Drug Abuse and Witchcraft

Galatians 5: 19-21
Now the works of the flesh are evident: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like....

Witchcraft 

This morning I want to deal with witchcraft because this is what the Lord put on my heart the last few days.

I want to take something from my devotional because it is so powerful. My daily devotional is called "Sparkling Gems from the Greek" by Rick Renner. When someone passed this to me I was so thrilled because this is deep! Anyways so Rick Renner is talking about witchcraft... and in this devotional he says "the word witchcraft is from the Greek word pharmakeia, the Greek word for medicines or drugs that inhabit a person's personality or behavior. We would call these mind altering drugs. The Greek word pharmakeia is where we get the words pharmaceutical drugs or the word pharmacy. This word was used in connection with sorcery, magic or witchcraft."

Now, the word witchcraft can go deeper into also meaning a few other things like control etc.. but I want to stick right here with the word pharmakeia. I know I am going to lose a lot of people and people might get mad at me for a few things I might write here but I am not here to win a popularity contest, I am here to contend with a spiritual force on the earth that is killing millions.

I can relate with all this because I was married to someone with an addiction problem. I have seen what addiction does to not only a person, but the families of someone with an addiction problem. There is such a wide spread problem with addiction and the root of this problem is the spirit of witchcraft.

The spirit of witchcraft hungers and thirsts for control, and if you think about addicion, the root of that addiction is the spirit of witchcraft. Today witchcraft is spread by some Doctors... rather they know or not. This can break off into many branches here about this, but I want to stay focused on the problem. I want to add a side note, I am not bashing all Doctors , and I am not saying that taking all medicine is witchcraft, but what I am saying is that there is a huge problem here on a global scale, and if we don't battle this behemoth, it will get worse. We Christians have to stand up and fight like we have never fought before.

We need to stand up to this stronghold, but with Christ all things are possible. The Bible says we are to pull down strong holds so this thing can be defeated.

So my Pastors wife spoke something the other day about opiates and how so many are just hooked and addicted. Many hate it, but can't let loose of the yoke that is around their neck. Opiates come from the poppy plant, and is used in many drugs today, both legal and illegal.

Opiates are highly addictive and millions today are suffering. I worked at a pharmacy for over 4 years and have seen the effects that drugs that are opiates have on people. I have seen people showing up to the pharmacy a week or two early just to try and get their prescription filled early... I have heard all the excuses but you know there is a substance abuse problem. The government has stepped in and has helped some by holding Doctors accountable, watching prescriptions, how they are written and called in, how they are dispenced etc... but it hasn't stopped the problem.

The government was never called to stop spiritual problems. I believe only God can, but this isn't on God's shoulders alone, it's also on ours because we are the church. God placed the church here to be His hands, His feet and His voice here on the earth. We are the whistle blowers and we are the ones that are called to stand, to pray, to work here on earth. Drugs don't cure, or fix anything.... they can only assist. A pill cannot cure a problem.... I don't care what someone says... if a drug could cure a problem the drug companies would go out of business.

They don't make money by curing people, they make money by getting you to come back to your pharmacy every month. They will make you a slave. The drug company needs the Doctor to write more scripts..

It's sad that many Christians have put more faith in their Doctors and prescriptions than they have God. This leads me back to the root word of witchcraft.... pharmakeia. 

Guys, it's time to hunker down and pray more... seek more...get free of things that bind us. There is so much more I wanted to say but it's for another day.

It is my hope and my prayer that we seek God and get free!!!

be blessed

Face to Face

Exodus 33: 9-11
When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun,  young man, would not depart from the tent.


How powerful is this? Just think about this for just a moment.... the Bible declares that the Lord would speak to Moses, face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Now if this isn't powerful enough, when Moses left, Joshua, who would lead after Moses, stayed in the tent, would not leave.

The picture above is true, God doesn't call the qualified, but He does qualify the called, but what many who are called fail to realize is that there is a price to pay to be chosen. If you are chosen, you got to be willing to meet wth God, and you got to be willing to stay in the tent like Joshua, even though others have left.

