Bad choices can easily grow into bad habits. Bad habits then become a stronghold. In a war, a stronghold is a fortress where weapons are stored. They can be a good thing if the stronghold is your arsenal against the enemy, but when the enemy finds a stronghold in you, that’s another story. When you allow a bad habit to take over your life, the enemy will use that to defeat you. You will beat yourself up and feel as if you’ve let yourself and God down. This can lead you to live a defeated life rather than a joyful life in the Lord.

Strongholds are used by the enemy to make a Christian turn from God. As we begin a new year, you might want to start it out right by examining your life to see if the enemy has a hold on any part of your life and resolve to draw nearer to God. Talk to God and ask Him to guide you through each day. Then, listen for His guidance, making sure you hear His voice guiding you. God wants you to put the world behind and walk the strait path that leads to a life that glorifies God. Satan will only lead you on the path of destruction.

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

We can choose which path to follow, but you can never go wrong if you follow the path that leads to God and away from the path of destruction.

The path of destruction begins with a thought. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes it clear that God looks at sin very differently than humans do. God wrote the Law of Moses, and there were many things set out as sin, but they fall short of how God truly sees sin.

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Matthew 5:27). This is one of the Ten Commandments: “Neither shalt thou commit adultery” (Deuteronomy 5:18).

Adultery is a sin. God wants us to respect marriage and not let lust of the flesh become a stronghold for the enemy to use to destroy a marriage. Jesus then told the crowd what God’s standards are. “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).

You see, the sin of adultery goes beyond the physical act. It begins with a thought. In order to keep from allowing the enemy to build a stronghold in your life, take your thoughts captive. Make a special effort to turn your thoughts away from worldly thoughts and keep them centered on Godly things.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds:) Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

Satan and his minions use strongholds to keep you under the bondage of sin. Lust is carnal in nature and begins with a thought. Your neighbor gets a new car, and you lust after it. Your neighbor has a beautiful wife, and you lust after her. Anything someone else has that you want is lust. Be content with what you have, and be happy the neighbor can afford that new car and its payments, insurance, upkeep, etc.

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren” (James 1:14-16).

Take your thoughts captive, and let God rule your heart. The way to fight against the enemy is to walk close to God. Study Scripture, and apply it to your life.

Strongholds are things that hinder our walk with the Lord. Fear is also a stronghold. When we’re afraid, it’s a normal reaction to do the wrong thing. Think of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. They usually freeze. There’s no doubt that there are many things happening in the world that put fear in our hearts. It’s easy to be afraid when all you hear is bad news, talk of war, murders, sexual depravity, children thinking they are animals, dark spiritual forces breaking through the barrier, plagues, and so much more. Remember, nothing happens that God hasn’t warned us about in prophecy. Instead of living in fear, go to Scripture and take comfort in knowing that God is always with us. If all we hear is the bad news, we miss out on the good news. There is good news.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Now that is good news!

God has foreseen everything, and nothing surprises Him. He has given us Scripture to comfort and guide us. “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:10).

Most people have plenty of time to listen to mainstream media and then feel fear and anger at what they hear. Instead of spending time with God in prayer or Bible study, strongholds of fear and anger are built by listening to the world. You might spend an hour on Sunday sitting in a pew, but how many hours a week do you spend listening to the problems of the world as told by the evening news? Jesus gave His disciples some pretty tough news, and they felt fear at what was going to happen. He encouraged them, and we need to take His words to heart.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). When things get tough, remind yourself of that truth.

Prophecy is a very neglected part of Bible study, and sadly, most pastors don’t talk about it at all. A huge part of Scripture is prophecy, so if God didn’t want us to know what’s coming, He wouldn’t have put it into Scripture. I can tell you that whenever I begin to feel fearful, I turn to prophecy and see that no matter how bad the world seems, God is still sovereign. There is nothing that surprises Him, and, in the end, He wins. I want to stick with the winning side. As I watch the world spiraling down the road to destruction, I can look to prophecy and see that God had foretold of these times of trouble. The fact is we are edging very close to the Rapture and the end of time.

Many centuries before Christ was born, a man named Daniel was given a prophecy summarizing what to look for as signs of the times. The Pharisees suffered from the stronghold of pride and were blinded by that pride; they failed to recognize their Messiah. Daniel’s prophecy goes on to talk of the end of days. Jesus expanded upon what Daniel had said, and The Revelation tells even more. An understanding of prophecy will help to ease your fear of the future.

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:19-20).

Peter knew that prophecy is a sure way of God telling us what’s to come, and by seeing past prophecy fulfilled, we can be sure remaining prophecy will also be fulfilled.

