How to Keep and Protect Your Spiritual Territory

 Luke 10:19 says;

  “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

The word power in this scripture denotes authority. This authority is to take dominion from the enemy of our souls, the Devil. You, yes you, have been given a position in God’s Army, and thus you have certain spiritual territory that you must maintain and keep. Each Christian has been given a post in God’s Army. Some are faithfully on duty, while others do not take seriously a post that cannot be seen.
    In the Book of Revelation (The Revelation Of Jesus Christ) we see in chapters 2-3 an address to the Angels of each of these Churches. Who are these Angels? They are not literally Angels as we suppose, but rather Pastor’s, Christian Leaders and Christian Territorial Watchmen, who have been given territorial responsibility. You too, have been given territorial responsibilities which might include, your family, community, church, place of employment, friends, etc.. Some of us have been given great responsibilities and jurisdictions, that we have been given spiritual authority over. Such as; authority over a Church, local community, state, region, nation, denomination, or people group. This authority may not be openly known to others in the natural, but the spiritual realm sees and honors that authority. Callings such as intercessors, prayer warriors, as well as other positions, often have unseen authority.
    You must realize that you have individual, as well as collective territorial responsibilities. Individually this would include your home, and collectively this would include your Church and community.
    It is imperative that you understand that your spiritual territory also includes the call on your life. If you are in disobedience to God, then you are in the Devil’s territory. This makes you vulnerable. This is why so many ministers of the Gospel are having difficult times. A lot of people place ecclesiastical titles on themselves, and in doing so they step out of their spiritual territory, and are now vulnerable to the Devil’s attacks. If you are a Pastor, and you without the direction of God begin to call yourself Bishop, or Apostle, and then try to do the work of these callings, you will find it most difficult to fulfill this work, because you are out of your spiritual territory. God has not given you the spiritual accoutrements to walk in that calling. So many ministries fail because people are operating in the wrong spiritual offices, and so they don’t have the spiritual authority to fulfill that call.
    Abraham was given certain territory to inherit. Although it was for Abraham, he still did not get it all at once. Neither can you take a spiritual territory all at once, but little by little (Deuteronomy 7:22-26). This method will give you the ability to handle and secure each area God has given you authority over.

How do you protect and keep your spiritual territory?

1. The first thing you need to do is find out, or establish what spiritual territory you have been given by God, and what the bounds or boundaries are of that territory.
2. It is important here that you put on your belt of truth and examine your life, to see if it is in line with God’s Word. You should not try and take spiritual territory if you are living a carnal Christian life, or living in open sin. Christians who live carnally by watching things on television, like programs that use the Lord’s name in vain (most Christians are so desensitized toward this that they don’t even realize when this happens), say light curse words, have murder and killing, or show or imply sexual things like fornication or adultery, don’t often realize that they have diminished, if not totally lost the power necessary to enforce their spiritual territory. The Seven Brothers of Sceva tried to step into spiritual territory that they were not qualified to operate in, and they were over taken by the enemy (Acts 19:13-16).
3. You must learn that you cannot physically maintain your spiritual territory. You need the Power of The Holy Spirit. You have no power against the enemy on your own. The weapons of your warfare are not carnal (Read II Corinthians 10:3-4).
4. Next, we should learn to take up our spiritual authority daily, and enforce the Kingdom of God. You do this by praying, fasting, reading your Word (Bible), confessing the Word of God about who you are in Christ (your words hold power, especially when your words are what God says about you), speaking the Word of God against the Devil (Matthew 4:1-11), binding and loosing (Matthew 16:19), Casting out devils (Mark 16:17-18). 

     God wants us to be in a spiritual position to keep and protect the spiritual territory that He has given us. When a territory is not kept, maintained or protected by Christians you can see the demonic destruction and devastation that often occurs. In certain cities, cultures, and countries it is more evident than others. This is especially evident in countries that serve false gods or use voodoo and the various forms of witchcraft (including white and black magic).

