Jezebel & Ahab Spirit

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

When I was pastoring, and I pastored for somewhere near 20 years, I um uh was at a church where uh at one time where there was uh couple that was um a problem in the church. They had a controlling spirit. Um and so because that controlling spirit, they had controlled uh the spirit that is behind them, had controlled um a lot of things that were going on the church that happened in the church. And so the church's history, which it had a long, lengthy history um of problems and stuff, uh was like this was just kind of up and down, up and down like a roller coaster. They um, you know, they'd have good times to come right and then something would happen, and they have good times, and then something would happen, and they'd have good times and then something would happen. And so this continued to go on and on and on uh in the history of church. And I knew that when I when I came there to pastor them. And there was a, excuse me, there was a couple that was in the church again that had this controlling spirit that were part of the problem, weren't the only problem, but they're part of the problem. And um they um finally the church had stood up a little bit to them, not uh not a whole lot, but a little bit they had stood up and basically letting them know that, hey, we're we're we're gonna we're not gonna go there anymore. At least they thought they weren't gonna go there anymore. And um, and so they were thinking of leaving. This couple was. They, I don't believe they had said anything to anybody, but I could sense through discernment that they were thinking about leaving. And so this one service that we had, it probably was a Sunday night service, the gentleman that was a part of this fan, this uh this couple that was causing trouble in the church, it had this controlling spirit. Um, he got up to sing with a couple of other uh gentlemen from the church that had been there for a long time and and they had been friends for many years there in the church and outside the church and had done many things together and stuff. And they got up and they started singing something. I don't even remember what it was, and then for some reason I looked back at the wife uh of this gentleman uh that uh was a part of this controlling spirit that was going on, and I noticed that she was crying. And again, I uh began to discern that she was crying because of uh of how she felt about the sadness that they were going to be leaving this church and leaving these friends and so on and so forth. And I knew at that moment, God had given me discernment that at that moment I was not going to break the demonic control and the demonic power that was going there that was going to continue to control the church. What did that mean? That meant that as we pursued going up the hill and trying to do things for the Lord and win people to the Lord and see people healed and saved and and the and people taught and and all the things that the church needs to do, minister to people, as we go up the hill, we are going to hit those times where those uh spirits are going to move in and take over and are going to ruin. And it gets into the youth group and it gets into the missionary work and it gets into the evangelistic work and it gets into the Sunday school work and it gets into the you know after uh time uh uh fellowship with the people, it it permeates like a cancer, it spreads that uh controlling spirit does into everything, and so it was going to affect anything that we did, and it did, it affected all kinds, and it would pop up uh in different ways. Uh, it didn't it didn't always take on the same face. But what what it what it was is the enemy knew what bushes, if I may, what bushes to shake. He knew what weapons, he knew what people to stir up because he had. And and the reason that I wasn't going to stop what was going on wasn't because I didn't pray about it, wasn't because God didn't give me discernment, wasn't because I wasn't strong enough, powerful enough, or insightful enough, or whatever. It's because the will of the people, the will of the people, this is what they wanted. I know uh of another church that had a couple in it that uh um, you know, that again had a controlling spirit and were controlling everything, and the same thing. They had this history of up and down, they'd do very, very well, and then boom, they'd hit the bottom again, and they had this controlling spirit that was coming in, and he would make sure he ruins everything at the right time, and it was working through uh this couple. And um uh, and this pastor decided he couldn't take it anymore, so he resigned. And one of the members of the church called and tried to get him not to leave. And the member said this to the pastor. He said, and he called this couple by name, we'll say Bill and Barbara. It's not true, that's not their names, but he said, he said, Oh, you just got to understand Bill and Barbara. See, and the pastor knew right at that moment he was never going to break that demonic spirit and that demonic control in that church. Why? Because of the will of the people. The people wanted it. Whether they realized it or not, just by their passivity, allowing it to go on, allowing it to take place was just enough, all right, for those spirits to continue on because you have to confront this person. What did Jesus say? Speak to your mountain. He doesn't say just hope that it goes away. He says, don't even ask God to get rid of it. He says, speak to it. It's the same thing. Demons, when Jesus was cast out demons, he spoke to those demons specifically and told them, and the people there have to determine and and and deliberately stand and say, we are not going to put up with these controlling spirits anymore. That is destroying our church, destroying our youth, destroying our work, destroying the work of God, destroying the ministry of God, destroying the spirit moving. We are not going to continue to put up with this, and we are going to take a stand, and they have to take a deliberate stand, but these people weren't. And see what that what what that parishioner was telling that pastor was hey, you've got to just understand, just you've got to overlook them and go on and move on and everything. The problem was is that's exactly what's been going on, and people have been chased out the back doors quickly as they could be brought in the front. And so it that controlling spirit is going to continue. And uh, my friends, so many churches today have a can have a controlling spirit. And what you usually find is there's a couple, all right, that actually have a Jezebel spirit working in them. And the the the the um uh the husband is usually very passive, and so he is like Ahab. He has given up his authority over to the uh Jezebel spirit and the woman, and that spirit and that that conglomeration of the uh of the Ahab uh husband and the Jezebel uh um uh wife work together, all right, to bring that controlling spirit into the church and they wreak havoc there. And uh and the reason they get away with it is because nobody says anything, nobody does anything, nobody takes a stand against them. And so we're seeing that throughout our churches today. Sad things. And I think that many times pastors have given up and they have just tried to look for ways around dealing with these controlling spirits and these evil spirits and not doing what the Bible says. This is why Paul tells Timothy, he says, anybody that you see that's sinning, he says, rebuke openly so that others will fear. Rebuke them openly. And what we have pastors today is that they are uh, you know, trying to mill around and trying to manipulate and trying to work around those people and things because they know they're not going to be able to take on this uh this dinosaur, uh, this controlling spirit uh in the church. And so um, you know, uh we need to take on this person. I had a had another pastor come to me one time and was talking about how he dealt with problem people in the church. And he said this. He says, What I try to do is I try to neutralize them. He says, I just try to put them into a place to where they're of no effect or anything. See, I'm not gonna confront them, I'm not going to deal with their soul and where they're going. I'm not going to deal with what's going on in their life and what needs to be dealt with and do my pastoral duty. No, what I'm going to do is I'm going to try to ignore them and try to get other people to ignore them so that we can just go on. Because obviously there's nothing in the spirit working behind that, and that's a lie from the devil. There is. And that's some then that's a pastor who doesn't understand the spiritual warfare that we're in. You know, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual weakness in high places. That's where your real battle is, and that's where you've got the deal. But you have to stand up to it. And the church, the congregation, their collective anointing has to stand up against it. I pray for pastors now. I pray for church boards now. I pray for church leaders now. I pray for church leaders in every capacity of the church, denominational leaders, that right now that they would begin to have an awakening of leadership and an awakening of the spiritual battle that is going on in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. That they will have an awakening, a revival in their spirit, and God would give them discernment as never before in these last days to wake up before it's too late and try to revive the flock that has been worn out and torn down and beat up and and and hurt and and uh spiritually uh uh surrendered because of these controlling spirits that have have stolen their uh spiritual energy. Right now, in the name of Jesus, I pray for you, pastors and leaders, that you be set free in Jesus' name. God bless you.