The Bait of Satan

Just returned this afternoon from the Leadership Summit presented by CityLife Church and Planetshakers… what an amazing time!

John Bevere presented. Here I was going into it not quite knowing what to expect. Who was this guy? Another bizarre Pentecostal from the U.S.? My preconceptions were rapidly smashed. John was this amazing communicator with heaps of joy and an infectious smile. He was powerful, and anointed, but still really down-to-earth. Knew solidly who he was inside of Christ, but had a grasp of what his flesh was like outside of Christ also. I wanna be like this man.

So Monday night he starts the conference giving Jesus the praise and the glory. Ahead John sees a move of the spirit coming that will make Pentecost look moderate (imagine that!). There’s so much more coming, and yet we’re in real need of the character to sustain a move of God like the one he wants to do amongst us… My character and my heart was in for some serious surgery over the next few sessions.

Just a few concepts that really impacted and convicted me:

• Although a great harvest is coming, there’s one primary weapon the enemy will use to attempt to abort it… OFFENCE
• We need to be careful not to be deceived in the last days. We need a deep love of the truth – beyond what is comfortable, what we prefer, or what we can intellectually handle
• Many will be offended. Offence builds walls or strongholds. Offended hearts are breeding grounds for deception, and they become vulnerable to isolation from the body of Christ. The enemy wants to ‘unplug’ believers from the church.
• There are wolves in sheep’s clothing, but notice it doesn’t say in ‘shepherds’ clothing – there’s more wolves in the pews than behind the pulpit.
• We’re hurt deepest by those closest to us – in our church and our family
• Do we have the right to be offended? Well God’s given us the right to do whatever we want (we can choose hell if we want!), yet NO: if we want to walk with God we don’t have the right to be offended.
• If someone’s offended, they’ve forgotten how much they’ve been forgiven of. Our forgiveness should be inexhaustible like our Heavenly Father’s. How would we like it if God actually forgave us the same way we forgive other people… yet that’s actually what he does.
• We need to become strong – where blows bounce right off us. We need to get in shape, exercising our spiritual muscles.
• The answer, the solution to offence: pray for those who abuse you! (Matt 5:44) Sometimes it’s so hard. But don’t just pray half-heartedly, ask God to bless them with what you’d want Him to give you. Pray for their family like you pray for your own family.
• You cannot base your prayer life based on what you feel. Pray, pray, pray. LOVE them. That’s when the junk of offence comes out and you get free.
• Offence is the bait of Satan. It takes you captive, and you no longer release pure waters to others. You can still minister, but it won’t be with the same power as when you’re free.
• John spoke of a vision. Demons were riding in formation against the body of Christ, although they weren’t riding horses, they were riding on the backs of Christians who were offended.

And that was just a small selection from session 1! Session 2 had a fair bit more:

• We’re living in exciting times. We’re pregnant for a move of God.
• God needs people who will cooperate with him.
• There was no division in Joshua’s generation; they understood authority.
• Unity paves the way for God to pour out his glory. In Acts 2 the believers were all “in one accord” when God poured out his Spirit. Today we become divided so easily over stupid things.
• We live in a world dominated by democracy… we need to get an understanding of authority and submission. (Sounds uncomfortable hey? Yet it’s part of God’s design for our growth. Read on!)
• Not all authority is ‘godly’ but it’s all God-appointed. The Egyptian Pharaoh became a powerful and rich ruler, yet it was God who gave him the authority (see Rom 9: “For this very purpose I raised you up.”)
• God is way ahead of any leadership. Ungodly leaders over us can actually be placed there by him. God’s priority is not our comfort, but our redemption. No one gets into office without God knowing about it.
• “Don’t speak against the ruler of your people.” – Acts 23:5
• Peter insisted that believers honour the king – even the king that was putting believers to death!
• If you submit yourself to authority, there are two benefits:
• God says “I’ll fight for you”
• You set yourself up for a promotion or a blessing (if you handle it correctly)
• Two parts: OBEY and BE SUBMISSIVE. You can obey without being submissive. ‘Submission’ and ‘willingness’ refers to your attitude, obedience – to your actions.
• David submitted to Saul even though he became an evil ruler.
• Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses. Even though they were probably right (they had a point) they were also wrong because they disrespected his authority. You can be 100% right and still be wrong.
• God will use the sins and mistakes of your leader to expose you – revealing your heart and attitude of submission
• Miriam and Aaron allowed gifting in their lives to elevate themselves above the authority.
• Seeing myself above my pastor is VERY, VERY, VERY DANGEROUS.
• People that submit to authority usually experience growth, promotion and blessing, while those that rebel and change church, or go into their own ministry will often experience disaster (John gave many examples)
• God: “Whose ministry are you building? Mine or yours?”
• I am an extension of my pastor’s arms and legs.
• The account we must give to God will firstly not be about the number of souls, but about our submission to authority
• Division = “two visions”
• John wouldn’t be standing there today if he’d failed that test with authority