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A Word for The Body of Christ - Confront the Spirit of Mammon and Reclaim Your Harvest!

Confront the Spirit of Mammon and Reclaim Your Harvest!

Church, it is time to arise and shine, and let the glory of God shine upon us like a beacon of hope to a hurting, confused world! The nation faces an economic crisis and needs to know who they can turn to for a word of faith and stability. This is a time like never before to confidently declare, "Our God Reigns!"

Ezekiel 36 points out some issues that we can learn from today. Begining in verse 16, God makes a judgment against His people that they were defiled and unclean in His sight. He brought charges against them saying that they had profaned His Holy name, and brought reproach to His repuation among the other nations. Israel failed to trust His ways so God told them that He would vindicate His own reputation by forcing them out of the land. Hard economic times and having the hand of God against them brought God's people to their knees. They learned that they must return to worshipping Him alone and return to the stipulations of His covenant, as God purged the idolatry from their lives.

The root cause of their hardships was due to a mixture in their lives that God called unclean. Yes, they were God's people, and yes, He loved them, but it was because He loved them that He disciplined them. Our God is a jealous God, and He doesn't want our affections to be mixed up with idols. Mammon, or the love of money, materialism, and all that is tied to it, has become an idol of this nation. God has struck our idols and brought the issue of greed to the forefront of our news. Businesses and financial institutions, and corporate executives that have mishandled authority and abused the trust of the public are being exposed. Bank failures, bankrupt businesses, and layoffs make daily headlines. Our idols cannot save us.

Although this may paint a gloomy picture, God has made us a great promise in His word! "I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations." (Ezek. 36:29,30)

Never again have to bear the reproach of famine? That's an awesome promise! Read the rest of Ezek.36 through verse 36 to read more of God's promises!

He goes on to say that we will remember our evil ways and the deeds that were not good, but in the process we will turn our hearts back to Him. Look at the promise that follows in verse 33: "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. So they will say "This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited. Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it." (verses 33:36)

On the very day that we renounce and repent from our idols, God's restoration awaits us. Isn't that an awesome promise of hope? He has promised to reverse the circumstances and bring increase - as long as we don't return to our idols. Now, there are some of you reading this that may think "I'm a Christian. I don't worship any idols." But what exactly IS an idol, you may ask? It is anything we have placed our trust and affections upon that takes a higher priority than God. So, please read on!

The hardest truth for any of us to recognize is a blind spot. God's perception is often times so much different than our own. Please let me encourage you to ASK THE LORD for His perspective, and ask Him if He sees any idols in your life. You may be surprised at what He reveals to you! God is ever so gentle and clear with us, and we don't need to fear being transparent with Him.

The influence of Mammon is a prevailing influence over society, Christians and non Christians alike. We have become so desensitized to the voice of the enemy that it just ends up sounding....practical. We end up giving in to what seems like a logical approach to life, rather that agressively extending our faith. Do you hear what I'm saying? The voice of unbelief has permeated the church, and sadly, many of have come into agreement with the enemy unknowingly. Far too often, we have listened to the wrong voice. We have listened to a spirit of fear and unbelief, which has convinced us that we will not have enough in times of hardship. This voice of unbelief is tied to Mammon, a demonic influence towards selfishness, greed, self will, lust for power, control and much, much more. The Bible tells us in 1 Tim. 6:10 that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil..." Underneath the strongman influence of Mammon you will find such things as greed, covetousness (which is another form of idolatry), materialism, lust, anger, fear, envy, murder, jealousy, lying, manipulation, and the list goes on and on.

Listening to the voice of Mammon, working together with unbelief, will tell us that we do not have enough to be generous towards others or in giving to churches, missions, or even to a person in need on the street. Listening to the wrong voice has caused us to impoverish our own harvest, for we cannot reap if we do not sow. The voice of lust, selfish ambition or greed will influence us to take matters into our own hands instead of waiting for God to promote us. The voice of doubt and unbelief, whispered by the enemy will tell us that even Christian businesses must operate by competitive standards of the world's system if they want to be successful. Even pastors and other ministers struggle with fear and insecurities as the negative influence of Mammon constricts the giving of church members. They, too, can fall prey to coming into agreement with the wrong voice, and begin to retreat, instead of advancing against the enemy. The voice of the enemy is subtle, but a great deal of our struggles are related to the influence of Mammon. Every time we listen and react to the wrong voice, we have failed to trust God. We have broken faith with Him, and set up a new idol in our life. That is why God sees it as an uncleanness in our lives. We have make contracts and covenants of compromise with the world's systems, which must be renounced if we want to overcome in the days ahead. This "agreement" of compromise is how Mammon has gained access to our harvest, and it's been holding our harvest in captivity. Seeds we have sown in former seasons have laid dormant because in order for us all to begin "reaping" we must each have our faith activated, releasing what is in our hand to give. Do you want to know how to redeem the seeds that you've sown in faith?