Many have said I want to be used of God. I want to walk like Smith Wigglesworth, John G. Lake, Evan Roberts, Charles Finney etc... but are you willing to pay the price for that type of anointing? You don't think there is a price to pay for a powerful anointing? Ha! You have to be willing to lay down everything, and I do mean everything for that anointing. You have to be willing to walk alone. You have to be willing to suffer, and suffer greatly for that type of walk with God. I look at the life of Moses and the life of Joshua.

We all are quick to point out Moses sin when he struck the rock and disobeyed God, but what about before that? Examine the life of Moses. Look at the things Moses endured. Moses and David are my favorites in the Bible for different reasons. A few things I love about both Moses and David is that they were never satisfied with just a touch from God.... no they wanted God with all their heart, and not only that they suffered.

Do you know what separates the men from the boys? No it's not the size of the church or the ministry, it's in the meeting with God face to face. Do you know what will make a disqualified person qualified? It's in the meeting God face to face times.

There is always hope for the broken, no matter how broken they are... no matter how bad they are because all is can take is 1 meeting with the Lord that can change their lives 180 degrees.

Are you in a dry place today? Are you in the doldrums of life? My question is, when's the last time you were face to face with the Lord? Don't give excuses but just be real with yourself... I am not your judge and I am not the one who has all the answers, only God has those answers.

Today I want to encourage you to get before the Lord. Today make a decision to be like Moses.... separate yourself from the crowd, get alone with God face to face, and make it a habit, and watch how your life changes.

Do you want to be qualified? Get alone with the Lord, face to face and watch what happens. It can be life changing!

Shout til the Walls Come Down

So the Lord has me reading the book of Joshua. I can't help but to love when the children of Israel came to Jericho and shouted the walls down. I can't even imagine what a sight that must have been. But before I talk about that I want to bring you back to the 1st chapter of Joshua.

Joshua 1: 2&3 
Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am GIVING to them, to the people of Israel. EVERY place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have GIVEN to you, just as I promised to Moses 

Joshua 1:5&6 
No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit (to receive property etc.. as an heir) the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 

Moses is one of my favorites in the Bible. Moses pressed in and changed the mind of God. Yes, true story. Anyways one thing that stinks about Moses is that he got to look and see the promised land, but never walk in it. How sad would that be to see the person you were called to be but never walk in it? How sad would it be to see what you were called to do but never fulfill it? This is why God is raising up Joshua's. Moses was a great man of God and a great leader but he couldn't walk into the promised land, Joshua did. It's time to start inheriting the land. It's time to start taking over. It's time to be the woman/man that God has called you to be. It's not to late! God hasn't left you. God hasn't forsaken you. It's time to fulfill that destiny. Swallow that pride and stop the pity party. It was ok at first, but now it's ridiculous. You know the devil is the only one showing up to your pity party. He will always come as long as your always the victim. He will come as long as your not doing anything for the kingdom. Do you want to be a Moses who just looks at what you could have done, Or do you want to be a Joshua who walks in it?

When I get to heaven the last thing I want to hear from the Lord is, Troy, you served me but came up short when it came to fulfilling your destiny. Nope, the words I want to hear from the Lord is, you have done well my good and faithful servant.

Don't allow the walls to stop you because when it comes to the Lord walls are meant to come down. The people of Jericho were afraid of the children of Israel because of what happened in Egypt. If you can wrap your mind around at the magnitude of what happened in Egypt you would see why the people in Jericho were scared. Their walls were big and they were thick, but that means nothing when you factor the power of God. The walls were so thick they used to have chariot races on them, but do you think that scared God? Was it to difficult for the Lord? Nope. You better ask somebody!

So why did the children of Israel have to march around the walls for 7 days? There are really 2 reasons that I can think of.

1) Raise the faith of the Israelites.

When they marched around them walls they saw big, thick walls.... but they had to see it. They knew God was with them, and witnessed what the Lord did in Egypt but still... their faith still needed to be elevated.

Have you ever seen something that you wanted like a house, car or whatever and kept lookin at it. I have seen my Dodge chalenger about 1,000 times I think. I have this car posted on my Pinterest account everywhere and every time I drive by a Dodge dealership I am looking for a Challenger. I like the Dodge Challenger Hell Cat... just saying!

