The Lost Agenda -- Kill, Steal and Destroy

Chapter Twenty
Kill, Steal and Destroy!

"Lest satan should get an advantage of us;
for we are not ignorant of his devices"
(2 Corinthians 2:11).

The Bible warns us that "in the latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach." We are living in a day when scripture is being fulfilled before our very eyes. The discerning Christian is not ignorant of the enemy's devices, but it would seem that many a soldier of the cross is easily deceived.

Some time ago, I was waiting to minister to a gathering of about 300 youths, most of them Christians. Just before I was about to speak, the local youth group put on a drama. To create the atmosphere, they turned down the lights and played some heavy rock music. It worked. The air was electric. A spotlight flashed onto an obvious prostitute, a drug addict...suddenly in the darkness a scream came from the congregation. More screaming. This wasn't part of the drama. A young man who had been into the rock scene began to manifest demons. As the lights were switched on, the youth, in a demonic fit flung himself across a table of my publications then onto the floor, still screaming and writhing. The congregation began to sing, "There's power in the Blood." The Pastor, somewhat taken back by the incident asked what he should do. I suggested a lively chorus. In the meantime, I changed my message to the "power of rock music." I was told some months later that many of the "Christians" there that day, had their jackets zipped up to hide rock music T-shirts.

Satan has many ways and means by which he is attacking this generation. As we have seen in earlier chapters, rock music is only one of them. The Bible warns us that the enemy is subtle and will often resort to camouflage. The dictionary meaning of camouflage is a "disguise of guns, ships, etc.; affected by obscuring outline with splashes of various colors; use of smoke screens, boughs, etc. for same purpose; means of throwing people off the scent."

If you have had any dealings with the occult; if you've been harboring bitterness; or you've been into Dungeons & Dragons, ouija boards, seances, levitation, good luck charms, astro-projection, Transcendental meditation, etc., you need to renounce it or them from the heart. That means you pray a levitation, good luck charms, astro-projection, Transcendental meditation, etc., you need to renounce it or them from the heart. That means you pray a prayer of abandonment.

Pray something like this:

"Satan, I totally renounce you and (name the area of the occult you were into). I disclaim it! I don't want it in my life! In Jesus' name, I submit to God and resist you and all your works. I am cleansed by the blood of Jesus. I close the door to satan and open myself to be completely possessed by the Holy Spirit. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

If you find yourself counselling someone who has been into the occult, be wary of prolonged demonic manifestation. When I have someone at the altar begin to manifest demons, I pray against the spirit, in Jesus' name; command it to tell the area of strong-hold, then have the person pray a prayer of renunciation. Often one can determine the area of strong-hold through a few questions before prayer, i.e. "Do you honor your parents, have you been into the occult?, etc." If there has been a resentment, bitterness or some area of sin to allow a foothold for the enemy, there may be a scream or some sort of manifestation, but don't get caught up for hours praying for or arguing with the spirits. They are seeking to wear you down. More than once, Jesus told demons, "Hold your peace, and come out of him!" Just get straight into the prayer of renunciation.

Some time ago, a clean-cut, well-dressed Malaysian student asked me why his hands contorted when he went to prayer. I asked him if he had been into Buddhism and he said that as a child he had bowed to his grandmother's altars. As I began to pray immediately his hands twisted and contorted, then he began to choke. I led him in a prayer of renunciation, renouncing Buddhism, and satan. The moment he prayed, his hands went back to normal and peace came to his mind, because he closed the door.

You can pray for someone until you are blue in the face (literally), and it will do no good if that person will not submit to God. That submission is what makes the enemy flee.

Pray that God will give you some of his creativity. If a rock concert is coming to town, don't just pray against it, but run to it and use it as an opportunity to preach. Write a tract using the group's lyrics as a springboard. Take a team to witness and preach. Generate enthusiasm.

