to see and hear the reality of God's love for him without your interference."   

I hope by this time you have grasped that these discussions of the weapons of our warfare are not formulas for success.  My hope is only to convey to you a basic understanding of the weaponry available.  It's use is always and only effective when you listen to Holy Spirit and say what He says while believing in yourself as the sent son of God.

His, thus yours,

  Stuart

Matthew 16: 19 (NASB)

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.