    So many people want God to use them in a greater capacity and for greater things, but if they are not keeping the territory that they presently have jurisdiction over, how can they possibly maintain more? Only through faithfulness can you qualify for greater spiritual territory. If you don’t pray and fast now for what you have jurisdiction over, then you will not increase your praying when you have more spiritual responsibility.

    You need to realize that the Devil and his demonic army are trying to claim everything that they can as their spiritual territory. If there is no resistance from you, he will soon take your, family, community, town, city, state or nation. He (the Devil) assigns different demons to produce strongholds of specific sins in certain geographical areas. This is why some areas are dominated by certain sins. In San Francisco perverseness, like homosexuality is prominent. In New Orleans revelry or partying is dominate. In New York mammon and greed are the strongmen. In different areas demonic entities of various kinds try to gain control of those territories. In the Book Of Daniel we see that there are princes or principalities over certain nations (Daniel 10:12-13). Daniel’s spiritual territory could have been that of a Prince, who when he began to pray and fast, broke through the spiritual resistance from a demonic prince.

    It is important that you remember that God never gives you anything that He does not give you the tools to keep. So if your Church is not going the way that you know that it should be going, then you need to make sure that you have spiritual authority to operate in whatever position you have there. If you determine that God has placed you there, then pick up your weapons and remove the enemy. You have been given a charge to protect, develop, increase, deliver and bring salvation through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ to all who are under your spiritual authority, or who are in your God ordained spiritual territory.
    Some of us are too passive as Christians, and we expect the Devil to just sooner or later stop beating us up. The Devil won’t move from his position in your family, home, job, church, or community by you just knowing the Word of God, but rather by you aiming the Word of God at him. He is not afraid of your gun that is sitting by your side, it is when you point it at him and fire, that he gets to running. This gets him fleeing out of your spiritual territory.
    It’s one thing to know you have authority and power, but it is another thing to be able to enforce and release that authority and power. Always remember this, “you have authority, but faith releases the power.” Not just a head faith, but faith in action. To release your faith it usually requires an act. This is to say that when you do something toward what you are believing that God gave you, then it releases your faith. Begin to act by speaking the Word of God at the enemy by faith and take back your territory.
    If every Christian, and Christian leader would get into their proper positions and take the territory that God has given them, then we would have a net of dominion in Christ, over and around a community, city, state, region, nation and ultimately a world. This would push the enemy completely back.
    God has given you a specific post to work in, in His Army. Are you guarding your territory, or has the Devil stole what and who you were responsible to keep and protect. You must get dedicated and be continuous in your warfare and prayer to see this thing through. Stand On Your Post Soldier Of God!

By the Holy Spirit through Bishop Tony Owens                            www.riversofrevival.com

House Of David Ministries Inc, and Tony Owens Ministries Inc.,              1(407) 930-6621

Post by True Riches Club.

Be Seed-Minded, Not Need-Minded

     "We need to grasp and understand the nature, magnitude, potential and power of a seed. Dr. Myles Monroe says, "A seed until it is released, is only a promise of a tree. The death of a seed is a burial of a forest."

     We should understand and always remember that every great tree was once a seed. Therefore. if a seed is not released, it will never birth to a forest. Unreleased seed is indeed a tragedy. It steals life of its essence and robs the future of its value. 

      When we face life's difficulties, it is our natural tendency to focus on our problems--our pains, our sickness, our financial difficulties. If we are focused the way to get what you need is to release what you need to others. Meaning....If you have a lot of problems, take your mind off yourself and go help others solve their problems. Be the solution to other problems! Sow a seed in others. 

     God will definitely use that seed to bring solution to your problems. If you are in pain, go help somebody else ease his/her pain. If you are sick, spend time in praying for the healing of somebody else who is suffering from illness. If you are facing financial difficulties, go and help others financially. As Anne Frank says, "No one has ever become poor by giving."