Someday I will have it! Until then i keep looking at it. God told the children of Israel that them walls were coming down, they kept circling and looking at them walls. Their faith had to be elevated.

2) Simple obedience

When we obey God good things happen. Maybe it doesn't happen at first, but trust me when I say that as we obey God, we will see His hand on our behalf. Because they chose to obey God, them walls came down with the shout!

Notice something about this.... let's say you have millions of people, even with a shout in the natural walls wouldn't come down, especially walls that thick. Think about it! Who cares how many people you have that's crazy. Did God need them to shout in order for those walls to come down? No way, God could have done that all by himself, but He required action from His people.

So, what are you facing today? Let's bring this home to you. What's going on in your world and what walls do you need to come down today? Today is your day. I want you to believe in faith that you will achieve what God gave you to do on this earth. I don't care how big it is. Think about if Michael Jordan end up being a manager at McDonald's. What if Steve Jobs end up as an associate at JC Penny? These men had to put in work, just like us. What has God called you to be? You got to be a person of faith no matter what your called to do. It will take faith to get there.

And lastly, you have to walk in obedience. Does this mean you will be perfect? Not saying all that but it will take obedience to what God said. You will get there. keep pushing, keep pressing. Don't give up! Shout to them walls come down. It's tme to get rid everything that is between you and the promise.  Time for them walls to come down. Your walls are different than mine, but no matter what your walls look like, it's time they come down. Get to shouting. Watch the Lord work.

be blessed!

Time to Stomp

Romans 16:20
And the God of peace will soon crush satan under your feet. 

I don't know who this dude is that is pictured but I sure like the way he is about to stomp. I got thinking about where the church is currently at. We are at such a pivotal moment. So much is going on. There is so much spiritual activity going on in the earth all at the same time. Some say boy the enemy is loose, yea maybe but so is the Lord.

So here is my thing... if there is a lot of enemy, than maybe it's time to stomp him out. You say Troy you are crazy, look at the scripture listed in Romans. I don't know about you but I am past done with the enemy. I am done with him. He has been hanging around the church a little to much and yanno what? It's time for him to go, are you with me? Or do you like it when he hangs around? Do you like when he tries to destroy you, your family, your destiny? I am past done and I am saying it's time to stomp him like the cockroach that he is.

Isn't it something how Paul says that God will crush satan under your feet? I don't know but that's pretty awesome! I mean it's one thing for the Lord to do it, but it's another thing when the Lord allows us to join in on the stomping and crushing.

So let me break this down for you. So Lucifer (Satan) is the praise and worship leader in heaven... he is stupid to think that he could exalt himself above God, so because nobody trumps God, the Lord sends him to the earth. God creates man to rule on the earth. Satan, who is great at his job ,deceives Adam and Eve and she eats of the only tree that God said not to eat. Satan says I got God now, but what Satan doesn't ever get is that God is the one who holds all the cards. Sometimes we think what is God doing? Trust me, He is in charge of this whole thing, anyways... God sends His Son to the earth, to die for humanity. Not only did He die for us, but He restores what Adam lost in the fall. So now things are even better because we have the Holy Spirit on the inside of us and God crushes satan under our feet. How cool is that? Hahahahahaha

Some of you are going through some tough things. So my advice, start stomping! You don't have to take it! Keep stomping! When the devil rises up, STOMP! When he comes against your spouse, STOMP! When he comes against your kids, STOMP! He will keep coming unless you stomp.

So tonight as I end this I want to encourage you to lavish at the thought of God stomping the devil under your feet. He wants to use you so be like nike and just do it. You are more than a conqueror. You are the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. Take your God given authority and crush, stomp, and don't allow that punk to rise up on you.

Be Blessed all!

Desiring the Gifts

1 Cor 14:1 
Pursue love, and ernestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 

So our chuch has been doing an internship with Bible reading, along with going through a workbook by Rob McCorkle called, Living in the Supernatural. I would strongly advise anyone and everyone I know to get this workbook and go through it. It's so rich and God has breathed on this thing. He has so much revelation and insight! I have never done a workbook with so much richness in it!