Every time you need a miracle or a breakthrough, God will give you an instruction to release it. ASK Him what step of faith you need to take! ASK Him what seed to sow, and where to plant it. This is very important. There is a particular place that God wants you to sow and release your faith. There is a step...there is a seed of faith that will release your breakthrough!

Let me share an awesome testimony with you. A few years ago, we were saving for a vacation. One night we went to a special service where only 4 people showed up. We did not know the visiting minister, but we knew he had the word of the Lord and the right message for us at that time. We sowed everything we had, not knowing if we would be able to still go visit our family for Christmas. It was hard, but we knew it was the thing to do. Within one week, we had the money for our hotel costs and our airfare, ( over $1100.00) and within the next few weeks we had all the money for our trip. We paid all our bills in advance, went with plenty of money and bought all our kids and grandkids great Christmas presents. We even came home with money in our pocket! Listen, if you need that kind of a breakthrough, ASK GOD where to sow. You've got to sow into the anointing or the place He shows you. He will tell you!

Listen friends, God has seen every time you have sowed in tears, sowed seeds of prayer, sowed seeds of encouragement, and sowed in faith and finances. God wants to bring you a supernatural harvest!

Here's some more good news! "Is the seed still in barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you." (Haggai 2:19)

Which day is God talking about? The day that we are cleansed from our iniquity! God has an appointed day for our breakthrough and blessing!

Honest evaluation, repentance and renouncing the spirit of Mammon are keys to overcoming and breaking free from this strongman's influence. We cannot expect to receive a breakthrough when we are in agreement with the wrong spirit! Words of agreement produce - whether we are in agreement with the voice of faith, and call forth positive things in our life, or whether we are in agreement with the voice of unbelief, and call forth not-so-good things. We have to be in agreement with God if we want God results! We must have revelation in order to see where we may be at fault - or unclean, in God's estimation. We must show genuine repentance through our actions. Blessing the poor, blessing someone in need, sacrificial giving - are all indications that we have truly experienced a change of heart. Faith without works is dead, and friends, the enemy knows it too. Prayers, declarations and decrees are great, but if we are going to overcome, then we must demonstrate that our faith and trust in God are real. It is the only way to overthrow that demonic hold that has been manipulating and holding your seed in captivity. Sow your way out of famine, it's God's way! It may be finances, it may be a house or more. God may ask You to sow a vehicle or something else - and friends, let me tell you, it's when it's truly a sacrifice that you can expect God to break through on your behalf! On the other hand, maybe what God requires of you is simply sharing a meal with the poor, or something else. The point is, until we release what is in our hand, we won't see Him bring more. We are blessed to be a blessing, not to hoard it! GOD HAS A SPECIFIC PLAN FOR YOU. Ask Him what will release your harvest! These are things that show the Lord we truly are repentance and want to please him. Not only that, but it lets the enemy know we mean business and won't have limitations put on our faith! Breaking agreement by renouncing the spirit of mammon (and any others that God may reveal to you) are first steps to confessing our sins and receiving His cleansing and forgiveness. (1 John 1:9) Let us pray.

Father,

In the name of Jesus Christ, I ask Your forgiveness for any way that I have knowingly or unknowingly come into agreement with the enemy. I renounce you, Satan, and all your works of darkness. I renounce all lying spirits, unbelief, and covetous. I renounce the spirit of Mammon, the love of money, and all that is tied to it. Satan, you are not my master, and I reject and refuse you. According to the word of God in James 4:7, I submit to the Lordship of Christ, and I command you to flee from me immediately. Father, I submit to You as my Master, and I make a new covenant with You this day. Thank You for Your forgiveness and your cleansing. Please give me revelation and show me any areas where I have listened to the wrong voice. Please tell me if there is anything You would like me to do as actions of generosity and repentance. Please restore my finances, my family, my future and my hope. I ask You to redeem every seed out of captivity and release a supernatural harvest. I sow every injustice, every tear, every prayer, and everything the enemy has done to steal, kill, destroy, block and hinder me. I ask You to rebuke the devour for my sake, and for Your name sake, Jesus. Please restore and give me victory in every defeated place. In Jesus name, Amen.

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