    "The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit."- Nelson Henderson.

      When you get up in the morning, instead of thinking of what you will receive for the day, pray to God for other people's blessings. Your life will be full of blessings that you won't have enough room to contain it.

     "There are three keys to more abundant living: caring about others, daring for others, and sharing with others." - William A. Ward

    We discovered that if we help someone meet his/her needs, then God will meet our needs. When God sees you selflessly praying for others first before yourself, being good to somebody even though you are facing challenges in life, cheering up someone even though you have been through many failures, praying for somebody else's healing even if you don't feel well, He will surely bless you. God will use these selfless acts he sees in you and He will bring a harvest into your own life. 

   "The measure of life is not in its duration but in its donation. Everyone can be great because everyone can serve." - Peter Marshall.

      I would like to share a story about this man praying to God to bless him with a wife. For many years, since he started working, he started saving money to prepare him for family life. What was interesting was God did not send him a wife immediately. God rather send him a need to meet. 

     One day, while he was attending a church service, the Lord impressed in his heart a burden to be a part of the construction of a prayer mountain. He was greatly moved that day and decided to donate the entire amount in his savings account for the prayer mountain project. 

     Years later, he amazingly reaped his harvest. He became one of the managers of a manufacturing company and was promoted six times in a span of two years. One day, he attended a leadership seminar where his company invited a resource speaker. He never realized that the lady resource speaker was the answer to his prayer. Almost a year after that seminar, they got married.

      I really believe that this man's willingness to give to the church's need was one of the seeds God used to cause their paths to cross. They are now happily married for more than 20 years with four children. Prior to this, years ago, God blessed him with one promotion after another. 

     Today, together with his wife, God has entrusted to them a company whose mission is to unleash the highest potential in people for the glory of God.

     When that man prayed for a wife, he didn't get a favorable answer right away. God gave him a burden instead, to help the church. Just like the case of this man, when we pray to God, He may seem to be unresponsive. His ways are not our ways. It is, in fact, higher than ours. Amazing things happen when we respond and obey to His promptings.

     I thank God that I'm married to that man who sowed a seed and reaped a great harvest. Our family is so blessed because of the seed he sowed many years ago. To God be the glory! He has continually encouraged our children and me to apply in our lives what is written in the Bible.

    "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9

       Remember, when we reach out and give our time, energy and resources, we encourage, and we share our finances, then that seed that holds the solution to our problems is being nurtured. When we pray to God for other people's needs, God will bring harvest back to you. 

       "Our prayer must not be self-centered. It must arise not only because we feel our own need as a burden we must lay upon God, but also because we are so bound up in love with our fellow men that we feel there's a need as acutely as our own. To make intercession for men is the most powerful and practical way in which we can express our love for them."- John Calvin

      If you are lonely, don't just pray to God to send somebody to make you happy. Instead, go and ease the loneliness of others by praying for them. The same seed that God will use to bring a harvest of joy in your own life. Charles Dicken says, "No  one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another."

      If you are unemployed, it is not enough to pray to God to give you a job. While you are waiting for your own opportunity to come, help a friend be promoted, or help someone find a job.

     "Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others."- Booker T. Washington

      In our more than twenty years of marriage, we learned that even expressing gratitude to people God used to bless us is also the seed that brought harvest into our lives. As what G.B. Stern said, "Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone."

         "If you want your life to turn around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily."- Gerard Good

        "God gave you a gift if 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say, "Thank you?"
Gratitude can transform common days into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings." - William A. Ward. 


      Most of the time, we pray for God to answer our prayer.. However, He will send a need for us to meet. That need then, is the seed that holds the answer.

      The book of Proverbs says when you refresh others, God will refresh you, He who satisfies others will be satisfied.

       "Give, and it will be given back to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into you lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." -Luke 6:38

 Be seed-minded, not need minded. 

Sow a seed in times of need!