So last night we went through this chapter and the author breaks this part down. He got into the Greek of the word desire ,which is zeloo. If you look at the meaning of zeloo it means to burn with zeal, to have heated or boil with effection. Selah! (pause and think about that)

Let's look at the 9 gifts of the Spirit found in 1 Cor 12: 7-11. The gifts of the Spirit are the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, prophecy, faith, miracles, gifts of healings, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues.

The verse in 1 Cor 14:1 says to desire the gifts, which again means, to burn with zeal, heated or boil with effection. So when it comes to the gifts of the Spirit we are to desire the gifts, we are to burn with zeal. So why should we burn with zeal when it comes to the gifts of the Spirit? Is it so we can boast and be arrogant about what God has given us? No way, the reason we are to desire the gifts is because we have a lost and dying world who needs to hear God, see God, and we got to show them.

Now I know what your thinking... they should just believe without signs... after all Jesus got upset because people were seeking a sign but what happened in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit fell in the upper room? It got into the streets and God took over. Healing, miracles, signs, wonders, deliverance, and the power of the Holy Spirit was everywhere.... and after the upper room experience all this was done through the church! The Holy Spirit is the giver of the gifts so why not desire them? Since when have you turned down a gift? Thats ridiculous we don't turn down gifts especially if these are gifts would come from God. It's not for you to boast, it's for you to go and use it for Kingdom purpose and Kingdom gain. No gift is ever to lift us up, it's to bring glory to God.

We are the carriers of the Kingdom of God. Think about it! The Holy Spirit isn't floating around somewhere on the earth He dwells in believers. John 14: 17 says, Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Ok so, during this time the apostles didn't have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of them, this happened later on... The game changer happened on the day of Pentecost. Now, here is another thing.. we can't get stuck at Pentecost. This was a powerful day when the Holy Spirit fell,  but we as believers are to go forward, go beyond this experience. I am going to say something else that will really make you want to flip out on me.. we have to get past the cross. The cross is a place of death, death to Christ, our Substitute, the Lamb of God. He went to the cross for us but guess what? He didn'ty stay there and neither can we. If we are to mature we have to get past the cross and start living our Christian life. There are way to many spiritual babes. We got to grow.. we can't simply park and not grow.

As I end this I want to encourage you today to think about all of this. I want you to think about the gifts of the Spirit... Read these gifts in 1 Cor 12:7-11. Ask the Lord to reveal these gifts to you. Desire these gifts. It's not wrong to desire them, the Bible says to desire them. You may be like me and desire all of them... is that wrong? It's not wrong as long as you have the right motive. My motive is to see the devil get his. My motive is to see people free. My motive is to see people healed. My motive is for people to see God in action. There are to many dead churches and Pharisees behind the pulpit and sitting in the pew. It's time to see some action! This is what Jesus was all about. Read the gospels... Jesus was all about teaching and mentoring His disciples to do what He was doing. We must be a people of action!

The Gloves are Off!!!!!!!

Matthew 11:12 
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 

John 14: 14 
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 

Have you ever had one of those days when you thought it was going to go one way and went another? Let me just say this happened to me yesterday so this is why I am partially writing this, the other reason is because there are so many of you right now that are right on the edge of your breakthrough but you need something  to push you over the edge. Do you remember when Jacob wrestled the angel in the Book of Genesis? Jacob was getting his blessing (Genesis 32:22-28) no matter what. Jacob refused to be denied.

Some of you all are being to cute. Some of you all are acting like this thing isn't worth a fight. Hey, God is going to be granting breakthrough but it's going to cost you something. When Job went through his stuff he got double for his trouble. I am not interested in pumping you up I want to see you transformed. I don't want to make your flesh happy I want to see you gain momentum in the spirit and get your breakthrough. How willing are you to fight?

To many Christians are simply not fighting and God is saying, "if you want breakthrough you got to fight". I know what your going to say, the battle is not mine Troy, it's the Lord's. Really? Did Jacob have to wrestle? Jacob was bound and determined to get his and let me just say, I am bound and determined to get mine. Come hell or high water my gloves are off and I am more than willing to fight and do whatever it takes. I will fight and do what I must do.