The word enthusiasm comes from two Greek words, "en" and "Theos" - "in" "God." If we are in God, we should be bursting with vibrant enthusiasm. Write bar tracts using a picture of a happy boozer on the front and use it as an entrance into the discourse of Jesus with the woman at the well, not forgetting to warn of the future judgment. If you are a female, don't let this fact hold you back from being involved in evangelism. Not too many people realize that the first evangelists were women. They took the Good News of the resurrection to the unbelieving, fearful, cringng disciples, who were hiding behind locked doors. It was the wisdom of God to tell two women of the resurrection.

Satan Claws Or Santa Claus?

Whatever your attitude is to Christmas, why not use it as a springboard for the Gospel? Get hold of a flat-decked truck, a large Christian, a Santa Claus suit from a hire service, a large bag full of candy, some musical instruments, carol songbooks and a megaphone.

On Christmas eve, or the proceeding days, park on street corners, sing carols, have Santa throw candy to kids and preach the Gospel through the megaphone using Christmas as a springboard. The words of some of the carols are asking for comment:

"Mild He lay His glory by,
born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
born to give them second birth..."

We have parked outside bars and watched delighted smiling beer drinkers come outside to hear carols at Christmas. It was fascinating to see the changes of expression as the subject moved from Christmas to Christ. I will never forget the sight of a red-faced gentleman struggling to lift a large container of alcohol into the trunk of his car, while trying to keep both hands cupped over his ears. We also put together a tract, with Santa "Ho-ho-ho-ing" on the front, bringing out the meaning of the birth of Jesus.

While we are on the subject of tracts, look at ten reasons why we should use them:

A tract can get inside a house and stay there.
It always catches people in the right mood because it speaks to them only when they read it.
It sticks to what it has to say and never argues back.
It never flinches or shows cowardice.
It is never tempted to compromise.
It never gets tired, discouraged or gives up.
It is very economical.
It can present the Gospel when we don't have time to do so.
It works while we sleep.
It can be mailed to places we can't go.

(Adapted from, Soul Winning with Tracts, by Dr. Curtis Hutson)

I totally believe in the ministry of tracts. In fact, if you ever find me in public without a tract, I will give you $20. That offer keeps me laden with tracts, so that when I see someone waiting somewhere, I'm always armed with ammunition.

Spiritual CPR

In mid 1993, a 4-year-old girl became sick with what her parents thought was merely a virus. As time passed, she became so ill, they rushed her to the nearby hospital. By the time she arrived, she was clinically dead, so doctors and staff immediately began emergency procedures on her now ceased heart. After 20 minutes, a special emergency team of ten people were called in and began a procedure where they put so much pressure with CPR on the child's flexible rib cage, it would have crushed that of an adult. After an incredible 41 minutes, the little girl's heart began beating again, making this the longest time in modern history that someone survived heart cessation, without brain damage. The reason the doctors did not give up when others thought the child was dead, was simply because they could see that the child's pupil's were still responding to light, which meant that the brain was not yet dead.

The sinner is dead in his sins, twice plucked up by the roots. There is no light in him, but don't ever give up on witnessing to him. Make it second nature to apply the pressure of the Law upon the ceased heart of the sinner. Remember that "the Commandment is a lamp and the Law is light" (Proverbs 6:23), so watch the pupils to see if there is response to the light, and let that be an encouragement to you, even if it is a cupping of his hands over his ears.

The Ten Commandments are an emergency team of ten, working together to bring the dead sinner to a point where he will breathe in the life of the Gospel. As soldiers of the cross let's pull together the virtues of those who have fought before us. Let us have the initiative of Jonathan, who said to his armor bearer:

"Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few."

Let us have the courage of David, who ran toward Goliath saying,

"You come to me with a sword, a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied!"

We need the insight of Elisha who saw the chariots of fire round about him; the confidence of Joshua, who knew that God would not fail or forsake him. We can know that, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect (wholeheartedly) toward Him." His angel encamps round about those that fear Him, to deliver them.