Vic & Avelynn Garcia

Unleash Your Highest Potential

p. 63-68

Post by True Riches Club.

Staying Connected

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul." - Psalm 143:8

Two of the greatest inventions of my time have been the laptop computer and e-mail. The laptop means I no longer have to stay in one place to be productive in my business life. E-mail has allowed me to stay connected to people all around the world with the touch of a button.

My greatest frustration is when either of these does not work. Sometimes e-mail cannot be used because I can't get a connection. Sometimes I cannot use my laptop because I have not properly charged it, and then the charge runs out while I am on an airplane. Both of these situations mean I am unable to tap into the resource that allows me to fulfill my calling in my work to the fullest.

The morning time with God is much like these situations. God pours His Word into my spirit, and I am recharged. This recharging has an important effect on my day. It allows me the greatest opportunity to hear the small voice that directs my steps. If I refuse to "get connected," I risk following my own ways of fulfilling the duties of my day. It sets forth the opportunity for God to speak into my spirit what He desires for me each day. It allows me to focus on God's purposes, not mine.

The only way to know someone is to spend time with him or her. The only way to discern the voice of another is to hear that person's voice. David, the author of this psalm, was a warrior, king, and businessman. He understood this principle of connecting with God in the morning. His morning allowed him to connect with God's love, renew his trust in Him, and hear His directions for his life. Shouldn't you and I do the same? 
- Os Hillman

Post by True Riches Club.

Come Out of the Stronghold

"...Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah ..." (1 Samuel 22:5).

David and his fighting men had been hiding in the cave of Adullam. He was fleeing Saul. Many of life's down-and-out had come and joined David's army. David was content to stay in the stronghold of safety. Then, God's prophet came to David and told him that he must leave the stronghold and go into the land of Judah. Judah means "praise."

When life beats down on us and we get to the place where we want to hide in a cave, God often places people around us who prod us into moving in the right direction. He does not want us to remain in the place of discouragement. He wants us to move into the land of praise.

I recall when I went through a very difficult time. It seemed to drag on and on with no change until finally I wanted to retreat to a cave and forget pressing on. It was a great time of discouragement. A godly man came to me and said, "You must keep moving! There are too many who are depending on you in the Kingdom."

I didn't totally understand what he meant at the time. Now I know he was saying that God is preparing each of us to be the vessel He wants to use in the life of another person, but we will never be that vessel if we give up and hide in our cave of discouragement. Not only must we keep moving, we must move into a new realm. Our attitude must move from discouragement to praise.

"He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners - to comfort all who mourn. ... a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor" (Isa 61:1-3).

It is only when we move past discouragement to praise that we begin living above our problems. Make a decision today to go into the land of Judah.
  - Os Hillman

Post by True Riches Club.

The Cost of Character

When we take a children’s storybook approach to the Bible we can actually think that Samson and Delilah was a love story, or sing cheerful songs about the “Arky, arky” and miss the tragedy of God’s judgment in the flood. It is this same simple perspective that frames the story of Daniel in the lions’ den as primarily about him sleeping peacefully among some big, cute, and furry felines.

Yes, Daniel was put in a lions’ den. Yes, the lions were kept from gobbling him up for dinner. Yes, this was an amazing miracle! But there is so much more to the story. Daniel 6 teaches us about how living with a high level of integrity and character can cost more than we dream. It reveals that habits of faith and a life of faithfulness are not private matters, but should be lived in the public eye. This chapter also portrays the power of a fearless witness. When God’s people hold fast to their convictions, a watching world stands amazed. Of course, the whole lions’ den part is very cool . . . but it is time that we hear the rest of the story

More than any time in history there seems to be a famine of character. We need examples of people who say what they believe and then live it out. Character is about holding convictions that honor God and letting those deep beliefs shape all we say and do . . . even when no one is watching! True character is about staying true to what we believe even when there are consequences. Daniel loved God. His faith was real and deep. By the time we catch up with him in chapter 6, he has been a political exile in Babylon for about sixty-five years! No longer a young man refusing to eat rich food from Nebuchadnezzar’s table, he is now well into his seventies or older.