I told my wife Marketta yesterday that we went through to much hell to just sit here and do nothing. You got to have a, do whatever it takes kind of attitude. Jesus got stirred up Himself whenever John the Baptist was beheaded... what did he do? He went out and started healing folk. He didn't just sit there. Guys, you can't just sit there.

This isn't some cute devil we are fighting, the Bible says he is out to steal, to kill, and to destroy. Jesus said I have come that we might have life! So the battle is real, the fight is real, and we can't allow the devil to stop up our blessing or our breakthrough. Again I am not here to tease your flesh I want to see the body of Christ get breakthrough. I want to see the body of Christ do something and get theirs for a change. I am sick of the body of Christ getting the short end of the stick and we just sit here and agree with it and continue waiting on things that are available for us to get! I say no more delay! I say no to the enemy who is trying everything to dam up our blessing and our breakthrough. Today I want you to say NO MORE! Today I want you to get sick and tired of being sick and tired. Let a holy boldness rise up in you and take this thing by force!

Pain

Psalm 30:11&12
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever

How many of us have experienced pain? How many of us have ever gone through anything? I think it's safe to say that everyone at some point and time has been though something in their life. I believe that God has me doing this today for someone who really needs to hear that God is for you and not against you. If you don't understand that everything will be off in your life. We have to understand a few things.

The 1st thing we have to understand is that the Bible says it rains on the just and the unjust. If you think that just because you become a Christian you can escape pain and trouble you have another thing coming. If you look throughout the Word nearly everyone went through pain and went through trouble of some kind. Sometimes Preachers and people paint this picture that once you become born again that life is filled with flowers and rainbows and you will never have another worry or care in life. Can I be honest? Most of the time it gets worse before it gets better. What I mean is that when you make this decision to follow Christ, the devil will react because you are now against his kingdom. An attack sometimes will come to knock you out of your decision to follow Christ. This can come from a variety of ways. Maybe it's people you hung out with who did things that you no longer do, maybe it's a relationship, maybe it's a bad habit... whatever the case the attacks don't stop... the fight doesn't stop, and the pain you may go through at times will still have to be gone through. So what's the difference right? The difference is who is with you. God said He is for you, and not against you! The Bible says that weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). What makes all the difference in the world is that God can and will strengthen you. God will give you peace.. the enemy can't do that, only God.

The 2nd thing we have to get today is that we need trials, we need pain, we need hard times. I know what your saying, Troy you have lost your ever living mind right? Think about a woman who is about to give birth. A woman who is about to give birth suffers lots of pain, but what she is doing is pushing something out and that process needs to happen. The woman in labor has to go through the pain to receive her child. The pain she has to go though is almost unbearable (I would imagine) but when it's all over, and a child is delivered into her hands and the pain she went through is worth it. My son Noah, who is now 7 years old has at times has  had pain in his legs. All I knew was to give him advil or tylenol but he was going through growth pains, and a growth spurt. The pain was part of the process.

You see as much as we hate to admit, we need the pain to help us grow. We even experience growing pains spiritually because God is trying to get us from one season to the next. What's in the middle of two seasons? Usually a trial, a test, and a trick of the enemy to knock us out of our destiny.

There is a 3rd thing I need to cover when it comes to pain. What about depression, oppression, trauma, loss and grief? Is God a part of this? Here is the short answer to that. When it comes to oppression and depression God is not the author of that kind of pain. The devil will bring depression and oppression into your life to knock you out or delay your God given destiny and miss your timing. Depression is a spirit. What about trauma? grief? loss? I don't believe that God is the author of that either. When i comes to loss we have all gone through it. We have lost a loved one, a friend, a relative, and than there is grief for that one. In my opinion that is natural... but you have to be careful because grief can turn into oppression and depression and that is a doorway for the enemy to gain entrance into your life. He is slick and can squirm into the smallest of cracks in our armor. So my advice, always be on guard.

I don't know where you are at today, but I want to encourage you. I want to speak into your life. I want to say that weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. I want to say that God is going to turn your mourning into dancing. Keep going today! Keep pressing in today! Don't quit! You got this! God is for you, not against you. That's not a saying, it's the truth. God will make a way for you. God will get you through it!

Be Blessed!