JOURNAL - Holy Spirit Encounter

6.5.97

Jonathan is the Pastor’s son.
God has given him
a wonderful voice to sing.
At age fourteen,
he ministers with a great anointing.
And I believe that
he is unaware of the effect
his singing has on others –
hearts are opened,
and people receive from God.

One Friday night,
we asked Jonathan
to sing with the worship group
as the ministry at the altar
was going on.
Jonathan did not run
onto the platform
and grab the microphone!
No!
He went to his father,
and asked him if
he should sing.

Jonathan did the right thing!
He was submissive
to the one in authority –
to his own father,
and to the one in authority
over the Church service!
This incident cemented
in my mind how much
we need to be submissive
to those God places
in authority over us!
And we need to be submissive
to God, Our Father, as well!
* * *
10.5.97

God is a good God!
He reveals what we need
to know when we need
to know it.

I had been praying
for an answer…
I had been waiting
for an answer…
and it came in
an unexpected way.

A new sister came in the Church
with glowing reports from her Pastor.
She was a Teacher
in the Body of Christ.
I went to her teaching session
one Thursday night.
For various reasons,
I decided not to go back.
I struggled with myself.
Did I have valid reasons?
Was I in, or out of God’s Will?
There was an inner conflict,
and I was unsettled.
I did not have God’s Peace.
What could I tell my Pastor
that he would know and understand
where I was coming from?

The Pastor gave this Teacher
an opportunity to preach.
She preached a stern,
hard message.
A rebuke from God.
Yet there was no hope,
no encouragement.
I felt that
I was being scolded
for the entire sermon –
with her voice,
her facial grimaces and
her threatening, pointed finger.
Whether or not
the message was from God,
I knew the delivery of the message
was not.
There was a spirit of accusation
at work.
An aggressive, judgemental spirit.
Even when God rebukes,
He still loves.

God allowed our Pastor
to see for himself.
And I saw for myself –
that God is a good God!
He protects His Sheep
even within the fold!
Many times I don’t understand
all the things God shows me…
but I have confidence in Him.
He knows the Truth
in every situation
because He is Truth!

Thank You, Lord!

* * *

15.5.97

The Holy Spirit brings
revelation into the Spiritual Realm.

As I was praying,
I saw a knife poised
above my heart.
The spirit of death
was poised to strike.
Immediately, I was
wrestling with this spirit
in close combat.
I rebuked the spirit over my life,
over my family,
and cleared my home
of all demonic activity.
As the Bible declares,
“for our struggle is not against
flesh and blood,
but against the rulers,
against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms.” (Eph. 6:12 NIV)
The spiritual battle was on!

Then, I saw myself
in a cathedral.
The spirit of death
was at the altar
in golden priestly robes.
His head was a skull
with empty eye sockets.
I picked up the broken body
lying on the altar,
and started to cry out
to God…
I ran with the body
out of the cathedral,
and started to minister LIFE
to this body.

The Cathedral represents
the place of religion.
The priests minister words of death,
instead of words of life,
to the congregation.
The congregation is the dead body
on the altar.

I believe that God
Wants to move His People
out of the “religious” places
and into Spiritual LIFE!

I was then taken
to the Throne Room of Hell.
I was in a great hall.
Armed demons flanked either side
of the hall.
There was a flight of steps
before me,
and Satan presided
on his throne.
Two demons had me
on my knees before Satan.
At that moment,
I sat bolt upright in my bed,
and spoke to Satan,
in the Spiritual Realm.
I said,
“Satan, you can’t keep
God’s People down,
because He who is in me
is greater than he who
is in the world.”

This is the written word of God.
“You, dear children, are from God
and have overcome them (demonic spirits),
because the one who is in you
is greater than the one
who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 NIV)

I used the Word of God
as a weapon.
I reminded Satan
that the power of Jesus
within me is greater
than his own.
In myself, I have no power,
but Jesus has given me
His Authority and Power.
The battle is really between
Satan and God.
Satan could not keep me
bowed before him
in his throne room.
He could not intimidate me
by the presence of
so many demons.
The Holy Spirit brought to me
the Scripture I needed
to win the battle that night!
Hallelujah!

The victory has been won.
To God be the Glory
great things He has done!

* * *

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