By Pastor Doug

At our last Wednesday night empowered meeting I said that it is very possible that we are the last generation of Christ’s church here on earth. I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. That doesn’t mean we won’t have to face various kinds of tribulation as that day approaches. With that in mind I believe it is very important for us to be like Joshua and Caleb in the Old Testament. Caleb, because he had a different spirit and followed the Lord fully was able to go into the land of Canaan and help possess it.

Dan. 11:32 says “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.” There are two groups of people on the planet, those who follow the devil’s lies and those who follow God. All you need to do to follow the devil is turn away from God.

Ephesians 4: 27 gives us some very sound advice, “give no place to the devil.” That means don’t let him have your thought life, a place in your conversations, your relationships, your eyeballs (by letting them feast on lustful things) and on goes the list of territory the devil is trying to infiltrate in our lives. When we allow the devil to have his way demons laugh. They laugh at Christians who have not possessed what God has given them.

To make a point look at Ephesians 1:3 which tells us God “…has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Love, Joy, peace are all spiritual blessings. How many Christians struggle to walk in love or don’t have peace or joy? Why? Because they haven’t possessed them by faith and because they have given ground to the devil. We must learn what God is saying to us.

God tells us in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me, because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” These words are too serious to be ignored. When they are it takes a toll on everything, from marriage, to family to the church, as well as government and yes individual lives. The devil is happy to tear up anything he can.

There may be someone that might be saying I have messed my life up too bad. Well, that’s not true. In fact, that is a statement of ignorance. That’s what the devil wants you to believe so he can continue to take ground. Maybe it’s time to go repossess what belongs to you.

In Genesis 1:1-3 we find a precedent. It says “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, let there be light and there was light.”

When we look at verse 2, we see a dark, a chaotic, confusing and hopeless situation. But God didn’t see it that way. All He needed to do was get the Holy Spirit and His Word involved and the whole thing in the end was declared to be “very good.” I would like to encourage you that whenever you are facing a dark, a chaotic, confusing or seemingly hopeless situation the Holy Spirit is right there to help you work through it. God is ready to speak a Word of revelation to you that can begin to turn the whole situation around.

If you are not a Christian call on Jesus to save you. (See Romans 10:9-10). If you are a Christian, then welcome the Holy Spirit to begin to teach you and lead you to the truth you need to see. Search for this truth consistently, on a daily basis as you worship and love on the Lord, just because He is good.

The truth you need comes from the Bible. As you read it, with a dependency on the Holy Spirit you will begin seeing ground you need to take back from the devil. As you do that you will find the freedom you lost or freedom you never knew existed. It is truly amazing. John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Also take Proverbs 3:5-6 to heart. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” Give the Lord all your heart, not some or a part but all and you will be in a perfect position to greet the Lord if we are that generation that goes up in the rapture.