A Book and Teaching Series on Strongholds, High Places, Oaths and Agreements, and How We Must Be Aware of Them on Multiple Fronts. When Do We Build Them, Tear Them Down or Destroy Them?
Publish Date: 2024
All strongholds are not evil or wicked. But, they can also be a primary strategic weapon the enemy uses against us. He ensnares, traps, and holds us captive. He neutralizes our effectiveness in our faith and can literally use them to kill us over time. Sometimes we don’t even realize we are held captive – and sometimes it’s too late when we realize it.
Do you remember when David was evading Saul? – literally for years! He very deliberately established and utilized strongholds in the Wilderness to support his operations, security, and resistance. There was a time though, when David turned his back on his faith and trust in God and deliberately made a CHOICE to move into enemy territory. He pledged his allegiance to the worldly king of the Philistines, who in turn gave David and his men a place to live (a stronghold) called Ziklag.
David would run many operations and raids out of Ziklag. However, this stronghold became a curse to David after sixteen months and a place where great loss resulted from a decision to receive temporary relief from previous trials.
There are other traps that the Bible refers to as “high places.” Humanity has forever created these places that hold our allegiances and devotion to other gods, idols and lifestyles. In much of the Old Testament history accounts, we find God telling His people to “destroy” them. In most cases, Israel did not do this and left them in place. God’s people have suffered and died because of high places and his leaders have fallen because of their neglect in dealing with the people and the high places.
Today, we have our own versions of high places and strongholds, all of which need to be demolished and destroyed. Yet, many times, we leave them in place thinking they are harmless if we just don’t pay much attention to them. I’d like to walk with you through some of these matters and share how we can wage war against the enemy of our souls and find new life, freedom, and direction in our lives once these places are gone.
I’ve been through similar circumstances in my life and found that the place ( The Wilderness of Ziph) where David made the decision to turn his back on the faithfulness of his God is a place that we all must come to – a place of decision when things matter the most.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
2 Corinthians 10: 3 – 6
Some time ago, God began walking with me through one of the most difficult business operations issues I have ever faced. I prayed, fasted and sought God for a very long time until one day, I was in the Word and He spoke to me about it. It began in the Old Testament where I was reading about Joshua making a peace treaty with an enemy of Israel. He had been deceived, but he made the agreement nonetheless, based on the poor work of his men, and his own negligence before God. He had failed to seek the Lord about the agreement before he made it. God was not pleased.
I realized I had made a similar mistake some years before and began asking God what I should do about it. I realized it was not going to be an easy journey, because God made it very clear, he takes seriously our commitments, oaths and promises. He walked me through a process of repentance, prayer, study, fellowship, and meditation in the Word.
I’d like to share some of this journey and process with you. Maybe you have found in your own life that you’ve made some poor decisions – some bad agreements. And now, you feel trapped. For some folks, and I am one of them, the feeling of being a caged lion is as bad as death itself. In reality, sometimes being trapped can feel a lot like a living-death. I lost my closest friend a couple years ago to suicide. He felt that way. His death was avoidable, but the enemy won that battle.
I almost followed along, as I too felt utterly defeated. Then God intervened and showed me there was a different way of thinking. Our minds can be our greatest weapon on multiple levels of life. It can also become our worst enemy if our hearts and tongues remains undisciplined and unbridled.
I look forward to this journey with you! Check back often, as I’ll be updating this frequently. Shalom
CenturionXL 