Prophecy

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Satan in the Sanctuary
Shared by Patricia Backora, author of the book
Tough Love in Christ’s Millennium
Which you can order online from: http://www.publishamerica.com
II Cor. 12:20; I Tim. 4:12; 5:2

My, but the devil loves to go to church. Nobody is more religious than he is. Wherever meetings are filled with foolish frivolity and humanistic oratory instead of fellowship around the Lord Jesus Christ, satan can and often does infiltrate the gathering of church people. He will even linger for after-church socialization.

This happens for several reasons. One problem is My people neglect to pray for the service. This can be done at home, or a few minutes at church, before the formal meeting begins. And it needn’t always be a long prayer session. I appreciate a few minutes of heartfelt intercession from busy saints who have little control over how hectic their schedule is. I ask for what you can give, not for what you can’t.

It is hard to shift gears to an attitude of communion with Me when you’re still feeling steamed from an argument in the car on the way to church. But when such problems occur, don’t let the devil hassle you about it. Just join hands as a family and pray a quick prayer of sincere repentance and reconciliation before you get out of the car and go into the sanctuary. I will forgive you and you will feel clean again.

Another reason satan gains easy access to the sanctuary is ignorance of the Gift of Discerning of Spirits. This Gift makes a saint sensitive to the workings of evil spirits in the congregation, such as destructive spirits of obsession. It has occasionally happened that the line between acceptable behavior and foolishness is blurred in the minds of those who let down their guard and let their human passions gain control. I have seen cases where a rash of obsession breaks out among the unmarried members of the congregation that they must find a mate, and soon. Friendly greetings between brothers and sisters in the sanctuary can easily degenerate into subtle flirting. Some examples might be: “I love you in the Lord, brother”, or “I can see the love of Christ in you, sister.” Or “I really get blessed by your ministry.” These are perfectly legitimate expressions, but they can also spring from a subconscious stratagem to overcome the other person’s reserve, so as to pave the way for carnal lust. Sometimes people of opposite sexes will look for any excuse to be alone with the object of their desire, or to follow them around the church to keep talking with them. This causes the pursued person to feel intimidated and irritated. In the meantime, I am all but forgotten about.

Another example of enemy infiltration is a spirit of gossip going around. It reaches the point where parishioners genuinely hope the pastor or elder is guilty as charged. And when this problem affects a number of people in the church, and not just one or two individuals, the spirit of malicious gossip needs to be bound in the Name of Jesus and cast out.

[email protected] http://kingdomage.tripod.com

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