Thoughts for Life: #50 Old Testament Territoriality

C. Peter Wagner: Throughout the Old
Testament, it is evident that the peoples
of that day—unfortunately including
Israel at certain times—regarded gods,
deities, spirits or angelic powers of
various kinds as having territorial jurisdiction.

A prominent example is the fierce dislike Jehovah God had for high places.

Texts such as Numbers 33:52, which commands the children of Israel to "destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places" are too numerous to catalog.

As I pointed out in the last chapter, #44 Spirits in the Wagner House, there was more to these stones and images and high places than just harmless native art.

Many of these had become the literal dwelling place of demonic spirits, later in the New Testament called principalities and powers.

Some of the fiercest expressions of God's anger are connected with Israelites who, rather than destroy the high placed, worshiped and served the demonic beings that occupied them.

Ahaz was one who "in every single city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers" (2 Chron. 28:25).

The result? "They were the ruin of him and of all Israel" (Chron. 28:23).

Time after time God had to execute judgment and punish Israel for what was frequently referred to by the prophets as spiritual adultery. The Babylonian captivity was one such judgment.

Warfare Prayer

#50 Old Testament Territoriality
By C. Peter Wagner

(pgs. 89, 90) Regal Books

Mark I. Bubeck shares with us from his book The Satanic Revival (pg 245) "Recognition of the need to revival begins with the realization that we have fallen into spiritual decline."

Prayer for your pastor's children: "Pray for your pastor's children, and especially that the pressures of the ministry will not discourage or embitter them. Pray that your pastor will provide godly leadership in the home, not based on fear of what others will think, but according to Scriptural truth. (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:2 0- 21) If your pastor does not have children, pray that God will give him many "spiritual children" as he shares the Gospel.)

Today's praise verse: 1 Chron. 16:34 "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Father, we know that there are things we do, which displease You.

Israel weren't the only ones who worshiped idols. Please
reveal what our "idols" are, so we will allow You to help us
relinquish them over to You.

It is my desire to worship You only, so give me the grace to let the ones that take Your place in my heart, to be torn down.

I ask this in the Name of Jesus, the only One who is able to help me with this. Amen.

Today’s Bible verse: Daniel 5:21c "God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will."

Today’s quote: Lenn L. Latham in Let God In (out of print), (pg 15)- "Fullness of life is open to all who will place themselves unreservedly under God's benevolent control."

Some thoughts today: Holiness and righteousness is an issue of the heart.

- We must insist on what God's Word says, and not back down with less than what He has said. Don't allow others to make you angry, as then you'll lose the precepts you've learned, and won't be able to share them.

- Arrogance is resisting God's truth. We have to know His truth,
so it takes effort to read and study it. As God loved us so much, He made sure that His Word was available to us today. He has
put everything we need to know between the covers of the Bible.

21st- Saturday’s post: Thought Prevention
Max Lucado

22nd- Sunday evening's post: The Gift of Forgiveness
Dr. Charles F. Stanley

24th- Tuesday's post: #51 The Pentateuch
C. Peter Wagner

26th- Thursday's post:#52 Historical Books
C. Peter Wagner

A popular post: #29 Can We Identify With This?

C. Peter Wagner: "Some at this
point may be reasoning that Jesus
was able to engage in such a power
encounter because He is God, ...
Since none of us is God, we
therefore cannot identify with this kind of spiritual warfare..."