We have been called to active service, but in the past we have been more concerned about the order of service, than our orders for service. We have been given battle orders from Headquarters to seek out those who are enemies of God in their minds through wicked works. We are to persuade and compel them to desert their futile and godless cause. They must defect before the Great Day of Battle, when the ultimate weapon of Eternal Justice will be unleashed against sinful mankind. On that Day there will be no neutral ground . . . they will suffer the vengeance of eternal fire. Our message is "Surrender or be slain! Become a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven or forever be banished from its gates by the King of Kings, into everlasting fire!"

We have been sent as an emissary of peace to diplomatically plead with the ungodly to lay down their weapons, but in a world that hates its Creator, we are forced to precede the offer of peace with the threat of war. We must therefore mobilize as a mighty, militant, aggressive army, spearheading attacks, and through the power of prayer, ransack the barracks of Hell. We must penetrate the territories of the devil with the flag of righteousness and the trumpet of victory resounding.

Retreat is not an option. If we fall back in battle, it is merely to muster forces and gain our spirit. We know that our strengths are the enemy's weaknesses. He crumbles before the powers of holiness, righteousness, justice, virtue, morality and truth. Unending celestial rations of Living Waters and the Bread of Heaven fuel our fighting spirit. Our prayer life energizes our evangelism. We know that we mustn't be casual in prayer, or we will be a casualty in war. We give no place to the devil. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. The very finger of God has issued us with the Ten Great Cannons of His Law. The ground troops lie low while the cannons blast over their heads into the soul of the enemy. There is no greater artillery in our arsenal to break the spirit of the adversary, to weaken his lines of defence, to send terror into his heart. Their very presence generates strong confidence among the troops.

As each cannon is discharged, it sends a message of fear and trembling, and the smoke of the wrath of Almighty God. "No fear" is our battle cry, and boldness our battering ram. If God is for us, nothing can be against us. We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us, and though a host shall encamp against us, we shall not be afraid. Silence is the enemy we will not let into our ranks. The walls of Jericho have been encompassed, it is time to shout. With honor, we will prevail.

By the Grace of our God, we will triumph over evil, for when the smoke of battle clears, that is the struggle for which we contest. We fight the good fight of faith, so muster your courage, lift up hands that hang down and straighten feeble knees. Call on the reserve of your valor, and thoroughly grasp the gravity of the cause for which you do battle -- for the salvation of the sons and daughters of Adam.

We are not alone. Throughout the world are a loyal infantry who are strategically placed by God, unseen through the fog of distance, but they are fighting along with us. Veteran soldiers who have died before us encompass us as a crowd of witnesses to applaud our every advance. Don't break ranks, but strive for the unity of the Gospel, following the Captain of the Lord of Hosts who is leading the charge. Through our God we shall do valiantly, for He , for He it is who shall tread down our enemies.

Hear the soul stirring sound of the trumpet of the Lord, and let the stirred soul fire our flaming sword. If the high praises of God are in our mouth, let also the two-edged Sword be in our hand and the cry "Give me liberty to preach, or give me death" in our mouths. We require men and women who will fling caution to the wind, who will lead an invasion of teeth-gritted, uncompromising, unyielding, relentless, cut-throat evangelism.

We must assault the enemy with spiritual snipers, guerrillas, storm-troopers and gunners, counter-attacking on every side, and if our blood be spilt on the soil of this sinful world for the cause of the Gospel, so be it. If our Commander catches our tears in a bottle, how much more will He value our blood on the earth? Determine in your heart to give the supreme sacrifice. We crave soldiers who will lunge at the enemy and let him feel the cold steel of the sharp and two-edged Sword. We want chivalrous, undaunted, valiant, noble warriors -- loyalists, patriots, within our garrisons to "contend for the faith" and intimidate satan and his hellish hordes. We must have soul-thirsty soldiers, self-sacrificial "kami-kaze" Christians, who are not afraid to bear in their bodies the battlescars of the Lord Jesus . . . who will give themselves, without reserve, to radical, revolutionary, God-pleasing militant evangelism!

"A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation" (Psalm 91:7-9).

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