Daniel has developed life disciplines and practices that grow out of a heart that is connected to his God, so three times a day he gets on his knees to pray. You can almost hear his old joints cracking as he lowers his elderly frame to the ground. His window is always open as he faces toward Jerusalem, the childhood home he has dreamed about for almost seven decades. This is his habit . . . and everybody knows it! Daniel’s willingness to die for what he believed became a witness to Darius and the world. It is interesting to note that the word “witness” comes from the root word martyria, from which we get the word “martyr.” It literally means “a person who shows Christ’s passion in life and death.”

Throughout history many Christians have held to their faith in the face of persecution and have paid the ultimate price. Here are a few prayers lifted up by these faithful servants before they died:

Let me be steadfast in my faith to the end.

I have no hope of seeing my brethren again in this life.

If they kill me, let me die as a witness to my faith;

If I live, let me go on proclaiming it. - Gabra Michael, died in 1855 in chains refusing to deny Jesus

This is the end, but for me it is the beginning of life. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, executed in a Nazi death camp

What steps can a follower of Jesus take to stand strong and be a witness in times of persecution and pressure?

© 2014 by Zondervan. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Visit JohnOrtberg.com for more about John Ortberg's work and ministry.

Post by True Riches Club.

Prosperity in Afflictions

"The second son he named Ephraim and said, 'It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.'" Genesis 41:52

When Joseph was elevated to rule over the Egyptian kingdom, he revealed some profound truths gained from the experiences of his years of adversity. He named his first son, Manasseh for, he said, "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household" (Gen. 41:51b). His second son was named Ephraim because, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."

Whenever God takes us through the land of affliction, He will do two things through that affliction: 1) He will bring such healing that we will be able to forget the pain, and 2) He will make us fruitful from the painful experiences.

God does not waste our afflictions if we allow Him the freedom to complete the work in us. 

His desire is to create virtue that remains during the times of testing so that He can bring us into the place of fruitfulness in the very area of our testing. He has never promised to keep us from entering the valleys of testing, but He has promised to make us fruitful in them. He is the God who turns the Valley of Achor (trouble) into a door of hope (see Hos. 2:15).

If you are in the valley of affliction, now is the time to press into Him. When the time comes to bring you out of this valley, He will heal your memories and bring fruit from this very time.

- Os Hillman 

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Managing Money

 

  “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

A successful businessman once confided in another businessman known for his wisdom. “I’ve made a lot of money. I will soon be able to retire comfortably and do just about anything I want.”

“John,” the wise businessman replied to the man, “I’ve noticed that every time someone thinks they’ve built a tree that is so tall it almost reaches heaven, God often decides to shake the tree.”

The minute we start trusting in riches, God will, in fact, “shake the tree” to demonstrate who is the source of wealth to turn us back to trusting Him completely. He did it in my life, and He’ll do it in your life too because He loves us too much to allow us to continue down this destructive path.

Money is mentioned more than 2,000 times in the scripture. Jesus used it many times in illustrating an important lesson to his disciples. He spoke often of being a good steward of the resources He entrusted to us. He wanted a return on His investment and He wanted us to stay away from making money an idol in our lives.

Jesus understood that He was here on earth only to do the will of the Father. “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; He can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.”

As we look at our relationship to our heavenly Father and our use of money, it is clear that we, like Jesus, are here to do the will of the Father in all areas of life. This means seeking to live a life that is totally yielded to His purposes -even in the financial area.

Money, independence, and security are often the reasons many start their own businesses or change jobs. Check your motives today and see if your financial life can stand Jesus’ scrutiny. Are you operating as a steward of the financial resources He has entrusted to you?  - OS Hillman

Post by True Riches Club.