Another way that strongholds can be built in us is to deny the truth of Scripture. If you don’t believe the truth of what exactly happened prior to the judgment of Noah’s Flood, you won’t understand what Jesus meant when He likened the end of days to the time of Noah. Fallen angels were messing with the genetic makeup of all of God’s creation, and today, there is genetic tampering happening with our food and our own genetic structure. In Sodom and Gomorrah, sexual perversion was rampant… and so it is today. We cannot change the outcome, but we can stand up for God’s truth today.

Christians seem to be easily silenced. We send our children to public schools where they should be learning reading, writing, and arithmetic. Instead, they’re learning that boys can be girls, and if they think they are a dog, then they are a dog. They are also being taught how to hide their choices from parents. This isn’t something parents should be silent about. If every Christian parent would homeschool their children, the public schools would pay attention.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

The lie of evolution is a secular idea that only brings evil. Read the first chapter of Romans in order to understand why homosexuality is on the rise. Break strongholds by studying Scripture and believing God.

Most Christians are mixed up about the supernatural. We say we believe in a supernatural God and the truth of Scripture. We say we believe the Holy Spirit inspired the men who held the pen to write God’s truth. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Many people give lip service to that truth, then turn around and choose which part of Scripture to believe and which part of Scripture to decide isn’t exactly what God meant, then change it to make life easier. That’s where much trouble comes from.

In Genesis chapter 6, God told us that fallen angels mated with human women, creating the Nephilim and leading to the judgment of the flood. Many Christians think God sent the flood because Cain’s daughters married Seth’s sons. They just want to believe the good side of the supernatural while denying the evil. This denial is also a stronghold that Satan (the most-evil creature) uses to work his evil. If we only believe the good part of the supernatural, we don’t recognize that demons are real and do possess people. Christians need to keep their faith strong and stand firm on God’s truth in order to keep ourselves away from the ways of the world.

The Apostle Paul was well aware of the spiritual battle and how to fight the enemy. Strongholds have to be destroyed in us individually, and blinders have to be taken off so that we understand all of God’s truth. Feeling overwhelmed by the evil we see in the world is another stronghold Satan uses against us. If we forget to study Scripture, we will miss the part about the spiritual battle and how to fight. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10).

If we aren’t strong in the Lord, we have given the power to Satan to destroy our faith. What do we do? “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in in high places” (Ephesians 6:11-12).

Don’t deny supernatural evil by ignoring it. It’s real but has no power that is superior to God. Be strong in the Lord and fight the spiritual battle with spiritual weapons. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13). Study the rest of Ephesians chapter 6 to understand the armor of God. We are in a battle, and only God will win.

Examine your life and your attitude to discover the strongholds you need to get rid of. When the enemy uses a stronghold against you, remember to turn to God.

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

 

Once Christmas becomes a happy memory, what do you do? Do you go to the store and exchange your gifts for something that fits better or is a better color? Do you play with all the fun new gadgets you received from loved ones? We all have traditions, but on that first Christmas, a young mother was simply caring for her baby… the Son of God.

There were certain things that had to be done in order to fulfill Jewish Law. Even though Jesus was God incarnate, He had put aside His deity in order to be a kinsman to the humans He created. He was born under very humble conditions to a very normal mother and stepfather who followed the Law precisely. After all, Jesus became human to be our Kinsman Redeemer, and He wouldn’t allow Himself to be above the Law. There were different requirements for male babies than for female. God knows there is a difference and that gender isn’t a choice, nor is it “fluid.”

God told Moses, “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days: according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled” (Leviticus 12:2-4). This was the Law when a son was born.

Joseph and Mary were obedient to the Law and did all that was required. “And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:21).

When Mary was visited by Gabriel and told she was chosen to give birth to the Son of God, he also told her to name Him Jesus. This is the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, meaning “Jehovah is salvation.” The name is important because that’s descriptive of why He was born. Salvation is only found in Him, and by faith, we are saved by His grace.

The next big event took place when Mary’s days of purification were accomplished. “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord)” (Luke 2:22-23).

Children are important to God. They are to be loved and nurtured. When God chose Mary to give birth to His Son, He knew that she would be faithful to the Law and love and nurture Jesus. Joseph, too, was a special man who would make sure the Law was followed. This is the example of a Godly family. A father who leads his family in the ways of the Lord, a mother who humbly submits to her husband, and both parents are God-honoring examples to their children.

The reason they were in the Temple that day was to present Jesus to the Lord. “And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons” (Luke 2:24). The Law required a sacrifice. “And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest: who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her: and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female” (Leviticus 12:6-7).

