|
Messages
April - May 2008 E-Zine
Jan - Feb 2008 E-Zine
Fragmentation Following THE CALL
Pray for Our Port Cities
Salvaging Faith
Let There Be Joy
Feuds & Disagreements
The Year Of The Woman
The Marriage of the Prophetic and Faith
The Lord of the Rings
House of Prayer
Saul's new Armor
From "Sin to Signs"
Today's Man
Handwriting on Wall
True Justice
Turning Things Right-side Up .... |
Articles, Studies, & Prophetic Words
get our newsletter sent to your email !!!
Saul's New Armor
Tracy M. Schellhorn
04-17-05
The Lord has been unveiling for me a plot of the enemy.
I'm hesitant to sound the alarm, because I don't want to appear
critical of my brethren, nor do I want to create suspicion in
the Church. Our unity is essential. So, I ask the Holy Spirit to
put a coal to my pen to burn up what is not of Him and a light
to your eyes to see the Truth.
We must be aware of the plans of the enemy, or we will be
ensnared in them. At the same time, we must remember that our
battle is not against flesh and blood. We must love our
neighbors while giving no room to the enemy.
The deception that has been unleashed is this:
SAUL IS WEARING DAVID'S ARMOR!
Our enemy is a master of disguise. His most effective tactics
are slightly off – perverted and twisted – but not blatantly
obvious. He knows most Christians wouldn't fall for a full
frontal attack. The evil would be too clearly identifiable.
However, if he can just blend in with the surroundings . . .
The Garden
That's what he did in the Garden. He went right into God's
Garden, clothed as one who belongs there. He hid out among the
creation until he saw his opportunity to introduce doubt to Eve.
DECEPTION IS THE PLOY. II Corinthians 11:3, among other verses,
tells us that Eve was deceived. How? It's likely that she saw
this creature, and others like it, on a regular basis. She
became accustomed to its presence. Perhaps she shivered at first
or felt a tinge of "darkness," but as she ignored that witness,
she became so acquainted with the thing that she became blind to
it. No longer did she get "the willies" when the serpent was
around.
DECEPTION COMES THROUGH THE FAMILIAR.
At this point, Eve was a prime target for deception. The enemy
made his move. She fell for it. The rest is history.
David's Armor
One thing my grandfather always said to me was, "History always
repeats itself." I have found that to be true. As in the Garden,
the serpent has come yet again to deceive. This time, he
recognizes the "Davidic" movement -- passion, praise . . .
intimacy with the Lord. If he shows up throwing spears at it,
he'll be quickly identified – especially with all the watchmen
who have sounded the alarm regarding "Saul."
So, as is his nature ("Wicked" means "to twist.), he twists the
truth. He puts on David's armor. He clothes himself as a man
after God's own heart. He reads the books. He buys the music. He
listens to the tapes. He attends the conferences. He may even
speak at the conferences. With a little practice, he's like Rich
Little – an expert impersonator, possibly even fooling himself.
Without the revelation of our Helper, Holy Spirit, we will think
this one is like us. We'll think he's got the revelation, the
anointing, and the passion of David. We begin to follow after
what he says, and soon there are many who, like Eve, have
suppressed their inner witness and no longer guard themselves,
for they have been deceived into buying a lie.
Jesus tells us that false Christ's and false prophets will
arise, showing great signs, wonders and attesting miracles, so
as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24)
Guarding Against Deception
So, how do we guard against it? How do we recognize Saul in
David's armor?
The way we do everything else – by complete reliance on the Holy
Spirit. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Stay in the Word. Do not
neglect your times of prayer, praise and fellowship with the
Lord. KEEP THE LOVE ALIVE.
When you stay connected to the One who is Truth, then you
recognize truth, and you recognize the lie. Respect the inner
witness of the Spirit. Take time to ask Him about it. Consult
trusted advisors to pray with you. (Do this without accusation
against a brother but rather quietly and in confidence with
those you can trust not to pass judgment.)
The Word assures us that if we seek, we will find. (Matthew 7:7)
If we seek wisdom, the Lord will give it to us liberally. (James
1:5)
The hour we live in, and the days ahead, are no time to neglect
our relationship with God or ignore the witness of the Spirit.
Recognizing the Deception
There's an old saying that if it walks like a duck and talks
like a duck, then it must be a duck. In this case, that is not
true. The walk, the talk, the outward appearance are all
craftily tailored to look like God's man, David.
However, the words are dry and flat. They don't drip with
anointing like David's. There is a lot of talk about worship but
there's actually very little worshipping – of God – going on.
There's a representation of humility that shrouds the
self-exaltation and put-downs of fellow brethren and ministries.
They say one thing, and do another.
Many will be fooled. They will be awed by the display.
However, let me ask you this: DOES THIS PERSON CONSISTENTLY
POINT THE WAY TO JESUS AND GLORIFY THE FATHER? – Or does he/she
exalt him/herself more than the One who is worthy of all our
praise?
One way we can exalt ourselves is by being the one who has the
answer to all the questions. (Not recognizing the function of
"The Body.") There are many other subtle ways to exalt oneself,
but remember that subtlety and deception are the key components
that make this strategy a success. Pride is actually shrouded in
humility or a "god-like-ness." So, be on your guard. Peter warns
us to be alert and vigilant, for our adversary, the devil,
prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (I
Peter 5:8)
Where our treasure is, our heart will be also. If our own
wisdom, success and anointing is our treasure, then that's where
our heart is. If the Lord Himself is our treasure, our hearts
will be His.
Jesus said that the religious scholars of his day were like
white-washed tombs full of dead men's bones. (Matthew 23:27)
That is a picture of Saul in David's armor. All polished up on
the outside, but dead, jealous, absent the anointing – and maybe
even mad – on the inside.
"Guard your hearts with all diligence, for out of it flow the
issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23)
Prayer
I've sounded the alarm. Now, it's your turn. Forward this to
anyone the Lord may be revealing to you. We must all be warned.
First, and foremost, I pray that whatever "Saul" remains within
me, the Lord will bring to light that I may allow the
Vinedresser to prune off those limbs.
Next, I pray that the deception will be broken, and those who
are operating out of the spirit of Saul will come to repentance.
We must have mercy, because "except for the grace of God, there
go I."
Third, I pray that those who are being led by this deception
will be brought into the light, so that they no longer subject
themselves to the counterfeit.
Last, I ask that the Lord increase the true passion in His
Beloved to such a degree that the false could never compare. May
our lives be evidence that Christ lives – our hope of Glory!
_____________________________________________________________________
(For more insight on listening to the inner witness of the
Spirit, see Kathie Walters' article, at the InJesus website,
dated April 8th and entitled, "Learning to listen to the witness
in your spirit – very important." Her article was confirmation
to me to release "Saul's New Armor."
www.injesus.com)
(An excellent resource on becoming a "David" rather than a
"Saul" is Rick Joyner's Word for the Week series entitled,
"Creating a Clean Heart." Part VII is particularly applicable as
it addresses the thing that overtook Saul – jealousy. You can
read these articles at the Morningstar Ministries website under
"Word for the Week."
www.morningstarministries.org)
|