You see, not only was the child to be presented to God, but the mother had to be cleansed. Mary wasn’t perfect, nor was she above the Law. She was required to fulfill her responsibility. There was more required of her. “And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean” (Leviticus 12:8).

These offerings were for cleansing of her sins. Gabriel had greeted her, saying that she was highly favored and blessed among women (Luke 1:28). He didn’t say she was perfect and without sin. She needed salvation as much as anybody. We know from reading the account in Luke chapter 2 that she brought a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. She didn’t have a lamb to sacrifice… or did she? She brought with her the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world. Jesus.

It would seem logical that the priests of the Temple, who very religiously served God, would have recognized that it was their Messiah who was being presented to them that day. After all, not many days before, there had been angels proclaiming the birth of the King of kings to a group of shepherds. Those shepherds probably herded sheep to be used as sacrifices at the Temple. It would be reasonable that the priests would have heard about what the shepherds had seen and heard.

Much like today, the religious leaders weren’t watching and waiting for their Messiah. They knew that one day He would appear, but surely He would be a man of war who would save them from the oppression of the Romans. They weren’t looking for a baby born in a manger. They just didn’t believe prophecy, nor did they understand that there would be two comings of the same Messiah. The first would be a man of peace who would teach humility and love. An example for all to follow. The second coming will be when He destroys Satan, the true enemy of all mankind, and establishes His Eternal Kingdom.

Many people today are blind to the truth and deny that prophecy is quickly being fulfilled and that the Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord, will return with power and might. Some of us today do understand that Christ will call us Home soon, then fight the final battle, defeating Satan and his minions. Many people are willingly ignorant. “Knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant…” (2 Peter 3:3-5a). God’s word is truth, and prophecy will be fulfilled.

Today, there are many of us who do believe God and are looking for our Lord to call us Home. There were some long ago who also were looking for the Messiah. When Mary was on her way to fulfill her duty under the Law, she encountered two people who were not blinded by religious rites and those who wanted to control people. They believed God. “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him” (Luke 2:25).

Simeon was a special man. I’d like to be described as “just and devout.” The Holy Spirit wasn’t something new that appeared on the Day of Pentecost. The difference is that after Pentecost, believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Simeon had the Holy Ghost upon him. It’s the same Spirit, whether before or after the cross, who will lead a person to a close walk with the Lord. So, it was with Simeon.

“And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:26-32).

That’s quite a statement. Simeon, being led by the Holy Spirit, took joy in knowing that Jesus came to the nation of Israel and also to Gentiles, an unusual statement by a Jewish man but a statement inspired by the Holy Spirit. A Pharisee or priest would never make such a statement. We can learn more from Simeon than we know. He was content to die, having seen his Saviour with his own eyes. Until we come to salvation through Jesus Christ, we cannot die in peace. Only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ will bring eternal life.

Simeon lived prior to the cross but had been looking forward to the Messiah. Simeon also spoke a prophecy to Mary. “And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35). The day would come when Mary would be devastated as she watched her Son being crucified and pierced with a sword.

Simeon wasn’t the only one that day who recognized Jesus. “And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:36-37).

It seems as if the only ones who understood who this Child was were the ones who walked closest to God. If you are upset because you don’t know where God is leading you, or you think He doesn’t speak to you, maybe you should study Simeon and Anna and learn their ways. “And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38). Once she found Jesus, she couldn’t keep Him to herself. She told everyone.

This was a short study about people who were greatly blessed by walking close to God, believing His word, and patiently watching and waiting for His promise. Many people today call themselves Christians but have no idea what that means. At one time, my husband thought he was a Christian because he lived in the United States. Then he met Jesus. What a revelation that was to Ron! Like the shepherds who were told by angels to go find the Child in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes, they couldn’t keep their discovery quiet, and they shared what they had found. Ron couldn’t keep his joy to himself but shared the Good News. Simeon and Anna had been watching and waiting for many years, and because they lived close to God, they recognized their Redeemer when they met Him.

What about you? Do you desire to find Salvation? If you’ve met Jesus, do you share with others? We need to because if you study Scripture and walk close to the Lord, you know that Jesus is about to call born-again believers Home. We all need to be watching and waiting for that call, but we need to share the Gospel with everyone we know. The Rapture will happen soon.

The Apostle John was given the revelation of the end of days but was shown that before the Tribulation, Christians will be called Home. “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne” (Revelation 4:1-2).

I’m watching and waiting; how about you? Until then, I’m walking as close to God as I can. How about you?

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.